Guests

Late July is the height of vacation season, but instead of a week at the beach or a trip to Europe this year, many Americans are still opting for the staycation or choosing to visit friends or relatives for a long weekend. Whether you find yourself bunking at your sister's place in San Francisco or are in the position of hosting out-of-town guests yourself, one thing is for sure: You'll soon understand the importance of a well-appointed guest room. An uncomfortable guest room sets the stage for a memorable visit — for all the wrong reasons.

While my wedding and bridal showers are still a ways away I can't help but think of them often. One of the things that has constantly been on my mind is all the attention I will be receiving. I am fine with this on my wedding day because I know I will be sharing the spotlight with my husband-to-be. However, when it comes to the bridal shower all eyes are on me and the thought of this terrifies me. I am a shy person and don't usually enjoy being the center of attention. I am comfortable and outgoing around close friends and relatives so if the shower is on the smaller side it should be fine but if it ends up being a good amount of people it makes me nervous.

100 Years Ago Guests, visitors and callers From the Times social column: "Rev. Watson E. Holly was a dinner guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs. William M. Harman, Sr. of Howard county. "Mr. and Mrs. J. Frank Harman have been entertaining Miss Hopkins, of Washington, and Mr. Frank Taylor, of Hanover. "Miss Bessie Ruppert has returned from a visit to relatives in Washington. "Mrs. R.A. Hammond spent Monday in Baltimore. "Miss Eleanor Maynard and Mr. Harold H. Newman, of Baltimore, were callers at 'Rupee' Sunday.

I've always liked to get work done in short, aggressive bursts. From term papers in high school to cleaning the apartment last Saturday - I'll wait, wait, wait and then with head down and eyes narrowed, blitz all that needs to get done in one fell swoop. When moving to Baltimore, Sam and I looked at 15 apartments in two days. We were practically delirious when we signed our current lease, so I count us fortunate to have made a good choice. Shopping for a wedding venue was not much different: one Saturday, four locations.

I didn't realize people still handed out favors at weddings until this year. Granted, I hadn't been to (or in) many weddings before, but I was still surprised to see gifts waiting for us at the door, even after we had been fed, boozed up, photographed and danced with. Being a guest is the best role at a wedding -- you have none of the fiscal or planning responsibilities, and yet reap all of the rewards. As mentioned, I was pretty new to weddings until this year, and really thought that I'd only walk away from them with a full belly and an exasperated liver.

Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards today announced that additional guests have been added to the "Gary Williams Hall of Legends Induction. " The University of Maryland basketball coach will be honored on Sept. 30 at The Hippodrome in Baltimore. Joining the event are former Georgia Tech and current College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins; St. John's University coach Steve Lavin; former Terps Tahj Holden (2002 NCAA Championship team), Rodney Elliott, Evers Burns, Duane Simpkins, Dave Neal and Cedric Lewis; co-host of ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption," Tony Kornheiser; and former player and assistant coach under Williams, Matt Kovarich Williams will be inducted into the museum's new Hall of Legends.

One of the city's largest hotels was forced to evacuate some 900 guests Monday night after a water pipe burst in a stairwell. According to a spokesman for the Fire Department and an official from the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, a standpipe in the stairwell between the fourth and fifth floors ruptured about 5:30 p.m. The standpipe is used to connect to a hose in case of a fire. Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright said that there were no injuries, and guests were allowed to use two working elevators to retrieve their belongings before being moved to other hotels in the city and surrounding area.

Men's college basketball Francis, Massenburg among guests added to Williams gala Maryland men's basketball head coach Gary Williams will be joined by a few more special guests when he is inducted into the Sports Legends Museum's Hall of Legends on Sept. 30 at the Hippodrome in Baltimore. Guests added to the event include former Terps guard and NBA first-round pick Steve Francis , ex-Maryland and NBA forward-center Tony Massenburg , University of Minnesota men's basketball coach Tubby Smith and Loyola men's basketball coach and former Terps assistant Jimmy Patsos . The event will include tributes to Williams from former players, Hall of Fame coaches and other special guests, including Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim , Villanova coach Jay Wright and former Maryland players Len Elmore and Walt Williams . Gary Williams will join previous gala honorees Babe Ruth , Johnny Unitas , Art Modell , Jim McKay and Brooks Robinson in an area reserved for those individuals who have contributed at the top echelon of state and national athletics.

"Only God and the sea know what happened to the great ship. " — President Woodrow Wilson The last anyone heard of the Cyclops as it steamed in a voyage that began in Bahia, Brazil, on Feb. 22, 1918, en route to Baltimore with 10,000 tons of manganese ore in its bunkers, was in a telegram to the West Indian Steamship Co. in New York City. "Advise charterers USS CYCLOPS arrived Barbadoes Three March for bunkers. Expect to arrive Baltimore Thirteen March. Opnav.

So, the endless post-season scenarios have put your plans up in the air? Think about Josh Distenfeld, executive chef at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Distenfeld has to make ordering, prepping and staffing decisions for what could turn out to be anywhere from zero to four games in the next five days. On Wednesday afternoon, here's what Distenfeld knew -- exactly what everybody else knew. "We're just like everybody else," said Distenfeld, who oversees all of the food operations at Camden Yards.

Celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan of the Food Network show "Chopped" will be at Ouzo Bay for a dinner event on April 20. Her people tell us that it's "a reservation-only dining experience. Guests will enjoy a three-course, prix-fixe meal for $95 a person, including a specialty cocktail crafted by Chef Chauhan. The appetizers and entrees will have a wine pairing, and guests will receive a copy of Maneet's book 'Flavors of My World.' Chef Chauhan will also be mingling with the guests.

Heavy Seas Alehouse has announced the lineup for its third guest chef dinner to benefit the Ullman Cancer Fund for Young Adults The chefs this time include, in addition to Heavy Seas Alehouse's own Matt Seeber, Sisha Ortuzar of Riverpark, a Tom Colicchio Restaurant in New York City; Matthew Peterson of City Zen & Sou'Wester in Washington and Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen. The guest mixologist is Imbibe Magazine's 2013 Bartender of the Year Ryan Maybee of the Reiger Hotel Grille and Exchange in Kansas City, Mo. The Guest Chef Dinner is 6:30 p.m. June 26 at Heavy Seas Alehouse, 1300 Bank St. Tickets are $100.

An important detail, yet less sexy, for wedding planning is the hotel situation and transportation. This especially comes into play when your venue is far away from most of your guests. For example, most of our guests are coming from Baltimore and Harford counties, but our venue is in Frederick, which is about a 45-minute to an hour drive. Granted it's a beautiful, country drive and there shouldn't be any traffic on a Saturday afternoon/evening, but it's still a lot to ask of people It's pretty common for couples to arrange for hotel rooms for the bridal party, family, out of town guests and those who want to make an entire night of it. Our wedding will be no different.

When the 137th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show arrives in New York City next week, even the small breeds will be living large. That's because pet travel is booming across the United States, with more travelers than ever taking along their four-legged friends on vacations near and far. Dogs and cats that in the past might have been confined to carriers or hidden in the hotel bathroom are instead getting the five-star treatment as they...

UPDATE (Feb. 11): Yo La Tengo is the special guest for Beach House's April show at the Lyric, according to Beach House's Twitter . The veteran indie-rock trio from Hoboken, N.J., joins Lower Dens as the support for Beach House's first Baltimore show in more than two years. Tickets are on sale here . --------------- Posted Jan. 22: Beach House, the Baltimore dream-pop duo of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand, have finally announced its first hometown show since Sept.

Shrove Tuesday (aka Pancake Day) isn't until Feb. 12, but IHOP National Pancake Da y is tomorrow, Feb. 5. During National Pancake Day, more than 1,500 IHOP restaurants across the country will invite guests to enjoy a complimentary stack of IHOP's signature delicious buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Guests will be encouraged to make a voluntary contribution to the local Children's Miracle Network Hospital or other local charities....

The Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards today announced the addition of several special guests for the event honoring University of Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams on Sept. 30 at the Hippodrome Theater. Among the guests added: ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas; best-selling author and journalist John Feinstein; play-by-play voice of the Terrapins Johnny Holliday; Maryland basketball color analyst Chris Knoche; Williams' Maryland teammate Billy Jones; and former Maryland basketball coach Frank Fellows.

Whether it was a rooftop deck party equipped with a DJ and an elaborate brunch theme or a hotel hall transformed into a swanky viewing room, those lucky enough to have downtown digs along the Grand Prix race track entertained friends and family with private, upscale parties. Forget the metal bleachers at the track. These parties provided breathtaking views, catered treats and offered endless libations. The view from Melisa Herbert's downtown apartment building's rooftop deck was the perfect vantage point for her guests to watch race cars zoom past on Greene Street.

100 Years Ago Guests, visitors and callers From the Times social column: "Rev. Watson E. Holly was a dinner guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs. William M. Harman, Sr. of Howard county. "Mr. and Mrs. J. Frank Harman have been entertaining Miss Hopkins, of Washington, and Mr. Frank Taylor, of Hanover. "Miss Bessie Ruppert has returned from a visit to relatives in Washington. "Mrs. R.A. Hammond spent Monday in Baltimore. "Miss Eleanor Maynard and Mr. Harold H. Newman, of Baltimore, were callers at 'Rupee' Sunday.

The whimsical building entered into local legend as the gingerbread home of Hansel and Gretel. The Sheppard Pratt gatehouse is so firmly established as a beloved Baltimore landmark that you almost expect merry gnomes to appear at its slender windows. It's not hard to envision an eccentric witch or two here. There's even a little stream nearby for a troll. What exactly happened behind the walls of this semi-mysterious abode in the woods alongside a busy Charles Street adjacent to the Woodbrook, Murray Hill and Greater Towson neighborhoods?