Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with maryland

Who is this painting by?

Potomac Avenue — Sun, 05 May 2013 10:44:18 -0800

Hi yall! I got this painting about 12 years ago in Baltimore as a gift. Who painted it? I can't remember much about the artist except I believe it was a He, and it is one in a long series of record covers painted on wood (this one is of the Ted Nugent record Great Gonzo). I remember there being significant local buzz about him in newspapers, maybe the Baltimore City paper, but can't find any of those now. The initials in the corner seem to say SK. Thanks y'all!

Geriatric mental health professionals in Balt/Wash area?

Captain Chesapeake — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:47:32 -0800

Help me find mental health resources for my dad. I posted a few week ago about my 70 year old dad having heart bypass surgery. He's been really embracing the idea of paying more attention to his mental and physical health. Last few years he's been exploring alternative types of therapies including acupuncture, reiki, and mindfulness-type practices. Lately I've been encouraging him to find a mental health professional to talk to that can give him some perspective on his marriage, getting older, his relationships with his children etc. He has a history of anxiety and depression and I'd be really happy if he could spend the last phase of his life in some sort of equanimity. I'd like to provide him with a few names in case he decides this is something he'd like to pursue.

I want to get some suggestions for mental health professionals in the Baltimore/Washington corridor (ideally in Howard County) that have a practice geared towards someone in the later part of their life. Ideally would also have familiarity with mindfulness/Buddhist based practices. Thanks all.

Place for me and my dog to spend some time tomorrow near Cambridge, MD?

atayah — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:09:35 -0800

I'll be in Cambridge for a few hours tomorrow with my dog and am looking for some places to enjoy together. I usually go to Blackwater - and I still might - but as I can't walk the trails with my dog (or take her on the local fishing piers) I'd like to find someplace else for her to blow off some steam.

There's not many trails close by, it seems, and even the park I can find on Google Maps (Snows Turn Park) doesn't seem to have the actual trails Google Maps puts over it.

Right now the likeliest bet looks to be backtracking 40m to St. Michael's which I know is a dog-friendly town. But any other suggestions in the area would be appreciated. Thanks!

Help me prepare to talk to a real estate lawyer.

OmieWise — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:42:41 -0800

I will be seeking a consultation with a real estate lawyer to talk about an issue with my property line which is the side of my house. Unfortunately there is a negative gradient and a lot of water coming onto my property (and into my basement) from the adjoining property. I have an easement for "ingress & egress" on that property. The landowner there has not responded to my repeated requests to correct the negative gradient. In the 1940s, a previous landowner on that side actually sold the then owners of my house the land under my chimney, which was originally on their land. The foundation wall on that side of my house has been replaced in the past, likely due to hydrostatic pressure against that wall.

My ideal solution would be to purchase the strip of land between my house and the easement (2.5'), but my immediate concern is finding a way to correct the negative gradient and stop (some of) the water infiltration.

I live in Maryland, and would like to speak intelligently about this to whatever lawyer (feel free to recommend one) I end up consulting.

Where can I buy a quality buckwheat pillow?

NikitaNikita — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:17:48 -0800

Where can I buy a quality buckwheat pillow in the DC area, or Maryland, or online? Or what do I need to look for to get a good one, and how much should I expect to pay? My aching neck is ready to try something new. My main issue is that my neck feels like it sort of "collapses" at night with most pillows -- the latex one i'm using now is pretty good and was affordable, but sometimes my head slips off of it (or it feels like that at least) and then I'm half off the pillow and my neck is wonky again.

Thanks for your tips and recommendations!

Integrative cardiac care in Baltimore/DC area.

Captain Chesapeake — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:39:34 -0800

Recommendation for integrative cardiologist in Baltimore/DC area? My 70 year old dad just had coronary bypass heart surgery and he's interested in integrative approaches to maintaining heart health. He's in generally good health other than a history of high cholesterol and arterial blockages. The integrative approach would include, along with traditional modern therapies, nutrition, naturopathic medicine, yoga, mindfulness meditation, reiki etc. Its important that the doctor have a strong background in modern cardiology, but have experience with integrative approaches. Ideally he would have an established network of alternative healing providers he can refer patients to. My father lives in Howard County, Maryland and he is looking for a doctor in the Baltimore/DC area.

I am looking for a personal recommendation (outside of what a Google search provides). Thanks a bunch.

Landlord from hell saga continues...

SpicyMustard — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:08:00 -0800

Building off of the landlord theme from today...I posted about this 5 0r so months ago. We assembled our paperwork, took advantage of some pro bono consultations, and then filed in small claims. But they were unable to serve her and last week I discovered that she's libeled us on the website www.terriblerenters.com. We're seeking an experienced counsel, but in the meantime need help thinking this through. The background is here

I read this recent post and was hoping someone could offer me similarly helpful perspective.

Our former landlord never provided anything more than PO Box address. Using google and a process server, we found a likely address but the server could not get them to come to the door. So we have an affidavit, which we will take to the court, though I'm not sure it will work.

In the meantime, I googled myself to see if my new job (yay) bio would come up, but instead, five or six entries down, I found a post with our names on www.terriblerenters.com. She essentially printed the charges that she made of our supposed "damages" to her condo. Again, the damages either don't exist or they are wear and tear. Interestingly, the comments under the post say she's out of line.

I am using the local bar association to find a lawyer (and with a job I wound't mind paying for a good consultation) but the last time I met with pro bono counsel, I had studied the state's landlord-tenant law better than he had. So I'm not terribly confident in what we will get for our money.

Should we contact the site first? Steel ourselves to sue her for libel? Are there questions I should be asking a process server if we try again (she may have an alternative address).

This whole situation is really tiring. But I really don't want to give up and let her get away with what she has done. Thank you all in advance.

How do you take the driving test in Maryland if you don't have a car?

josher71 — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:56:31 -0800

I want to get my driver's licence but I don't have a car. What are my options in Maryland? Are their provisions for this?

Find the Mystery Halloween House

jaimystery — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:32:40 -0800

A few years ago (at least 3 years but probably 5 or more), I was driving with my mom and we saw the extremely decorated house in these pictures: Pic #1
Pic #2
Pic #3

We gawked, took the 3 pictures, laughed about it and drove on. The only problem is that neither one of us knew where we were (or if we knew, we don't remember). We didn't even have the pictures until Mom realized she still had stuff on an old phone (which she retrieved this weekend) but every time we go around a curve in a rural-ish area, we wonder about this house but without all the decorations, who could tell?

The builder on the sign in pic #1 is located in Delta, PA and that fits as we were probably nort or south of the Pennsylvania/Maryland border and between Rt 1 and I83. From the looks of the road surface (the ashy gray), it is probably in PA. The house faces east - we had trouble getting good photos on the cell camera because the sun was right above the house.

There's another sign in Pic #1 on the beige fence on the right edge - I think it may be a church sign (Episcopal?) which might be a clue to the location (or narrow it down) but I don't have the chops or software to look at it closely

(that fence is the reason why this is kind a shocking sight - there's a curve right there and the massive amount of decoration slaps you in the face when you are driving south).

TLDR? We want to go back to this house in October and see if they are still decorating because people don't believe this place exists. Can you help?

What do you mean you don't have any formal logic t-shirts?

mayurasana — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 11:58:16 -0800

Recommendations for Baltimore-area screen printing or online that delivers within a week? I'd like to get custom text-with-graphic printed onto, preferably, a hoodie. A t-shirt would be ok in a pinch. Which online, Baltimore-area, or DC-MD-VA places that can deliver by this coming Friday would you recommend? I can only pick up from places accessible by the MTA in Baltimore. I've read that sites like zazzle and cafepress don't use good quality ink, so I'm trying to stay away from those, unless that's false. I need it by Friday because I have to wear it on Monday morning. I just need one hoodie/t-shirt, but I'm highly likely to use this service again for other one-off t-shirts in the future. Bonus if some of these places can print on mugs (I'll need that in December). I'd be happy to support local individuals as well, but I don't have a lot of time to search or post ads at MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) or wherever so I don't know where to begin without direct recommendations. Many thanks, hivemind.

Fuckin' Maryland Divorces, How Do THEY Work?

julthumbscrew — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:55:46 -0800

Asking for a very dear friend, YANAL/YANHL/TINLA/OMG/WTF: my friend wants to divorce her emotionally-abusive husband. He doesn't want a divorce and intends to fight her tooth and nail. They live in MD. What to do? My friend already has a lawyer - however, the lawyer is monstrously expensive and money is tight (for reasons to be clarified shortly). Looking for GENERAL legal advice on obtaining a divorce in Maryland. From what we can tell, Maryland will ONLY grant a divorce if one of the following conditions is met: adultery, desertion (constructive or actual), voluntary separation, criminal conviction, two-year separation, or insanity.

Herein lies the rub: my friend and her husband own a home and have two small children. They both work and make comparable salaries. She wants a divorce because he is emotionally abusive and controlling. HOWEVER, neither of them can leave the marital home (he refuses, she won't for fear of him claiming desertion). Neither of them is adulterous, criminal or insane. They are currently residing on separate floors of their home. Her husband has withdrawn all financial support (apart from paying for 3/4 of the mortgage). She pays for 90% of all child-related expenses (food, clothing, babysitting, activities, etc). As such, she's unable to save money to either, 1. Afford her lawyer, OR, 2. Accumulate a down payment for a separate residence. Thus, she's in a vicious Catch-22: can't afford to move out/pay lawyer's retainer until court grants child support/alimony... but can't get court to grant child support/alimony UNTIL she's moved out of the residence.

And thus, my question: how in the holy hell do people with combatative, bitter spouses but WITHOUT a lot of cash obtain a divorce in Maryland? The ONLY way that comes to mind at present is for her to take out a loan, move out with the kids and claim "constructive desertion" (basically, that he made it impossible for them to live together), but we're not sure how the courts generally view those claims (in other words, what evidence will she need to produce?).

Thanks so much for your help, HiveMind.

Old Country Wedding in the New World

oneironaut — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 13:48:56 -0800

Looking for a rustic wedding venue in the DC/Virginia/MD (and potentially WV) region where the soon-to-be Mrs. Oneironaut and I can take over for the whole weekend, roast whole lambs, have a county fair atmosphere, and have the music and dancing go all night. We want to be able to control the space, have a house and potentially a few cabins available, and be within 30 minutes of a town with hotels. Any leads appreciated! And, this question is similar to this one, but we're anticipating more like 150 people, and don't need to be within an hour of the airport.

Extended stay in Gaithersburg

Aanidaani — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:02:50 -0800

I will be staying in the Gaithersburg, Maryland, area for four to six weeks and I'm looking for a decent extended stay hotel. Has anyone stayed in this area before and could you recommend a good extended stay hotel, preferably close to NIST? Thanks!

Do I need a cleaner or an organizer for my disaster of an apartment?

ArgyleMarionette — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:30:04 -0800

Do I need a housekeeper / cleaner or an organizer? I think I'm somewhere in the middle but there's no one in the middle apparently, so which way should I go? (USA, DC area) I live in a small studio apartment and have always been a disorganized person. It's gotten way worse with injuries and new highs in the fatigue and depression departments and a busy new job. Nothing makes sense, everything is all over the place, I don't feel like I know where anything goes anymore. I've got a sink and 2 dishpans full of dishes (no dishwasher), a scary fridge, and lots of stacks of papers to file (health care reimbursement claims to make) and clean clothes all over the place. I've gained a lot of weight over 4 months due to meds, etc., so the majority of this stuff doesnt fit. Even touching or looking at this stuff makes me freak out and panic and get depressed and exhausted. For weeks upon weeks I just try to disengage by eating, or tv or internet to not deal with it. I know, I have issues. I don't know how to get out of this. (and, yes I have a therapist. no, it's not helping this situation, yet at least. seeing her ~5 months now) I dont want to ask friends to help, they've helped before when it wasn't scarygrossinsane... i dont want to lean on them too much and i dont let anyone come over now.

i think i need pro help, even though i need to be saving money. but this is really ruining me. and i dont know who to call. my place is too 'dirty' for an organizer, too disorganized for a housekeeper, and not hoardery enough for an industrial-strength level cleaning service (my personal take on it is "I'm afraid i'm auditioning for Buried Alive/Hoarders on TLC."). i also worry about my valuables, since i am not very organized with my jewelry either.

i am leaning towards a housekeeper because i have some leads from posts in our apartment building. ive made some calls and the problem however is 1) language barrier and 2) shame factor... like, what if s/he comes over and says "eww, no.", or i cant explain what to do? I cant even figure out what it would cost from the small conversations ive tried to have on the phone.

help? ideas?

i'm in the Washington DC area, right on the border of Montgomery County if you have location-specific suggestions.

thanks. sorry for the long post. very frustrated and upset. :(

Where can I play basketball in Washington DC area (Bethesda) late at night?

crawltopslow — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 09:16:12 -0800

Where can I play basketball in Washington DC (Bethesda) area late at night? I'd like to play basketball late at night this Monday and Tuesday nights.

I prefer playing on outdoor courts with lights, for free, until 3AM, that is optimal. sub optimal would be indoor courts, that cost money, till midnight or something.

Anyone know where the games are at?

closer to Bethesda is a bonus

thanks!

All that shoreline, nowhere to wade?

rabidsegue — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 09:41:12 -0800

Will you tell me about secret swimming beaches between or near Baltimore and Washington? I like natural water bodies rather than pools for my family during the summer, but I am too lazy to make a day trip to the Eastern Shore. I know about Sandy Point State Park, Oregon Ridge, Calvert Cliffs, and Chesapeake Beach.

I'm looking for more little beaches. I don't care if they are on a lake, river, bay, etc. I don't care if they charge me admission. I don't mind if they are somewhat built up (eg, bathrooms or food concessions) or even somewhat crowded. I just want them to be close enough for my toddlers to be able to manage a half day trip there without whining my ear off in the car...when are we gonna get there? are we there yet?

Any suggestions? Feel free to memail me if you don't want your secret exposed to the universe. Thanks! My future Sundays thank you.

Help me get out of DC environs (but still commute to UMD)

pavane — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 08:17:57 -0800

I'm having trouble mashing up neighborhood recommendations, apartment listings, and public transportation maps. Could you advise me on places to rent way outside of the main University of Maryland campus/DC area (e.g. no Silver Spring!) that still let me commute into campus via less than 2 hour public transportation? I've read this question and this question about where to live close to the UMD campus and DC area, but after living the best answers to that question for four years (apartments in various MD towns including and around College Park and Silver Spring), I'm ready to move somewhere a little more safe, quite, and walkable outside the main DC circle. Rural Virginia on the train line? Small town Maryland up north? These places interest me, but I'm having trouble mashing up neighborhood recommendations, apartment listings, and public transportation maps and would appreciate any help you can give.

My toughest requirement is public transportation that gets me from home to campus and back for a 9-5ish block of time (MARC, Amtrak, metro, bus lines...?). I'm at the point where I only need to get to campus once or twice every 1-2 weeks, plus I am unwilling to drive through the DC rush hour mess, so I'd appreciate recommendations for specific towns/neighborhoods that would accommodate this (e.g. on an Amtrak stop into DC). Note that anything that connects via public transport into DC should be good, since DC connects via metro and shuttle to the UMD campus, but I'd be happy for suggestions that don't go through DC as well. The commute can be pretty brutal if it's for a good place to live, since I only need to do it at most twice a week.

I'm totally okay with having to sit on a train for up to two hours to get to campus (I've even considered taking the Amtrak in from Charlottesville, though that seems extreme?).

I don't mind needing to bike, take a short bus trip, or drive/motorbike to the station that will connect my new apartment back to campus if I need to.

I don't care if the town is boring; I do care that it feels safe and quiet. Less expensive is nice, but I'm realistic about the area's cost of living, yet willing to stretch my researcher's salary to live in a place where I can leave the windows open while I sleep and walk to the grocery store (I understand that I can do this in some places closer to UMD, but I live alone and want to feel that I'm safe).

Note that I'm looking to rent, not buy. Thank you for any advice!

Looking for ukulele groups/choirs in MD

OrangeDisk — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:42:02 -0800

Can you help me find a ukulele choir or group in Maryland, specifically Montgomery or Frederick Counties? I want to learn how to play the ukulele, and I'm find playing around on my own, but I would also like to join a choir or group for friendship and camaraderie. Are you aware of a ukulele choir or group in Maryland? Montgomery County or Frederick County would be ideal, but I'd love to know about groups in other areas also.

East Coast trip from Boston to DC -- ideas?

archagon — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 01:48:27 -0800

I'm planning on visiting the East Coast this July -- the area roughly from Boston to Washington, DC. I don't really have a set plan yet, aside from visiting NYC for a couple of days (up to a week), hopefully visiting Boston for a few days, and hanging out along the Maryland/DC border for a conference. Travel tips/suggestions? I've never been to the East Coast, so I have no idea where to go or what to do. What are some interesting destinations along my route? Large or small, touristy or obscure -- it doesn't matter to me. If you have a favorite city or town, museum, hostel, club, restaurant, food cart, statue -- whatever -- put it out there. I want as much information as I can get!

Current ideas: (just started brainstorming)
* touristy stuff in NY: Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, etc.
* Comedy Cellar in NY (maybe I can see Louis C.K.?)
* lots of pizza (and donuts, cheesecake, bagels...) in NY -- especially Di Fara
* Harvard and MIT in Boston
* White House, Holocaust Museum, and Smithsonian in DC

(I'm sure there have been countless questions on the topic, so if you know of any great discussions off the top of your head, please post them here.)

Thank you!

Where to chamge oil

dstopps — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 11:06:50 -0800

Where can I change my oil and kill time between DC, and columbus OH. Driving from glen burnie MD, to columbus O.H, tomorrow and need to get an oil change would prefer a sears auto but really need someplace close to a mall or something so I can kill time while waiting. Please save me grim waiting in a had station.

Seeking clinic and urgent care recommendations in southern Baltimore suburbs

ubiquity — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 07:01:48 -0800

Just moved to Baltimore (working in Columbia), haven't had time to unpack let alone find a new PCP, and wouldn't you know it, i'm sick. Does anyone have any recommendations for a drop-in clinic or urgent care facility in the Laurel-Ellicott City-Columbia area that (a) won't charge ER rates and (b) has decent staff? I found several when I googled, but have no way to evaluate them other than google recommendations. Bonus points if you can ALSO recommend other good practitioners (I need a primary care physician, an endocrinologist and a dermatologist) in that area or the south side of Baltimore for when I have time to set up appointments for initial visits.

Do you know her?

furiousxgeorge — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:09:28 -0800

I am trying to identify a woman from a cookbook. "The only thing I know about her is two pictures from a cookbook printed by the Maryland Seafood Marketing Authority (Department of Economic and Community Management) in the mid-1970s." "There's a picture of her on the second page, where she's standing ankle deep in the ocean, holding a big net and looking for fish or oysters or some goddamn thing. Before the recipe "Basic baked fish - tender and moist" there's a picture of her holding a spear, looking out at the ocean on a rock. I think she's wearing high heels for some reason? And at the intro to the chapter on Oysters and Clams, there's a night-time picture of her sitting next to a bonfire. And actually I just realized that on the back cover, she's sitting on the shore with the spear. So I guess its four pictures? Anyway, I found the sequel to this cookbook, and there are no pictures of her. Only pictures of cooked shellfish. So someone must have complained about her stealing the show?"

GLBT in small town Maryland.

LittleMissItneg — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:38:31 -0800

I am thinking of moving to the small town of Crisfield, Maryland. I am a (male-to-female) transsexual, and I am wondering how locals will deal with someone like me relocating to their area. Any tips, suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you.

Healthy Food for 365 Days

kensch — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:41:33 -0800

Maryland: Help me find a nice year-round co-op or CSA in the Baltimore Metro Area? Hi all, I'm a recent transplant to Arbutus in Maryland. I'm looking for a good co-op or CSA in the area (driving distance is fine). I've looked on Local Harvest and other Ask threads, but most of the CSA selection seems to be limited to a specific season, around 8-10 weeks in summer or fall. That's fine, but I was hoping for a group that sources veggies/fruit all year. Does anyone know of a group that works along those lines?

I've been lucky -- I was formerly part of the excellent Purple Dragon Co-op in NJ, which had great selection all year. =)

DC Weddings.

fontophilic — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 19:03:31 -0800

I'm getting married in DC, or at least I'm trying to! A few questions regarding budgets and venues inside. Not having been married before, and not having a lot of second-hand experience or girly-girl inclinations, I have almost no idea what goes into making a wedding. The first issue I want to tackle is the budget.

Am I insane for thinking that a wedding can be had in the DC Metro area for under $5k? The idea of putting anymore money into one day makes me feel slightly ill. Our parents are willing to help out a bit, but we want to pay for the majority.

It seems that venues and catering will be the main expense, and we're trying to keep it small (50 to 80 guests) I'm fine with a cheap dress, and he'll be wearing a suit, and we're both crafty/DIY inclined.

It seems that having the reception and ceremony in the same place can save on costs/hassles. If that won't be possible at a particular venue I'd be willing to have a very small ceremony (in a place like Metafilter's own eviltiff's DC wedding chapel), and put most of the focus/money where I think it should be: having an awesome party for my wonderful friends and family.

So, that said: what venues would you recommend that are artsy, outdoorsy or historic? We'd like to stay away from hotels and country clubs. No churches. We both live in DC, and our parents live in Northern Virginia. We'd do metro area MD too. I'd ideally like something public transit accessible, but realize that might be prohibitively expensive.

Thanks! Any other related recommendations are welcome as well.