Split post: I got a job!!! and why Philly rocks in a recession

Well, friends, I haven't been blogging a whole lot lately, because I've been overwhelmed with nerves about The Perfect Job For Me, for which I interviewed and about which I was kept on tenterhooks for a week. Well, guess what: I got it!!!!

I am the new External Relations Director for Theatre Exile, my favorite theater company here in Philly, and I cannot wait to get started. In fact, I start tomorrow. The company is small but growing by leaps and bounds, and I want nothing more than to be with them five years from now when, mark my words, they OWN the Philadelphia theater scene!

This is huge for me, because it is quite literally the very first time I have had a job I really really really wanted, was excited about, could see myself doing for a career. Amazing.

Of course, the pay is what can be expected from a small non-profit arts organization, particularly now. So I'll be keeping that shoe store job, and trying to move to a cheaper apartment in South Philly.

And now for the economic musings portion of the post: Maybe I'm wrong, but Philadelphia seems to be weathering the storm. I know a bunch of still-unemployed people, but I also have seen several friends put their skills and talents to work for them in different industries from where they started. Construction continues apace, new shops open as others close, and bars and restaurants are still packed pretty regularly. Let's face it: as major cities go, Philadelphia is cheap. My 2-bedroom bi-level just off Fitler Square is under $1000 a month. A cab ride from one end of town to the other is about $10, maybe $15 tops. You can eat really well for $15, and catch some great entertainment for free to $50. On nice days the parks are packed with people enjoying live music, watching jugglers or acrobats, or reading a book. And how many of us don't own cars? No gas, no parking, no insurance ... no problem.

I'm telling you, during the recession as in times of plenty, Philadelphia is the place to be. So stay tuned here for our suggestions of cheap/free things to do, and please feel free to send us some of your own! And, oh yeah, wish me luck on my first day of my new career!

Things I Can Do Without, and Things I Can't.

I have willingly parted with television, a land line, home internet access, closet space, a dream kitchen (yes, I did have it!), a yard, a car, and a shower built to fit two people comfortably. I can certainly do without meat, manicures, frequent haircuts, weekly trips to Sephora, pretty much everything at Anthropologie (though it's so, so hard ...), restaurant dining, expensive chocolates, additions to my shoe collection, vacations, and a thermostat set at a comfortable 69 degrees. But please, please, in the name of all that is holy, don't ever ask me to part with the following (and I'm only talking about the inanimate here):

- books.
- coffee.
- pens and paper--the right kind of pens, inviting paper.
- my iPhone, which is my connection to the world (see no internet, no tv, no land line).
- netflix.
- my Cole Haan coat that never fails to get compliments and make me feel like a million damn dollars, and which I plan to have until I die.
- growing things, in pretty pots.

Honestly, in the world of Things, there aren't many I can't do without. So why, and here's the purpose to my listmaking, why oh why am I so strapped for cash? How does one economize a lifestyle that would make Emily Dickinson look extravagant? Perhaps I need to spend a week spending NOTHING. Well, except for essentials for the care of my young'un, like milk and mac & cheese, and SEPTA tokens. I'm going to give it a try ... starting Monday. Wish me luck!