Cross-posted from Facebook (since I wrote it at work and couldn't post it here first), since it would seem we're supposed to tell people how trips go in great detail now?
I removed the not-nice, kind of catty comment from the end of the FB version for this one and added some Meagan commentary at the end.
Pictures are up on Facebook, too, but for the probably non-existent person who both cares and doesn't have FB, I can PM a link to the album.
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The official time in Philly was from 5:30PM Friday, the 8th until Too Damn Early AM Monday, the 11th. However, my travels started on Thursday the 7th. I worked my normal late start (10-7), only with a twist. I had agreed to do programming right at opening, so I had to be there by 9:45 at the very latest, which is 30 minutes earlier than normal. So nice long day that turned out to be. After work, I went home, did a piss poor job of double checking I had everything I needed in favor of making sure my MP3 player was all set and catching up on Pweb. Once that was done, my mother -only too glad to be rid of me- loaded me and my luggage in the car and off to the bus station we went. Not only was I there early, the bus was there late, so I was hanging around the creepy part of town at night for longer than I would have liked. Whatever. The bus finally showed up, I hopped on, found an empty set of seats, and enjoyed the ride. I was struggling to sleep and being asked about my citizenship, my place of birth, etc. doesn't help take the edge off. One woman almost got deported, I swear it. Anyhow, made it into San Diego shortly after 1AM, I think it was. Maybe a few minutes before. My grandma and cousin picked me up, we headed back to her house, and I showered before climbing into bed for yet another round of no sleep. 3:30AM came, stopped at Jack in the Box and then on to the airport, where I was dropped off at the wrong terminal - honest mistake, really. I got myself on the shuttle to the right one, waited for forever for the self-checks or a human to be available, and then went through that process.
Prettiest boy I've ever seen in person threw a hissy fit because his 3.4+ oz. of lotion couldn't go to L.A. with him and even had his mommy complain on his behalf to TSA. The security thought my hair tie was a weapon, perhaps, because I was made to empty out my pockets after they noticed it. Hopped on a 27 passenger plane to L.A., discovered that airport is stupider than I initially thought and will make a habit of never flying through CA again. Sky Harbor PHX, you complete me. Anyway, got on the plane, tried to sleep, but was sitting next to a couple that loved Dolly Parton and loved arguing about Dolly Parton. There was also the child in front of me who commented "How could a person shame another person that way, spreading cheese in their house?" Five hours of this. I slept for not long that day. But look, I'm arriving in Philly supposedly! Only, where is it? I see trees, trees, more trees, some water, trees around the water, and, oh, there it is. Skyscrapers. Lovely. Flying into a city is never complete if you don't get to see the skyscrapers from above. I may have leaned over people to get this view...We were also 10 minutes early, just enough time for me to decide whether or not I wanted to actually meet Ed or just hang at the airport all weekend. After a text was shot off to Nicole to the tune of "Oh, f***...", I pulled out my MP3 player, pre-chosen theme song at the ready, and started the walk out of the terminal and into the pick-up/baggage claim. Mayor Nutter welcomed me- a sign, not the guy- and I'm going down the escalator, music in my ears, feeling nervous but pretty good, and...unless he looks nothing like his pictures, no Ed.
You know that sound that records make as you rip the needle off and the music stops? I've heard that too often lately but I swear, my mind made that sound. I didn't think he was ditching me and he had mentioned traffic being a possible pain in the ass, so I sent him a message to acquire his whereabouts (he showed up like, two minutes later). Cue me thinking, "This isn't how I expected this to go...weekend, you're going to be full of this stuff, aren't you?" But hey, Janelle slept in the first time I met her, so I got some quality time with her airport. This wasn't bad at all. Got my hug -I hug all Pwebbers I meet, except for Meagan. Meagan didn't look like she wanted one.
And then we were off. For just a second, I was afraid we'd never get out of the garage but we did and right into the heaviest traffic you've ever seen, minus the heavy part. I was fully prepared to fall asleep but didn't because as is the case on most trips, I am easily entertained by new stuff and everywhere I looked there was New Stuff. Trees! PA license plates! NJ license plates! Factories?! Painted water thingy?! THE CITY!!
The first place we stopped was Ed's place and even though the guy said he didn't care about the game, I kind of think he did given he was listening to it on the radio, so we watched that and he had the audacity to call me bad luck at first (they were losing for a bit) but I straightened that out by the end. It's the strangest thing but I tend to get what I want for a lot of small things, like weather and sports. I did ask that we go get a cheesesteak after the game, so we drove off to...South Street? Cool downtown area near all the Stuff. Got that -it was delicious and way bigger than I expected- and then walked around for not quite two hours. I owe Ed new legs, as an aside. Back to his place we went and the sleep finally won.
I'd say the next day, but seeing as sleep didn't start until 1AMish, it was the same day, I woke up early because I'm STILL IN NEW PLACE SURROUNDED BY NEW STUFF. It was 6ish and by 6:30, I was waking Ed up as I was creeping out the door without him. I must have been gone for a while, I wasn't paying much attention to the clock, but I eventually went back and he was still sleeping, so I dressed myself in slightly more regular, less sweat-pants like clothes, texted with Nicole some, and started reading Speaker for the Dead. Guys, Novinha = Alea. It was nice to reconnect with her. At some point, Sleeping Beauty woke up and figured out that, sadly for him, I was indeed real and still there and probably wanting to be let out soon. (Do I sound like a dog yet? Feed me, Ed. Walk me, Ed. Take me outside, Ed. Woof.) We got in the car, went for a tour of his old neighborhood (schools, house, all that) and then went to visit the alma mater. There was a castle(!) and according to its legends, the couple that first built and resided in it hated each other, were responsible for the death of at least 3 people, started Rickrolling, and are entirely to blame for the theme to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air being so damn catchy. Okay, I defintely made up some of that. I may or may not have been mentally reenacting a scene from Titanic as I went down the stairs with my hands on the banister. And get this: they're having a ball there in December, I think it is. Not fair.
Wandered about for a little bit, went through the health services building and I don't think Ed appreciated me saying if we got questioned, I'd say we were there because he has an STD.
After that, it was lunch time (I now realize I left half of it in his fridge...suck, I liked that sandwich, it was just too big to finish) and then the real torture began. I told him Friday night I'd wait until Saturday to try to kill him and I try to keep my word. Thus begins the true reason his legs need to be replaced. We walked from his place to center city, I believe it is called, and did a s*** ton of walking and touristy sight seeing. Dun. Dun dun dunn. Dun dun dunn. Dun dun dunnnnnn. It's the eye of the tiger. There was the statue, the Art Museum steps, Love Park (in which Ed and Alea determine who is better at making hand hearts - mine suffered from Grinch syndrome, too small at first but grew with some direction), err, that one building with Penn atop it (city hall? I don't know), awesome little plaza with supersized game pieces and Ed making me be patient and letting the kids play on the top hat, Chinatown. I feel like I'm forgetting something. But after all that walking, poor Ed was not having us walk back, so on the train we went. Braveheat was next on the agenda and somehow, we ended up watching three movies in all. It's too bad he's all the way across the country, I have been itching to make crazy Irish guy talking to God jokes and they're just not happening with people here. To be fair, there was a lot more talking during the second movie than absorbing the story, so it may not count as being watched. Third movie was (500) Days of Summer (<3) and I was so tickled pink he'd watch that, I'd have done a happy little jig if I wasn't Way Too Cool still. *sigh* I take warming up, guys. Even with Pwebbers, I'm afraid to say. I hate this about myself. Ah well, moving on.
Oh, there was a failed trip to Dunkin Donuts in there. No Chai and they screwed up his bagel. He tried to get me all riled up and mad but I'm mostly hard to get upset over stuff of that nature. I think I finally said "son of a bitch" for him and he was satisfied. Related, but I think it was earlier in the day, he said "water" the right way! One of my favorite parts, that was hard not to keep giggling about, was the accent. There were certain words that had it stronger than the rest and I'm a sucker for East Coast accents.
Where was I? Right, movies, sleep. Yet again, I wake up earlier than Ed but this time I just used the time to shower and play on Pweb some and listen to music. We headed out for day two of a s***** of walking and I tried a water ice, or at least a knockoff that was pretty tasty. Then to the Rodin museum and man...I felt like it may have been a bit much, asking him to look at it with me but he was a good sport. Seeing some of those in person, wow. Gates of Hell, The Cathedral, etc. being right there in front of me and not in my art history books was just incredible. I can see why they put up all the "Don't touch" signs. I wanted to so badly on a few of them. From there, I almost got ran over by a tall 12 year old as we headed to all the murals and those, too, were incredible. Some more than others but I loved them. It was pretty hilarious that in order to see some, we had to go through the National Coming Out Day festivities and if they would have offered Ed food, I'm pretty sure he would have found himself a boyfriend. We never did find two of the murals but we happened upon this whole series of buildings that were prettied up and I'm all about shiny. In the midst of all that pretty art on the buildings was a random Batman sign. Haven't figured that out but Ed swears it's art. Stopped at a bar to feed the poor guy, then caught a train back to his place where the lovely drunk people were all gathering.
Discovered Philly hates cupcakes, so there was no more venturing out and besides, there was a game on so we watched that as I did a quick sketch for/of him, left him a note in a book, and we talked (my favorite part of the trip, truth be told, more than the art even). Then, because of airport trips early in the morning, there was sleep. He signed my EG while I got ready and I slipped him some funds, via his work bag, to continue his Film Education (though, if he chooses to use that on anything else, that's cool, too) while he got ready. Then off to the airport. A Better than Ezra and an Anberlin (think I spelled those right) song were playing as we drove and although I can't remember what their lyrics were, the feel for them was about right. Got my goodbye hug, entered the airport with nary a tear in sight, dealt with a few cranky airport security people, then waited to come home. And that, folks, is more or less that weekend. He got to see what Steph saw, that when I'm happy and comfortable with people, I don't talk nearly as much as I think people assume I would, at least not in most cases.
L.A., having an unimpressive airport, decided to go ahead and delay my second leg of the flight by 40 minutes, so I didn't get as much time to hang out with Meagan as I thought I'd get. She was pretty cool about it all and picked me up at the airport, told me I sounded tired and you know, I felt proud over that one. I
earned that tired voice, thank you very much. After some fun getting almost-lost-ishness, we found parking and trekked to an Indian restaurant where I had my first Indian cuisine. There was only one thing I wasn't fond of but it was otherwise surprisingly good. I couldn't tell you the name of anything I ate but it was good. We walked around for all of 3 or 4 minutes after eating before thinking we'd have more fun at the Park, so off we went. Found a nice bench, did some chatting, and that was that. Twas fun.
But Alea is right, public transit is just not up to par here. They are making some progress, but none that are useful to me yet. Even if we get a good crowd, between my car that seats 7 (5 of which are taken up by my family) and a minivan, we should be able to accommodate everyone.
