Stinky Rocky Run and Thiefs in "Stop Lying" t-shirts

Today was another day of marathon final exam presentations, and now I'm done, save for the two kids who didn't show up, who better have a valid reason. It was a horribly long day, again without even a lunch break, but it's over, and the school year is basically over. No kids next week, which I'll spend organizing, cleaning, and moving everything out of my classroom.

Afterwards, we headed to Rocky Run to bid a colleague adieu. She had been at the school for ten years, including the last six alongside me, and I'll miss her as she heads to a small startup Catholic school in the city.

Rocky Run stunk to high hell as usual; the stench of vomit and beer seemed even stronger in the 97-degree heat. I'm just about done there, although the pull of its proximity and video trivia (where else in Baltimore is that offered?) may bring me back eventually. I'm just sick and tired of that terrible smell, which started about a month ago when their drains exploded (or something) and hasn't gone away.

But the closing episode turned me off from the place even worse. On the way out, my friend - doubtlessly feeling the effects of her pina colada type drinks - forgot her pocketbook on the table. We were about a block away when she realized it, and we turned right back around. In the time it happened, the table had been bussed, and the bussers had seen the pocketbook, but continued bussing the table. In that interim time - apparently after the bussers had bussed the table, but before we returned - it was stolen by a tall man with dreadlocks and a "Stop Lying" t-shirt (a play off the "Stop Snitching" shirts). Worse, at least for me, is that the guy was there with his wife and baby. We're sure it's him, because as we re-entered the restaurant, my friend asked him if he'd seen it, and he (b)rushed past her, averted his eyes, and quickly scurried down the street.

We obviously did not know this yet, and spent the better part of 20 minutes looking through the restaurant's trash cans, thinking that it must have been bussed accidentally. We eventually found the pocketbook - emptied out of its cash and driver's license - in the trash in the men's bathroom. Thankfully, it was only about $50, and the driver's license can be replaced, but it still sucks. That's enough to leave a bad taste about Rocky Run in my mouth.