one stolen photo and some links.

Tomorrow Lauren is coming for the day to see and take home the paintings she commissioned me to do. I sure hope she likes them.

Yesterday the movie at Penn's Landing was canceled because of the rain, again.

Today was the "Tall Mall": the twice a year blowout sale at the Long Elegant Legs warehouse. I did pretty well, got 4 pairs of pants, some pjs and a few shirts. Also, breakfast with mom!

I think I have been eating almost too well, what with the bakery, and making food, added to tonight... This week is University City's Dining Days, with prix fixe meals $15 or $30. You can guess that Celia and I opted for the $30 when you look at Distrito.(excellent shots of the food on their website)
It was enough to remind me that apparently, I don't eat quite that well, quite often enough.

On another note, Celia and I had a breakthrough tonight. I think that rather than being constantly worried about immediate and future health risks, I should drink two cups of coffee every day. I am happier, more productive, and awake (therefore productive for longer) when high on caffeine, and really, that's probably more than okay. Let's get the coffee perking! (Really just a mediocre at best attempt to once again feel the rush of adrenaline felt at MICA, but maybe it's that much closer to working).

Rocket Cats!

I realized the other day that Hans now has the adolescent face, but it was hard to capture. I'm sure one of these days the camera will see it too.
If you glance back to some earlier posts, you can see it too.

I never posted this, but Celestine had posted this on facebook, before I ever met them. What a difference? He is so hansom now!
I can hardly believe it was so easy to grow these scallions. Literally, just pop 'em in some earth and voila!
The First eggplant flowering!
The cucumbers are spreading rapidly, with sort of nowhere to go, so I helped this guy lean against the window and he is holding on to dear life, wrapping some tentacles around the scallions.
That big tomato is gone. I think some squirrels are in for a beating. It hadn't even turned red yet, but these new guys are growing really fast. Too fast for squirrels I hope.
My baby tomatoes. I doubt they'll get to live out their lives by the time winter hits. :(
Lunch was had today at Rocket Cat Cafe. A delicious Portebello Mushroom sandwich on pita. I sat out back, and had the place all to myself for the most part. It reminds me of Berlin. I love Berlin...
Reading up on some art history, with some iced coffee.
And then in a matter of minutes it was flooded with children and I scrambled to get out.

The repair man was here today, and I had mentioned that I would be interested in working out something if the landlord was willing to replace some of the windows, in order to keep the heat in the apartment come wintertime (since things around here seem to take much longer than they should) and it seems as though the kitchen window might be replaced, but he is right in that the bedroom windows are still pretty new. Either way, the kitchen one definitely does need repair. So, check and mate, window!
Back to art history, please!

A couple of Foodies.

Apparently movies just keep getting cancelled! First Transformers2, then Harry Potter with Celia on Thursday: we went all the way to Penn's Landing, I brought fresh bread and pastries from the bakery that day, and Celia brought fantastic cheeses and cherries... and wine! But then it rained. However, we made up for it by bringing the fiesta back to my apartment where we watched The Shape of Things, luckily found on Netflix Instant, and I just have to recommend it, as Celia did to me.
Fast Forward to today at work, when I realized I hadn't thought about dinner tonight. But Celia left me the rest of the wine, and I thought, White Wine Cream Sauce! So Celia came over, and we made delicious dinner.
With the frozen chicken breasts my grandmother cajoled into my freezer, and some mushrooms and onion and of course the wine! (due to a minor fridge storage incident, we had less wine than previously known, however, Kayla had brought me wine too, but at the time I had no corkscrew. We popped that open tonight too, and had a glass of the new stuff to go with the meal!)
It was so good! Of course, now I have extra mushrooms! So the meal planning marathon begins!

As for the rest of tonight, I think more Six Feet Under, since I am determined to finish watching the rest of it by the end of the month.

I have the next two days off, and I am determined to finish Lauren's abstract paintings, and read the art history book Celia borrowed for me, and who knows what else!

Sarah's visit and apartment done!

I bought Hans this little fish at Bastille Day.
Yesterday was Laundry day.
Although no one showed up for Transformers last night, Kelly and I went out for a drink. Then I met up with Celia and we went out for Ethiopian, and passed by this awesome building.
Sophie is always cute.
Great jump, Sophie!
Sarah came to visit last night, she left today. We had a grand old time and most just went shopping. She likes Hans a lot, but is just slightly mistrustful of his playful aggression.

So with the completion of my new curtains I finally bought at Target today, the apartment is complete. Here are some photos from different angles. Above: bedroom.
closet corner of bedroom, and some of the kitchen.
Studio corner and kitchen.
Kitchen, note the new curtain!
lovely!
Bathroom
bathroom sink
Back in the kitchen.
Dining room part of the kitchen.
Oh and I planted some Poppy Seeds. fun!

The Van, Sophie, veggies, Project Basho, movies.

I have done the farmers markets with several different people. Lately Jess has been driving the van. The first time I felt pretty scared of her driving: the second time it was fine. This past Thursday I worked with a new girl Rebecca, who I liked very much. She was new: I drove the van. Apparently, though, it really doesn't matter if there are small accidents here and there, since the van is horribly dinged up, and Laura told us some stories about one girl who keeps hitting busses, parked vans, poles, and even drove into a ditch. All this prefaces the note taped to the dash.
After Bastille Day, I went to visit Celia. Celia lives in University City by Laura and Jordan, and the drive is just close enough to be close. She lives with some roommates, one of whom has a surprisingly cute (and incredibly sweet) Italian Greyhound named Sophie.
Celia loves Sophie.
Sophie loves the lobster Celia bought her.
I love tasty salads with fresh fruit!
Hans loves nibbling at my growing tomato plants.
But they don't seem to mind.
Oh and did I mention those scallions I bought to put in the salmon pasta dish I had to make because of the leftover sushi salmon? Well, I ended up having to make tuna salad with scallions. I still have scallions. And apparently I will continue to have scallions for quite some time since the internet suggested I pop them back in some earth and they will re-grow. Like starfish, in my own backyard... roof.
Meanwhile another baby tomato was born.
While the other one grows (seriously, you can't tell from the photo, but its as big as my foot, at least).
At the farmers market on Saturday, a little girl was scoffing at some vegetables. One of the Lancaster boys quietly explained to her that tomatoes used to be flowers too. I found this to be one of the sweetest comments I have ever heard.


I emailed Project Basho today, since one of the bakery girls, Sarah, told me that she volunteers there once a week in order to get free darkroom time. (UHHH SWEET!) AND it's in Fishtown.

In the meantime, tomorrow is Transformers2 with ESP, however, I didn't actually realize that everyone hating the idea of going to see this atrocity meant that no one would actually go. This surprised me today. I really hope there are more than the 4 of us who are signed up. What a bummer.
Even if it sucks, I finally discovered Penn's Landing free Thursday movies. Guess where I'll be on Thursdays from now on? Dark Knight in a few weeks, anyone?

Bastille Day Special

As you can see, Eastern State Penitentiary is actually the Bastille. (With a fully functioning guillotine).
I didn't have work on Bastille Day, as I had the bakery, but I went to enjoy the festivities. Mostly taking photos, and people watching.
Got some great candids of strangers.



So many people!
Sharon coordinated the whole thing, she's been back and forth to ESP for months now with all the necessary things.
Most of the famous re-enacters were the owners of the Fairmount Neighborhood restaurants, complete with plugs and friendly but competitive nay-saying written into the scripts. Also written into the scripts were several Michael Jackson references.
Marie Antoinette and HER army!
Toby, Jack, David, Gary.
The First Twinky thrown. (Apparently we ask Philadelphia TastyCake to sponsor us every year, since our Marie calls out "Let Them Eat TastyCakes" but they decline every year. hahaha Twinkies always come through).
So Many Twinkies.
Fran hurling twinky. Soon to be photoshopped as a molotov cocktail.
Jesse: triumphant, free, Prisoner of the Bastille.
Dog.
Sean and Terry who represents the London Grill.
Vive La Revolution!