For the past few weeks my family has been living in an apartment while our house is being repaired. And although the apartment is quite nice, this has been a very different experience for us.
On the plusside, the dishwasher in the kitchen has the initials G.E. and not M.O.M. This is something I could easily get used to.
On the other hand, the neighbors above us appear to have received, as a Christmas gift, a copy of Jane Fonda's video on high-impact aerobics. Occasionally I have to fight my maternal instinct to shout "stop that running around up there or there is no more Nintendo for a week!"
Back to the positive side: The apartment complex has huge outside trash bins. Instead of filling two or three trash cans with theby-products of my life when I clean the interior of my car I can just disguise my debris with everyone else's.
But we do have to pay to use the washer and dryer in the laundry room. The most annoying problem with this is that we have become a family of quarter-hoarders. The sight of a 25-cent piece sends us all into a monetary frenzy. My children hang around the shopping carts at Leedmark hoping to find spare quarters lost from their "cart return system."
One other problem with our temporary relocation is that my mail apparently is being rerouted through Topeka, Kan. Although the mail does eventually get tome, very often the material has become dated. So, if you have a special event coming up soon please feel free to call, 766-6790.
* With mortgage interests rates at their lowest point in years, this is anexcellent time to buy a home.
Purchasing a home is probably one of the most involved processes ever conceived -- finding the right property, making an offer, finding financing, and finally, the absolute horror of settlement. All of this before you even begin to pack.
To assist first-time buyers, the Glen Burnie Jaycees are offering a Home Buying Seminar, 7:30 p.m. at Wednesday at the Glen Burnie YMCA on Center Street. Jeannie Mohr and Deb Stevens will present information and answer questions on all aspects of home buying.
Stevens, a mortgage underwriter at Household Bank in Hanover, is the management vice president of the Glen Burnie Jaycees. Mohr is a real estate agent with Long and Foster in Severna Park.
"We hope to show the first-time home buyer what's involved in the process of buying a house (and) what's involved in the mortgage," explained Stevens.
This free seminar is open to the community. For additional information call Stevens at 647-4426.
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A Red Cross-sponsored blood drive has been scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Church of the Crucifixion,100 Scott Ave. in Marley.
Donors will automatically become enrolled in the Red Cross' protection program for their immediate family.
"We need 50 donors, and at this point we only have 25 signed up," said Pat Ditzel, coordinator of the drive.
Ditzel says there is a critical shortage of type O and B blood, the most common blood types.
Donors must be age 18 or over and in good health.
But age isn'ta major factor. At the last church-sponsored blood drive, a woman donated for the first time since World War II.
"Everyone's welcome,"said Ditzel.
Appointments can be made by contacting Ditzel, 761-2113.
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When the Rebels' Teen Center resumes its weekly dances Friday night, a new adult leader will be at the helm. Patricia Brown succeeds Debbie Sullivan as director of the teen center dances.
This is Brown's first year with the Rebel organization. Her daughters Tashea, 14, and Stephanie, 9, are both cheerleaders.
"I enjoyed the cheerleading season so much this year that I thought I would try thisout," said Brown.
Brown is looking forward to her new responsibilities and is hoping to interest more youth to attend the dances on a regular basis.
"I'd like to see more participation by letting the community know we're here, getting the word out," said Brown.
One of her suggestions is a local teen version of "Putting On The Hits," a lip-sync contest, which she has tentatively set for February.
The teen center dances resume on Friday at Corkran Middle School after a three-week hiatus because of the school holiday.
Youths ages 6 to 12 are welcome from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The admission price is $1.
Older youths, ages 12 to 17, are invited from 8 to 10 p.m. Admission is$2.
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Another community group that seems to enjoy youth dancesis the Country Club Estates Recreation Association.
Once a month,Sue and Dave Martin set out the Twix candy bars and the soft drinks and prepare for youths 15 and younger to dance the night away in the community hall on Paul Marr Drive.
Active members of the CCERA, the Martins have been coordinating the dances at the community hall forover a year.
This Friday, from 7 to 9 p.m., disc jockeys Tim Konig and Joe Connell will play this generation's concept of music.
Admission is $2 per person. Refreshments (in addition to the Twix bars)will be sold throughout the night.
For information concerning thedance, call the Martins at 761-0317.
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The mail carrier has left pamphlets of doom from the Internal Revenue Service. A new year means tax time is on the horizon.
The Glen Burnie Chapter of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees is sponsoring a meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the hall at Holy Trinity Church, 7434 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd.
Frank Harris of the Internal Revenue Service will address the members concerning federal income taxes.
Retired federal employees and their spouses are invited to attend. For information, call 761-2934.
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A 10-week coed karate class for youth ages8 to 14 will be taught at two area elementary schools. The course isoffered through the county's recreation and parks program.
The two-hour class is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Quarterfield Elementary School and at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Glendale ElementarySchool.
The Kempo method of instruction teaches self-defense and protective maneuvers while exercising and disciplining body and mind.
There is a $35 fee for the class. For information, call 222-3600.