I love the Internet!

I just got back from dinner at Bindi--a double-date with my husband, my brother-in-law and his fiance. It was an early birthday celebration for me and a belated one for the bro-in-law. I had an awesome meal, a grilled arctic char with a lobster-corn curry, and probably drank a little too much.

However, it's day 13 of our August Blogger Challenge, and I'm still going strong. I have to post something! Did I mention I'm a bit of a perfectionist?

Here it is:


Full article here: Squirrel is Surprise Star of Holiday Photo
Not exactly newsworthy, but I love it anyway.

LIVESTRONG Challenge

One of my best Philadelphia friends was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year. It was a long, painful struggle for her just to get a proper diagnosis. The last several months she has been doing chemo treatments and has been reacting so well to them that she was recently declared in remission. Amy's fight is not over, but we are filled with hope.

When Amy was first diagnosed with cancer, the doctors couldn't determine what kind of cancer it was and wanted to figure it out before developing a treatment plan. Rightfully so, I wished they would just hurry up and figure it out already. As her friend, I felt helpless. I can't even imagine the feelings of helplessness Amy must have been experiencing. When she finally was diagnosed with lung cancer and started the chemo, her pain went away. She moved back into her apartment and went back to work. With a treatment plan in place, she could feel proactive and better aligned to really fight it.

Amy has been so strong through this all, and now I feel as if I can actually do a tiny part to help. The LIVESTRONG Challenge is coming to the Philadelphia area August 23. Their slogan is "Pick a Fight with Cancer." According to their website, "The LIVESTRONG Challenge is the Lance Armstrong Foundation's signature fundraising event inspired by the hope, courage and determination that exist in all of us. We take to the streets on bikes and on our feet, uniting individuals to stand together to fight cancer."

I invite you to read the message from my friend Amy below and consider sponsoring me for the 5K walk. I'm walking on a team with Amy and trying to raise my $250 contribution the Obama way--just a few dollars from lots of people.

Amy's message:
In March of 2009, I was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer at the age of 32. The cancer had spread from my lung to my bones and lymph nodes. Thanks to many prayers from friends, family, and people who have never even met me, along with the great treatment I received from my doctors, my cancer is in remission.

According to current statistics, lung cancer makes up 15% of all cancer diagnoses and 29% of all cancer deaths. It is the second most diagnosed cancer in men and women (after prostate and breast, respectively), but it is the number one cause of death from cancer each year in both men and women. So why is the amount of funding for lung cancer only 5% of that given for breast cancer research?

The number of cases of advanced stage lung cancer in young women who are non-smokers is on the rise for reasons not yet known. Please help us change these statistics by supporting our team in the Lance Armstrong Cancer Challenge! You can help by joining a team, making a donation, or by simply sending prayers for a cure.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation unites people to fight cancer, believing that unity is strength, knowledge is power, and attitude is everything.

Through the dollars and awareness that we raise, we can inspire and empower individuals, and we can make life better for the millions of people across the globe fighting cancer today.

Please support me as I make a difference in the cancer fight through my participation in the LIVESTRONG Challenge. Thank you!

With great love,
Amy


Anyone can visit my personal web page and help me in the efforts to support the Lance Armstrong Foundation, my friend Amy and the many others like her.

Julia Child's Birthday Party

Little Berlin is an artist-run collective and gallery space located on the edge of Kensington/ Fishtown. Founded in 2007, they became a collective organization in March 2009. (Full disclosure: my husband is a member of the collective.) Their main focus is curatorial projects and exhibitions, and they also host music events, performances and badminton tournaments.

This Saturday, August 15, they are hosting an event to celebrate what would have been Julia Child's 97th birthday. It's also a fundraiser to help sustain the space and the collective. Food & music are a $5 cover. An additional $10 gets you unlimited beer.

If you haven't been to one of Little Berlin's art openings, this will be a fun opportunity for you to check out the space. The current show is Bone Tails, and the work is pretty impressive. Little Berlin is located at 119 W. Montgomery Street. It's a short walk from the Berks Stop.

For more information on Julia Child's life, here's a recent Vanity Fair article written around the newly released movie Julie & Julia. (She was 6' 2" tall wearing size 12 flats--now that's a tall girl.)

Breaking News!

Realized there is nothing like One Fine Philly, so I'm vacating the suburbs and returning to urban life in Philadelphia. If you haven't already guessed, I will be moving to Fishtown. Now, I have to find a place that won't break the bank. If you have any ideas of good apartments, please let me know.

Hot Dog!

Dog friendly haunts in Philly:

1. The Sidecar at 22nd and Christian welcomes dogs outside. I just spent several hours with a friend and her dog at one of the sidewalk tables, drinking beer and admiring the other pups scattered around us -- the waiter got Hugo (a super-sweet Boxer) a bottle of water and checked back on him as well as us as the night progressed.
2. Good Karma Cafe on 22nd and Pine welcomes dogs -- if you're grabbing a cup inside, Pooch is welcomed in; if you're sitting outside, your canine friend is part of the family.
3. Tavern 17 at 17th and Locust has a "Yappy Hour" where you can drink people cocktails and Rex can drink his own concoction of broth and so forth. Delicious!
4. Parc is home to the wealthy and the well-fed canine -- you can't walk past without excusing yourself to shi-tzus and bichons who got there before you.

And for bars that sound like they should be dog friendly but aren't:
5. Good Dog may feature many pics on the walls, but Fido has to stay outside. :(

Philly Event Medley - Week of August 9th

JimmyStyle Art Opening

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

JimmyStyle on Passyunk

6:00 - 8:00PM

Opening reception. Fox29 Reporter John Atwater presents his retrospective of Costa Rica y más photos.

Annual Entrepreneurs Forum Networking Reception

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

5:30 - 8:00PM

The Piazza at Schmidts

RSVP mandatory

Spruce+Pine Bike Lane Meeting

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

6:30 - 8:30PM

Gershman Y on Broad

Expect some neighbor and pro-bicycle team verbal jousting.

Is Dairy the Devil?

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

7PM

Essene Market & Cafe

"Does Milk really 'do a body good'?" Maybe we are all Lactose intolerant

"Marley and Me" Movie

Thursday, August 13, 2009

8PM (dusk)

Penn's Landing, Columbus Blvd.

Bocce Ball Tournament

Saturday, August 15, 2009

11:00AM

Buckley Field, Drexel University

$10 registration fee

Wear Drexel colors and confidently sidle in. Teams of Two. Winner takes all.

Great Beer Expo

Saturday, August 15, 2009

11:30 or 5PM

Philadelphia Naval Yard

$45 online, $60 at the door

50+ International Brewers/100+ Beers.

Can you drink even?

Photo: Creative Commons photo by Eric Perrone

5 ways to beat the heat

How to Beat the Heat:

1. Find a friend who belongs to the Lombard Street Pool, or any other pool in the city. Invite yourself along.
2. Swedish Fish-flavored water ice at Rita's. Not actually my favorite, but an interesting idea. I'm partial to mango-and-vanilla "gelati," which really bears no relation to gelato.
3. The Herron "Sprayground" Park at 2nd and Reed. Bring a child or several, for added street cred.
4. My personal favorite tactic: bathtub full of ice water and a pitcher of mojitos.
5. Clothes too hot? Bike naked! (Too bad you have to wait until Sept. 6.)

Celebrity Sighting

After Planet Caroline's post about a Paul Rudd sighting in Philadelphia, I thought I'd add to the hip and relevancy factor of One Fine Philly by adding another celebrity sighting. I just got a text message from my husband saying he saw Joan Rivers down by Independence Hall.

Now, don't everyone head down there all at once.

Blah

I have nothing interesting to say, except that it's hot and humid and I seem to have a head cold. Apparently my schedule--working six days a week between my two jobs (Wednesday I work both, for a nice 12-hour day) and then spending my "day off" with my 5-year-old doesn't exactly agree with my sissified slacker constitution. Especially when said 5-year-old wakes up 5 or 6 times a night for the three nights a week I have him. Wish me luck, fair readers, in staying out of hospital until I get used to the routine.

This is so Wrong

Paul Rudd was spotted in Philadelphia on Wednesday and I am only hearing about it this morning. That is so, so wrong. But Philly celeb photographer, Hughe Dillon got a nice shot of him, so I feel slightly better. I think us contributors at One Fine Philly should not be faulted (too much) for not posting celebrity sightings more often. We have lives akin to celebrities. 

U.S. Top 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods

I grew up in the Midwest. My hometown has just over 2,000 people, more churches than bars, and no stop lights--only a flashing red light at what everyone refers to as "the four-way stop." My hometown doesn't really have bad neighborhoods as far as violent crime is concerned, only neighborhoods with more or less money.

This afternoon, my dad sent me an email forward. He likes the email forward. The subject heading was "25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods." My dad writes in abbreviations--his own baby boomer version of a texting language. He sent me a link to the article with his abbreviated commentary mentioning that 4 of the top 25 most dangerous neighborhoods are in Chicago (where my sister lives)--the most of any city. No city had 3 neighborhoods listed but Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, Memphis and Orlando all had 2. "Only 1 Philadelphia neighborhood made the list," he wrote with a :)

My dad also observed that no East LA, Torrance, Oakland or other California cities were listed. No Phoenix, San Antonio, Houston, Vegas, New Orleans, Alabama or Mississippi in the top 25. He ended the email by saying, "Hope you find this interesting."

I guess I did. The report was based on FBI data from 17,000 local law enforcement agencies. They broke it down by neighborhood vs. cities because as we Philadelphia residents know, even cities with high crime rates can have safe neighborhoods. I've pasted the Philadelphia information below, but here's the full article.

25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods

AOL

16. (Worst) Philadelphia, Pa.

Neighborhood: Broad St./Dauphin St.
Found Within ZIP Code(s): 19132, 19133
Predicted Annual Violent Crimes: 199
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000): 117.13
My Chances of Becoming a Victim Here (in one year): 1 in 9

' More on This Neighborhood

Welcome To My Face!

Come check out the first show of the Rittenhouse Square Concert Series, Wednesday night August 12, 7-9. This year the venue is playing host to some hard-rockin' folk! (Who can forget last year's Black Landlord?) Starting us off are Welcome To My Face and the Peace Creeps. WTMF is the brain/love-child of Jose Pistola's owner Casey Parker, and I've been told -- nay, ordered -- to come to the show. Shall I bring a spare pair of panties to throw? Or does bringing a spare pair defeat the purpose?

P.S. The Cafe Press shirt above comes in maternity sizes. How awesome is that?

It's hot! It's sexy! It's ... marriage!

I know my fellow One Fine Philly bloggers are all in different relationship stages--recently divorced, currently looking, ready to give up, at least two are currently planning weddings and their years of wedded togetherness. My husband recently posted this "in defense of marriage" Salon.com article on his Facebook, and I thought it was worth sharing.

It's hot! It's sexy! It's ... marriage!
by: Aaron Traister

Happy Friday night!

Photo credit: salon.com website

Mad for Mad Men

So, everyone I know is buzzing about Season 3 starting up. And with the Banana Republic/AMC Casting Call contest going on, things are getting downright frenzied! My friend Kristy is in the running, and she looks FABULOUS. Vote for her! Daily! Truly, she's a terrific person, a talented actress, and downright gorgeous. Here's her pic:
Click the photo or right here to go and give her five stars! Remember, vote daily!

Bag or Behemoth?

My friend Mike has been writing some great men's fashion commentary, and he suggested we try writing coordinating pieces sometime. Today he suggests that men over the age of detention and whippits should ditch the backpack and go for a messenger bag. (I'm curious, Mike -- the verdict on the man-purse?) In keeping with the theme of bags, here's what I've been pondering.

Why oh why, ladies, are we all shlepping around bags sized to carry your average Oxford English Dictionary? (Not the abridged one.) Where I currently work part-time, we sell bags your average three-year-old would fit into comfortably. I've checked. I see women carrying not one but two large totes--generally unmatched, generally one in nice leather and one found at a grocery store, and they don't seem to be carrying around recent purchases in them. Whatever happened to proportion? A nice clutch? A small satchel?

I'm just as much to blame as anyone. I have a deep-seated affection for my leather hobos, my new woven soft leather tote, and anything I can fit four hardbacks and a laptop into. Still. I call for a return to common sense. Any bag that cries out to be filled with 50 lbs of stuff--especially when said stuff is all mixed together in a huge sack with no dividers--is a chiropractor's dream.

So I have a new resolution: One bag, unless I'm shopping or carrying my son's backpack for him. Lipstick, wallet, phone, mints, collapsible hair brush. This is more than enough for out-and-about. If I'm heading to work, a slightly larger bag with my work papers neatly stashed in a folder will fit nicely into this:

Otherwise, I'm thinking more like this:But if I absolutely must carry something larger, for say, a weekend in NY or a presentation with lots of handouts, let it be something fabulous. Like this:
All the pockets are functional and separate compartments! It sooooo appeals to the obsessive-compulsive in me.

And as for backpacks -- Mike's right, ladies. Save them for the kids.

Window Box Ideas

Our new place has window boxes in the front windows. I'm determined to fill them with flowers, and help spruce-up the outward appearance of our home. I know nothing about gardening, flowers or window boxes, but ours are the metal trough kind and I've recently learned that they need to be lined with coconut fiber. I still need to research how best to make this happen, but I'm starting to collect images for inspiration. The first two are photos I took on a walk in the Fairmount District. The others I found online. I'm especially drawn to the ones that have vines hanging down. Perhaps these will help someone else find inspiration as well.










Photo credits: 1. & 2. Me | 3. flowerframers.com | 4. This Old House magazine website 5. Jean Cotner, Flickr jeanctnr | 6. hooksandlattice.com

Cool Vintage Etsy Find

I've been checking out vintage clothing lately -- I think it's because I'm invited to an awesome Mad Men party next weekend, to which I need to wear show-appropriate cocktail attire -- and this terrific Philly-based Etsy shop is number one on my list right now. Sweet Tooth Vintage has a great selection from the '40s to the '80s and a keen eye for fashion-forward retro. Here are a few of my favorites (photos credited to Veronika Placek, and aren't the poses adorable?):

I'm seriously considering the pink one for the Mad Men party.


Veronika also has a great blog: http://sweettoothvintage.blogspot.com. She's a pleasure to read!

I had the chance to converse with Veronika, and she had this to say about her passion for vintage: "while i sell clothing from the 40's - 80's, i really love clothing from the late 50's and early 60's. i really appreciate the kitsch aspect to vintage - everything from absurd glittery jumpsuits to sad clowns to overly ornate party dresses. i think most of this stemmed from movies i'd watch from my mom when i was younger, and the flea markets i frequented with my dad every weekend. i love the feminine shapes that clothing had - i'm a dress girl myself, and i find that vintage dresses fit me the best. talk about a perfect fit!"

The City that Loves You Back?

Oh Planet Caroline, as a fellow female deity of the Philly dating scene, I hear you. Rather than knowing where to go on dates, however, I would like to know: where can a decent date be found?

I won't say that I can't remember the last time I went on a great date, because it wasn't so long ago....but the date was in Brooklyn with a New Yorker. Yep, I've had to travel to make it happen.

This is not to say that Philadelphia isn't awesome -- it is. I dearly love this city and I feel completely at home in nearly every corner, except the corner where you go to find / have a date, wherever that is. I am comfortable moving about the city alone, and will happily have a seat at a bar solo to enjoy a cold, cold beer while looking over the paper, or (nerd that I am) writing in my journal. I'm friendly, warm, funny (and yes, in an effort at being confident without being snooty, I am a pretty girl) and will not shoot a guy down if he strikes up conversation. I like people, all kinds, and even if the sparks of attraction aren't there I am always down to meet someone new. And yet, many of my dates have ranged from blah to disastrous.

I'll share story:

A local chef, cute and zany, happened upon me at Fergie's, where I was actually hosting a poetry reading. He knew one of my friends, and asked her to help him make a connection. A week later we went out, and after the initial awkwardness we warmed up and had a nice time. We shared a few margaritas (I agree with Shmittenkitten about "grabbin' a coffee"--no thanks) and some light nibbles, great conversation, laughter and then it was time for me to go. The mood was right and it was a really good first date --so as he opened the door to my cab I turned and laid a conservative but definite I-had-great-time-thank-you kiss on him. When I pulled away he pulled me back in for a bit more and he whispered I like kissing you, which was sweet and sexy. I hopped in the cab and waved goodnight. This was about midnight. Not bad, eh?

Half an hour later I got a text. It was from him saying, "I want to kiss your face." Uh, ok. A little weird but I'm open minded and I tried to see the poetry in it and thought nothing more. I didn't respond, figuring we could talk the next day. Ten minutes later I got another text. Again from him, this time saying something that I can even write here... but lets see... it used the word "suck" and referred to another one of my body parts.

Some time between the lovely conversation and laughter, the nice kiss and the closing of the cab door, that boy plum lost his mind. Why, Philadelphia? I know there are some decent guys out there, this diverse and exciting city has to be full of them. Show me a great guy to go out with, and I'll find a fun and unique spot for that first date...

Super Amazing Inspiration Boards from Peacock Feathers

So my amazing maid-of-honor, Ms. Peacock Feathers, made these super cool inspiration boards for me to share with my wedding party and friends to help them visualize the overall look of the wedding. Tomorrow we go shopping for wedding dresses!

Overall Wedding Inspiration Board

Bridesmaid Board

I am the Goddess of Philly Dating

Having gotten home from a date worthy of the biting satire of Shmitten Kitten, I have dating on the brain. (For those unfamiliar with the Philly dating blog Shmitten Kitten go there now. It will save thousands in therapy bills.) I am reluctant to blog about dating because potential mates cyberstalk me by reading my vanity blog Planet Caroline. According to Phillygrrl (another fantastic local blog), there are legions of men dying to date bloggers. I am skeptical of that assertion. But Phillygrrl is way hotter than me.

Anyway I digress. 

For One Fine Philly, I want to talk dating from a Philly-centric point of view. After 10 months of dating a number of fine people, I have come to one conclusion. Dating is not a great way to explore the current, exciting, and ridiculously fun aspects of the city. Before you reject my assertion, let me say this. Philly is great for couples, for people who know each and are willing to take chances on sketchy Yelp reviewed restaurants, to view the scatalogical disguised as art, and to engage in athletic activities that make you look like a lumbering water buffalo. 

Take my friend Katchi Tori (name made up so she won't find out I'm talking about her). Her boyfriend is game for just about anything such as yoga (the guy is ruggedly handsome and beefy), taking surfing lessons in Margate or sorting clothing in a cramped storage room for Philly AIDS Thrift. 

I've seen couples enjoying some of crazy fun events I've attended. It's impossible to not encounter a couple living their lives in a way more interesting than the most intrepid single. Willowy, unwashed couples panhandle on Center City sidewalks- all dropping in the city from some alien place like Kansas or Delaware. Couples use their "nation of two" bravado and conquer our city. I salute them.

But that's not me. Typically I go on first and second dates with people I'm not quite sure about. Therefore, we play it safe and go for familiar options with plenty of exits and open windows. Like La Columbe, Tria, Vango- places in the most boring section of town- Rittenhouse. There have been the occasional dancing date, but as I recall they weren't so much fun because I feared getting sweaty and looking foolish when my shirt rides up my back exposing a pallid, moist muffin top. Appealing. 

Now that I write this, I realize I am obviously doing this dating wrong. So, I welcome any advice to have my dating life mirror the adventures that I have when I'm on my own. 

Perfecting the Pole

I was walking my pooch down a new street tonight, exploring my new neighborhood when I saw a dance studio that caught my attention. Pole by Patrica, located on Juniper Street between Snyder and McKean, is a pole dancing studio, a workout I've been wanting to try since my friend spoke so highly of her S Factor classes in NYC a couple of years ago. Said friend has since installed a pole in her bedroom.

When I got home and looked up Pole by Patricia's website, I was both surprised and disappointed to see that their first-timers class and beginners classes both start at 5pm. Really? Don't any of their students work 9 - 5 jobs? I work in Center City and have a short commute, but I work until 5pm and could never make a 5 - 6pm class. The very earliest I could be there would be 5:30pm and that would be pushing it. I can't imagine I am their first potential client to face this challenge. I wonder if their class times ever change or if they are on a rotating schedule? It just seems such a shame to dismiss a whole group of working women who may be interested in classes, and I just emailed Patricia and told her as much. Maybe it's the heat that's making me fiesty.

A quick Google search also presented 3 Philly pole dancing locations for Philly Premier Pole Dance. While not a short walk from my apartment, they seem to have some classes at more convenient times and are less expensive. I also found Poise Dance Studio, also in South Philly.

I'm curious, has anyone taken a pole dancing class? I think it would be fun to get some girls together for a private lesson. Pole by Patricia offers private lessons for 4-6 girls for $200 or a 2-hour party (90-minute lesson included) for up to 12 girls for $300. Sounds good to me.

Image credit: The Pole by Patricia website.

No Fail Here

It's late and since it's only day 4 of the August blogger challenge, I don't want to be labeled a failure by missing a day so soon.

Speaking of fail, if you're ever looking to waste some time in front of the computer, check out failblog.org. It can help lighten a hard day at work, but view with caution or you may just completely lose track of the time.

Baggo

Is it BAAAAAG-oh or buh-GOOO? Who knows. Either way, make your way to the Keep Tuesday nights, and you will find a committed set of athletes, focused solely on their love of the game and their dedication to a dream: tossing a beanbag onto a board, or if you're lucky: into a hole.

To call the Bag a beanbag is technically incorrect: apparently, the Bag is stuffed not with beans but with corn. Hence the alternative name for the sport, which is Cornhole. You see why I call it Baggo.

At any rate, on any given Tuesday for the past year and a half or so to the best of my knowledge, a determined cluster of men and women have joined together in celebration of Summer, of Beer, and of Baggo. Here are a few photographic representations:

Dance Lifestyle

Sorry folks. I am completely between stories right... still geeking about Saturday's pool party in Medford, NJ where Dan Deacon, Deerhunter, and No Age played to a frenzied crowd of hipsters in swimsuits and bare feet. Put up a lengthy post about it on my personal blog Planet Caroline. So I have that party from the past and I have some interesting stuff to write about in the near future. Not much to report right now.

But to tie you over, I will invite for the Snack's party with Dave P. and Adam Sparkles happening tonight at Woody's. No cover. Here's the Facebook invite. Dave says he's going to be playing Ibiza anthems. For those do not know electronic music, you may be unfamiliar with Ibiza, Spain- the club mecca of the world. There you can hear the best, biggest, most exciting house, techno, and trance music around the clock.

I shouldn't be going out on a "school night" but Dave P's music is irresistible to me. A couple of weeks ago, I had an all nighter to hear him spin (along with co-headliners Free Energy & Lemonade) in NYC. If you come out look for me, I am dressed horribly today... shirt with something resembling zebra stripes and black Docker style pants. I don't know what possessed me to wear this, but it's done.

Jen Childs Rocks My World

So, I had mentioned the Barrymore nominations. I attended the epic-long ceremony to announce the nominated performers, designers, and directors; and I have to say, a lot of people are scratching their heads. This is not meant to detract from the work that did get recognized ... but wow. If you're curious, go over to the Theatre Alliance site and check them out.

But after that, I had the inexpressible pleasure of watching Jen Childs workshop a performance piece at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre for a select group of friends and fellow artists. Jen is a co-founder of 1812 Productions, and a marvelously funny performer; but that is not what makes her (in my humble opinion) perhaps the best female actor in the city. Rather, what I treasure about her is that she has a directness, an honesty and openness and total willingness to go to scary emotionally vulnerable places on stage -- and she takes the audience with her every step of the way.

The piece tonight took us through Jen's complicated relationship with dance. I don't want to give too much away, as the piece isn't finished and hasn't been publicly presented ... but by the end of the performance I had laughed and cried, both with abandon, and I felt like a bigger-souled person for it.

Watch for Jen Childs. Seriously, people, your life here in Philly is not complete unless you've seen her perform. And when this piece opens, buy tickets and take all your closest friends.

(And if Jen reads this and will send me a picture to post, I'll put it up -- otherwise, I can't think of anything that would do justice to her awesomeness.)

A Day that Will Become Legend

Sorry folks, I'm going to let Phrequency.com speak for me. They have gorgeous pictures and a great description of the Saturday R5 Productions pool party with Deerhunter, Dan Deacon and No Age. Broadzilla DJs filled in between sets and at the end. Click here to relive the mania. 

Maybe 500 gathered at a resort/air strip in Medford NJ. The place was equipped with volleyball court, airplane shaped pool, BBQ, and three killer bands on three stages. The bands played round robin style, which meant one played one song and then everybody ran to the next stage for the next song with the next band. Lots of crowd surfing, moshing, and dancing in the pool. 

I got my glasses knocked off and got flattened on ground while I tried to mosh. It was fun, but I pretty much stayed out of the fray after that. The swimming was great, especially with the hot 90 degree weather. 

Be sure to check out the pictures of guy in the pink Speedo. I think his nickname is Beans, but don't quote me on that. He was extremely funny and affable. He was running around helping Deerhunter sell gear, dancing in the middle of the throng and generally being good natured about the gawking. 

Best Continuing Education

Philadelphia magazine's Best of Philly 2009 issue just came out, and I am proud to announce that the University of the Arts Continuing Education program was voted Best Adult Classes.

My pride for this recognition is two-fold. One, my day job is coordinating marketing and development efforts for the UArts Division of Continuing Studies. And two, because I teach for their Continuing Education program. Sorry for the shameless self promotion, but fall courses are now online and you can find and register for my Writing This American Life courses here. I'm really hoping the hybrid course gets enough enrollment to run. It's called a hybrid because the course is part online, part meet-in-class, and it's the first time UArts CE has offered anything like it.

Facebook Doppelgänger

Today, one of my former managers who I rarely if ever see walked into my office area as soon as I came in, and asked me point blank 'Are you engaged?'

Naturally, this was news to me, I expected a project-related question.

He said that he saw a Facebook update from me. That I had gotten engaged over the weekend!! Special Facebook updates apparently get highlighted.

I'm not on Facebook...yet.

But he said that he added me as a friend a couple months ago. There was no profile picture but the name and the company matched. Apparently, there is another person who shares my name and works for the same company. And once my former manager vetted and added "me", 6 of my co-workers added "me" (which is weird because he has 27 friends)

My former manager did say that he did think some of my Facebook updates were kind of strange. I mean, he knows, I am a bit weird but some of the Facebook updates that my Facebook doppelgänger made were kind of outside who he thought I was (he didn't say what they specifically were). Finally, after this engagement surprise, we looked at the profile and we figured it out.

I was thinking of emailing my name-sharing counterpart congratulations...

But when I saw you were engaged, I was like, What??? How come I had to find out from Facebook! -Co-worker who is friend of "me"

Wedding Inspiration

I thought wedding planning would be fun - but it is no fun facing the harsh realities of a budget, greedy vendors and sold out hotels. When you are planning a wedding in a two month window, you are bound to face obstacles. A few things pick me up when I am feeling overwhelmed.

1. My sweet angel Gabriel. He planned the rehearsal dinner, negotiated our reception deal, called every hotel in Old City to book the best deal for our guests, and registered us at Macy's and Anthropologie. He has been hands-on in every detail and he rubs my back every night to calm my nerves. I'm a lucky lady.

2. Peacock Feathers! My maid-of-honor, and best friend, she sends me caring emails, gives me her valuable opinion on everything from colors to flatware, researches ceremony sites and reception halls, assures me daily that getting married is fun and even deals with the people at Party Rentals on my behalf. She is everything a girl could want in a maid-of-honor and I only hope I can be as good to her when I get a chance to be her maid-of-honor next June!

3. Photos. If I need a little inspiration, I search through the archives at Style me Pretty and Snippet & Ink. You may find me sitting on the floor at Barnes and Noble, curled around the latest bridal magazine. And below are some of the photos that have inspired me the most. Clearly I'm in the early planning stages of color and theme.

Kids and Pets

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting a friend's house, with my 5-year-old fabulous boy in tow. He had a blast playing with her boxer puppy and taking Polaroid photos around the house. So as we were walking home with said friend and said friend's dog, we heard a loud (LOUD!) cat's meowing coming from nearby. We looked around and found a sweet black and white kitty stuck up a tree -- it was just after the 4th, and there were fireworks going off nearby, which probably scared her up there in the first place.

Without thinking twice, I jumped onto a nearby chain link fence and climbed it. Then, I swung over to the tree and climbed that, and got the kitty in my hands. I passed her down to my friend (my son was holding my purse for me), and leaped clear from the fence -- it was that kind of chain link that has sharp edges at the top (in case I was trying to break into the house rather than just steal a kitty from a tree).

So I land on the pavement, cutting up my hands on the gravel and broken glass, and my fabulous boy says to me: "Mommy, you're like a kitty superhero!!!!"

Yes, folks. That was me. A Kitty Superhero.

So after that, upon discovering that she was skinny and didn't have a collar and wasn't spayed, I proceeded to take her home to my small apartment and my two other cats. I got her shots and had her spayed. I kept her separated from my cats, because they couldn't get along. I snuggled her, let her sleep with me, and generally loved her up for three weeks while waiting to find her a good home. And my son named her Snowdrop -- he's developing a sense of irony, apparently.

And finally I found a home for her! I asked a co-worker if she wanted a cat, and she said yes. We did the exchange yesterday, and my two little spoiled fluffballs seem all the happier for it.

But my son, after saying goodbye very sweetly and giving her a final pet, went over to the couch, sat down, and buried his head in a pillow. I went over and put my hand on his back, and he started to cry these awful, heartfelt miserable sobs that made me flashback to when I had to give up my childhood puppy of six months because my mother just couldn't deal with a dog in the house.

At any rate, FB came around and realized that kitty would have a much better home than she would have without our intervention. And I realized that I can't possibly rescue every stray cat I come across--but that when I'm faced with dire need, I will do what I can to help out.

If you would like to do what you can, you can help out by a) spaying or neutering your pets, and/or b) donating to your nearest no-kill animal shelter or pet rescue. Just google it, folks, and five gazillion hits will come up, complete with reviews.

If you feel like being social and fancy about it, there's the annual Fur Ball to benefit the Morris Animal Refuge in Philly. While I wish the organization was a no-kill shelter, they do good work in rescuing and finding good homes for abused, neglected, or abandoned animals. And you get to dress up!

Happy National Friendship Day

Whew, that's a relief. Now I am freed of Facebook. 

Free Shakespeare

Since moving to Philadelphia in 2006, I've looked forward each summer to Shakespeare in Clark Park, free Shakespeare in an outdoor setting. Unfortunately, the weather has put a damper on this year's outdoor ambience--one of my favorite parts of the experience is being able to sit outside and picnic before and during the play. Tonight is the final performance of the season, and after having just checked their website, I see it's already been moved indoors due to the storms we had this morning and are likely to receive later tonight.

Still, whether performed inside or out, it's free local Shakespeare. I'll just have to save my bottle of wine and blanket until the free Rittenhouse Square "Concerts in the Park" series begins in a couple of weeks.

Party of the Summer

Today, Philadelphia hosted a dream line up of musicians-- Baltimore artist Dan Deacon, LA pop punk duo No Age, and indie darlings Deer Hunter. Each act on it's own was worth seeing, but in a unique format the bands played played round robin. They were situated on three stages and one band would play a song and then the next act would play. The crowd which was at least 300 strong was jockeying for position. Moving around helped me get close to No Age whose speedy, aggressive 2 minute songs thrilled me. Although I got knocked down by a beefy mosher.

Not only were the performances stellar, but the venue was fantastic. It was the Flying Airport resort, an airfield with an airplane shaped swimming pool, volleyball court, and plenty of grass to spread towels and soak up the bright summer sun.



The hundreds of participants were a sight to behold with their pool toys, hipster haircuts and gleeful dancing. It was an amazing day.