I've copied this little list of "four things" from Bill. It makes me realize that, no matter how hard I try to portray myself as a cosmopolitan type, I'm about as parochial as they come.

My world -- with an occasional foray into Pan-Germania -- is entirely comprised of four states. Maryland is my home; Virginia is my adopted home. Delaware is my vacation home and also dear because of its isolationist nature, and its not-so-secret Southern leanings. Pennsylvania is really "der Pennsilvanienraum," home of happy German food and Musik.

This evening, I paid a social visit at a small cocktail gathering. There were only about eight in attendance, and most of us were Baltimoreans. Yet, I found my mind wandering when the conversation moved towards the beauties of Maine's coast, and travels to Ireland.

I cannot imagine why I would ever want to visit Maine, or Ireland. Maine is scary and Northern. I have been informed by reliable sources that they kill and eat Southerners up there. Ireland? Well, it seems pretty, and it's all Catholic, which is good. It also appears to be treeless, and if I want to eat boiled beef and potatoes, I can do that quite well without ever leaving my own house. If I travel again to Europa, I'd much prefer to visit the perpetually-electric Berlin, Barock-Wien and the distinctly tree-enabled Bad Ischl. Besides, Austria is every bit as Catholic as Ireland, without the creepy guilt thing that most Americans associate with Catholicism, but from which I've never suffered (being more Austrian and Italian than Irish).

And, once again, as I peruse the list of "four things" about myself, I find myself looking back to the Falls of the James River:


Four jobs I’ve had
1. Collections rep, Thalhimer Bros.
2. Secretary, Johns Hopkins University (the most self-important institution on the East Coast)
3. Retail Account Rep/data monkey, T. Rowe Price and Associates
4. English teacher, Baltimore City and now Baltimore County, Maryland

Four movies I could watch over and over
1. It
2. Footlight Parade
3. Show Boat
4. Gone With the Wind

Four places I have lived
1. Baltimore
2. Williamsburg
3. Richmond
4. Walkersville, Md.

Four TV shows I love to watch
1. Cheers
2. M*A*S*H*
3. Friends
4. Gilmore Girls
(cut me some slack, here, people. I don't have cable and I like cheesy stuff.)

Four places I’ve been on vacation
1. Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
2. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Screw the other two. If it's not Maryland Avenue or the Hotel Cavalier, I'm not particularly interested. Insularity is one of my art forms.


Four websites I visit daily
1. Baltimore Sunpapers
2. Richmond Times-Dispatch
3. Allentown Morning Call
4. Berliner-Zeitung

Four of my favorite foods
1. Crab cakes
2. Rheb's orange creams
3. spoonbread
4. Smithfield ham

Four places I would rather be right now
1. balcony at the Byrd Theatre, Richmond
2. lobby of Loew's Theatre, Richmond
3. dance floor of the Hotel Cavalier Beach Club, Virginia Beach
4. porch at 14 Maryland Ave., Rehoboth Beach

Four blogs I’ll tag
1. Pam
2. Bill
3. Lisa
4. Casey