primalmommy on sat 15 jan 05
We arrived safely home from Dayton tonight, after crossing farmland
littered with ice-damaged tree limbs, passing trees that looked like
broken umbrellas -- plus miles of fields underwater, and rivers swollen
for half a mile in either direction. It was water, on the way out of
town -- ice, coming home tonight. So good news, we're home safe -- bad
news, the furnace quit while we were gone and the basement is mostly
flooded.
Good news, out of 40 robotics teams competing, my kid's team won the
state competition and has been invited to compete in the international
tournament in Atlanta's big football stadium. Bad news, it's a $1000
registration fee. That's a lot of bake sales for 5 homeschool mommies.
If anybody has a good fundraising idea for kids' groups, please write me
off list!
Getting around to the point of my post: I have been told that there is
an interesting museum in Baltimore exhibiting the work of the mentally
ill, incarcerated or mentally handicapped. Does anyone know more about
it, or where it can be found?
I spent some time in Baltimore back when I was young and irresponsible,
and still working for the Virginia Folklife Program interviewing
crabbers, oystermen and pound net fishermen in the Northern Neck. I once
ate several pounds of raw oysters with horseradish and a pound of
chocolate almond bark, then partied late with much Cuervo at Hammerjacks
(live music) -- and was memorably sick. I have forgiven oysters and
chocolate of course, but still have to suppress a gag around tequila of
any sort, even disguised in frothy strawberry margaritas. The morning
after, I stood in the rain at Edgar Allen Poe's grave, pallid and
pathetic and wishing I could crawl in there with him. That night put an
end to my hard core partying years once and for all.
Oversharing, sorry ;0P
My impression of Baltimore is that it houses the best aquarium I have
ever visited (and we are aquarium snobs.) I remember wonderful and
whimsical carvings above old stone doorways and charming architectural
details, and a sense of history (or at least the couple-a-centuries we
call history in my country.) I read a lot of colonial lit in college and
it fires the imagination to think of those harbors of the east, full of
canoes, then ships bearing pilgrims/colonists, or whales, or enemy
soldiers.
It helped that in my folklorist job I had interviewed ancient sailing
ship captains who told tales, from their nursing home wheelchairs, of
shanghai-ing drunken Baltimore sailors who would wake up hungover to a
month of oystering in the bay, and whose choices were to work or be
"paid off with the boom". (disappear overboard.) One charming monster of
an old timer grinned and told me all those "indian skulls" folks keep
finding washed up on Colonial beach weren't indian at all... makes my
skin crawl to think of it.
Anyway if anybody has info on how to find that quirky museum.. or how to
fix a furnace igniter.. or how to do a quick fundraiser for kids.. or
any other useful bit of info you can pass my way! -- I'm all inbox.
Yours
Kelly in Ohio
knitting some knickers for the brass monkey (brrrrrr)
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Steve Slatin on sat 15 jan 05
Dear Primal --
I do admire your do-it-yourself attitude, but I do
not recommend trying to repair a furnace ignitor.
Most ignitors are not designed to be repaired; they
are relatively cheap to replace (I didn't check but
the last time I had to buy one it was just over $25,
of course that was some years back and it depends on
the model you need). Think of it like the nozzle on
an oil-burner -- it's just something that needs to be
replaced from time to time.
They usually come with good instructions, and if it
has guidance like "do not touch the gray surface,
install unit holding the white insulator only" take
the advice very seriously. They will fail prematurely
if not installed right. OTOH, they're pretty easy to
install correctly.
Some folks swear by the nitride ignitors (often
available as upgrade kits, but standard on some
high-end models) -- I installed a few about 10 years
ago, but that was far, far away and I don't know how
they worked out. It was a very durable looking piece
of equipment, White-Rodgers made it and it was under
$80 with a 5-year warranty.
I can't help you with the museum or the fund-raising
-- good luck with both.
-- Steve Slatin
--- primalmommy wrote:
>
> Anyway if anybody has info on how to find that
> quirky museum.. or how to
> fix a furnace igniter.. or how to do a quick
> fundraiser for kids.. or
> any other useful bit of info you can pass my way! --
> I'm all inbox.
>
=====
Steve Slatin -- No one, having once come to the attention of the authorities, is ever thereafter truly forgotten.
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Susan Fox-Hirschmann on sun 16 jan 05
In a message dated 1/16/2005 12:33:25 PM Eastern Standard Time,
claystevslat@YAHOO.COM writes:
Anyway if anybody has info on how to find that
> quirky museum..
I believes the "quirky museum" you are discussing is the
American Visionary Museum....all "cutting edge" art and it is on the other
side of the inner harbor not far from the Convention Center.---a short taxi
ride or a long walk.......it is a very cool place.
The facade is totally covered in mosaics of broken dinnerware from ? not sure
when.
There is street parking there as well as a lovely cafe on the 2nd level.
I took my 4 yr old grandson there last year for my birthday....and he loved
the "child-like" quality of what he saw....from Funky paintings to robot
sculpture. Geez, I have a hard time explaining it,...but Do try and go! cause it
really will make you SMILE!
Susan
Annandale, VA
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