never going home

This is outside my building.

I hope everyone doesn't wear themselves out, tonight is halloween!

event planner

Who doesn't love Philadelphia right now? Last night, wild parties on the streets. Tomorrow? The hugest parade. At night? Halloween parties galore.

THEN, ON SUNDAY

I saw it going up in the Cirque lot at Broad and Washington, but didn't know what it was....then got an email rumor about it (thanks Nikki!) and looked it up...and it's the worlds largest pinata and 8,000 pounds of candy and a chance to win a cruise (I'm really good at that)! I'm going, and you're invited too.
Here, let's get advertised to.

Then Tuesday is election party at Beulah, which you can come to if you vote and bring something to share. You know...cause fingers crossed we'll all be moving in that direction.

parade party

So yeah. My office is closing at 11 for the parade, which they expect to draw 5 million people. My bosses are going out to buy a million drinks for the office so we can sit up here and watch the parade go by. They're having me shred anything and everything so we have more stuff to throw to the streets. You're invited (I think) - who's in?


edit: Building is in lockdown tomorrow. This party got a little less fun.

sports

For my out-of-towners, some news: last night the Phillies won the World Series, the first time a Philly team has won a Big Deal in a million years.
So, with everyone else in the city, we walked over to Broad Street. I've never seen so many high fives in my life, like the giantest "good game" lines ever, but with cheering and beers and sparklers, bonfires in the middle of the road, and silly string, banging on pots and pans, and confetti, so much honking, and people standing on top of driving cars, and police on horses, Jady pushing a girl in a shopping cart, and every single person was really happy.
Here's my best pictures from the night:

and a pile of bikes in the middle of Broad Street:

I took a few other pictures that were even worse. (Still can't get camera to work, so these were taken with baby phone. Obviously).

Everyone seems pretty happy that things didn't get "out of control". Here's their version of "under control"

Windows were smashed at a bank and luggage store in the downtown shopping district. At least two cars were overturned, the windows of a TV van were smashed, dozens of huge streetside planters were flipped over and some bus shelters were damaged or destroyed.

(USA Today)

The whole neighborhood around my office is still pretty wild. Spraypainted buildings, boarded up windows, cars that a hundred people had obviously trampolined, and a lot of defeated looking cops around.

tomorrow is the "real" parade (thanks city, thanks Nutter), and my office is closing at 11am for it (thanks Missionstaff).

edit:
Here's a picture of a car outside my office. I guess that's what you get for parking near Broad Street...

Go Phillies.

pumped up

I have a bellyache. This might be because my last three meals were pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting. I've had like eleven*.

Cool, right? I'm super healthy.

Next thing:
Where's a super fun place to host a cocktail party for 50-70 people with open bar and butlered hor d'eourves? Someplace entertaining...any ideas? You're not invited, but your suggestions are welcome. Moshulu, Amada, XIX, Zoo, Aquarium (they have a new shark ballroom?!) are already on the list. Other good ideas? Too bad we don't have any venues that rotate, never been to one of those before.

Finally, last night we watched this movie, American Cannibal? It's a docu about reality tv writers, and things people will do to be on tv, and porn producers trying to get legit...wow. It was serious.


*a slight exaggeration, but still...

politics, politics

too confusing.
Anyway. You're invited over to watch the election, two rules. Vote first(1), then bring food (we're partial to thai right now) or the ingredients to your favorite cocktail to share(2).

aftermath

Last night TBG got rained out and somehow, half of the people that were packed into the Pope ended up at our house. Maybe not half.
Today we got this, like they're expecting riots. I like the part where they warn you about the windows...

I know it's hard to read but it pretty much says "Thanks for working on Broad Street. While we're stoked on sports right now, we fear apocolyptic celebration. Don't try to scam yourself and your friends into the building tonight so you can watch the parade. If you do, don't even think about opening your windows. We're watching you. Go Phils."

And today I was supposed to go to see my surgeon. A follow up, from my surgery in APRIL. I canceled. It was too rainy for West Philly, right?

cat lady

Nikki and Stella, and a hundred cat ladies.

The weirdest blogs exist.

back in America? back to the Riverview

So, I got back to USA (sans roommate) on Sunday, and we went to go see Pride and Glory, that new Edward Norton. The time change/not going to sleep Sat night/jetlag things kind of caught up with me, but I'm pretty sure this movie was The Same.

Dear Everyone,
Stop making the Departed. We already saw it.
Love,
SL

blog haussen

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

doei!

Later skaters, going to the Netherlands today. Back this weekend!

this weekend

was surprisingly full of Fishtown, saladbowl, the Irish mob, and costuming.
JB and his bull were gallons of fun.

This weekend was conversely surprisingly void of movies. Although I did watch Batman Returns, who knew* it was so awesome?



*Melissa

5+5

good,lately:
1. New Yorkers who come for super quick visits (what a big week for houseguests it'll be)
2. self-diagnosing roommates who don't have scabies and who also love to clean and set you up with free trips to AMS
3. new tv antennas that'll be good until the digital age overcomes us in February (we watched the Office!)
4. old friends moving to (Fish)town
5. ginger spice cookies, in Cinnabon coffee


not so good:
1. lawyers (call me back. Please?)
2. medical bills (they're keeping coming)
3. people who work at American Apparel (I'll "see you around")
4. nail polish (chip chip chip)
5. neighborhood cats (in heat)

blindy

In a strange turn of Thursday night events, someone took me to the movies (kind of). We saw Blindness, which was (believe it or not) better than expected.

Here's a review.
Remember when Nikki Kidman did the remake of Invasion(of the body snatchers) (which wasn't very good)? It was a little like that (though better) - big name herione tries to avoid plague thats taking over the masses. There's good* villians in this one though - real bad guys that suffer the same affliction as the rest of the world, but handle it in worse ways, mean mean guys. I was also reminded a lot of 28 Weeks Later (that more than other zombie movies because of the governmental containment ideas), but that was kind of fleeting.

When you think about everybody going blind, there are some questions that come up:

What happens when blind people fight? What if they have guns? Blind sex? Racism? Finding bathrooms? What would you trade for food?

The weirdest parts are the where the whole point is to convey the blindness everybody is feeling. Also it looks a little like that movie The Machinist, where Christian Bale stops eating and everything takes on weird colors. And theres weird messy group sex-for-food scenes. And a weird narrative-in-the-form-of-regular-conversation explanation. And that in the book it's one town that gets blind, but in the movie it seems a lot more wide-spread.
ANYWAY
It was a little long, but the whole time you kind of keep wanting to watch it to find out what happens:

Will J Moore always be able to see, or will she get milky eyed too? Can anybody else see? Will sight come back to anybody? Will blind-love prevail over weird age differences involving Danny Glover?

Here, watch preview.


*bad

field guide

Sometimes boys with iPhones (T) send you pictures like this

that are just called "NYC wildlife".
Thanks.
Also, we're pretty sure this guy pee'd my bed. Maybe he got locked in my room or something.

(Yeah. Old picture. From when he was cute.)
And, we have this weird Korean neighbor who does this gong/chime/chanting thing every night who stops by our window now to talk to Matt. In horse noises.

baby Jesus shark

A confirmed virgin birth.

Read about it here. From now on, less news*, I promise.


*baby dogs, baby sharks, etc.

I don't usually youtube

getting rid

Nikki alerted me to this, which seems like it could be either awesome or a big waste of twenty dollars (maybe it's just me being super poor saying that). Some of my favorite fall clothes right now are from clothes swaps (thanks Chelsea & everybody). So anyway, thinking about it: you just bring clothes to that place we saw Mike Reed's play that one time (also where Chloe's music class was? What a multi-functional space!), pay twenty, and take home whatever you want. I worry that I'd get caught up in the frenzy and take things I don't want? Think girls get catty over this? Hmmm...

Somewhat related, I've been halfsie trying to follow along with the Apartment Therapy Cure, which so far has just meant a lot of purging. It feels good. Got rid of sweaters, shoes, dresses, makeup, hair products, old paperwork, photographs I don't like, old letters I don't care about, scratched cd's, and so much more. Feels good. Up next? Books. Like "Bill Cosby: Childhood", which exemplifies the Kind of Book I should Get Rid Of.

outter space

I like Fran a lot, and his blog is probably my favorite, but definitely one of my favorites. So, in between Favorite and OOMFs.
Here, a synopsis of his post yesterday (some of this in actual quotation, some will be me giving you the essence, because it's all too long to just repost)

A giant (2000 mile) UFO is going to park over Alabama tomorrow. The aliens are called "the Federation of Light". They're nice, and are going to help us evolve. 3 people told us this'll happen, one of them "Blossom Goodchild" (she doesn't have a myspace, I checked).

Finally (#5 in a list of Important Things Regarding Tuesdays Events from Fran),

"There were five ufos spotted and photographed over philly during the obama rally. earlier that week he gave an interview where he said "i'm interested in making life better on earth, but maybe we have some others on the way as well." these two events, one that actually happened and one that appears to have happened, i admit are connected because i am connecting them. but that's how connections work. i'm also paranoid. but i will point out that the only evidence we have that either event happened (the ufos and the obama quote) are the same: video footage. time, etc. can't go back and make it be yesterday."

Questions:
If there is an Event tomorrow, do we get off early? Will schoolchildren get a minute to watch it on tv, like we all did when OJ got sentenced?
Also, why does Chloe usually name her invented pets "Alien"?

nets

Well, this weekend I got a "new" computer (thanks, Pintos) and have already started working on the New Year's Eve 2k8 playlist. (Come to our party it's really fun.)
New Computer brings up other longings too though - like getting internet service.

I know I don't really need it, but it would be so much easier to

1. read your blog
2. update my blog (even on weekends!) before I forget all the really important things to tell you, Dear Readers
3. check movie times without having to go all the way down the block to the gym I no longer belong to, just to get a CityPaper, in which the times may or may not be accurate
4. check Craigslist missed connections (kind of a joke...)
5. check deadlines on various craft/baking/exchange projects I get myself into
6. download top 40 (pirating is mainstream, I read it someplace)

Now, I know none of that is important, but I still want to know - who does your internets? How much does it cost? Think it's worth it?

Other updates:
didn't see any movies (not for lack of trying, sometimes you get there and you got it all wrong), and ate kind of a lot of Rustica.

girl/2

Last night we saw Girl Cut in Two (thanks, Fran, as usual). It's about this girl who has two boys in her life: old, married, succesful-but-kindof-a-jerk writer, and an indepentdently wealthy, crazy possessive, aristocrat trustfunder.

It was kind of like this movie that Josh Ballard is going to be in (written by Cory) where the girl ("Sue" coincidentally) is dating three boys. Weird, because I saw this movie with three boys, one of them JB, and my name is "Sue" too. Right?

I thought this movie was going to be about a magician. And, in the end (literally, the end of the movie) it kind of was.

tripping

It's official. Marilyn and I will be going to Amsterdam in a couple weeks to hang out with Shayna, meet Megan, get a stamp in the old passport, and like, do a million really hard drugs.

(I didn't take this picture, obvi. Soon enough.)
Shchapp's very serious about making us awesome breakfasts.

KFN could stand for so many things

other than Fung-fu Necktie. Yikes.
Name aside, it's a nice bar, and C got us all there to celebrate.

They have bumper pool,

and Steve Miller! He's my favorite bartender maybe.

goodbye, Hicks Street

Goodbye giant living room,

goodbye fancy kitchen,

see you later, comfy bed,

bye, parking space, goodbye balcony,


goodbye amazing dvd collection,

goodbye angry-cat,

goodbye roofdeck, goodbye view.

Saturday night bike

On Saturday night, around 12:30, I got talked into going to Kung-Fu Necktie. I haven't been there yet (partially because of the name, mostly because of the location), but decided it was better than watching the X-files by myself. I rode my bike there. It took forever - things really are further when you're coming from the other side of Broad. Anyway, got there, then it was Barbary instead, then didn't have my id, stopped at Rustica to see Andy, then I headed to McG's, but didn't really go...all this to say, I mostly just rode my bike around by myself for about an hour.
In this time the ratio of sobbing girls being consoled by boyfriends or girl friends with words like

"No one meant to offend you! We like you!" (girls with partial shirts outside Standard Tap)

and

"Don't get in that car! Don't do it. Don't!" (boy to crying girl on Fairmount)

to boys asking me for (or thumbing) rides on my bicycle was exactly equal. Three for three.
Moral: biking is funny and I should make movies about it or something. Or maybe Fran should. Not really about biking itself, but the things you see for a few seconds. Slice of life type stuff.
I went home and watched the X-files and fell asleep.

I saw some movies this weekend

On Saturday, Nikki and I went to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

If you liked Juno, then your 15 year old self (the one that loved going to shows, found music Very Important, had idealized notions of meeting a Boy To Fall In Love With at a concert, and thought New York City was It) would love N&N.
It also reminded me of two things; first, Wayne's World. Protagonist boys (in this case, Garth is replaced with two gay bandmates) spend the night driving around trying to find ultimate rock and roll, and true love (Cassandra/Norah). There's also the crazy ex-gf, the super drunk hanger-oner, and love-interest's terrible other option. A lot of emphasis on record producers and diners for good measure, and they're pretty much the same movie. I feel as sure about this as I did about the Matrix and Bill & Ted*.
I can't remember the other thing it reminded me of now. I'll edit later if I do. Sorry!

On Sunday, we went to see Eagle Eye. It was kind of like that Sandy Bullock movie, The Net, but with the villan from Wall E. You know (spoiler!) a giant computer eye-ball thing that's trying to take over everything. Oh, and the two people who's life the computer tries to ruin end up falling in love. It's like Match.com, but on a huge scale (so not that good), but the car crashes were pretty remarkable.


*In both of these movies there's time travel, scary futures with bald black men wearing sunglasses, etc. I can't remember it all right now, but it's there, I swear.

the E in squeeze

One last blog post (what a crazy day for it! If you’re just starting now, maybe you should just read one or two and ration out the rest, cause you know I don’t post on weekends) for the day, in two parts:

First, my friend got some bad news from a boy this week. A boy she was a little invested in. So she art therapied. Here’s two favs.



Secondly, I was reading some old recipe books and (this is big news to me, maybe you already know about it) a single treat is a cooky. Cookies? Plural. Cooky? Oh, just one, thank you. WITH A Y. It makes sense, I just always thought cookie. And I’m sure cookie is fine, but cooky is even better.

So, what’s happening this weekend? Send me an e-vite, or better yet, call me, I have a phone now.

don'ts lifestyle

Because I haven't seen Marilyn in a minute, and have in general been pretty bad at updating you, dear Readers, on her outfits, today I bring you some other fashions that have been brought to my attention.

1. No-heels heels.

Vicky B wears them. Uma wears them.

Can you imagine? YIKES.

2. LiLo has a new line of leggings and "ankle gloves". The line is called 6126, which is, you know - Marilyn Monroe's birthday*.

The leggings have knee pads. Really.
Yikes.


*One time in college, we knew this girl, who had this sister, who had Marilyn Monroe's signature tattooed on her hip. One day, Sarah told her it was weird, and asked her why she got it. This girl liked Sarah a lot and was all, "Oh! You're right! It IS weird!"

post

Dear T,
I actually really like Kavalier and Clay. Can we still be friends/will you still try to fix my baby keyboard?
Love,
Buddy

MandyKim,
You’re right. Sorry we didn’t catch up on Swingtown. I guess the season is over. Anyway, thanks for talking me into those brown boots, I wear them tons.
Love,
Sue

Monster,
Sorry your car got smashed into again. It’s probably a sign. Thanks for alerting me to LiLo’s new line of leggings, I might feature them in a fashion post later today. Also looking forward to Time Warp, Ghostbusters, Thriller, and Monster Mash nights at dance class. We’re going to be so good at Halloween this year.
Love,
A girl with a regular sized nose
Oh, and sorry if my paraphrases make things seem more dramatic. Also more funny though.

Andy Dear,
What was that message about Jen and Leo? I’m still trying to figure it out, which is why I haven't responded.
Love,
Do-text

Helmet,
Thanks for keeping taking care of MLB. And the bug situation. You’re a good roommate.
Love,
Absentee

Khaki & Kamper,
Welcome to the hood. Well, not my hood, but you get it. Can’t wait to come over.
Love,
Fake-neighbor

Miracle on St Anna Street

Last night I quit watching the debate a little early (but thanks for having me, Julie/Sal/Nikki), and we went to see the new Joint at the Riverview.
Miracle at St. Anna was Saving Private Ryan* meets [regular Spike Lee Movie].

There were some weird little plot lines that never got tied up - like the contemporary Nazi art collector and his sexy girlfriend who we meet for about a minute. Maybe they were important, but it felt like we were striving for a complexity that was never achieved.
This movie was

a. long (2hr, 40m)
b. controversial (in trying to remind us to appreciate Buffalo soldiers, Spike got a lot of people pretty upset about his portrayal of Italian Partisans)
c. brimming with Stock Characters (dumb but lovable giant black man, tiny helpless/speechless boy, fascist old Italian, slippery traitor, hot girl who has no problem taking her clothes off while doing the laundry on the hillside, etc)
d. full of important morality lessons:
Killing bad people (even 40 years later)? Okay.
Killing many many people, at a church? Not okay.

The worst part (on my end) is that I actually thought about Tropic Thunder a couple times.

*I've actually never seen SPR, but I can imagine.

bike date

You know what else happened that day?
This girl tried to go on a bike ride with me.
Here's the scene: heading west on Lombard to new digs, she gets next to me (so we're "a car" and blocking a whole lane of traffic). Instead of passing me (what I thought she was going to do), she just starts chatting in her little British accent about how much fun it is to ride bikes with someone, and it's her favorite thing, and how no cars will ever pass us.
She had giant hair.
(I turned down 10th, our bike ride was a short four or five blocks).

this post is SEW late

Get it? Sew?
I learned from that new HBO vampire drama that there was a time when a pun was the highest form of humor.
Now, read about other tv:
Let's pretend it's Thursday morning, and I'm blogging about last night:

OMG! Silver Fox and Klum threw us a huge monkey wrench and totally let ALL FOUR DESIGNERS STAY! No one got auf'd.

Also, remember when we used to be okay with Kenley, but then she was super dumb, and said things like, "I'm a really good designer, with really good taste, because I moved to New York when I was young and broke!"?
Really Kens? We all moved to cities when we were young and broke. In fact, I'm still young and broke, so my taste must be IMPECCABLE.
A pretty awkward AfterSew where Kenley talks about being ok with people hating her here.

iasip

I caught up on Sunny. It's so good guys, really. There's so much yelling.