Merry in Maryland

 

At Baltimore's Inner Harbor 
The Spirit of Baltimore offers a three-hour dinner cruise.

Two decades! That's how long it took for me to see again my third-grade seatmate and close high school friend, Anton (or Doc Anton as we fondly call him), at his home in Maryland. The last time that we saw each other was at our clique's out-of-town trip to Tagaytay City after high school graduation. I will not mention any more numbers here so as not to give you an idea of how young we are. Haha! 

But it was such a sweet reunion. Both of our families met. I got acquainted with his two cute kids. I am particularly charmed by Emma, the little girl. The other one is Kenzo, the older brother. Emma's quiet demeanor, at least when with guests, gave that mysterious vibe that challenged me to make her come out of her shell. I hope I succeeded with our short bonding time!  

We drove for about three hours from New York City and arrived at his home late at dinner time. Anton has not changed a bit. He's still the same generous, jolly, gregarious, and full-of-stories Anton (who still loves Lacoste 😄) that we knew back then. Chy, his ever-accommodating sweetheart, prepared an awesome line-up of Thanksgiving spread. Yes, she is a good cook. It was a pleasant Thanksgiving dinner, and the star of that table was Chy's turkey. My son made a beeline for it since he loves turkey. But more than the food, everyone had great stories to tell during the catch-up. I particularly enjoyed how Anton indulged in flashbacks. He vividly remembered practically all stories of our elementary and high school days. We could not stop laughing and exchanging thoughts. We moved from the dining room to the living room, and finally to his "man cave," but the stories were non-stop. It was already the wee hours of the morning and we were still up talking. My husband and I were tired, but we did not mind. We were amused by Anton's endless tales. Besides, Anton gave my husband an idea about the young me, how I was, and who I bullied. I was a very prim and proper girl! 😁 

The day after Thanksgiving was a treat for our son who was very excited for Black Friday. So we went to Best Buy scouting for a good PS4 deal. We were in luck. We got it for half the usual price! It is still with us up until now, for three years already. (We're glad he is not eyeing PS5.) He was left at Anton's house playing it while I and my husband toured around Maryland.  

The veteran ships of Baltimore tell stories of American naval power from 1930 to 1986. Each ship has served the U.S. from the Sea of Japan to the Caribbean, to the Mediterranean.

Like his dark literary works, mystery surrounded his death. Edgar Allan Poe, his wife, and his mother-in-law were buried at this graveyard in Baltimore, Maryland. The burial site is within walking distance of Baltimore attractions such as the Hippodrome Theatre, Lexington Market, and Royal Farms Arena.

Do we hear someone/something saying "nevermore?"

Too bad we failed to take a photo of the blue crabs we ate at one of the restaurants there. Our hands were too busy with the shell! Haha! Maryland is famous for this seafood. 

Our stay was short because we had to go back to New York. But as my title suggests, we were merry in Maryland. More than the sights and the food, the time with Anton's family was a time to rekindle the warmth of an old friendship that endures the test of time, even when the parties are continents apart.