Celebrating European Colonialism

It's Columbus Day, and I've worked it so that I am totally free - no selling admission to hungry tourists or organizing mismatched shoes at the Gap - just me, the TV, and hopefully a run and some shoe shopping. Oh and if I work up the enthusiasm, I may also clean the apartment, which has gotten filthy. When you have a job that's exhausting, and I assume most people do, it's easy to come home, plop yourself down on the couch, and spend the night watching House reruns followed by the Daily Show and Colbert Report. Then clothes and dirt and mail and dishes pile up around you and one day you just scream, "I CAN'T LIVE IN THIS FILTH!" and clean it all up. Perhaps today will be that day. 

But tonight is a must-watch TV night, as the Phils are battling the Dodgers in the 4th game of the NLCS postseason, which they lead 2 games to 1. But it's in LA, and they got killed last night in LA (and throughout the regular season) so it's really imperative that they get their act together and win this. 2 games to 1 is dangerous. 3 games to 1 is pretty much a guarantee.

 Baseball has always been a sport that I understood, but i've recently become a really big Phillies fan. I can name the majority of players on the team (pitchers may or may not be included in that) and have seen enough games and know enough about the players to be able to hold my own in a discussion with boys. For instance, I know we can't count on Ryan Howard in this postseason, and we've really got to look to Victorino, Burrell, and Utley for the big hits. Or, we could just put Brett Myers in as a designated hitter. 

See... didn't you just forget you were reading a girl's blog? Probably not. But I'm proud of myself and fan enough to make a shout-out and say GO PHILS tonight! BEAT LA!!!!

Oh, the Things One Sees

On Sunday morning we went out to grab some Dunkin' Donuts breakfast, and instead of bringing it home we decided to sit in Washington Square and eat it. As we were approaching the fountain to find a bench and settle down, I saw a dirty man standing by the water and taking off his socks and shoes. 

Before I knew it, his pants were rolled up and he was slogging around in the fountain water, picking up all kinds of change and shoving it into his battered pockets. 

Was I surprised? Not really. It was a bum taking change out of a fountain. I commend him for his resourcefulness. I was, however, amused when a little girl walking through the park with her dad ran straight up the fountain and started leaning over and having a conversation with the homeless guy. Well, it was less of a conversation than the little girl asking "What are you doing in there?" and the bum answering in some incoherent rambling that included the words "rain" and "quarters". Probably also some cursing. The girl was leaning over so far to listen to her new friend that I thought she was going to fall in. I also wondered what the hell her father was thinking in not pulling her away. But he looked a little homeless himself. 

Anyway... for your viewing pleasure (sorry the quality is so bad, I took it from my phone): 

In other news, I have to proclaim my new-found love for NPR podcasts. Yesterday I downloaded Saturday's "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me" to my shuffle, and it made me laugh out loud as I was walking down the streets of Center City. Now I'm off to listen to some of the songs off Dar Williams' new CD, Promised Land. 

Ciao!

Working Stiff in Philadelphia

My new life of part-time jobs has begun! And I haven't gotten a paycheck yet to see how little i'm making, which probably explains why i'm so jolly right now. 

My first impression is that my time isn't as open as I'd like it to be - and it's really confusing to keep track of everything that i'm doing all at once! Also... the Gap operates on military time so it takes math to figure out my schedule. Oh, math is also involved in working at cash registers (which, by the way, is totally as fun as I had imagined it to be when I was 8 years old). Blech. Math. And a lot of it. 

But I am finding it pleasurable to walk to work, especially since it means I get to see the city at odd times (like 9 on a Saturday morning) and busy times like rush hour. And it isn't so bad dealing with tourists. Most of them are, aside from being pretty dumb, really well-meaning and some are even interesting to talk to like a guy today who was from the Netherlands but attending med school at UPenn. It's also very encouraging to find that the city you live in is an exciting place for so many people. They love the Liberty Bell! They want extra gift shop bags to take home as souvenirs! They are extra-enthusiastic about looking at the foundations of Ben Franklin's house... and OF COURSE they've already seen his grave. Philly is a hot destination, and why shouldn't it be? It's a hotbed of historic wonders, plus we've been ranked the ugliest city in the nation 2 years in a row! 

Plus... the discount I get at the Gap is phenomenal. 

And in terms of stress, I have so much less of it right now. No long drives where i'm gritting my teeth trying not to yell obscenities at other drivers. No crazy deadlines to meet. No horribly unreasonable client requests (except maybe the woman today who asked for an audio tour for her 2-year-old because... "her brother and sister have one and she's going to want one too, just like the iPod"). 

It ain't half bad so far. But I still gotta give it time.