Charm City and a Charmed Life in a Less than Charming Economy

Notes on a community and an economic downturn.
When I spend a dollar I lovelove to spend it someplace nearby and quaint and local and ecoware, and I have lots of such options in Lauraville and also Hamilton which is officially closer to me than Lauraville but less explored, by me, so far. Red Canoe, Grindon, Zeke’s, Spinster Yarn and Fibers, Bediboo, I am a devotee of them all. Chameleon Café was fab that one time and we will go back. Hamilton Tavern and Clementine I am looking forward to trying you. Alas, I do not spend much money out and about, I admit a serious stinginess, but when I do I want to open the wallet its so great to have these places to go. I do not pretend to be all perfect about this local-commitment; I can spend a good penny at Target too. But point is that I these shops have definitely boosted my love for the b’more. And especially the northeast b’moria. And we are staying in charm city for a few more years now. That economic downturn made the brilliant idea of investing in a house a decisive factor there – would lose a couple limbs trying to sell it now. So no San Fransisco, no Boston, No Philadelphia, No Rochester MN (well, that’s ok with me) and hello to re-commitment to loving the place you are. And it’s true there is a lot I like/love about this place. Yes. A lot. And I love my home and am excited to start up the garden again. But I digress: the lauraville sweetness gives me a set of local friendly great places to support, and bam, the times are hurting them. Well, some crazy number of independently owned small places close good times or bad, so who am I to know what the story is, but of the lot both Rock Candy and now Bediboo have/are closing shop. I admit, I only shopped the Rock Candy awesomeness once. It was awesome though. But Bediboo I have had a bit closer relationship to with the cloth diaper classes and buying of gear and toys for ms. noodle and all. So it’s sad. And none of this even touches the facts of life that the woman living in her car next to where I parked yesterday is facing. Housing crisis, living crisis.
Sorry to be depressing. In my family’s corner of the world we lead a really charmed life and perhaps the most important thing is that we are aware of that and be appreciative.
Now I am going to go buy a new part for the back of the sink and try and be a plumber.

fourth sector

yesterday was baltimore's ecofestival. i helped a friend at the co-op america table, and now im a happy new member. though i dont have much personal experience with co-op america yet, im a big fan of the fourth sector, and its a great tool for us consumers who want to find green businesses. so, check it out online.

and as long as im on the topic of sustainability once again, ill blab about my current fixation: did you know that something like 40% of most household's electricity usage is spent on appliances that are plugged in but turned off? how tragic! i want to take out a national tv ad campaign to tell people this so that they know to not leave their cell phone chargers plugged in when they are not using them, for example. a great solution is to plug everything into a strip that you can turn off and on. we do this in the office for all the lights, printer, stereo etc and it makes a big difference - can even see it in the electric bill. thats my eco-tip for the day.

will work for coffee and mortgage payment

yesterday in church we sang "coffee coffee coffee" to the tune of "holy holy holy," and let me tell you, that shit cracked me up. unitarian universalists know how to make fun of themselves, especially on april fools day. this morning im singing the praises of ethiopian yrgacheffe. amen, blessed be, ohyeah.
its roasted by this fairly new local roaster, only a mile or so away. i wrote them an email praising their talents and letting them know we drink it every morning and, oh by the way, can i work for you this summer? they didnt write back. for the first time in three years i do not have a summer class to teach at Temple. my own fault, i was waffling and groaning about the commute and missed the deadline to bid for teaching spots. now i feel like a highschool kid looking for a summer gig, only i have a mortgage to pay and buy my own groceries. well, with help of course, but my help is also a student whose income source is debt debt debt.
oh we love loans in this house.
so im shopping my skills, sent out letters to local colleges (baltimore has quite a few) in hopes they may need summer adjuncts.
apparently not.
sent emails to coffee roasters lauding my knowledge of beans and tea and love of farmers markets where i would be honored to shop their stuff in the early early morn.
but no.
oh dear.
its a good reminder that although grad students often complain that we are worked too hard for too little money, even an adjunct position pays better than what many a folk can get.

wasting money/wanting to

today a i went window shopping and would like to lament that all the clearance shoes tend to be size 8. my friend and i, both in the 10ish range, were not so lucky. this is probably to our benefit, as window shopping is the only kind of shopping we can currently afford, but a 50% off sale at the most fantastic shoe store (slash chocolate shop) in all of baltimore, ma petite shoe, will make a girl open her sad little wallet, or at least desperately want to. but our shopping excursion has me thinking about how i would love to have a clothing/shoe budget and how i would love to support the numerous wonderful shops in this town. baltimore is really great for independent shops with really fantastic style. and yet, i regret i cannot turn over my disposable income to these local treasures, since no bit of my income happens to be disposable. i am particularly pouty about it as just last night, at a baby shower of all places, i listened to a co-worker discuss her recent 12grand earring purchase. no i am not joking. goddamn serious. holycrap. and so, as i drooled over bivel shoes today i thought about how my co-worker's purchase, so shocking to me, is absolutely paltry to a whole bunch of people. mind boggling bizarre. i certainly dont hate people for being rich (which my co-worker is not) but i think i can say that i hate that so much money is spent in such regretful ways. admittedly, i am not an economic protectionist and i, in fact, am not in opposition to all non-local shopping, nor do i claim any greater wisdom about spending your money than you. generally, i find such hubris nauseating. but, BUT, some spending is simply stupid. wasteful and disgraceful. 12 grand on (almost certainly conflict) diamond earrings comes to mind. dear god.

a few of my favorite places in baltimore to spend money in not-stupid ways
trixies palace
ma petite shoe
oh said rose
bluehouse