Sarcastic celebration in in Baltimore area
April 22, 2015 12:14 PM Subscribe
I was going to go sky diving to "celebrate" my job being eliminated (I like the symbolism), but weigh too much. Instead, I'm trying to think of something in the Baltimore area to do that I haven't done before to start my forced unemployment.
Have gone kayaking and tubing. Thinking of something more on the active side, but I'm not in great shape. I ride a motorcycle, and can get anywhere within a 300 mile radius for a day trip, but under 200 is probably more sane. Am willing to spend a little of my buyout on this, but renting a yacht is out (and really not my thing, anyhow). Was thinking of a one day thing, might be willing to extend that.
I enjoy motorcycles, reading, history, music, factory tours, learning new stuff. Weird is good. I want to do something that makes me think differently about the world as a kind of symbolic break.
So, brothers, sisters and others, what is a Mefite to do?
Have gone kayaking and tubing. Thinking of something more on the active side, but I'm not in great shape. I ride a motorcycle, and can get anywhere within a 300 mile radius for a day trip, but under 200 is probably more sane. Am willing to spend a little of my buyout on this, but renting a yacht is out (and really not my thing, anyhow). Was thinking of a one day thing, might be willing to extend that.
I enjoy motorcycles, reading, history, music, factory tours, learning new stuff. Weird is good. I want to do something that makes me think differently about the world as a kind of symbolic break.
So, brothers, sisters and others, what is a Mefite to do?
Response by poster: AVAM is awesome. So awesome that I'm already a member. It is truly a gem and something everyone visiting Baltimore should go to, if they have any interest in arts or creativity at all. And their Kinetic Sculpture Race is in two weeks!
Should have mentioned that I've done most of the museums between Baltimore and DC that I have any interest in already. But, yeah, carmicha, that really is the perfect answer. Except I'm already a frequent visitor (which you didn't know).
posted by QIbHom at 12:23 PM on April 22, 2015
Should have mentioned that I've done most of the museums between Baltimore and DC that I have any interest in already. But, yeah, carmicha, that really is the perfect answer. Except I'm already a frequent visitor (which you didn't know).
posted by QIbHom at 12:23 PM on April 22, 2015
As above—and coming right up, they have a day for you: Saturday, May 2, Kinetic Sculpture Race. "The Brave, The Talented, The Mediocre, The Unsuspecting Few... KINETIC VOLUNTEERS to help in the grueling, all day, general insanity of the 17th annual (soon-to-be-legendary) Kinetic Sculpture Race..."
posted by xaryts at 12:24 PM on April 22, 2015
posted by xaryts at 12:24 PM on April 22, 2015
Best answer: Well, when I was a little kid and my dad got laid off, we went camping on Assateague Island for a week. There were wild blueberries! As an adult, you might also notice the horses . . .
posted by yarntheory at 12:41 PM on April 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by yarntheory at 12:41 PM on April 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Visit Gettysburg and hike the battlefields.
Hike to the top of Virginia.
posted by DoubleLune at 12:50 PM on April 22, 2015
Hike to the top of Virginia.
posted by DoubleLune at 12:50 PM on April 22, 2015
Best answer: You could do some volunteer work. Maybe spend a few days with Habitat for Humanity building a house (or similar)...
posted by kris.reiss at 12:51 PM on April 22, 2015
posted by kris.reiss at 12:51 PM on April 22, 2015
This is really not my thing, but it might be yours: take a taxidermy class at Bazaar. They're disturbed; think taxidermy of multiple animals into one form.
posted by postel's law at 12:56 PM on April 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by postel's law at 12:56 PM on April 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I know you said you'd been to most of the Baltimore museums that interest you, but have you been to the Amaranthine Museum? It will make you think differently about the world. And its only open on Sunday afternoon, so you have to go to brunch at Woodberry Kitchen first.
posted by jindc at 12:59 PM on April 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by jindc at 12:59 PM on April 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
I want to do something that makes me think differently about the world as a kind of symbolic break.
I always enjoy when I have a day off and everyone else has to work - not that I'm glad they have to work, but glad that I don't. I also like it because it sometimes feels alien and new to me - this whole other world that goes on while I'm at work.
My suggestion is to go downtown and just sit and watch other people go to work. Kids getting on and off of school busses, people rushing to get to work on time....I'd enjoy the fact that for this day, I'm not them. Be really present in the stuff you don't have time to notice every day - it will really make you think differently about the world and your place in it. Find a nice restaurant, linger over lunch without having to rush back to the office. Things like that. Is there anything else you would like to do that you usually can't because you're working during that time?
posted by NoraCharles at 1:01 PM on April 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I always enjoy when I have a day off and everyone else has to work - not that I'm glad they have to work, but glad that I don't. I also like it because it sometimes feels alien and new to me - this whole other world that goes on while I'm at work.
My suggestion is to go downtown and just sit and watch other people go to work. Kids getting on and off of school busses, people rushing to get to work on time....I'd enjoy the fact that for this day, I'm not them. Be really present in the stuff you don't have time to notice every day - it will really make you think differently about the world and your place in it. Find a nice restaurant, linger over lunch without having to rush back to the office. Things like that. Is there anything else you would like to do that you usually can't because you're working during that time?
posted by NoraCharles at 1:01 PM on April 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Some old classmates of mine run a Pirate Ship in Baltimore. Perhaps you could hire it for a private party, and it could include you walking the plank, to echo some of the symbolism of the skydiving idea.
posted by richyoung at 1:49 PM on April 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by richyoung at 1:49 PM on April 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
On further consideration, that may be a bit out of your price range, and it doesn't look like plank-walking is among the services these particular pirates offer. My bad....
posted by richyoung at 2:13 PM on April 22, 2015
posted by richyoung at 2:13 PM on April 22, 2015
If you can't go skydiving, would you be interested in flying an ultralight aircraft? Don't need a license to fly them, although there are tandem ones.
I couldn't find what the maximum passenger weight is, though, but with a 1200-1400lb total takeoff weight, the capacity gotta be in the 300lb range?
posted by porpoise at 6:36 PM on April 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I couldn't find what the maximum passenger weight is, though, but with a 1200-1400lb total takeoff weight, the capacity gotta be in the 300lb range?
posted by porpoise at 6:36 PM on April 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: The pirate ship used to try to water cannon us kayakers, so I'm a bit miffed at them . Besides, I doubt my soon to be former boss would walk the plank using only legal measures .
Haven't been to the Amaranthine Museum. Woodberry Kitched rocks.
Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity is a great idea. That might be a good one.
Ultralight aircraft....hmm....never occured to me, and exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. I'll have to look in to that...
Thanks, folks. Keep me thinking.
posted by QIbHom at 6:38 PM on April 22, 2015
Haven't been to the Amaranthine Museum. Woodberry Kitched rocks.
Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity is a great idea. That might be a good one.
Ultralight aircraft....hmm....never occured to me, and exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. I'll have to look in to that...
Thanks, folks. Keep me thinking.
posted by QIbHom at 6:38 PM on April 22, 2015
Bike the NCR trail to York PA
Rent a paddleboat, try to paddle across the harbor
Pack a lunch and go sit in the rainforest at the National Aquarium
....that's actually all the athletic things I can think of to do in Baltimore...
posted by puckish at 7:18 PM on April 22, 2015
Rent a paddleboat, try to paddle across the harbor
Pack a lunch and go sit in the rainforest at the National Aquarium
....that's actually all the athletic things I can think of to do in Baltimore...
posted by puckish at 7:18 PM on April 22, 2015
and if that's you in your profile pic, wth, seriously? You can't go skydiving?
posted by porpoise at 2:56 AM on April 23, 2015
posted by porpoise at 2:56 AM on April 23, 2015
Best answer: If you can't go up in the sky the way you want maybe you should consider going down in the earth: Luray Caverns. Or scuba diving.
posted by mareli at 6:33 AM on April 23, 2015
posted by mareli at 6:33 AM on April 23, 2015
Response by poster: porpoise got me thinking, and I'm leaning towards tandem hang gliding. Some other great suggestions, which I'm saving for another time (also, hot air balloon ride and biplane ride).
porpoise, that is me, but note the date on my profile. 200 lb. weight limit for a tandem jump.
posted by QIbHom at 9:37 AM on April 23, 2015
porpoise, that is me, but note the date on my profile. 200 lb. weight limit for a tandem jump.
posted by QIbHom at 9:37 AM on April 23, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by carmicha at 12:19 PM on April 22, 2015 [1 favorite]