Christmas Time and end of year Wrap up!

Love this time of year. So excited to be in the city to enjoy it!

The past month has been great. I've enjoyed time with family and friends, decorated the apartment for Christmas, and have done most of my Christmas shopping.

Jordan continues to work on school, karate, and guitar lessons. I'm so excited that he's more involved now. He's less homesick. We will work on whether he will attend a charter school next year, or do homeschool coop. I took him to see a new Pokemon movie, some of us watched The Muppet Movie, which was really funny. We also went hiking at Wissahickon Park, which is such a great park for hiking. We went to a Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa concert too! It was a last minute thing. While Jordan took guitar lessons a big crowd was forming down the street at the Electric Factory. Of course I had to find out who was in concert. I was able to get tickets. It was so great!

I enjoyed Jazz after 5 at the Art Museum, and got to spend some time with my good friend Teri. We visited the Christmas Village at Love Park. some really cute shops and some good German grub..lol. I'm taking pics of some of the Christmas trees and decorations downtown. I still need to visit Macy's, the Comcast Center, and Dicken's Village. Looking forward to it!

This year has been one of adventure and growth. I have enjoyed the city immensely. I've gone to theater shows, festivals, live music events, comedy shows, lots of restaurants, lots of walks in the city. So much to do...I love it! My parents and friends have asked me a number of times if I'm happy in the city. I am!! I needed this at this time in my life. Who knows how long I will be here, but right now I am where I want to be. Thank you for sharing this experience with me.

I want to wish all my family and friends a Very Merry Christmas and A Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Holidays are a coming......

I can't believe it's a week from Thanksgiving and a Christmas is a month or so away.
Wow! Time flies. We did see a little bit of snow already end of October.

The last few weeks have been full of activity. For Halloween I did get to do some fun Halloween activities. We went to Bates Haunted House in Glen Mills, took a tour of Lauren Hill Cemetery, and attended a Halloween happy hour. We watched some movies d; Puss in Boots, Paranormal Activity 3, In Time, and Rum Diaries. We went to Helium Comedy club for some good laughs. I also tried some new places to eat in the city, like Chifa, Table 31, Fieldhouse, and a couple of Thai food places. All yummy food too. We went to the Mutter Medical Oddities Museum and saw some really interesting things. Jordan did not like it much. He said it was really gross...lol.


Jordan continues to work on Karate, school work, and now he's added guitar lessons to his schedule. He's taking lessons at the School of Rock in Philly. I'm so excited for him! He also got to go to an Eagles game for the first time with Steve this past Sunday.

Those of you who know me well, know I don't drink much. Once in awhile I may have a pina colada or a mojito. But lately I've been drinking a few glasses of wine when the time feels right. I may be developing a fondness for wine...lol. Been also getting ready for the holidays. I started shopping for Christmas and I am almost done. I only need a couple of more items. Now, I can focus on Thanksgiving dinner with my parents and Christmas decorating.

Looking forward to the holidays in the city!

Full Fall......

October has been an interesting month. I continue to enjoy city living, going out for dinner, comedy shows, trying out different restaurants (Max Brenner, Abyssinia), etc. Went to Merrymead Farm with the kiddies picked out pumpkins and went on a hayride. Went to the Renaissance fair on a beautiful fall day. Went to Bates Motel haunted rides. That was a lot of fun! Also went to see a couple of good movies this month, Reel Steel and The Thing. We have had, for the most part, mild fall weather, and enjoying it while it lasts.

Been spending more time with dad. The day we went to Merrymead we invited him to join us for a lunch picnic in park. After his heart attack he has made it a point to keep in touch and spend more time with us. I am glad for that.

Jordan is doing well. He's really into Karate. He goes twice a week and enjoys it very much. I love that he's so into it. He's made some new friends there. He received his first belt and we went out to celebrate by going out for a nice steak dinner. He is doing well with school too. He's such a great kid. I am so blessed.

Looking forward to the upcoming holidays, full of the food, family, and friends.

It's Fall...It's Fall!

The summer is gone and we are in full fall mode. I love this time of year!I love to wear warm comfortable sweaters, boots, and sleeping in the crisp coolness of the season. Taking it a bit slower this season, and enjoying the early evenings at home.

We did enjoy September out and about when we had the chance. We attended a couple of great meetups, movie meetup, Sips meetup at the R2 Lounge, a couple of great comedy shows, Warmdaddy's great food and music, dinner and breakfast out with friends. We checked out the Puerto Rican day parade this year and visited The Natural Science Museum, my son's favorite museum. We took a daytrip to Lancaster. We also enjoyed Labor day with family and friends.

My son started 8th grade. He's doing well with his courses so far. He also started Karate classes. He loves it! He had taken some when he was younger, but didn't continue. Now he's really interested and I'm so excited for him! After Karate class we sometimes go out to dinner and spend some quality time together talking about all that interests him. I enjoy those talks with my boy. Had to do some serious fall shopping for him. He's growing like a weed...lol. He's growing into a wonderful young man. I love him so.... It's a shame his dad is not making an effort to be part of his life. He's missing out on seeing a beautiful boy grow up.

It's been a bit hectic at work. I was working from boxes the last few months because I was waiting for new furniture to arrive. Finally it arrived and now I'm organizing. My office is much more pleasant and functional now. I look forward to coming into the office.

In the homefront, my boyfriend moved in with me. Well....mainly clothes and beds for the kiddies. We were spending practically everyday together, so it was only natural. He's a great guy, sweet, kind, and loving. I'm a lucky girl. Looking forward to sharing adventures together.

Now, focus is on school for my son and my work for the rest of the year. Well, maybe some fun in between too...lol. Not sure if I can take a trip somewhere before the year is over, but you never know. I'm always up for an adventure or a trip somewhere dreamy....

End of summer is here........

August has been a great month full of activity! We've enjoyed a lot of outdoor concerts, festivals, and events. We've enjoyed a double feature (Captain America/Harry Potter-last movie?? maybe...lol.) at drive-in in New Jersey. Something I had not done in a long time. My son loved it! I fell asleep during the 2nd feature (Harry Potter) but he was a real trooper and watched till the end.

I have been trying different cuisine from Africa (Ethiopian, Senegal)with my friend Bina. Yummo!! She also loves live music so we checked out "Dende" a Brazilian percussion band at World Cafe Live. I have been able to spend some quality time with friends I have recently reconnected with. We always find something fun to do or eat in the city...lol.

My honey and I always check out the comedy and music scene in the city. We checked out Improv Night at the Shubin Theater, Luke O"Reilly at Chris Jazz Cafe and Conjunto Philadelphia at World Cafe Live. We have taken some fun evening motorcycle rides too.

I was itching for a roadtrip and decided to drive to Atlanta area to visit family. The drive was pleasant, weather great, family was fun, and food was awesome!! Family home cooking...can't beat that!!

Can you tell I'm obsessed with food....among other things....lol.

We have really enjoyed this summer and will continue to enjoy the mild weather before the cold and crisp weather arrives. We even managed to experience an earthquake in the Philly area (Tuesday 8/23, early afternoon). Had not planned that....lol.

Now we are getting ready for my son's new school year so I have to slow down some. He'll be starting 8th grade. Hmmmmm....I'm actually looking forward to hybernating a bit once the winter comes. Maybe get some rest for next spring and summer. Or maybe not..lol. We'll see.....

Post Vacation....more summer fun!

This month has been full of great summer activities. Lots of outdoor concerts, festivals, and great food!! LOL. We just got back from a great Disney vacation where my son ate a giant smoked turkey leg each day at the parks...lol. He loves those things. We spent a lot of time by the pool and going out to eat. Lots of sun and fun in the parks. We checked out Harry Potter ride at Universal, and rode Space Mountain, Mount Everest and the River Adventure Dinosaur rides a few times, our favorites.

Been checking out the Jazz scene in the city at the Clef Club, Chriz Jazz Cafe, and even the World Cafe Live. Great music!! Looking forward to the rest of the summer. I hope to take a nice road trip or two before the hot weather disappears. Fall is a great time for that too. My son and I love to take road trips. Ok.....I like to take road trips more than he does. He prefers to stay home and play video games...lol.

Enjoying the summer....

We have been enjoying the summer weather in the city. Lots of outdoor activities, BBQs, outdoor music, festivals, and food! Fourth of July was great in the Parkway! Lots of entertainment, food, and fireworks. This month Jordan and I have been taking a lot of walks around the city. We have our favorite ice cream place and park we like to visit regularly. We often pack lunch or buy lunch and sit in Love Park or the park accross from our building and enjoy the sunshine.

I have been taking the train into work. I enjoy the ride in. Since my office moved near the train station, I have been taking the train. My car is in need of some repairs. So glad it waited till I was able to take the train into work...lol.

Jordan finished his 7th grade homeschool year strong. He'll be starting 8th grade in September. Can't believe he'll be in high school soon. My work is going well. We had grand opening for one of our large projects this summer so far. It was great to see a beautiful apartment building completed and meet all the people involved in making it happen.

I have been able to connect with some friends from Middle School through facebook in the last week. It's been about 18 years since I have seen them. It's hard to believe it's been that long. I can't wait to catch up with them further.

Getting ready for a trip to Disney in about 3 weeks. My SO and his kiddies are joining us. My brother and his family will be there too. Have to start organizing and packing. Looking forward to the trip!

Small gatherings....and trains

We have been spending a lot of time outdoors. Aside from regular walks, motorcycle rides, we have enjoyed some of the outdoor festivals, like the American Asian Festival, Irish American Festival, hiking in parks and Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and swimming in our building pool. We also enjoyed BBQ at my brother's place for Memorial Day. We went to a Summer Story Slam BBQ event in the city with music and storytelling. With the great weather here we decided to take a day off and enjoyed the beach in Ocean City. We had a wonderful time!

Update on my job. My office finally moved to downtown Norristown so now I can take the train in or the Frankford Line to Norristown Speedline. I am enjoying the commute in, and not having to drive into work all the time. I get to read, meet interesting people, and pick up breakfast on the way to work. Lots of neat places to stop and pick up food and other items on the way and back from work. My boyfriend got me a kindle and I am enjoying the time now that I can use it more to read and play games on it.

Lots of friends and gatherings have taken place in the last few weeks. We celebrated my boyfriend's birthday and my birthday by having a small group of friends share cake and conversation. My brother and wife came to visit as well. Been spending time with friends having some great conversations about life. It's great to have good friends you can trust and share things with. I thank you all for being there, and know that I am there for you always.

Enjoying the mild weather in the city.....

The last few weeks have been great with mild weather and lots of fun activities in the city. Unfortunately Spring usually brings out my allergies, and they have been really bad for me. In between activities and fun I have to take breaks to sneeze and breathe...lol.

Been spending a lot of time with my amazing, kind, handsome, but humble (yeah right...lol) boyfriend. We've been taking motorcycle rides around the city, taking in some comedy shows, quizzo, and enjoying dinner out. We went out on an organized couples meetup for dinner. We met some great couples and made some new friends. With the kids, we went to the Philadelphia Zoo where we got on the hot air balloon. We went to see Thor at the IMAX theater....great show! We also went to Chuckee Cheese's the other day. OK, my kid is a teen and I thought he was too old for this, but he suggested it. Apparently, there's still lots of fun to be had at Chuckee Cheese's...lol.

Some of the new activities I've been exploring include dragon boat racing on the schuykill. Met a group by the St. Joseph's and Temple's boathouse. It was an organized training for beginners. We were trained on water for a bit, then we raced with another boat of beginners. I had a blast!!! Definitely doing that again!! The Free Library of Philadelphia has free author events almost every week and I've attended a couple of them. I attended a discussion with Former Mayor Wilson Goode and author Erik Larson. Wilson Goode discussed his new book about the US prison system, while Erik Larson discussed his research on WWII Berlin. I think the author series will be going on all year at the Main Library on Vine Street, an awesome place to visit. I spent a lot of time there when I was in school and it's great to revisit it now for these events.

I also visited a new meditation center on Samson Street I've been meaning to try for months. The sessions are very relaxed. They usually have social time and food, then there's a 30 minute meditation session, with a themed discussion afterwards. Loved it! I think this will become a usual activity for me as well. Just like my usual Thursday night live jazz at the Clef Club. This place is great! The artists are volunteers just having a weekly jam session, with guests who perform. And most of the time it's free! I've enjoyed some amazing performances and met some great people!

We have a Disney trip coming up in July. I'm so excited because I will be going with my boyfriend, his kiddies, and with my brother, and his kiddies! So I will be attempting to be taking it easy for the next few weeks, saving my energy and funds for the trip. Yeah right...lol. No....really. The amazing thing is that there is a lot to do with little or no money in the city including the author events, the meditation and social sessions, outdoor festivals and activities, and even some of the social meetups are of little or no cost. Lots of outdoor activities too, like walking, biking, hiking groups!

In the work front, my office finally moved to downtown Norristown. It was a long time coming but we're finally in our new space accross from the Courthouse. I do like our new location because there are a lot of more lunch options (lol...always thinking of food), more friends and colleagues to chat with, and it's close to all the places where I usually run my errands. The disadvantage is that my actual office space is smaller with no window, and parking is challenging. I will be looking into getting rid of some office furniture to make space and decorating my space with lots of outdoor stuff to try to bring the outdoors in. Most people pay for parking, but if you get to the area before 8am there's some limited all day street parking available nearby. I'm going to be trying out the parking situation for the next week or so. I also will take the train in some days since the new office is two blocks from the train station. My kid will be attending summer camp in Norristown, so I will probably be driving in most days during the summer.

My son and I are trying to wrap up his 7th grade homeschool year. It's been a bit challenging with the move and all our activities, but he's doing well. We are considering our options for the 8th grade school year. I have also been looking into finding employment in the city related to my special education degree. So exploring some other opportunities for my kid's schooling and for my employment will be the theme for the rest of the year. I'm in no hurry to change either, but definitely open to other opportunities in both fronts.

My mom asked me the other day if I was tired of the city yet, and if I wanted to go back to my house in the suburbs. No Way!! I'm enjoying every minute of the city life! I always have the option to go back to the suburbs if I want, but I don't see that happening right now.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me.....

Lots of fun and stuff.....

The last couple of weeks have been full of fun, attending activities like discussion groups, plays, live jazz music, and holiday gatherings. We got to spend some quality time with family and friends this past Easter. My son has been getting to spend time with cousins, friends, and out on the town at the movies, fairs, restaurants, and shows. At times I have to drag him out of the apartment. He's a bit of a home body, nothing like his mother...lol.

So, we're are toying with the idea of buying a scooter to ride around the city this summer. I'll have to get a permit and then have one year to get my practical license. Thought about getting a couple of bicycles too, but I am a bit nervous about riding bicycles around the city. Not sure I want my baby boy riding around the crowded streets. We may get them anyway and just take them around Kelly Drive and other parks.

We are enjoying the mild weather this Spring. Not enjoying my allergies acting up though...yuck. Looking forward to the summer in the city this year and enjoying all the outdoor activities to come.

Quite adjusted....I think

So much has happened since I last wrote. Getting used to the city life, traffic, noise...lol. Lots of exciting experiences in the last few weeks!

Some of the highlights:

Took a trip to Puerto Rico the end of March and did some awesome things; visited the Observatory in Arecibo, went to El Yunque (Rainforest) and bathed by one of the waterfalls, took a boatride to Vieques and swam in Mosquito Bay at night with the glowing micros, visited Luquillo Beach, and ate and ate and ate and ate a lot...lol. I also got to visit my favorite aunt in the San Juan area for a bit. Also took a daytrip to NY and got to go up the Empire State Building and also saw the Broadway show Memphis, which had great music and dancing!

In the city, went to visit my favorite Jazz place again and got to hear some awesome blues singing. Visited the R2L Restaurant, which has an incredible view of the sunset and city from the 37th floor. Visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Natural Science Museum, both have some great exhibits. We also have been doing a lot of walking around the city. Now that the weather is getting milder, we'll be spending more time outdoors.

The city has a lot of great events going on right now, The Festival of the Arts, The Science Festival, Fairmount Arts Crawl, Book Festival.....lots to see and do. Busy week ahead.

Busy bee....

It's been quite a busy couple of weeks. My son and I have been enjoying the city. We've had some nice warmer days, which we've enjoyed with walks. We went to see the Jeff Dunham show live at the Wells Fargo Center, we visited his favorite hobby card shop, and took a tour of the State Penitentiary. My son just took the PSSA grade tests and he seemed to have done well. He said most of it was easy. I am so glad. He has been homeschooled since 1st grade and has been doing pretty well. So proud of him!

Had an interesting occurrence at the apartment complex about 2 weeks ago. An announcement was made that water was not available due to rain and some flooding throughout the area. It only lasted for an hour or so, but I guess that comes with apartment living as well.

Made an awesome music venue discovery! I visited the Clef Jazz Club twice in the last 3 weeks and what an incredible experience! For the first visit, I attended a tribute to Phyllis Hyman with incredible musicians and singers performing. The second event was a fundraiser for Bipolar research, and a tribute to Odean Pope, saxophone player, who suffers from the disorder. Both events were amazing! Bill Cosby attended the second event and it was such a treat to see him in person. The Clef Club is a bit of a hidden gold mine. Those in the business, students, family, and friends attend, but it's not a very popular venue. I kind of like the quaint atmosphere and hope it stays that way. It's definitely a place I plan to visit often. So many unique events to explore in the city. It's amazing!

New Friends

We've had an exciting couple of weeks. Lots of walks, explorations, activities, and new friends. My son made some great connections this past weekend. I took him to see the new Yugioh movie. There he met some kids who are also big fans of Yugioh and big card collectors. He ended up spending a few hours with them after the movie at a hobby shop nearby, dueling, which means challenging each other with their more powerful cards..lol. I watched for a bit. It was quite an experience for me! They were so engrossed and happy to be dueling. It was great to see him so involved and making new friends! He plans to meet with them regularly to duel and check out new cards.

He played for awhile while I explored the area. The place is in West Philadelphia, by University of Pennsylvania, so lots to see, eat, and do. There are great restaurants, bookstores, museums, theaters, and other places to explore. I think this will be a fun regular outing for both of us.

I've been exploring the city on my own also. I've attended some discussion groups, wine tastings, music, and dinner gatherings. The city has so many positive experiences to offer. My honey and I love to check out the comedy shows and try out new places to eat. We just tried a great breakfast spot nearby called Sabrina's....Yummo!! And the servings are huge! Love it!

My mom has been away for a couple of months visiting her brother and she's coming home today. I missed her lots! She will see my new place for the first time. She's also going to meet my honey for the first time. Now that she's home, I will probably be traveling more since I like to take impromptu weekend trips and she watches my son if needed. Depending on the destination, sometimes my son comes with. Looking forward to having that flexibility again.

Exploring

Three weeks and feeling quite at home in the city now. Have had some concerns, but manageable. The other night we came back to the apartments to find that the elevators weren't working. Ok, so do we walk 14 flights? No, apparently the stairs only lead to outdoors for fire safety reasons. My son was getting very antsy. Thankfully we only waited a few minutes before the elevators started working again. But it got me thinking....we would have to hang in other areas of the building or go back out when this happens. Not a very warm and fuzzy feeling...lol.

Parking and traffic has not been too bad. My commute back and forth to work has been good, minimal traffic delays. I have a parking spot in the complex garage, so finding a parking spot is not a problem.

My son and I often take daily walks around the area. We spent some time at the Philadelphia Free Library on Vine Street the other day. What a great building! I spent a lot of time there as a teenager, so it was a walk down memory lane for me. We got familiar with the layout, I renewed my library card, picked up some movies, books, and information on the free events hosted by the library. This weekend we plan to tour the Historical State Penitentiary grounds nearby and visit his favorite museum, The Academy of Natural Sciences. He seems to be enjoying himself and adjusting well.

Exploring the city on my own is always a plus. The other night I went for a motorcycle ride with my honey. The weather was great, a perfect night for it. We checked out the Rum Bar & Lounge too. What a great diverse crowd and great music! We danced all night...one of my favorite things to do! We also took a trip to the Reading Terminal Market, one of my favorite spots. Got lots of goodies!

Now that I have been here a couple of weeks, the feeling of home has started to kick in. I am also a big observer so feeling more comfortable about observing my surroundings and people. So I will share with you some of my observations. I understand my observations and perception of those observations often reflect a lot about the observer, and where I am in my life as the observer, so here it goes....

The other night while at Vango, I noticed a woman celebrating her birthday on her own. She had a cake, a bottle of champagne and a nice plate of yummy seafood! Some of us made it a point to say hello, happy birthday, and converse with her. I was very happy for her to be able to go out and celebrate on her own, but for a moment I felt a bit lonely for her. Why was she celebrating alone? Maybe she wanted it that way.....or maybe her friend or friends couldn't join her on that particular night. She left much earlier than we did, but she made a big impression on me.

She reminded me of a woman I saw on the train on my way to NY a couple of months ago. It was during the Christmas season while my son and I took a day trip to NY. She was sitting on the train with her head against the window and I noticed tears coming down her cheeks. I couldn't help but cry quietly with her for a moment. I wondered what was going on with her? Had she lost someone she loved, did a relationship end, was she or someone she loved sick? I didn't want to disturb her. All I could do was smile at her to let her know I was thinking of her. It was Christmas time, a time for joy, of spending time with family and friends, of celebration, but she seemed very sad. I think of her often still wondering why and hoping she is much happier now.

So glad to be able to share my experiences and thoughts with my good friends and family. Please feel free to comment when you can.

Settling in....

So, it's almost 2 weeks since the move and all is well. Still have some boxes to unpack, but mostly nonessentials. I have been driving into work and I have to say, so far so good. The commute has only been 35-45 minutes and with no major traffic problems. We have been enjoying the city and neighborhood by taking walks. My kid has been pretty happy and that makes mommy very happy.

Last week we went to the movies on Delaware Avenue after having dinner at a great Chinese restaurant in Old City. We took a nice night walk downtown and yesterday we walked around our neighborhood. We got some groceries at the WholeFoods. We also found a restaurant nearby with YUMMY BAKED GOODS....Oh Yeah! Good food and sweets make me very happy.

We haven't had the chance to try out the indoor pool in the building yet. Apparently, it's being repaired, but hopefully it will be ready soon. I think that will be a way for my kid to make some new friends. There are a couple of activities we also want to do hoping to make him some new friends. Management has a party for tenants once a month. Also, there's a bulletin board and we may invite some parents over for a meet and greet.

I have been enjoying the city on my own as well. The first weekend in the city was quite busy. Been spending a lot of time with my honey and friends enjoying what the city has to offer. For a Valentine's Day celebration my honey and I went to Estia, my favorite Greek restaurant by the Avenue of the Arts. We then saw the Parenting 101 show at the Kimmel Center.....Hilarious! I recommend it to all the parents, grandparents, and anyone considering being a parent. You may reconsider after watching the show...lol.

We also went to see a Hypnosis Comedy Show, which started us out as participants, but I guess we were too uptight to be hypnotized because they told us both to sit our butts down after a few minutes...lol. Those that did participate did some very funny stuff. Not sure if they would want it on camera though....lol. I believe they videotaped the whole thing too. Good blackmailing material...lol.

Last night some of us checked out Vango, a funky restaurant and dance place. When we arrived around 7 there was no one there. We had a yummy seafood dinner and then people started arriving around 9. The DJ started playing some great soft soul music and then graduated to fast dance music. Thursday nights seem to be a good night, not too crowded, but enough people to enjoy some good mingling and dancing.

Boy....I'm tired already..lol. Not really. Have another busy week ahead and looking forward to every minute of it.

Finally Moved In!

The last couple of weeks have been very hectic, but I'm finally in my new apartment. Woohoo!! I love my new place! Have a balcony and a nice view of the Art Museum. Managed to unpack the essentials with the help of some friends. Still have some more to do, but got a lot done.

My son seems to be adjusting well. He actually admitted to me that he likes the place. He does miss the house and his friends though. I told him he will make new friends and can visit his other friends soon.

I decided to go out for the first time as a city gal and meet some friends, of all places, at Le Bec Fin. I had never been there before.
What a treat! My friend Carmen runs a meetup group so I decided to meet up for drinks and some food. I decided to walk from my apartment to Le Bec Fin, which is about 8 blocks away. It was cold and windy, froze my butt off, but enjoyed the walk nevertheless.

Ok, so those of you who know me well, know I hardly ever drink. But I decided to celebrate last night and had myself a glass of raspberry champagne......Yummy!I even got to sit close to Chef Georges Perrier for a bit. He was at the bar having hors devours and a drink. The bar tender was experimenting with new drinks for the Valentine's Day menu, and we all got to try the concauctions. We even helped with naming some of the drinks, Aphrodite and Eros, the his and hers drink for the Valentine Day menu.

Instead a full course meal, we ordered from the bar menu, and you would never guess what I had?! Sliders and fries! Yes...burger and fries at Le Bec Fin..lol. But they were the best I've ever had...I swear...lol!! We laughed about having a McD's meal at Le Bec Fin. We had a wonderful time, made new friends. It was a great evening in the city!

Almost all boxed up......

Ok, so I am moving to downtown Philly February 8th and I am almost all boxed up. Still have the essentials out and one closet that I am dreading cleaning out because it's all paperwork. Why do we save so much paperwork?? I think I have paystubs dating back from my first job...lol. But I've made some significant progress. It just so happens that I'm all boxed up at work too. My work office is moving from the northern part of Norristown to downtown Norristown. This works out perfectly because the train station is one block from our new office space and 3 blocks away from my new apartment in Philly. Our new office space is being renovated and we expect it to be completed in a couple of weeks, so I may be moving twice in the same week.

I am renting my home in the burbs for a year, with the option for the tenant to buy. I love my house, but it's time for a change. I've been in the burbs since 1991 and in my house since 1999. I have wonderful memories, but it's time for new ones in a new place. I've been dreaming about moving into the city for more than 2 years now. But things were not quite right to make such a move. Now they seem to be falling into place. The house is rented, the apartment is in a great location,with great amenities,and near many places I love in the city.

My teen son is not all that thrilled about the move. He was born and raised in the burbs, so this will be a challenge for him. I hope to get him to write on this blog a bit, to share his feelings and experiences. My plan is to get him integrated in the city life, as well as start to look for employment opportunities for myself in the special education field. After finishing my degree in education last year, it's time to start working in the field, even if just part-time.

So, come with me friends and family. Share my joys, frustrations, and confusion as we start a new chapter in our lives....LOL