Backsweat & Baseball

I can tell that the seasons are changing by looking at the amount of backsweat on my shirt when I get home from work. August and September brought the heat, and my dress shirts and polos held the sweat-soaked outline of my backpack as I pedaled uphill to my house. Now that October has arrived on the scene, the cool fall breeze has deftly disguised my physical exertion as I tool around the streets of Baltimore on my red Giant (brand name, not description of size…because if I really wanted a “giant” bike, I would get one of those early 1900’s types with the huge front wheel and tiny back wheel. Ahh, if only…). While I appreciate the job the breeze has done to mask my sweaty backside, I know it is only a matter of time until the breeze becomes the wind; strong, relentless gusts that attack bikers from every angle except from behind (because that would be appreciated, to be pushed uphill by the wind. Ahh, if only…). Wind is the biker’s worst enemy.

As I approach the two-month mark of being in JVC, I am feeling more at home in Baltimore. The Community Center has offered its share of joys and challenges. Last week Mr. Moore and I conducted a school and community-wide food drive to commemorate Bea Gaddy, who is known as the “St. Theresa of Baltimore.” Ms. Gaddy rose from a life of poverty to become a leading advocate for the poor and homeless of Charm City (that's Baltimore, in case you were unaware). In 1981, she prepared Thanksgiving dinner for 39 people from her own kitchen, and this event grew each year to eventually reach over 25,000 of Baltimore’s neediest citizens. Though Ms. Gaddy died in 2001, the Community Center has continued with the drive, even when other neighborhoods (and even the mayor’s office) have dropped it, so that her spirit may live on. This year’s drive produced over 650 canned goods, and over $300, and increased awareness about the life and work of Bea Gaddy.

My fellow roommates and I enjoyed a nice long weekend when we traveled to our October retreat, which was about an hour south of Baltimore and occurred, oddly enough, at the beginning of October! There we met up with the southern half of JVC East (the Raleigh, DC, Philadelphia, Camden, and Newark houses), and got to hear their tales of glory and splendor since we had last seen them at orientation (we also swapped some of our own stories, like that time we defended the Harbor against an armada of bloodthirsty pirates!) The theme of this retreat was “Community,” and I was surprised at how fruitful the discussions my roommates and I had were. We left the retreat with a renewed sense of purpose and direction, for both our places of employment as well as the goals we hope to accomplish within our house this year.

Overall, life is good. My only real complaint is that, because of this real-life, full-time job, I am forced to watch my Phillies make their playoff run on GameTracker instead of on actual television. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to have an update of the score, but the ambience of playoff baseball is lost somewhere between the batter dressed totally in white and the pitches that have different colored tails following them. It also doesn’t help that Mr. Moore purposely tells me the wrong score every time he sees me. Hey, Mr. Moore! Just because the Orioles are perpetually futile doesn’t mean you have to rain on my parade! Which perhaps will be making its way down Broad St. this time next month?

An official decree to the citizens of Baltimore: Yes, I have been wearing a denim jacket, with sometimes matching denim jeans, whilest riding a bike on your streets. It’s called a Canadien Tuxedo. Deal with it.