I am currently about to enter the second week of my office being closed (the university is saving money by impairing productivity, it seems) in what can only be viewed as a work-from-home holiday bonanza. After my last post, I only had to make it through another week of teaching classes and only at 2 of the schools. I also managed to battle a cold that struck that weekend and lasted several days. Speaking of cold, Philadelphia's temperatures dipped below freezing on several days and nights. There was snow, ice, and the inability to open my car door for several hours one morning. I think the wind chill factor is what really made it difficult to leave the house. I enjoyed 65-degree temperatures when I went back to Virginia for Christmas, and today was unseasonably warm enough up here to warrant a run. We'll see how the rest of the winter treats me in the Northeast.
The first week of January will mark 4 months since I moved to Philadelphia, which is pretty impressive. I'm not getting lost all the time (hopefully my Christmas gift Garmin will take care of the rest). I know to wear leggings under my pants, multiple layers on top, and to never forget a scarf and my earmuffs when going outside. I'm still not good at driving in snow, but maybe I'll figure it out.
The Eagles won tonight, which means that they secured a spot in the playoffs. They'll be playing the Vikings next week, and needless to say, we're all excited around here. I am not able to further comment on the situation until next week, but I'll probably have a weird dream about McNabb, Jackson, Dawkins, Westbrook and company. I'm still going to try and make it to a Flyers game later on in the season once I make some money from being a server that doesn't go directly to our house's gas bill. But if nothing else, we'll always have this year's Phillies.
Philly food review: I finally tried a cheesesteak from one of the 'big 3' (Pat's, Geno's, Jim's) when a friend came to visit. We went to Jim's on an evening chock full of snow and rain. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture of my cheesesteak with onions and peppers and white American cheese. The price was less fun. I enjoyed getting American cheese more than provolone (have yet to try Whiz) because it provided a sharper flavor to stand up to the bread and steak. The grilled peppers and onions added to the texture and moisture content pretty nicely. I would definitely recommend splitting a cheesesteak with a friend, as I could only eat one half.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
minuses and pluses
My socks are wet, and I spent my morning teaching 30 Catholic school 7th and 8th graders about values. I just had the 'energy green tea with guarana + yerba mate' from teany but I still want to take a nap. I woke up with a sore throat that has persisted despite my tea and water consumption.
Buuutttt.....there are so many good things right now, too. The office is empty and quiet, so I can actually get some work done (or write in my blog). My roommates and I all hung out together Tuesday night and picked out a house Christmas tree. I actually like driving in and around the city of Philadelphia between the hours of 10AM-2PM. 7th and 8th graders actually seem to like and respect me, and some of the girls treat me like a cool older sister who has all the answers. I had one of the best salads of my life from Grocery at lunch (the other top contender is the goat cheese/spinach/bacon salad at Clementine in Harrisonburg). This weekend, I have a fellow AmeriCorps member's birthday party, the JMU vs. Montana national semi-final football game to watch, new job orientation, and a day of making cookies for everyone. Plus, tomorrow is payday!
See how much bigger that second paragraph was? I won't find out my home-for-Christmas schedule until after job training (I got hired as a server at a new Asian tapas restaurant near me) but as long as I get a few days back in Virginia, I'll be happy. I'm debating whether or not to send out holiday greeting cards, or if it's feasible to just track everyone down and hand out cookies/brownies/cupcakes in tupperware. We shall see.
More Philly food review coming in the next installment!
Buuutttt.....there are so many good things right now, too. The office is empty and quiet, so I can actually get some work done (or write in my blog). My roommates and I all hung out together Tuesday night and picked out a house Christmas tree. I actually like driving in and around the city of Philadelphia between the hours of 10AM-2PM. 7th and 8th graders actually seem to like and respect me, and some of the girls treat me like a cool older sister who has all the answers. I had one of the best salads of my life from Grocery at lunch (the other top contender is the goat cheese/spinach/bacon salad at Clementine in Harrisonburg). This weekend, I have a fellow AmeriCorps member's birthday party, the JMU vs. Montana national semi-final football game to watch, new job orientation, and a day of making cookies for everyone. Plus, tomorrow is payday!
See how much bigger that second paragraph was? I won't find out my home-for-Christmas schedule until after job training (I got hired as a server at a new Asian tapas restaurant near me) but as long as I get a few days back in Virginia, I'll be happy. I'm debating whether or not to send out holiday greeting cards, or if it's feasible to just track everyone down and hand out cookies/brownies/cupcakes in tupperware. We shall see.
More Philly food review coming in the next installment!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Thanksgiving break review
Going back home to Virginia really made the differences between here and there all the more obvious. Of course, VA means old friends and family, while Philadelphia equates to over a million strangers and a few dozen acquaintances. But there are other things. Driving in Virginia is fun, for one. Even with a stick shift. The amount of traffic in Richmond and its suburbs is incredibly smaller than Philadelphia and its suburbs. I rode around with my Dad on Friday and braved the Black Friday crowds to buy greeting cards and my first pepper spray. Dad actually reached for the enormous can of Bear Repellent first (we were at a hunting/fishing geared outdoors store). On Saturday, my Mom lent me her car and I zoomed around, listening to Talking Heads and Bob Dylan. I slept a tremendous amount, going to bed around 11PM and waking up around 9AM each day. I helped cook and bake food for Thanksgiving, much to my Mom's surprise and delight. Despite having no cell phone reception at home, I still managed to take a long-distance call and dial out to other people. I neglected to take any photos, but rest assured they all would have been of family, friends, adorable pets, and late autumn in the woods. One caveat about Richmond: people can still smoke in bars, which leads to everything reeking of smoke. Then again, the beer there is at happy hour prices in the city.
I was fortunate enough to take a train in between RIC and PHL both ways, which made my vacation that much more relaxing. No stop and go traffic on I-95, no driving late at night to avoid said traffic. Just me, my iPod, some books, and many other passengers. It was a step up from last year's epic 14-hour rail journey on the Vermonter.
I posted more photos from the month of October: Enjoy.
I was fortunate enough to take a train in between RIC and PHL both ways, which made my vacation that much more relaxing. No stop and go traffic on I-95, no driving late at night to avoid said traffic. Just me, my iPod, some books, and many other passengers. It was a step up from last year's epic 14-hour rail journey on the Vermonter.
I posted more photos from the month of October: Enjoy.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
last post before thanksgiving
It snowed here this past week, which made me realize that snow is pretty much useless to me now that I'm not a student. My site may be closed on severe weather days since it's university-affiliated, but I'm just going to have to work from home or make up those hours later. If one of the schools I teach at is closed, we'll just have to postpone the lesson for that week and effectively be at their school for one week longer. I don't like driving in snow (sometimes the stereotypes about Southerners are true) or ice, and the bus schedule becomes even more unreliable when there is any kind of precipitation. I actually looked out my window on Friday morning, after oversleeping, and said "eww, gross". It's too early for snow at any rate; that should hold off until mid-December in my mind.
Speaking of schools, the teaching is going pretty well so far. Sure, you get your share of kids who don't want to do the lesson or are still wondering why you're there, but they're middle schoolers. Of course they want to rebel. I'm considering it a triumph when they quietly doodle or draw instead of talking out, and am absolutely stoked when they participate. I still have no plans to enter the field of education, but am pleasantly surprised.
Speaking of schools, the teaching is going pretty well so far. Sure, you get your share of kids who don't want to do the lesson or are still wondering why you're there, but they're middle schoolers. Of course they want to rebel. I'm considering it a triumph when they quietly doodle or draw instead of talking out, and am absolutely stoked when they participate. I still have no plans to enter the field of education, but am pleasantly surprised.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
2 months in
Things have calmed down here considerably, so it seems as though there will be no more parades or marching in the street for a while. Temperatures are dropping and appear to be staying this way (no more freakishly warm highs in the 70's), so I suppose autumn is finally here to stay. With that comes drier air (other than November rain), biting wind (would wearing a balaclava be too weird for my every day commute?) and fewer people loitering around outside. I may be switching up my public transit way to work to include longer stretches of sitting in warm buses and subway cars, and shorter periods of time standing on street corners waiting for the bus. It will be longer travel time overall, but I sure do get a lot more reading done while sitting down, not worry about missing my stop.
Due to a series of strange (but certainly not unfortunate) events on Friday, my likeness may be part of a photo mural at 1845 Walnut St., an office building downtown by Rittenhouse Square. The planned day of surveying middle schoolers at a charter school went down the tubes; the project director called me at 8:30AM to tell me not to go there and I showed up 10 minutes later, much to the confusion of the school's staff). My colleague and I ambled back to Broad St., where cheery Starbucks employees were handing out $5 gift certificates. We each took one and found the nearest location (not too difficult, though I'm pretty sure Dunkin Donuts would be easier to find), then took our lattes and pastries to Rittenhouse Square where we sat chatting for a while, enjoying the mild weather. Then one of several people taking photographs of the area asked if we wouldn't mind moving benches to be part of their photo mural. We obliged since they were clearly professionals, and attempted to look natural while sipping our drinks and chatting. I'll have to follow up there in a few months to see if my likeness really is in the lobby.
Finally, I am getting better at finding cool free stuff to do here in the city. Last week's election party, tonight's Drambuie-sponsored event with free drinks and hors d'oeuvres, free Sundays at The National Liberty Museum, and of course First Fridays.
The latest installment of Philly food:
Tastykake Sugar-Free Sensables Cream Filled Koffee Kake Cupcakes: That's right, I dared to try the sugar-free version of my favorite packaged sweet snack here. They came in a 6-pack of pairs at Super Fresh, have an impossibly long ingredient list, and leave a weird faux-sugar residue in your mouth. Also, its beyond me why they spelled sensible that way. 10g of sugar alcohols, still too many calories, and no feelings of real Tastykake satisfaction. Never again.
I finally visited some legitimate restaurants here, but still have yet to eat a Philly cheesesteak at one of the big 3 places (Pat's, Geno's, Jim's). Maybe I'll go on a weekend cheesesteak and Miller Lite bender just to test my limits.
Due to a series of strange (but certainly not unfortunate) events on Friday, my likeness may be part of a photo mural at 1845 Walnut St., an office building downtown by Rittenhouse Square. The planned day of surveying middle schoolers at a charter school went down the tubes; the project director called me at 8:30AM to tell me not to go there and I showed up 10 minutes later, much to the confusion of the school's staff). My colleague and I ambled back to Broad St., where cheery Starbucks employees were handing out $5 gift certificates. We each took one and found the nearest location (not too difficult, though I'm pretty sure Dunkin Donuts would be easier to find), then took our lattes and pastries to Rittenhouse Square where we sat chatting for a while, enjoying the mild weather. Then one of several people taking photographs of the area asked if we wouldn't mind moving benches to be part of their photo mural. We obliged since they were clearly professionals, and attempted to look natural while sipping our drinks and chatting. I'll have to follow up there in a few months to see if my likeness really is in the lobby.
Finally, I am getting better at finding cool free stuff to do here in the city. Last week's election party, tonight's Drambuie-sponsored event with free drinks and hors d'oeuvres, free Sundays at The National Liberty Museum, and of course First Fridays.
The latest installment of Philly food:
Tastykake Sugar-Free Sensables Cream Filled Koffee Kake Cupcakes: That's right, I dared to try the sugar-free version of my favorite packaged sweet snack here. They came in a 6-pack of pairs at Super Fresh, have an impossibly long ingredient list, and leave a weird faux-sugar residue in your mouth. Also, its beyond me why they spelled sensible that way. 10g of sugar alcohols, still too many calories, and no feelings of real Tastykake satisfaction. Never again.
I finally visited some legitimate restaurants here, but still have yet to eat a Philly cheesesteak at one of the big 3 places (Pat's, Geno's, Jim's). Maybe I'll go on a weekend cheesesteak and Miller Lite bender just to test my limits.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
excitement
THE PHILLIES WON!
OBAMA WON!
HALLOWEEN HAPPENED!
I SPENT A WONDERFUL 24 HOURS IN DC!
I'M TAKING A TRAIN HOME FOR THANKSGIVING!
now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
OBAMA WON!
HALLOWEEN HAPPENED!
I SPENT A WONDERFUL 24 HOURS IN DC!
I'M TAKING A TRAIN HOME FOR THANKSGIVING!
now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
things I have learned in the last 1.5 weeks
- Yes, a city's collective mental state can be put on hold by a rain delay. Game 5 (5.5?) of the World Series resumes tonight. I have joined the masses not allowed to discuss possible outcomes (a collective desire not to jinx anything), but I'm still hopeful.
- Nissin Cup Noodles is the work lunch of champions. The styrofoam makes me cringe, but they're cheap and only require a microwave or the hot water function of our water cooler. Plus, miniature shrimp.
- Water cooler jugs are 5 gallons, which is surprisingly difficult to lift. I have done my strength training for the day.
- Middle schoolers are a handful. After I was introduced, one boy shouted out "Hilary Banks!", which was a nice change from the usual Clinton remarks. Also, we were legitimately in West Philadelphia, so it was very geographically appropriate. Then a seventh grade girl told me I looked like Hilary Duff. Hmm.
- After a grease-heavy lackluster coffee cake this morning, I may put myself on a Tastykake moratorium until further notice.
- Loud office chitchat is best avoided by closing the door (if possible), or attempting to concentrate solely on your work. I think bringing in my iPod would be a little unnecessary and rude, but I guess I like working in silence or at least ambient music.
- You can successfully construct a Halloween costume for $15 that will hopefully be a winning combination of witty, cute, and unique. Pictures to come.
I went to Terror Behind the Walls last week, and it was incredible. I guess we went by Al Capone's old cell without my realizing it, but there was a lot of other stuff to see (zombies, cadavers, a 3-D glasses area).
I finally added some new photos from late September - early October to my picasa account. I still need to upload about 125 pictures from my camera and make executive decisions about which ones are facebook and blog appropriate (flowers and harvest festival, yes). But after work today I'm making a quick trip downtown to complete my costume with a single piece of yellow felt.
- Nissin Cup Noodles is the work lunch of champions. The styrofoam makes me cringe, but they're cheap and only require a microwave or the hot water function of our water cooler. Plus, miniature shrimp.
- Water cooler jugs are 5 gallons, which is surprisingly difficult to lift. I have done my strength training for the day.
- Middle schoolers are a handful. After I was introduced, one boy shouted out "Hilary Banks!", which was a nice change from the usual Clinton remarks. Also, we were legitimately in West Philadelphia, so it was very geographically appropriate. Then a seventh grade girl told me I looked like Hilary Duff. Hmm.
- After a grease-heavy lackluster coffee cake this morning, I may put myself on a Tastykake moratorium until further notice.
- Loud office chitchat is best avoided by closing the door (if possible), or attempting to concentrate solely on your work. I think bringing in my iPod would be a little unnecessary and rude, but I guess I like working in silence or at least ambient music.
- You can successfully construct a Halloween costume for $15 that will hopefully be a winning combination of witty, cute, and unique. Pictures to come.
I went to Terror Behind the Walls last week, and it was incredible. I guess we went by Al Capone's old cell without my realizing it, but there was a lot of other stuff to see (zombies, cadavers, a 3-D glasses area).
I finally added some new photos from late September - early October to my picasa account. I still need to upload about 125 pictures from my camera and make executive decisions about which ones are facebook and blog appropriate (flowers and harvest festival, yes). But after work today I'm making a quick trip downtown to complete my costume with a single piece of yellow felt.
Friday, October 17, 2008
you give me Phever
Phillies fever: I have caught it.
Wednesday evening was spent yelling at the TV with my roommates, then running around our street (and the bigger ave. up the hill) getting people to honk, screaming "wooooo!" for home videos and waving rally towels.
If you couldn't tell, this is a huge deal. This is their first trip to the World Series since 1993, and beating the LA Dodgers to get there felt great. I am part of this as an outsider; my enthusiasm is only a small fraction of my roommate Melissa's (who has tickets to Game 5 if such a game will exist) but it's still very exciting. This is definitely a sports town and the celebrations across the city proved that. Philly fans have stuck with it through the years (and all the letdowns) but they're still so hopeful. The only thing I can compare it to is more baseball analogies (Red Sox in 2004), which may be lost on some of my audience. This helps to settles which sports team's bumper sticker I will put on my car.
Another edition of Philly food review:
- Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak: this is what I want from my "steaks" here. Warm, gooey, spicy, cheesy, delicious. No onions or peppers necessary. I plan on trying this at many different restaurants/bars/street vendors.
- DiBruno Brothers cheese selection: I'm not sure how many they carry, but they had all of my favorites from the Kluge Estate Farm Shop; Monte Enebro, Idiazabal, several types of Manchego, Prima Donna, and Hoch Ybrig. There are a few other cheese shops in town, but this is part of the most awe-inspiring gourmet market and store I've laid eyes on.
- Breakfast/lunch cart goods: There is a magical silver truck (Lien's which apparently used to serve Chinese food) that parks right on campus and serves delicious, cheap made-to-order food all day long. I had the cheese fries a few weeks ago and was impressed, but yesterday I got bacon, egg and cheese on a sub roll for $2.50 and it was perfect. I couldn't even eat my lunch hours later.
- Campus food in general: I'm allowed access to the Faculty/Staff restaurant, which is actually very reasonably priced. My coworker took me there last week and I enjoyed their soup & salad bar as well as their tempting menu. Then the convenience store/grab&go food market on campus is also surprisingly cheap. They had TastyKakes for way less than Wawa, along with an enormous selection of energy drinks.
- I'm baking again, after over a month of resisting the call of the oven. I made these last night, and they are calorie-laden bites of mint chocolatey goodness. Thank goodness I've also taken up running again.
My parents visit this weekend and I also have a morning flu drive on Saturday, so hopefully I can get my room and photos re-organized by Sunday. Along with some grad school essays. The World Series starts Wednesday, so I know how my weeknights will be spent.
Wednesday evening was spent yelling at the TV with my roommates, then running around our street (and the bigger ave. up the hill) getting people to honk, screaming "wooooo!" for home videos and waving rally towels.
If you couldn't tell, this is a huge deal. This is their first trip to the World Series since 1993, and beating the LA Dodgers to get there felt great. I am part of this as an outsider; my enthusiasm is only a small fraction of my roommate Melissa's (who has tickets to Game 5 if such a game will exist) but it's still very exciting. This is definitely a sports town and the celebrations across the city proved that. Philly fans have stuck with it through the years (and all the letdowns) but they're still so hopeful. The only thing I can compare it to is more baseball analogies (Red Sox in 2004), which may be lost on some of my audience. This helps to settles which sports team's bumper sticker I will put on my car.
Another edition of Philly food review:
- Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak: this is what I want from my "steaks" here. Warm, gooey, spicy, cheesy, delicious. No onions or peppers necessary. I plan on trying this at many different restaurants/bars/street vendors.
- DiBruno Brothers cheese selection: I'm not sure how many they carry, but they had all of my favorites from the Kluge Estate Farm Shop; Monte Enebro, Idiazabal, several types of Manchego, Prima Donna, and Hoch Ybrig. There are a few other cheese shops in town, but this is part of the most awe-inspiring gourmet market and store I've laid eyes on.
- Breakfast/lunch cart goods: There is a magical silver truck (Lien's which apparently used to serve Chinese food) that parks right on campus and serves delicious, cheap made-to-order food all day long. I had the cheese fries a few weeks ago and was impressed, but yesterday I got bacon, egg and cheese on a sub roll for $2.50 and it was perfect. I couldn't even eat my lunch hours later.
- Campus food in general: I'm allowed access to the Faculty/Staff restaurant, which is actually very reasonably priced. My coworker took me there last week and I enjoyed their soup & salad bar as well as their tempting menu. Then the convenience store/grab&go food market on campus is also surprisingly cheap. They had TastyKakes for way less than Wawa, along with an enormous selection of energy drinks.
- I'm baking again, after over a month of resisting the call of the oven. I made these last night, and they are calorie-laden bites of mint chocolatey goodness. Thank goodness I've also taken up running again.
My parents visit this weekend and I also have a morning flu drive on Saturday, so hopefully I can get my room and photos re-organized by Sunday. Along with some grad school essays. The World Series starts Wednesday, so I know how my weeknights will be spent.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Red October
I've started getting cash back more often at the grocery store, so the problem from my last entry is solved.... until I'm a dollar short for that takeout vendor meal and there are no benevolent strangers around.
I received a handwritten (in Sharpie) notice under my car's windshield wipers last week, informing me that cars must be moved every 72 hours. Except that it said "ever 72 hours" and had a decorative squiggle underneath this stern warning. Granted, I parked on the next street over and left my car there for a few days because I have a TransPass and don't mind taking the bus. I think my out-of-state plates are what earned me this warning, because I can find no record in the Philadelphia Parking Authority that says cars must be moved every 72 hours. Especially for residential streets without any parking restriction signs or neighborhood parking passes. If you find any record of such a policy, let me know. I'd rather not have my car towed because somebody with grammatical errors and teenager's handwriting doesn't want to see it there anymore.
In other news, the Phillies are 3-1 in their series against the LA Dodgers and the next game is at home. Things are looking good, though the Red Sox-Tampa Bay series is harder to call. As long as the Phillies make it to the World Series (and hopefully win it), my autumn will be complete. Playoff tickets are costly and hard to come by, so I will be watching it all unfold from the comfort of my living room and possibly a sports bar or two.
Obama came to town on Saturday, but I missed all of his public appearances. Palin came to drop the puck at the Flyers game and got booed. Life in a swing state is interesting.
Finally, I am struggling to explain the recent explosion of Canadian tuxedos around this city but am pretty sure we can chalk it up to the fall weather. It's too warm for a coat but too cold for just your t-shirt and jeans. Better top it off with a jean jacket!
I was a Top Yelper this week on yelp.com (for my 3 reviews last week, I suppose) and got to see my tiny photo in the email. Hopefully the link works here; I'm near the middle of the page.
I received a handwritten (in Sharpie) notice under my car's windshield wipers last week, informing me that cars must be moved every 72 hours. Except that it said "ever 72 hours" and had a decorative squiggle underneath this stern warning. Granted, I parked on the next street over and left my car there for a few days because I have a TransPass and don't mind taking the bus. I think my out-of-state plates are what earned me this warning, because I can find no record in the Philadelphia Parking Authority that says cars must be moved every 72 hours. Especially for residential streets without any parking restriction signs or neighborhood parking passes. If you find any record of such a policy, let me know. I'd rather not have my car towed because somebody with grammatical errors and teenager's handwriting doesn't want to see it there anymore.
In other news, the Phillies are 3-1 in their series against the LA Dodgers and the next game is at home. Things are looking good, though the Red Sox-Tampa Bay series is harder to call. As long as the Phillies make it to the World Series (and hopefully win it), my autumn will be complete. Playoff tickets are costly and hard to come by, so I will be watching it all unfold from the comfort of my living room and possibly a sports bar or two.
Obama came to town on Saturday, but I missed all of his public appearances. Palin came to drop the puck at the Flyers game and got booed. Life in a swing state is interesting.
Finally, I am struggling to explain the recent explosion of Canadian tuxedos around this city but am pretty sure we can chalk it up to the fall weather. It's too warm for a coat but too cold for just your t-shirt and jeans. Better top it off with a jean jacket!
I was a Top Yelper this week on yelp.com (for my 3 reviews last week, I suppose) and got to see my tiny photo in the email. Hopefully the link works here; I'm near the middle of the page.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
the annoyances of cash
A Brief Rant:
Why the obsession with cash-only facilities, Philadelphia? Harrisonburg only had a few places that wouldn't take my debit card and its VISA logo (the delicious Indian American Cafe and The Little Grill, as well as most vendors at the Farmer's Market) but it seems like a huge entity of restaurants, Reading Terminal Market vendors, and other proprietors won't take cards here. I know it's not extremely convenient and they have to pay some transaction fees, but it seems like they're missing out on business. Then again, judging from the amount of $$ people carry with them around here, I might be the only business they're losing. ATMs are a no-no, since my bank does not exist up here and I refuse to pay transaction fees on both sides. Until I open an account (Citizens Bank? PNC? Bank of America?), I'll need to cash in on (ha, ha) the few opportunities I get to receive cash back during transactions at major places (grocery stores, drugstores, post office). Today I was resigned to returning to my office to have a Cup of Noodles instead of indulging in Saag Paneer downtown. It was good for being cost-conscious, but upsetting since I haven't had Indian food since mid-August. And because my stomach was rumbling. In all seriousness, at least I have nothing to give any potential purse-snatchers and wallet muggers except some business cards and a Sheetz frequent coffee buyer card that will be useless here in the land of Wawa.
Did that count as a diatribe?
Why the obsession with cash-only facilities, Philadelphia? Harrisonburg only had a few places that wouldn't take my debit card and its VISA logo (the delicious Indian American Cafe and The Little Grill, as well as most vendors at the Farmer's Market) but it seems like a huge entity of restaurants, Reading Terminal Market vendors, and other proprietors won't take cards here. I know it's not extremely convenient and they have to pay some transaction fees, but it seems like they're missing out on business. Then again, judging from the amount of $$ people carry with them around here, I might be the only business they're losing. ATMs are a no-no, since my bank does not exist up here and I refuse to pay transaction fees on both sides. Until I open an account (Citizens Bank? PNC? Bank of America?), I'll need to cash in on (ha, ha) the few opportunities I get to receive cash back during transactions at major places (grocery stores, drugstores, post office). Today I was resigned to returning to my office to have a Cup of Noodles instead of indulging in Saag Paneer downtown. It was good for being cost-conscious, but upsetting since I haven't had Indian food since mid-August. And because my stomach was rumbling. In all seriousness, at least I have nothing to give any potential purse-snatchers and wallet muggers except some business cards and a Sheetz frequent coffee buyer card that will be useless here in the land of Wawa.
Did that count as a diatribe?
Friday, October 3, 2008
Week 4, in words
The highlights of my workweek thus far have been self-defense training on Monday, a pediatric dental symposium Thursday, an academic talk on aut mechanics Wednesday, and actually trying potato knish. Secondary activities included cheering on the Phillies during their playoff games, more phone calls, and watching the VP debate last night. I didn't fall on top of anyone on the bus (like last week), nor did I receive any particularly interesting catcalls. I only went on a few home visits, due to my supervisor being on vacation for half of the week and my being out of the office Monday and Thursday. As I write this, it's Friday afternoon and I have very little left to accomplish. I'll be coming in to work tomorrow morning (9AM) to get trained for the Sex After Marriage program. Apparently, they especially want my teaching skills for the lessons involving reproductive anatomy. My college coursework speaks for itself.
It's getting colder here and fall is in the air. I'm excited for the leaves to change and the addition of scarves and blazers to my wardrobe, but have already had to deal with seasonal allergies. So after taking some Claritin-D last Friday, I was really feeling my Golden Monkey at Happy Hour. Then again, it's 9.5% alcohol. Victory Brewing Co. isn't too far from here, so I may add it to my list of brewpubs to visit. I'm sure my Dad wholeheartedly encourages this effort. Our group's Social Committee has been doing a great job of planning fun stuff around the city, particularly on Friday evenings. I'm on the Professional Development committee, which sounds important but apparently serves little purpose. Also on the topic of season changes, I need to get a space heater ASAP because it's house policy to avoid turning on the gas heat for as long as possible. Of course, I'm one of those people who feels cold at temperatures under 70 degrees, so this October weather is already doing me in.
This is not supposed to be a food blog, but rather one chronicling my experience moving to and living in Philadelphia. Along with that, however, comes trying Philly-specific foods. Expect updates on this front starting now. I will spare you the tales of shrimp-flavored ramen and PB&J on English muffins.
I had my first Philly cheesesteak (with provolone, without onions & peppers) back in August but wasn't too impressed. Apparently I simply must try the peppers & onions and get Cheez Whiz. Although there are the main three cheesesteak places in their hot competition with each other (Pat's, Geno's, Jim's), there are plenty of others. I will have to try this again.
As for TastyKakes, I've been trying new ones from the nearby Wawa every so often (well, weekly). My favorites are the Cream Filled Koffee Kake Cupcakes, the Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes, and the Oatmeal Raisin Snak Bars (my attempt to feel healthier). The AmeriCorps person in my position last year (another Southern tall blonde) got to attend a health fair at the TastyKake factory, and received her just desserts. This event may become the pinnacle of my year. I'm imagining the factory as straight up Willy Wonka, complete with chocolate river and waterfall. I'll keep you posted.
It's getting colder here and fall is in the air. I'm excited for the leaves to change and the addition of scarves and blazers to my wardrobe, but have already had to deal with seasonal allergies. So after taking some Claritin-D last Friday, I was really feeling my Golden Monkey at Happy Hour. Then again, it's 9.5% alcohol. Victory Brewing Co. isn't too far from here, so I may add it to my list of brewpubs to visit. I'm sure my Dad wholeheartedly encourages this effort. Our group's Social Committee has been doing a great job of planning fun stuff around the city, particularly on Friday evenings. I'm on the Professional Development committee, which sounds important but apparently serves little purpose. Also on the topic of season changes, I need to get a space heater ASAP because it's house policy to avoid turning on the gas heat for as long as possible. Of course, I'm one of those people who feels cold at temperatures under 70 degrees, so this October weather is already doing me in.
This is not supposed to be a food blog, but rather one chronicling my experience moving to and living in Philadelphia. Along with that, however, comes trying Philly-specific foods. Expect updates on this front starting now. I will spare you the tales of shrimp-flavored ramen and PB&J on English muffins.
I had my first Philly cheesesteak (with provolone, without onions & peppers) back in August but wasn't too impressed. Apparently I simply must try the peppers & onions and get Cheez Whiz. Although there are the main three cheesesteak places in their hot competition with each other (Pat's, Geno's, Jim's), there are plenty of others. I will have to try this again.
As for TastyKakes, I've been trying new ones from the nearby Wawa every so often (well, weekly). My favorites are the Cream Filled Koffee Kake Cupcakes, the Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes, and the Oatmeal Raisin Snak Bars (my attempt to feel healthier). The AmeriCorps person in my position last year (another Southern tall blonde) got to attend a health fair at the TastyKake factory, and received her just desserts. This event may become the pinnacle of my year. I'm imagining the factory as straight up Willy Wonka, complete with chocolate river and waterfall. I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Week 3, in pictures
CPR and First Aid training at the Red Cross. I am certified in both now. This is some of us, doing chest compressions. The rescue breaths were more comical.
Learning more about spectrum disorders (especially autism) as well as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and more. Plus, teratogens during pregnancy and their effect on babies.
Getting caught in the rain today with a newly purchased, non-waterproof reusable grocery bag, stuffed to the brim with food. I think my sugar is a little clumpy.
Getting kasha knish at a Jewish bakery with my boss (buckwheat, more delicious than the potato knish pictured) after a tough day of home visits (she also got me a cupcake).
(from xkcd.com), I will remind myself in the future to cram future international package contents into tiny boxes, so as not to incite the tall box fury of the USPS. Also, Japanese addresses are written differently than here.
Phone calls. Lots and lots of phone calls. Thanks everybody!
<3 (yes, my phone looks like that. bright but primitive, I know).
Friday, September 26, 2008
so this is service
This is pretty belated, as I originally started writing it September 19th, after my first week at my site. It's as though last weekend was almost entirely unproductive. Oh right, it was.
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After my first week of training, the AmeriCorps group hung out on Friday night (at a house in Manayunk where four of the girls live). We had all done a group service project at Philabundance that afternoon, where we sorted and stacked donated food products. I have never seen so many Curry flavored potato chips or Oreo Cakesters in my life, and it took a lot of willpower to not dive into the candy bins. It started raining (which I was caught totally unprepared for) on our way back into the city, and it continued as Behdad (my Manayunk bus buddy) and I waited half an hour sans umbrellas for the #9 bus in Center City by the bridge over the Schuykill. The bus then crawled along on its route, despite taking a shortcut to avoid I-76. I indulged in a nap once home, though I'm attempting to do away with these on weekdays. I usually wake up around 7AM, 7:30 if I'm driving and earlier or later depending on special meetings. I'm a bit of a night owl, but am trying to actually sleep by midnight.
Saturday was my roommate Melissa's birthday, so our celebration mainly entailed attending the 4PM Phillies game since she is a sports journalist and huge fan. Little did I know, baseball games here involve hours of tailgating in the parking lot. I learned the exciting new game of Washers, which is sort of like horseshoes. Then hours of sitting (or standing if you bought standing room only tickets to the sold-out game), eating more food, drinking more beer, cheering, and booing. The Phillies won, and I was completely knackered by the time we left the parking lot. I'll post photos once I change the name on my picasa account, as per my mother's suggestion. Quite a few people came over afterward to continue the birthday celebration, but I fell asleep upstairs by 11PM or so.
Then there was the first week at my site. It began very differently (and much more busily) than it ended, although I'm not sure if this will be the usual flow to my weeks here. Home visits galore, meeting the rest of the staff (all ladies), getting a very informal La Salle tour, figuring out timesheets, etc. The home visits are a near-daily occurrence, where we go into client's homes and provide them with help accessing services through other agencies. This can include assistance with Welfare (finding the nearest regional office which may be many miles away), food stamps, child health insurance (CHIP or medical assistance, depending on income), rides to medical appointments through LogistiCare, and other such actions. Several of the people in this office (center?) work with my supervisor's main program (Health Intervention Program for Families, HIP for short) and a few others work on another grant-funded program, Sex After Marriage (SAM). Guess what that one is about. I'll be helping out with both for my field service work, which will take up most of my hours here. There will also be other, smaller projects to work on (flu shot drives, grant writing). I also get to attend many a meeting with various agencies. I'm a huge fan of these because I like networking and learning about random topics (asthma in children, teratogens and genetic defects, child dental resources, medical and hospital personnel structure so far) along with the occasional free breakfast.
This week was much of the same, but with an AmeriCorps group training on Monday at the Red Cross to get First Aid and CPR certified. That's right, if you're choking or unconscious, I'll take care of you. We're doing self-defense training on Monday at a karate school, which should be interesting. I took embarrassing photos of everyone wrapping themselves up in bandages and giving rescue breaths to the dummies which I need to upload. Our group's social committee has started a weekly happy hour at various locales. I love trying new restaurants/bars, but will probably have to start skipping out or smuggling in my own snacks. This stipend does not cover much fun, but we as a group are always on the lookout for free or cheap stuff to do.
Next time: a more timely post, photos, and why you should hold on to the rails on the bus.
----
After my first week of training, the AmeriCorps group hung out on Friday night (at a house in Manayunk where four of the girls live). We had all done a group service project at Philabundance that afternoon, where we sorted and stacked donated food products. I have never seen so many Curry flavored potato chips or Oreo Cakesters in my life, and it took a lot of willpower to not dive into the candy bins. It started raining (which I was caught totally unprepared for) on our way back into the city, and it continued as Behdad (my Manayunk bus buddy) and I waited half an hour sans umbrellas for the #9 bus in Center City by the bridge over the Schuykill. The bus then crawled along on its route, despite taking a shortcut to avoid I-76. I indulged in a nap once home, though I'm attempting to do away with these on weekdays. I usually wake up around 7AM, 7:30 if I'm driving and earlier or later depending on special meetings. I'm a bit of a night owl, but am trying to actually sleep by midnight.
Saturday was my roommate Melissa's birthday, so our celebration mainly entailed attending the 4PM Phillies game since she is a sports journalist and huge fan. Little did I know, baseball games here involve hours of tailgating in the parking lot. I learned the exciting new game of Washers, which is sort of like horseshoes. Then hours of sitting (or standing if you bought standing room only tickets to the sold-out game), eating more food, drinking more beer, cheering, and booing. The Phillies won, and I was completely knackered by the time we left the parking lot. I'll post photos once I change the name on my picasa account, as per my mother's suggestion. Quite a few people came over afterward to continue the birthday celebration, but I fell asleep upstairs by 11PM or so.
Then there was the first week at my site. It began very differently (and much more busily) than it ended, although I'm not sure if this will be the usual flow to my weeks here. Home visits galore, meeting the rest of the staff (all ladies), getting a very informal La Salle tour, figuring out timesheets, etc. The home visits are a near-daily occurrence, where we go into client's homes and provide them with help accessing services through other agencies. This can include assistance with Welfare (finding the nearest regional office which may be many miles away), food stamps, child health insurance (CHIP or medical assistance, depending on income), rides to medical appointments through LogistiCare, and other such actions. Several of the people in this office (center?) work with my supervisor's main program (Health Intervention Program for Families, HIP for short) and a few others work on another grant-funded program, Sex After Marriage (SAM). Guess what that one is about. I'll be helping out with both for my field service work, which will take up most of my hours here. There will also be other, smaller projects to work on (flu shot drives, grant writing). I also get to attend many a meeting with various agencies. I'm a huge fan of these because I like networking and learning about random topics (asthma in children, teratogens and genetic defects, child dental resources, medical and hospital personnel structure so far) along with the occasional free breakfast.
This week was much of the same, but with an AmeriCorps group training on Monday at the Red Cross to get First Aid and CPR certified. That's right, if you're choking or unconscious, I'll take care of you. We're doing self-defense training on Monday at a karate school, which should be interesting. I took embarrassing photos of everyone wrapping themselves up in bandages and giving rescue breaths to the dummies which I need to upload. Our group's social committee has started a weekly happy hour at various locales. I love trying new restaurants/bars, but will probably have to start skipping out or smuggling in my own snacks. This stipend does not cover much fun, but we as a group are always on the lookout for free or cheap stuff to do.
Next time: a more timely post, photos, and why you should hold on to the rails on the bus.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
the craigslist ad for my apt.
This is the ad I replied to during my desperate, weeks-long apartment search (with several transmission-killing car trips up the interstate) which resulted in me living here. We have a really nice futon in the living room along with tons of floor space, so visit and sleep over. The basement is home to Steph's chinchilla Peanut and turtle Taby, along with my wine collection.
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1 roommate needed, large Roxborough home (Roxborough/Manayunk) (map)
Three young professional women (ages 25-26) are looking for a fourth roommate (male or female).
Details about the house:
- 3 story house with 4 bedrooms, 1 full bath, and unfinished basement with washer and dryer
- Large living room with wall to wall carpet, a large eat-in kitchen with a dishwasher and garbage disposal, gas hot water heat and gas cooking
- Enclosed backyard with patio and a front porch
- The available bedroom is 10x10 with a closet and window.
- Utilities will be split between 4 people (gas, water, electric, cable, Internet).
- Upon signing the lease, the first month and security deposit will be due.
We are looking for someone who is laid back (no drama please), neat and clean, and most importantly responsible. Also, NO smoking in the house.
This house is perfect and we are excited to find a fourth person to join in! We are easy going, fun girls who will be great roommates!
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-------
1 roommate needed, large Roxborough home (Roxborough/Manayunk) (map)
Three young professional women (ages 25-26) are looking for a fourth roommate (male or female).
Details about the house:
- 3 story house with 4 bedrooms, 1 full bath, and unfinished basement with washer and dryer
- Large living room with wall to wall carpet, a large eat-in kitchen with a dishwasher and garbage disposal, gas hot water heat and gas cooking
- Enclosed backyard with patio and a front porch
- The available bedroom is 10x10 with a closet and window.
- Utilities will be split between 4 people (gas, water, electric, cable, Internet).
- Upon signing the lease, the first month and security deposit will be due.
We are looking for someone who is laid back (no drama please), neat and clean, and most importantly responsible. Also, NO smoking in the house.
This house is perfect and we are excited to find a fourth person to join in! We are easy going, fun girls who will be great roommates!
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Week 1, AmeriCorps Training
My first week as an official AmeriCorps "volunteer" began last Monday, September 8th. The 16 of us met at headquarters (henceforth known as HQ, located in Center City) at 9AM sharp and embarked on a week-long journey of icebreakers, paperwork, powerpoint presentations and various team-building exercises. Basically, we are all part of the Philadelphia HealthCorps which is part of the National HealthCorps (along with sites in Pittsburgh, Chicago and North Florida). We will each serve our positions at different sites, though 6 have the same job helping with prescription assistance at various health centers. The rest of us are performing our service in other capacities at different non-profit health centers. If you're really interested in the details of this, I could explain it. I got to hear a lengthy lecture on the Philadelphia public health system and am learning more about it firsthand every day. The complexity and funding issues make you root for universal health care if you weren't already.
There was much talk of 'The Corporation', but it turns out this refers to The Corporation for National and Community Service, created by Clinton during his first term. The divisions of AmeriCorps and its other complexities make it very hard to explain, so we often describe it in comparison to the more familiar Peace Corps or Teach for America programs. We received an extensive handbook of policies and regulations, and many additional handouts on such topics as food stamps, service hours timeline, and pay periods (our favorite). We got a briefing on HIPAA, probably the 10th in my lifetime. We also got our tentative schedule for the year, so I now know which of my Saturdays are dedicated to service projects (11/22 is the first) and which Mondays we will learn self defense training (9/29).
I'm now in the midst of my first real week at my site. I will certainly describe it better later, all without violating any HIPAA rules. The time as well as the busyness of the days are taking their toll on me; I plan on going to bed around 11 tonight.
In my next post: an account of my first Phillies game, photos galore and pointers on not looking lost while wandering unfamiliar neighborhoods.
There was much talk of 'The Corporation', but it turns out this refers to The Corporation for National and Community Service, created by Clinton during his first term. The divisions of AmeriCorps and its other complexities make it very hard to explain, so we often describe it in comparison to the more familiar Peace Corps or Teach for America programs. We received an extensive handbook of policies and regulations, and many additional handouts on such topics as food stamps, service hours timeline, and pay periods (our favorite). We got a briefing on HIPAA, probably the 10th in my lifetime. We also got our tentative schedule for the year, so I now know which of my Saturdays are dedicated to service projects (11/22 is the first) and which Mondays we will learn self defense training (9/29).
I'm now in the midst of my first real week at my site. I will certainly describe it better later, all without violating any HIPAA rules. The time as well as the busyness of the days are taking their toll on me; I plan on going to bed around 11 tonight.
In my next post: an account of my first Phillies game, photos galore and pointers on not looking lost while wandering unfamiliar neighborhoods.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
soapbox derby photos
These were my favorites of the ones posted by ku- on flickr here, used with permission. The rain didn't let up, so I was quite wary of using my camera. You've got to love the display of 'Benergy' in the second one.
Monday, September 8, 2008
anticipation
Tomorrow is my first day of training at the Health Federation of Philadelphia's Headquarters (that's right, HQ) which begins at 9 A.M. sharp. I should be sleeping, but simply had to share some highlights of my first week here.
- I got Greta (my 10-year-old VW Jetta) back on Thursday after my 4th trip to IKEA. She is running well so far and we're all rooting for her to last a while longer. My room here is a little more set up, though my bed still isn't actually in the frame and my walls are bare. Oh right, and the total lack of a bookcase. Even though I brought very few (boxes of) books here, I still need one of those. And Greta had several treats in her trunk from one of my many attempts to move stuff, including my fondue pot, wine glasses and a box of 96 Crayola crayons. You know, the important stuff.
- I now live within 45 minutes of Elyse, so I attended her party in Wilmington Friday night. I had to take a long detour due to construction on I-76 but actually know my way around the suburban outskirts of the city pretty well by now, thanks to my adventures in between hotels the other week. That's right, I go out of the state to party. It's weird to be so close to so many other states: NJ, DE, MD, and a mere 80 miles from NYC.
- I attended the Red Bull Soapbox Race in my neighborhood on Saturday during the torrential downpour brought on by Tropical Storm Hannah. It was pure madness. Hopefully I can borrow some photos to properly illustrate the insanity of the event.
- Today marked the Eagles' season and home opener against the St. Louis Rams. This entailed me and my roommates (along with one of their boyfriends) sitting in the living room with two pizzas, 34 buffalo wings, 10 BBQ wings and a 2-liter of Pepsi. The Eagles won and the Phillies won their makeup game during the same time. Yes, Philadelphia is a sports town. Richmond is not. One of my roommates is a sports journalist, so I'm already learning players, records and other such trivia. Say what you will, but it's a fun way to spend Sunday afternoon.
- I've had some good phone converstions and e-mails with people recently but have very little to offer since I haven't started and have yet to get hopelessly lost in the city (yet). This will change. Call me. Or make my gmail inbox fuller.
- Cheese is really, really expensive here. The more gourmet, less mass-market ones are actually pretty comparable to what I'm used to paying, but Kraft, Sorrento and the other makers of low-quality shredded cheese products sell for quite a bit. If you come visit, please bring cheap cheese, Virginia wine (illegal to ship it directly up here and it's not in the wine & spirits stores) and assorted 6-packs of beer (you have to buy it by the case at beer distributors here; I long for beer runs at 11:45PM to Sheetz). I will in turn show you the wonders of Tastycakes, Amish produce, and cheesesteaks. Yum.
- I got Greta (my 10-year-old VW Jetta) back on Thursday after my 4th trip to IKEA. She is running well so far and we're all rooting for her to last a while longer. My room here is a little more set up, though my bed still isn't actually in the frame and my walls are bare. Oh right, and the total lack of a bookcase. Even though I brought very few (boxes of) books here, I still need one of those. And Greta had several treats in her trunk from one of my many attempts to move stuff, including my fondue pot, wine glasses and a box of 96 Crayola crayons. You know, the important stuff.
- I now live within 45 minutes of Elyse, so I attended her party in Wilmington Friday night. I had to take a long detour due to construction on I-76 but actually know my way around the suburban outskirts of the city pretty well by now, thanks to my adventures in between hotels the other week. That's right, I go out of the state to party. It's weird to be so close to so many other states: NJ, DE, MD, and a mere 80 miles from NYC.
- I attended the Red Bull Soapbox Race in my neighborhood on Saturday during the torrential downpour brought on by Tropical Storm Hannah. It was pure madness. Hopefully I can borrow some photos to properly illustrate the insanity of the event.
- Today marked the Eagles' season and home opener against the St. Louis Rams. This entailed me and my roommates (along with one of their boyfriends) sitting in the living room with two pizzas, 34 buffalo wings, 10 BBQ wings and a 2-liter of Pepsi. The Eagles won and the Phillies won their makeup game during the same time. Yes, Philadelphia is a sports town. Richmond is not. One of my roommates is a sports journalist, so I'm already learning players, records and other such trivia. Say what you will, but it's a fun way to spend Sunday afternoon.
- I've had some good phone converstions and e-mails with people recently but have very little to offer since I haven't started and have yet to get hopelessly lost in the city (yet). This will change. Call me. Or make my gmail inbox fuller.
- Cheese is really, really expensive here. The more gourmet, less mass-market ones are actually pretty comparable to what I'm used to paying, but Kraft, Sorrento and the other makers of low-quality shredded cheese products sell for quite a bit. If you come visit, please bring cheap cheese, Virginia wine (illegal to ship it directly up here and it's not in the wine & spirits stores) and assorted 6-packs of beer (you have to buy it by the case at beer distributors here; I long for beer runs at 11:45PM to Sheetz). I will in turn show you the wonders of Tastycakes, Amish produce, and cheesesteaks. Yum.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
the adventure begins
I'm here. I have successfully arrived in Philadelphia (still in the rental car), schlepping the rest of my 'stuff' across state lines and visiting my parents and a few friends in the process. I'm technically "moved in" but still have yet to properly assemble my bed or find a way to hang more than 10 items in my closet. As of tomorrow, I will have made 3 trips to the nearest IKEA and 2 to the Bed Bath & Beyond of my choice, returning items that simply will not fit in my 10' x 10' square. But I'm no longer living in a suitcase, using travel-sized bath products and staying in suburban hotel rooms with only the cable TV to keep me company. That is how I spent much of last week, assured that my car's transmission repairs would be done the next day. Eventually I had to give up on waiting around for Greta, though they tell me that I get her back tomorrow. It's amazing how a crack in your manual transmission can lead to the death of a clutch, leaking of fluid and over two week's worth of worries. Aside from the moving in process and the car troubles, things are great. My roommates are wonderful (but super busy compared to my boring week of furniture arranging and store returns), this house is great (3 stories plus a functional basement, lovely backyard and front porch, well-equipped kitchen) and the neighborhood is blissfully quiet. I'm a 45-second walk from the nearest WaWa which should satisfy my cravings for glazed blueberry donuts and late-night hoagies if nothing else.
I start Americorps training on Monday and will be doing that M-F, 9-5 in Center City for at least the next week. I'll meet everyone in my program and hopefully will learn some valuable skills before I hit the streets, so to speak. I already met my supervisor and most of my coworkers at La Salle University, where my actual placement is, when I was here a few weeks ago during the apartment hunt. This should be an interesting experience and certainly a valuable break from higher education. I still plan on going to grad school somewhere next fall to get my Masters of Public Health, but that could change.
I've said my goodbyes to Harrisonburg, Richmond and New Kent over the last few months but still plan on making occasional trips back as time, money and my car permit. My friends and family are now located over a pretty sizable portion of the Eastern United States, with a few more in the far-flung reaches of Europe and Asia. I'll try not to be glued to my computer and phone so that I can actually go out and experience Philadelphia, but I'm going to try my best to stay in contact with everyone.
Tomorrow entails grocery shopping, bookshelf arranging and what is hopefully the last day of purchasing flat-packaged furniture.
I start Americorps training on Monday and will be doing that M-F, 9-5 in Center City for at least the next week. I'll meet everyone in my program and hopefully will learn some valuable skills before I hit the streets, so to speak. I already met my supervisor and most of my coworkers at La Salle University, where my actual placement is, when I was here a few weeks ago during the apartment hunt. This should be an interesting experience and certainly a valuable break from higher education. I still plan on going to grad school somewhere next fall to get my Masters of Public Health, but that could change.
I've said my goodbyes to Harrisonburg, Richmond and New Kent over the last few months but still plan on making occasional trips back as time, money and my car permit. My friends and family are now located over a pretty sizable portion of the Eastern United States, with a few more in the far-flung reaches of Europe and Asia. I'll try not to be glued to my computer and phone so that I can actually go out and experience Philadelphia, but I'm going to try my best to stay in contact with everyone.
Tomorrow entails grocery shopping, bookshelf arranging and what is hopefully the last day of purchasing flat-packaged furniture.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
misadventures and time wasting
It's the little things that matter when you're several hundred miles from "home" (which in this case includes both New Kent and Harrisonburg, VA) and are spending your days and nights alone in hotel rooms while waiting for news of your car repairs. I got into this situation when I drove up to Philadelphia last Tuesday for one more attempt at apartment shopping. I had met with several people already but was still searching for the right combination of good location, affordable rent, and likeable roommates. I've been spoiled in the past by these qualities and kept up my high standards by visiting Philly 3 times in as many weeks to lock down a decent place for the next year. In retrospect of this experience, I certainly would have started earlier had I known my Americorps position at La Salle was a definite, but this wasn't confirmed until late in July. I've done what I can in the time allotted, but it definitely hurt my car.
Greta, my 10-year-old manual Volkswagen Jetta broke down on me last Tuesday afternoon around 4PM while in the left lane of I-95 around Chester, PA just a little bit outside of the city. Yep, left lane, rush hour, I-95, the whole shebang. I was sitting in stop-and-go traffic as it was, and when I put my left foot down on the clutch to start going again, it sank to the floor and stayed there. Much cursing ensued. After I made the requisite phone calls to AAA and the highway police, some nice construction workers from Georgia pushed me out of the road and onto the median.
After getting towed to a local car repair place, I got a rental car from Enterprise (a Dodge Charger, the only one left at the end of the day) and still made it to my roommate meeting appointments on time. I then made it to my hostel (which I had already booked), watched the Olympics and went to bed in my all-girls dorm. I went on a 5-hour walking tour with hostel people the next day, and effectively traversed all of Center City. I saw City Hall (and the naughty-at-certain-angles statue of William Penn), ran up the Rocky steps, viewed some Mural Arts Program visual treats and made friends with various Europeans, Kiwis, a South Korean and a Canadian. The guide referred to me as 'Virginia' and I had to answer tough questions about American politics, history and pop culture. The whole hostel experience reminded me of my travels in Europe, but with English as the lingua franca for once.
I eventually switched out cars, drove to Harrisonburg, Richmond, back to Harrisonburg, then up here on Saturday with my parents to move stuff into my chosen new apartment. I've been up in Philadelphia staying in hotels and at my friend's house ever since, as the news about my car keeps getting worse. Crack in the transmission, difficult repairs, etc. No matter what happens, I'll be up here for good by Monday, September 1st when my lease starts. My position (or Philadelphia Healthcorps training, really) begins September 8th, so I'll have a full week up here with nothing to do and my own place to stay. I plan on researching the best routes to work, as well as figuring out where to buy groceries and such.
So, back to the little things. Mainly, I just had a moment of zen the other day when purchasing my lunch at 3PM from Trader Joe's after making the decision to stay in a hotel. I was ravenous but having so many delicious options kept me sane. Also, I perused the wine & spirits store next door and settled on a 4-pack of Pinot Noir. And having so many lovely friends check in on me via the internet has been lovely as well. I'll attempt to write more background later on how I decided upon this route, but I'm going to follow my Dad's advice and read a book here instead.
Greta, my 10-year-old manual Volkswagen Jetta broke down on me last Tuesday afternoon around 4PM while in the left lane of I-95 around Chester, PA just a little bit outside of the city. Yep, left lane, rush hour, I-95, the whole shebang. I was sitting in stop-and-go traffic as it was, and when I put my left foot down on the clutch to start going again, it sank to the floor and stayed there. Much cursing ensued. After I made the requisite phone calls to AAA and the highway police, some nice construction workers from Georgia pushed me out of the road and onto the median.
After getting towed to a local car repair place, I got a rental car from Enterprise (a Dodge Charger, the only one left at the end of the day) and still made it to my roommate meeting appointments on time. I then made it to my hostel (which I had already booked), watched the Olympics and went to bed in my all-girls dorm. I went on a 5-hour walking tour with hostel people the next day, and effectively traversed all of Center City. I saw City Hall (and the naughty-at-certain-angles statue of William Penn), ran up the Rocky steps, viewed some Mural Arts Program visual treats and made friends with various Europeans, Kiwis, a South Korean and a Canadian. The guide referred to me as 'Virginia' and I had to answer tough questions about American politics, history and pop culture. The whole hostel experience reminded me of my travels in Europe, but with English as the lingua franca for once.
I eventually switched out cars, drove to Harrisonburg, Richmond, back to Harrisonburg, then up here on Saturday with my parents to move stuff into my chosen new apartment. I've been up in Philadelphia staying in hotels and at my friend's house ever since, as the news about my car keeps getting worse. Crack in the transmission, difficult repairs, etc. No matter what happens, I'll be up here for good by Monday, September 1st when my lease starts. My position (or Philadelphia Healthcorps training, really) begins September 8th, so I'll have a full week up here with nothing to do and my own place to stay. I plan on researching the best routes to work, as well as figuring out where to buy groceries and such.
So, back to the little things. Mainly, I just had a moment of zen the other day when purchasing my lunch at 3PM from Trader Joe's after making the decision to stay in a hotel. I was ravenous but having so many delicious options kept me sane. Also, I perused the wine & spirits store next door and settled on a 4-pack of Pinot Noir. And having so many lovely friends check in on me via the internet has been lovely as well. I'll attempt to write more background later on how I decided upon this route, but I'm going to follow my Dad's advice and read a book here instead.
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