Other Things About Maryland

I've noticed a few other things lately.

1. I see a lot of Florida license plates here. I just think that's odd.

2. I witness many cigarette butts being tossed out of car windows. Ross and I were wondering if people just smoke more here. I did a little research. Smoking rates for Texas and Maryland overall are similar, but the rates inside Baltimore city are higher. So do people just litter more here? I think they do. Maybe the Don't Mess With Texas slogan really works. I do think we take more pride in our state. The intersections here are littered with tons of cigarette butts and other trash. Oh well. I'll keep doing my part by picking up trash when I hike.

3. Parking lots here are a pain in the ass. Lots to different establishments are often not connected, so if you turn in too early or too late you can't just drive through the parking lot (yes, I would park and walk, but what about when I need to gas up my car?!). Also, they don't like to put entrances on the main road here. A lot of parking lots here have only one or two entrances/exits. Oh, sometimes they like to have one that's an entrance only and one that's an exit only. Plenty of times I've driven in circles trying to get out of a parking lot.

4. I don't like Wally World, but I do enjoy the drive there and back. The street we live on has a 25 mph speed limit, so it is a leisurely drive to the main road while I keep a look out for bunnies in the grass along side the street. On the way back I see lily pads in a bit of standing water on the side of the road. That's the only time I've ever seen them in a totally natural environment. Seeing the bunnies and lily pads just makes my day. When I lived in Baltimore catching a glimpse of a certain portrait through the window on of a house Park Avenue or seeing the posh wooden staircase in a mansion on Monument Street gave me the same feeling. Sorta like bread smell in Fort Worth I guess.