Still Settling In

[bryant]

It's weird getting back to apartment life. And this is not your quirky urban apartment building; this is a full-on apartment complex, with not much of anything you'd call personality. To add to my mild sense of dislocation, Cockeysville is a suburb cut in the classic style. We're right off Cranbrook Road, which wends its way through at least a couple of miles of apartment complexes, mostly identical and many owned by the same management company. Our cross-street is lined with brick ranch houses and a middle school, which is populated in the morning by flocks of SUVs dropping off flocks of kids. I am an urban dweller by choice and inclination, and I have said goodbye to my preferred environment for a while.

On the other hand, it's a nicely spacious apartment, and it's got a dishwasher and a washer/dryer pair in the apartment. Totally hot. I can catch a bus to work right across the lawn, and the bus drops me right in front of my building, so there's that. Also, good food: the Indian place nearby is good, the Chinese place nearby is OK, there's a top-notch comic book store with a good mainstream RPG selection within walking distance...

The weird thing for me is that if I do walk to the comic book store, it's not unusual for me to be the only person in sight who's walking. Suburbs! It's not like there are way fewer of the things I love to do around here. Hm. I miss having indie/art house movies within spitting distance, and I miss having game stores with play space easily accessible. But other than that, I'm totally good for the things I like to have in my life. It's just that most stuff is driving distance rather than walking distance.

It is awfully warm down here. I was mildly horrified to realize that for the first time in my life, I'm living south of the Mason-Dixon line. As a Yankee, I should probably burst into flame or something. I know, hyperbole -- it's not actually all that different. The immediate neighborhood is a tad bland but that's more the suburban than it is the state. Baltimore seems like a pretty cool city.

We have given into temptation and Ikea-fied the apartment. It has a certain style going for it. I should wander around and take videos and post them or something. I am remarkably happy with our dining table; we got a nice one that is just right for a couple but it expands out to be a perfect gaming table for six people. We also have big clunky square bookshelves next to the table, which hold gaming books and michele_blue's collection of glasses. It is a highly pleasing blend of geeky and classy.

There's a walk-in closet. I thought I wouldn't care but it turns out to be the coolest thing in the world, because there is room to hang everything. And T-shirts go up on the shelf. And undergarments go in the dresser next to the bed. Why did nobody tell me about this? Alternately, why did I completely ignore the accoutrements of modern living for so long?

The job looks superb. I actually knew I was in the right sort of place when I walked in the door and there was a seven foot tall character statue in the lobby. Aw yeah, gaming. Working in middleware just wasn't the same.

I think we're sort of open for visitors. We need to get bookshelves. We also need to get a day bed for the guest room. But visits work out, and there's always the couch!

I am trying to get some Living Forgotten Realms kicked off. Little interest so far but we've got a week or so to build. Hrm. I wonder if there's a Baltimore gaming LJ community? I found the Facebook one, I hit the LFR mailing lists... I'll have to look. Possibly I should also hit the usual forums.

Comments

[kirbyk.livejournal.com]

I'm totally jonesing for some D&D. Name the time on a weekend, and I'm there. :) I also need to actually meet people - I don't actually have any non-work friends in my metro area yet, and this isn't really ideal.

[bryant]

Hm. You are on public transport, right?

[kirbyk.livejournal.com]

Well, I have a car, but there's a Metro stop very nearby. I don't know how far North that Metro really extends, but I'm pretty much 10 minutes from the farthest South stop (the Fairfax/Vienna stop on the Orange line.)

But from suburb to suburb, cars aren't that bad. And I have a GPS system, otherwise this highway mess would confuse me horribly. (Well, it does anyway, I just don't have to care that I don't know where I am while I'm going there.)

[agrimony.livejournal.com]

As I understand, there is a bus that will go from the end of one of the Metro lines up to Baltimore.

If my car wasn't mostly hosed, I'd totally take a week off and go down to introduce you to my friends in the area. :(

[bryant]

I'm running Living Forgotten Realms a week from tomorrow in Fallston, but that might be a bit much of a trek for you. If you'd like I'd keep you in mind for the 4e Eberron campaign I want to run sometime sort of soonish, as well!

[michele-blue.livejournal.com]

Yay, the Metro stop of my youth! ;)

And yeah, it's a trek, but not an insurmountable one.

[adamdray.livejournal.com]

It'll be quite a haul from Fairfax to Cockeysville. DC Metro doesn't go that far north. You'll need to catch a train between DC and Baltimore, then transfer to the light rail. Light rail goes up towards Cockeysville. I don't know which stop is nearest to bryant. If he has a car, he could easily pick you up in Hunt Valley or one of the stops local to him. Or you could grab a bus or walk for the last few miles. The whole trip will take 2-3 hours, I'd guess. It's an hour /drive/ between DC and Baltimore.

Driving might be better. Google Maps will do right by you, and Garmin/Tomtom/whatever should be able to handle it. It's mostly highway driving (probably 295-N to 95-N to 695-W/innerloop to 83-N... then hop off and go to his house). Probably 90-110 minutes driving.

[rob-donoghue.livejournal.com]

For the record, there is intent to hijack you but it is dependent on things like weekends sans out of state visitors and a lack of plague.

[bryant]

*cheer!*

[flit.livejournal.com]

Suburbia! But it sounds like you found a nice complex and it's not a total wasteland; it's good to hear that you have good transit, bus, and comic store.

REALLY glad to hear that the job is so good.

[michele-blue.livejournal.com]

The bus makes a big difference, not that I've used it yet. When I had to go back to Somerville to do some house business, he barely missed the car. So that's awesome. But yeah, the not walking places is odd. I walked back from Target the other day with a bunch of bags, and I swear I was the only person on the sidewalk the whole way.

and I swear I was the only person on the sidewalk the whole way.

[chaoticmoth.livejournal.com]

If you ever do run into someone who looks at you strangely for walking, just tell them that your license was suspended for outracing cops in a huge misunderstanding. :)

[flit.livejournal.com]

Ahhh yes the eerieness of walking in suburbs. Some are walkable, a weird lot of them aren't. You'd think walking would be the point!

[jcatelli.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that you're settling in well.

[michele-blue.livejournal.com]

If you're ever down this way, let us know! It's been too long since we've seen you. :)

[jcatelli.livejournal.com]

I'm planning a trip down that way in early August. :)

[michele-blue.livejournal.com]

Oh neat! Please give us a call, or email, or whatever before you head down. We have a guest bed! (or, er. Will, next weekend. IKEA is a harsh mistress!)

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Ted, who is a Southern boy, is of the opinion that Baltimore is Yankee territory despite its *technicality* of being a smidge below the Mason-Dixon line. :)

Mason/Dixon fic?

[amberley.livejournal.com]

I've always thought of Maryland as still Yankeeland. The South begins in Virginia! Perhaps I err. Good to hear you're getting settled, and that the new job is good. Even if you are still on the wrong coast, alas!

Re: Mason/Dixon fic?

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

that's what Ted thinks, too. :) and I'm not writing any Mason/Dixon fic, sheesh. :)

[bryant]

I think Ted's /probably/ right. ;)

[adamdray.livejournal.com]

You're like 20 miles from the Pa. border. Maryland has some Southisms, but mostly we're a nice, Eastern state.

I spent the first 25 years of my life in Ohio. I found Marylanders smiled more, drove faster, and ate more crab and less corn.

Local gaming

[adamdray.livejournal.com]

There are Meetup groups for gamers in the area. They're pretty active. Also, the Towson game store has open RPG nights, but that involves gaming with strangers.

I have one more slot open in my D&D 4E Metrocalypse: Oxford 1605 game, if you're interested. We've only played once and we meet infrequently on Tuesday nights. I live about 25 minutes from you (Owings Mills).

Re: Local gaming

[bryant]

I /am/ interested in Metrocalypse, but so is michele_blue. If another slot should open, though...

Re: Local gaming

[adamdray.livejournal.com]

Okay, I thought about it and we can take you both. It'd be crappy to take you and not Michele. The two of you should sign up on the Metrocalypse group that we use to coordinate schedules and stuff. We play irregularly when we have a quorum, which will be 4 people.

You have a link to the Player's Guide, right? Make up a 1st level character and we'll go from there. You can always email me at adamdray@gmail.com, too.

Re: Local gaming

[michele-blue.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! Looking forward to it. :)

Re: Local gaming

[bryant]

Thank you! That's very kind of you; we've both just signed up.

Anything in particular you're looking for character-wise, either from a personality or role perspective?

Re: Local gaming

[adamdray.livejournal.com]

We have the roles covered, I think. Definitely check out the Metrocalypse Player's Guide and come at your character from the point of view of an Oxfordian who has been transformed into something that might say something about who he or she really is.

I'll get you a list of what we have in terms of race-class combos.

Stuff to see -- steeplechase country

[adamdray.livejournal.com]

So, it's worth driving through steeplechase country. The main routes are Shawan Rd., west till it dead-ends, and Belfast Rd., west until Western Run Rd. (the weird three-way stop with the one-lane bridge).

I think steeplechase country extends east of York Rd., too, north of Hunt Valley. Look for the road signs that say "Steeplechase Country."

Both routes offer beautiful farm land, huge mansions, cows, occasional alpaca, and lots of horses. Very rarely, you might see a "fox and hounds" event (no real foxes, I am promised). In the Fall, Shawan Downs hosts a steeplechase event; I've gone twice and I enjoyed it a lot.