# Mid-Atlantic Dopers, Sound Off! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 18, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891 "2003-02-18T15:11:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/1 "2003-02-18T15:11:50Z")
So four times in the last few weeks I’ve read people saying “Wow, there are a LOT of Dopers in Baltimore…or Virginia…or DC…or wherever…” So let’s sound off! Folks, we’re called the MADs ( **M** id- **A** tlantic **D** opers) and we range from southern New Jersey down into the Carolina’s. We get together every now and again (just this Saturday 29 of us had dinner together along with our spouses and kids and suchlike). It’s a hoppin’ community, we MADs. So let’s all introduce ourselves and tell how we survived the storm. It’ll give the rookies a chance to feel comfortable joining us. Me? I bought UHF, Clash of the Titans, and Escape From New York and waited it out. You? ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/2 "2003-02-18T15:19:02Z")
Does Princeton count as “southern New Jersey”? (We’re north of Trenton but definitely south of, say, Newark.) Not that there was much to do to survive the storm around here; we only got maybe sixteen inches or so. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/3 "2003-02-18T15:22:18Z")
Semi-MAD here. Or perhaps better described as Future MAD We’ve watched a bunch of TV and surfed a lot (thank goodness the cable hasn’t gone out) and midday yesterday, we were able to dig out of the boat for a shower and a trip to the grocery store. I’ll be in town an additional day because my flight was cancelled, again, and I expect today we’ll dig out the car if the lot gets plowed. We’re going out for lunch today - there’s a nice little neighborhood restaurant not too far from here, and failing that, we’ll go to McD’s just to be out of the boat for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/4 "2003-02-18T15:23:25Z")
Checking in from Central Virginia, where we didn’t get snow. Oh, no. We got ice. We got some ice that LOOKED like snow, and we got a fine dusting of snow yesterday, OVER the ice… I don’t know if I have survived it yet. I’m still stuck in my house with three kids. Normally it’s only two, but **school is still closed**. _scream_ BY THE WAY…Personally, I think some time soonish we should have a MAD gathering here in Richmond…it’s approximately midway between Baltimore, MD and Raleigh, NC after all… ---
**Author:** ![Sunglasses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5fc32e/32.png) [@Sunglasses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunglasses)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/5 "2003-02-18T15:24:11Z")
Southern WV here (we are TOO mid-Atlantic!). Mostly ice storms here. The trees are completely encased in ice and lovely. The History Channel ran an all-day marathon on famous crimes so that’s what I spent Sunday watching. I fought my way in to work yesterday and today. I’ve set a predecent so they’ll expect me to keep coming in all week. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Sunglasses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5fc32e/32.png) [@Sunglasses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunglasses)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/6 "2003-02-18T15:25:27Z")
_ahem_ That’s “precedent”. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/7 "2003-02-18T15:26:49Z")
Arlington here. We got through it just fine, as we are within easy walking distance of a grocery, 7-11, hardware store and restaurants (Westover rocks!). How are we passing the time? Kids ( boys, 4 and 1) are watching kiddie TV. I’m here, dopin’ to pass the time. My lovely wife is doing stuff around the house. I have about the worst case of cabin fever I’ve ever had, though. LETMEOUTTAHEREFERCRYINOUTLOUD! ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/8 "2003-02-18T15:31:23Z")
Hi, I’m Gobear, Falls Church, VA. Luckily, I live in a condo, so I don’t have to do any shovelling. I fired up the DVD player and watched **Rashomon** , **Sunset Boulevard** , **The Dirty Dozen** , accompanied by a six-pack of Victory Hop Devil beer that I had providentially bought the day before. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/9 "2003-02-18T15:31:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by An Arky \* > \*\*LETMEOUTTAHEREFERCRYINOUTLOUD! \*\* I’m sure there’s a little old lady with a sidewalk that needs shoveling somewhere… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/10 "2003-02-18T15:32:25Z")
This “sound off” doesn’t involve a large paddle and shaving cream at any point does it? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/11 "2003-02-18T15:37:30Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m sure there’s a little old lady with a sidewalk that needs shoveling somewhere… Yup. Did it already. I want to get in my car, get out of the neighborhood and GO SOMEWHERE. The local governments and newspeople spewing their paternalistic crap about staying off the roads makes me want to go even more… ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/12 "2003-02-18T15:51:01Z")
Here on the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic, sandwiched between the Albemarle Sound and the Hampton Roads where (from this Texan’s perspective) we seem to be as much a part of Virginia as North Carolina, it has been a bit cold but mostly wet, wet, wet, wet, wet. (Note: I transplanted here recently from the desert.) It rained hard all weekend–which isn’t really a different thing around here, I’ve learned, but I took this one personally: we had plans for a Saturday trip out to the Outer Banks (a mere hour or so away, depending on how many Virginians I’m sharing the road with) for my son to do a bit of treasure hunting with the National Geographic Junior Explorer Metal Detector that “Santa” brought him for Xmas whilst I did some fishing (yes, I know the fishing isn’t so great in February, but at least it won’t be crowded). These plans have been postponed until THIS weekend–weather permitting, of course–and will have the extra benefit of being the weekend prior to my birthday, thus better enabling me to convince my wife to let me drop some serious money on a fancy seafood dinner! (And some new fishin’ stuff.) Anyway, that’s whats going on for this southern MAD. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/13 "2003-02-18T15:56:27Z")
Every post I read by **astro** frightens me just a bit more. By the time I get to meet him, I’ll be so white I glow in the dark. Oh, wait… We have been hanging out at the house, with snow drifts up to the windows. **Weirddave** managed to get the car up to the front house, 1/10 of a mile from here, and paid a guy to plow out the front driveway so we can drive, if we care to make the trek up there. We woke up to more snow, and the thought of shovelling makes my back cry for muscle relaxants. Maybe I’ll just put on fresh pajamas and hop back into bed with the remote and a book. ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/14 "2003-02-18T16:09:20Z")
Raleigh here. It was mostly sleet here, but luckily it wasn’t nearly as bad as the ice storm we had back in December (nowhere near the number of downed trees and power outages). I watched some movies I’ve been meaning to watch for a while–_Nightmare Alley_, _Mad Max_, and my new DVD copy of _Suspiria_. _Nightmare Alley_ was my favorite of the three; check it out if you get the chance, though, unfortunately, it’s somewhat rare. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/15 "2003-02-18T16:20:06Z")
Central PA here (approximately the junction of I-81 and the PA Turnpike). I am proud to say that two adults shared the house with a small child and that everyone made it out alive. We got to spend some time with the neighbors as we shoveled, brushed and swept our way out of the snow. Aaron learned that snow won’t hurt him, and that it looks cool when it’s outside and he’s inside. Now for the municipal, county and state cleanup operations… Robin ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/16 "2003-02-18T16:28:59Z")
I, **Bluesman** , and three **Blueskids** all reside here in lovely Ft. Meade, MD, midway between Baltimore and DC. We are unassing the AO sometime this summer, though. I’ve been doing a lot of studying that I’ve been putting off, and the kids and hubby have been doing various combinations of playing outside, watching TV, and playing on the computer and PS2. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/17 "2003-02-18T16:38:56Z")
Vienna reporting! Aside from a stroll up to the nearby strip mall and down to the bridge over I-66 on Sunday around 4, I stayed in all weekend. Cleared the driveway (producing plenty of endorphins 🙂 ), played Hearts of Iron and messed around on the Net. Had White Castles for lunch yesterday and in about 20 minutes I’ll head down to the Merrifield theater to catch _The Recruit._ ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/18 "2003-02-18T19:37:55Z")
If part of the object is to get a list of MADs together, a couple of good threads are the [Yo MADs! Ready for Snow](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=147970) thread, and the [blizzard of 2003](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=163567) thread. Not that posting there should stop people from posting here. I’m in Chesapeake Beach, MD, which is about a half hour south of Annapolis, and a half hour SE of the DC Beltway. I’m guesstimating that we got a mere 15-16 inches of snow, though it was hard to tell with all the drifting. There wasn’t much to survive. Saturday, of course, Mrs. F. and I were at the dinner that **JC** mentioned in the OP, and Sunday, when the snow hit, we did what we would have done anyway: rearrange the furniture in two rooms. Our old guest room is now the sewing room/TV room, and the old sewing room is now the guest room. It seems to work better for both rooms. Sunday night, we watched the new version of _The Music Man_ on TV, and it was pretty good. Yesterday, I dug out the Honda; today I dug out the truck. Met some new neighbors while out shoveling, and got a chance to talk to some of the other ones I don’t see all that often. The plows finally came through last night, so we can get to the store when we get the urge. I’d checked out some videos from the library before the weekend, and last night, we watched _Shrek_, which was kinda fun. And I’ve putzed around, taken naps, and stuff. Not a bad weekend, and not a bit of cabin fever. ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/19 "2003-02-18T20:16:57Z")
**’Fly** , you are altogether much too well-adjusted. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891/20 "2003-02-18T20:28:59Z")
Hey! Who let you in here! Don’t believe him, folks! He’s a _Chicagoan!!!_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-dopers-sound-off/155891.md?page=2)