i <3 215...

...and everyone knows it. I've been told that I'm philly's biggest cheerleader. And I am. I love this place. I'm running for mayor in 2027 (and I would appreciate your vote!). Not to say that I haven't enjoyed time spent in different corners of this country (and the world), but this will always be home. I find something new to love everyday.

Which is why I was oh so excited when I read this article. I was all smiles. I'm happy to read that other people, and cities (shout out to Ottawa!!) are noticing.

"What a great city looks like"

full house

man`cheetah (noun): gathering of old friends, new friends, and family requiring the bi monthly use of the oven, large consumption of beefy wine, and tiramisu.

man`cheetah (verb): -to mancheetah. to partake in mancheetah activities resulting in low wednesday productivity, dry mouth, nausea, and narcolepsy.

This week it was my week to cook. Normally not good for anyone, and I've done one HELL of a job dodging cooking for weeks now ("hey lan, will you make that awesome chicken you cook so well? hey kara, I haven't had tofu in forever, why don't I grab some for you?).

BUT if there's anything I've learned in the time spent in the kitchen, it's that if you wrap anything in bacon you're good to go. So alas, chicken stuffed with rosemary & gorgonzola, wrapped in bacon and baked at 350 for 30 or so minutes over brown rice.

Dante and Sherri were sweet enough to stop by with yummy salad, and Lana and Luke came over with tiramisu, Mama and Brian grabbed some wine, Jakey brought raw chicken and film, and Kara never showed (fell asleep at 4 in the afternoon...suspect?). Great group effort :)

This morning was extra hard, but it was so wonderful to have everyone fill the house with good stories and lots of laughs. I took the camera out for the first time in a while and found an old roll of film. Wondering what it could be filled with. Happy memories? Memories that should never be developed? Random pictures of the pups? I'll let you know...


**worth mentioning: last week nancy was in town and we had a great time catching up with with the gang. Drinks with jimmy at bar ferdinand (half price mondays, check it out) leading to inappropriate bar behavior, girls high reunion sleepover with mama mia and it's always sunny in philadelphia (horrible transition but always to good to have the girls over) and good times swankin it up at the red ball (R.I.P. red flats) followed by unnecessary argument with an unruly jb's bartender....i guess we'll never go back there!

plenty of great memories, so good to see you!! pictures are on their way....


**the old ceremony finally pulled their shit together and released their next album. stay tuned for a show near you, but in the meantime, feast your ears on this...

....what made me fall in love with them initially (not to mention Django is just damn dreamy...if you're reading this and are ever up for another whiskey let me know ;) )




....and the more recent musical candy (my fav's are murmur and til my voice is gone although i prefer the live version of TMVIG)....

enjoy!

7:45 am

I was laying in bed this morning staring at my alarm clock waiting for the perfect song to "wake up" to...didn't want to waste the beginning of the day on just any old song.

Then this came on...

VH1 TV Shows Music Videos Celebrity Photos News & Gossip

.....and then this came on....



...and then i decided it was time to wake up. I think you'll agree with me. A good way to start a week :)

happy listening!

sunday morning

I found myself walking through the city pretty early this weekend. I forget how dead the streets are on Sunday mornings. No traffic, no street carts, no cabs. There was snow on the ground this morning that was pretty alarming. I swore to christ it was warm when I went to bed. Snow? Really? Here?

I've been finding a new path, elated with this new-found feeling of freedom. The enormity of possibilities, the wonderful plans for the future, the comfort of the present. I've found light that was hidden, light I never met before, and light I thought was extinguished along the way. But I'm finding more and more, that walking, running, or crawling down this path is just what I needed.

Painting a new canvas. Cleaning out an old closet. Meeting a new friend. Reconnecting with old hobbies. Tasting new martini's. Revisiting old restaurants. Finding the new me, remembering the fun, spontaneous old me.

I think it's easy to forget that life is supposed to be worth living. That we work incredibly hard so we can relax at the end of the day, knowing the world is better for it. That if we take ourselves too seriously we'll miss out on the best jokes, and that at the end of the day we should be happy. If not, we're doing it all wrong. Or maybe, we're just on the wrong path.

I've missed the aimless wander around the city, when the streets are bare and you're only left with fresh snow and rosy cheeks. I got lost in the hustle of everyday, lost in the work weeks, lost in the to-do list, lost in the arguments...

I'm excited for the city to come alive this spring. To grow fresh azalea's, to open new restaurants, to expose new faces. This year it feels like we're walking through it again, the city and I. Growing, coming alive, holding on to the old roots, finding new passion. Together. I just need to turn the corner, and walk.

Deep breath.

Good morning sunshine...

right. i have a blog...

I promise that I've considered posting in the past 15 days, but never followed through. Before I forget...Oscar party!

Sean Penn won for Milk, I cried like an infant after his acceptance speech. If you haven't heard it, be sure to check it out. My lady crush, Kate Winslet, also won for best actress. I was disappointed that SlumDog swept the show. By the end of the night I was throwing chips and brie at the TV. Damn award winning children...

Upside:I still fit in my prom dress (circa 2002, and many...many gin martini's later)! And Wheeler wore a matching tie. What a guy!

Good times had by all, thank you friends for humoring me, adhering to the dress code, and walking my red carpet. You're all academy award winners to me.