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.....
China
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
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.....
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.....
Monday, May 2, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
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.
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.
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