COURT-ING BALTIMORE

DEC 23RD ONLY ONE MORE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
Here are some Observations..
I borrowed friend Bob's car yesterday...TOWSON MALL was my destination..About 25 minutes to get there..No problem at all..BUT IT TOOK ALMOST A HALF AN HOUR TO FIND A PARKING SPACE ..even with 7 levels !!
The mall is a SPRAWL MALL and Anchored by Nordstrom & Macys and then a CRATE & BARREL and POTTERY BARN. I walked all over it up down and around the 4 levels including the lower less appealing stores on that level.
I found NO REAL BARGAINS. So much for Recession busting.
"BUY 3 GET 1 FREE!" That sounded to me like a Brooklyn Scam. And A 30% DISCOUNT ON A $500-$600 item is hardly appealing. And Macy's had junky items around $19...the better quality items had maybe a $3 or $4 reduction..Lousy marketing and who cares? I found the 1930's cast iron model planes with with clear plastic disc propellers used for display more desirable than the clothing in that dept.
Nordstrom was upscale and not cheap either.
Macy's had some kitchen stuff that was decent but generally nothing you couldn't find other places or online.
I tried o find "special" stuff and that was not happening.
I gave up after Pottery barn had Christmas Ornaments that were cute but $19 . Stuff that would have been maybe a DOLLAR at WOOLWORTH'S or KRESGE remember the 5 & !0 cent stores??
They have more or less morphed into DOLLAR STORES that are charging at least $1.29 now??
So what is all this about ECONOMIC RECESSION?
Every News program has sob stories about the BAD selling season for the Poor Stores.
Bullshit..they are charging too much and always have been.
I blame Bush and the collective psyche that made the country think they had to Overspend on Everything to be with it
And how about re-thinking the .$10-$12 Movie prices and the $3 cuppa Java
Anyway...I did the Costco and Trader Joe's thing for Christmas and the Eve.
SO after my TOWSON MAULING at 4Pm I was on the EXIT ramp from the 5th level for ALMOST AN HOUR!!!
My Holiday Joy level was highly diminished!
Today I walked downtown to the Court House and took many pictures. The War Memorial building on Gay Street was an imposing edifice with gorgeous 1930's Deco-esque statues. LOVE THAT.
Baltimore has some extraordinary buildings but also some horrid depressed areas. Boarded up houses are in the outskirts and there is much depression here. In this area one sees no more begging or street life than on the NY street. But since this place is less populated it is more "In Your Face."
I am sure the crime rate is high here but doesn't seem to be publicized..I could be wrong , but that is the feeling I get. Like something is bubbling but not boiling over.
The father of the little boy playing Joe in our show had his car window smashed at the matinee and his laptop and bag stolen. I am surprised that there isn't more going on in this area as the Prison is a city Block across the highway 83 from where we are staying.
Nonetheless the weather has been non-seasonal until the last couple of days. 22 Degrees is Winterish, no?
However we are expecting 50 degree temp for CHRISTMAS DAY..Oh Come On.
Portland,Oregon is having A white Christmas and all Canada as well...!!!l
HAPPY HOLIDAY
MERRY SEASON
and May ALL your Christmas's be White!

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