Maryland, my (our) Maryland...

Team WestEnders lollygagged at home for 5 whole days after our mini-trip to Atlanta, so it must be time to take off again, right? Well, normally the answer is "no", but this year our Summer Pilgrimage to the Homeland--er, "Mary....land"--came hot on the heels of our southbound excursion. The timing might not have been our first choice, but you see, with all of the other stuff we have going on in the coming weeks and months, we had to squeeze it in when we could. And when you add in the absolutely required once-yearly Orioles game, which of course depends on the MLB schedule, it came down to a window of...RIGHT ABOUT NOW.

So we unpacked our suitcases briefly for the intervening week of work...and whatnot...and then loaded them right back up and headed north, this time. After the usual Interstate 85/95 highway hijinks, we arrived late Friday night and settled in with our hosts. But on Saturday it was up-and-at-'em, since we planned to spend the day with my family at my dad's house. Several pleasant hours passed with cousins bonding, adults chatting...and everyone filling up on a tasty, reasonably priced, quality lunch, because our next activity involved all of us piling into automobiles to trek to Baltimore for afternoon baseball (and hopefully avoiding paying the proverbial arm and a leg on ballpark fast food).

Now, to be honest, the Os have been...somewhat...um...let's go with "putrid" this season, so the stadium has been much emptier than it typically is, with fans understandably not being too keen to show up for such...emotional torture. However, it just so happened that the game that fit into our visit featured a coveted giveaway...of a loud, cheerful Hawaiian shirt...that many people apparently desired for their wardrobe. So this meant there were hordes of people on hand--which made for crowds to negotiate, but also folks in the seats to cheer for the action on the field, which is certainly more fun than sad silence, for sure!

But there was another factor that had a huge impact on the day: I'm talking about the oppressive HEAT. By the time we arrived in our seats, in the upper deck, all 13 of us were flushed, dripping, and already fanning ourselves with anything on hand that might coax a breeze out of the stagnant, steamy air. Fortunately, our section was mostly in the shade, but when the freakin' "Real Feel" is in triple digits, there's just no getting comfortable in the Great Outdoors. (I mean, when even the backs of your knees are sweaty? It's just icky, y'all...)

If the home team had just cooperated, and posted a win, all of the misery would instantly have been forgiven and forgotten by our loyal crew...but nooooo, they couldn't deliver that for us. We dejectedly watched a slim lead evaporate due to...bullpen incompetence...but at least we had our new orange apparel to lift our spirits as we shuffled out of Camden Yards at the end of 9 innings. (And those cool, refreshing showers we all enjoyed when we got back to our home base? P-R-I-C-E-L-E-S-S...)

The next day was designated for our previous hometown, so Derek could meet up with his Middle School buddies, and I could touch base with some of my friends as well. Our soccer fams weren't available this year due to their own vacations and other commitments, so Husband and Riley didn't have any reason to accompany us this time. Therefore, in a complex logistical arrangement, I borrowed a car from our hosts to pop over to Olney early and have a charming catch-up-coffee with an amiga, and Derek drove himself a bit later in his dad's vehicle.

Then I moved on to my next engagement, which was a delightful, chatty lunch with college girlfriends, and Derek returned to HQ to pick up the other two male members of Team WestEnders, so they could all travel together to my dad's house again, where we would be having dinner. (Are you keeping up? Good...stick with me...) After several hours of laughter and conversation, I bid my chicas farewell (until December--when hopefully it won't be so...Hades-like! And I'll probably complain about the cold...but whatever...) and navigated over to Lake Needwood, a park where I used to run sometimes when we lived in the area.

I know, I know, it sounds insane--and stupid--when it was literally 96* (and the damn Heat Index was again over 100), but my only defense is that I thought the tree-covered trail through the woods might make it bearable. Um...suffice it to say that it did NOT. But I didn't faint...or succumb to heatstroke...so there's that, I guess.

Finally, having survived my ill-conceived exercise adventure, I joined the rest of my gang for the aforementioned Bonus Time with my extended clan. And then, when the long, satisfying day of socializing was over, it was time for one last round of hugs and goodbyes, before returning to our "home-away-from-home" for more showers...soaking up the blessed air conditioning...and slumber. Tomorrow, we chill! (Well...if not meteorologically...at least metaphorically...)