In True Braves Fashion...

I know the suspense of the rest of our outing has just about killed all you. I know that you've been sitting around, refreshing the blog page and constantly checking your email (for you Blackberry users, I know that you've been reconciling beyond belief!) for Chapter 2, so without further adieu, here it is...

I'll start from the beginning. Troy and I had tickets for the final game of a 3-game series between the Atlanta Braves (our favorite team) and the Philadelphia Phillies. We were so excited about getting to see the Braves and visit Citizen's Bank Park. TB had been there once before, but it was my first visit.

When we got there, we gave ourselves about an hour before the game so we could walk around, take pictures, and scope out the concessions. I decided on a slice of cheese pizza, and about 2 bites later, that $8 went into the trash. So, I opted for a smoked turkey sandwich, and TB got a smoked roast beef sandwich. We scored on this decision... it was YUMMY, and then we had a little Philly Water Ice for dessert. Yum-o!

It was about 90 degrees; the sun burning our arms and cheeks; and we were sweating like we were the fountains of youth, so I decided that I needed a visor to shield my cheeks from the scorching rays. I found a green Phillies visor, and TB purchased it for me. I hit the ladies room, donned my new visor, and we headed to our seats.

It was 1:35 PM as the Phillies took the field, and the Braves prepared for the first offensive swing of the day, we settled into our seats with our Water Ice, bottles of water, and sunglasses in place. Two plays into the game, TB starts cheering for the Braves. Two runs into the game (reminder... I was wearing a bright green Phillies visor), we (the Braves) score, and I find myself yelling and clapping. We laughed; I surveyed the other fans reactions; and we laughed some more.


Into the second inning, it was Braves, 2; Phillies, 0; and Mother Nature, 60... that's 60 miles wind gusts. The sky got ugly; the winds were roaring; and the rain neared. Before the rush, Troy and I left our seats and secured a space on the concourse. A few minutes later, the bottom broke. It rained like the skies had been furious and ready to rumble for months.

After a two-hour rain delay, the game resumed. It is now 4:05, and we are in our seats and ready for a little baseball. The Braves score 3 and allow Philadelphia to tie with 5 runs in the bottom of the third. We watch 3 more innings, all scoreless for Atlanta, but for the Phillies, it was like batting practice. It seemed that someone hit a home run at each at-bat. By the end of the 7th, it was 12-5, Phillies favor.

The worst part of the whole game was the collision between Victorino and McCann. On a mission to make it home, Victorina comes into home plate with his shoulder lowered while McCann received a throw from Francoeur and dropped to tag out the runner thinking he would slide. McCann's equipment flies in all directions, and he lays lifeless at the plate for a few minutes. After he finally regained consciousness, Victorina patted his back and made his way to the dugout. Reports later confirm that McCann was knocked unconscious and sustained a mild concussion from the incident.

At this time, it was close to 6 PM, and unfortunately, we had to leave to come home and take care of the furbabies. We followed the game on our Blackberries as we made our way back to Center City.

The Braves lost 12-10, but came back to make the game interesting, it seemed. With a combined 19 runs scored in two games, the boys just couldn't pull out a win Saturday or Sunday against the Phillies. I guess Teixeira's fate will soon be announced.

With all the doom and gloom that covered the stadium with the rain and such, and the Braves loss, we had a great day. There are a few pictures in the post, but if you want to see a full recap of the day, visit our web albums at Picasa. The link is to the left labeled The Black's Web Albums... just click and view.

Day Highlights: Yummy BBQ... Cooling Water Ice... A great start by the Braves... A chance to be a part of America's Favorite Past-time... and the Philly Phanatic!

Rain... Rain... Go Away...

This entry will be short with more to follow later, but I must share our unfortunate luck with you.

We are at (right now, in fact...) Citizen's Bank Park and got to see 2 innings of the Braves-Phillies final game of the series (it's really exciting... The series is split and the Braves are trying to decide to trade or not to trade Mike Teixeira); however, for us and the other 25,000 fans here, a thunderstorm has postponed the game indefinitely.

We took cover under the concourse awning and are awaiting the 60 mile wind gusts, flooding rain, and possible hail to subside.

We have to be the luckiest people in the world!!

Right now, there is no sign of refuge from the rain, so we'll just wait.

I need Abigail to call Mr. Sun for us (a few of you will understand the reference!).

I'll sign off for now... Pictures and funny details to follow in Chapter 2.

Oh... The Places We Should Go!

Being in a city like Philadelphia, we have tons of things to do at our fingertips. Good shopping... good food... cool places to visit.

Top of my list is the Eastern State Penitentiary. Each season, the tour is different. I am really, really anxious to visit this place. It is the prison that Al Capone spent 8 months in during his mob career. From my readings, he had a "5-star" cell. It was decorated with oil paintings, oriental rugs, and a desk top radio.

Of course, I must visit the zoo. I have to see the animals that call the Phila Zoo home. I love the zoo... the thought of visiting the wildlife makes me giggle like a little girl. I know the concerns of people and caged animals, but I like to think of it like the animals chose to be there and are paying large amounts of peanuts to live there!

Our next option is the Gregor Mendel exhibit. For those of you who say... that name sounds familiar... think of 8th grade science and the Punnett Square. This guy is the father of genetics, and I would just L-O-V-E to see their take on his great discovery.

And, finally... The Real Pirates exhibit. This is at the Franklin Institute and commented to be artifacts from the only recovered Pirate Ship. I am sure that photography will be prohibited, but like The Betsy Ross House, if we go to the exhibit... I'll sneak a few.

Anyway... there are links to each exhibit and place and a poll to the left. Help us decide where to go... this is too big of a decision to make on our own!!!

Extra... Extra... Read All About It!!

I don't have a little boy in crop pants and a beanie to scream the news, but I wanted to let you know of our blog updates!

As some of you know... the blog got a face lift a few weeks ago. It got a new background and color scheme with a few layout changes. I really like the new appearance, and it seems to like the improvements as well.

Tonight, I have added a "Favorite Links" sidebar and a Slide show. The slide show is of my latest walking tour of Center City. It was a lot of fun. I learned my way around and found some interesting sights in the city. You can see my comments on each picture by visiting our web album link. This will take you to Picasa Web. Click the link to the left under the Favorite Links sidebar to visit.

TTFN!

If It Walks Like A Duck and Quacks Like A Duck...

It's amazing to me how popular our furbabies (new nickname for the pups, courtesy of Wendy... aka Sally Sunshine!) Every time we go on walks, they get sooo much attention. It depends on the person as to which is the most popular.

On Tuesday, TB takes them to LOVE Park and this Irish guy says about Marlee, (must be read in an Irish accent), "I used to have one of these when I was in college." Then while they were in the park on a potty walk, these Greek guys were snapping pictures of them... WITH A FILM CAMERA. The dogs weren't paying attention so they were wasting a lot of film!

Then, on Wednesday, I took them out, and we were stopped by the loading dock lady who was very interested in both of them. Then, the GreenPeace guy, who wasn't interested in them at all, got a very stern furbaby mom speech. You know the one... "I am green where I can be... recycling on the street... using green chemicals... but we are on a potty walk. They have to go... RIGHT NOW. I am proud of you for being green and support your habit, but get out of our way." When I was to be stopped again, this time by a Philly police officer.

He proceeds to ask... "mam... is that your dog?" While pointing at Max. My heart started beating fast... my breaths became short and shallow... and I said, "yes, sir." He then said, "he's the cutest dog I've ever seen! I'd like to get on for my wife." I was so relieved, I almost sobbed. Then... he started asking about our big girl (remember... we haven't made it to the park yet). He thought she was cute and a Setter.

I know that most people here in the city do not own pets, and I understand the fascination with animals. I am obsessed with all the dogs around town... just love to talk in furbaby talk to them, but I mean... come on! I have seem numerous Bush's Baked Beans commercials and remarkably... Marlee resembles Duke. I know it's a long shot that two Golden Retrievers look similar. It's amazing how many people don't have a CLUE about what kind of dog she is. Now, Max... I could understand, but not Marlee.

When we finally made it to the park, we spent quite a bit of time there. They were pooped when they finally got home. We rested on the couch together and awaited our next outing.

Anyway... we have two very, very popular pups. We love them very much, but so do the passers-by, the police, the valets, and the other tenants. I think that if they were in high school, they'd be voted cutest, most popular, and most likely to turn heads!

We're Moving On Up... To The Eastside!

The East-side of the US, that is! On Tuesday and Wednesday, Mayflower Moving Company diligently packed our belongings and brought them to Philly. Where in Philly, one may ask? We're not really sure... all we know is that they are to be warehoused for up to 60 days for us.

It was weird seeing all of our belongings being wrapped in paper, shoved in boxes, and taped up with a serial number and little blue packing sticker. And... I didn't have to do any of it. I did help the guys out with our clothes. I couldn't just sit still while they were packing up, and it made the days pass faster.

What was really strange was seeing the house completely empty. I know that when we get our apartment/loft/condo up here that it will seem like home when we get our stuff in there, but for now... it felt like our house was moving away from us!

I've pretty much detached myself from our house in Brandon. It was alot easier than I thought it would be, but I think moving here with the dogs before the movers came helped out alot. It would have been hard to see it all go and see the pups confused. I can't really believe that it isn't our house anymore, but we are so excited about being here in the city that I think that our disappointment is being transferred to excitement.

Hmmm... this was a pretty boring post... sorry for the lack of entertainment in this one. I'll do better next time... until then!

The House of Mouse... Part II

As the day progressed, it turned out to be that the little brown rodent was just an icebreaker.

First, I almost missed my flight in Chicago because of the Blackberry. The Blackberry doesn't change the time according to the "network time zone." You are where you are and your time is where you were.

Then, I made it to our house only to realize that the movers and packers were lost. It took me two-hours to navigate the semi-truck down Lakeland Drive and to Willow Grande. For some reason, people assume that I don't know what I am talking about when I give directions. They took the left at the Willows instead of continuing to Willow Grande and taking left. I've only driven to our subdivision and our house a trillion times, but yet my directions always seem to be a little off to people. Yes, it's a long way to the very back of Castlewoods, but it's there... I promise. Just keep going straight!

Then, the movers got all of our belongings packed up. They jumped in the semi and headed... well, I really don't know where they headed, and I am honestly not sure they can make it back. I am meeting them at 7 AM in the morning to get the ball rolling on the final day of the move, so we'll see.

It's about bedtime here in MS. It's been bedtime in Philly... I think I'll retire for tonight. I am sure that I can promise quite a blog for tomorrow, which will probably come on Thursday after I awake from my coma!!

The House of Mouse... Part I

Good morning, all! It's early, and I am at the airport on my way BACK to MS. Yes... So soon!!

The movers and packers (not to be confused with movers and shakers!) are coming this morning to secure our belongings and haul them to PA.

Well... After an extremely long day yesterday which followed an extremely long day on Sunday, I have another extremely long day today. A 3 AM day is always long, but combine that with dealing with a moving company for two days, the second day being that I will not be home until 1 AM on Thursday morning after my 610 PM departure from JAN on Wednesday, will make for a fragile emotional and physical state (handle with care should be stamped on my forehead at this point!).

Anyway... Things have gone pretty smooth after many long travels piled on many long travels, nothing would surprise me at this point. Its about time something happen. I get to the gate and take my seat to board my flight, and what runs out from under the one seat I choose? A mouse... Yes, ladies and gentleman. A little brown mouse is scurring around the gate in fear of screams from weak, easily frightened patrons like myself. He not only runs from under my chair but also proceeds to stay in the area until soon he was out of sight. Needless to say, I kept my feet propped on the kiddie stool until it was imperative that I put them down again... And by imperative, I mean until I had to board the plane!

Should I be worried about the outcome of the day, or was the mouse just an icebreaker? I don't know, but I'm not really excited if this is the start of a day of chaos!

To be continued...

Putt... Putt... and Away!!

On Saturday, Golfer TB managed to weasel his way out of work at 11:30 AM to play in a charity golf tournament (wouldn't you just L-O-V-E to have that job... work for a few hours... golf for a lot of hours?!?). It was for a guy who worked in PHL and died a few years back. All proceeds were donated to a trust fund for his children... it was for a good cause!

He played on a team with a their Ramp Admin, Mike. Mike was a pro-golfer before he began his career with SWA. The other PHL Team was their construction manager, Bob Henry, and the station manager, John Minor.

At the end of the tourney, there was putting contest. It was $10 per golfer, and they had to make one of three shots in the first round to advance to the second round. TB was one of two to make these shots! He and another guy putted it out to the very end... TB WON!! Only to find out that he and Mike also won the tournament with a combined score of 67.

With a borrowed set of golf clubs, and a Saturday afternoon of fun and sun, he made his way back to our borrowed apartment with our borrowed furniture with our new, non-borrowed 26" LCD HDTV and an under the cabinet Sony Radio/CD player. Who'da thought?!?

He was supposed to play in another tournament today but didn't because of other plans we had tonight. I told him when I found out about our loot that I would like an HD DVD player... he concurred. I suppose that we shouldn't be begging for more after what he won on Saturday... but one can dream, right?!?

Marlee: Then and Now...

When we first brought Marlee home, she would take little leisurely naps on TB's shoes. Regardless of the location... kitchen, den, closet... you could always guarantee that Marlee would naps on his shoes.

Well... tonight, she wedges herself between our rented end table and TB's tennis shoe, and behold... a napping puppy.

It's 7 months later, and she still loves to lay her head on his shoes...

Television Troubles...

After the long move to PA, and the anticipation of the new apartment and soon, the newer apartment, I thought I would settle in for the first fall with my fall TV lineup. Of course, I will have to stay up an hour later to catch the latest scoop on Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters, but hey... you do whatcha gotta do in order to watch the docu-dramas that make up for the less than interesting aspects of our real lives.

Well... I was checking to see what was in store on what has turned out to be my favorite network... ABC... and to my dismay! They are canceling shows like Men In Trees, Cashmere Mafia, and Big Shots! What's a girl to do?

Those were weekly staples...what's next... Brothers and Sisters? Desperate Housewives? NBC lost the vote for favorite network with the series finale (or so they say) of Las Vegas. I've got to screen an entire new line up now... what going to happen to me on Thursday nights?

I guess everyone that I know (which isn't many here in the PA-area, so those of you at home... take notes!) will have to download Google Talk or Skype and keep me company while I pine over the loss of great TV.

Sundays... Mondays... Wednesdays... and Grey's Anatomy are all looking to my favor, but where is my Men in Trees? That was the glue that held it all together! When Sex and the City was canceled on HBO, we all needed a little Michael Patrick King romantic comedy... and that's were MiT came in.

Oh, well... wish me luck as I dig at the bottom of the World Wide Web pit to find reviews and a few snippets of the fall lineup to fill the voids left by the cruel, ugly world of the network conglomerations.

Oh... and by the way... If they would have asked me, I'd say get rid of Ugly Betty!!

Is It Raining... yes, no, maybe?!?

Today we tried out our new PhillyCarShare subscription. It is a really cool, non-profit organization that allows you to "share" cars with other Philadelphians for an hourly rate. For as low as $3.90 an hour, you can rent a car to drive around town or out of town, and it includes gas and insurance. There is one in our building's parking lot, so around 2 PM, Troy and I hopped in our "rent-by-the-hour" Audi. Talk about a clown car, we were squished in that itty bitty car, but we were able to drive north of Philadelphia to a Chickie's and Pete's for lunch. They have the best fries with white cheese sauce and Philly Chicken Cheese sandwiches.

We got back in the city and got in our few bags from Target. We went and got a few things that I forgot at the store last week... while I'm on the topic, this place provided "all" we need to have a furnished apartment. I'm sure that a broiler pan (I'm assuming that was what I found in the oven... it is wasn't, it was a high scale wash board!) may be popular in the NE, but frankly, I don't know how to use one and would rather have what I bought today at Target... A MUFFIN TIN!

Back to the topic at hand... We get in our building put up our few bags of groceries, unload and loaded the dishwasher, and got the dogs decked out in their walk gear. We head for the elevators, get to the first floor, and IT WAS RAINING!! You can't necessarily hear rain on the roof when you don't have one! Therefore, our trip outside with the dogs didn't go as planned. What do you get when you cross a random down-pour and a "gotta-go-right-now" peek-a-poo? Well... it ain't a happy one! He sorta looked like an angry little man.

Needless to say, we all came back in (by we all, I mean Max and me from out in the rain and Troy and Marlee from the foyer to the hallway) and made our way back to the 15th floor to wait out the rain. Now, we are in our apartment with two sleeping pooches, waiting for the top up thunderstorm to pass. Next time there is a slight pitter-pat, we'll wait it out rather than pull the dogs into wet, rain spattered streets. I don't want this little pup mad at me anymore.

Let PHREEDOM Ring!

Happy 4th of July... a day later! We had so much fun here in Philly for the Fourth. There was a huge parade that SWA title sponsored, so we got to be the first float in the parade. There was a huge contingent of SWA employees, friends, and family; a string band; 3 enormous stars like the ones from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade; and of course, the float. The band's costumes were undescribable. I'm not sure exactly what they were trying to depict, but I think that crazy is in there somewehre!

We marched from around 19th street and snaked our way to the Art Museum (which is about 1.2 miles of parading) where there were hot dogs and water, and lots of cheering and laughter for the Fourth and SWA. John Legend performed after the parade and before the fireworks.

It started to rain, so TB and I walked the long walk home (we weren't close to a train station, so total, we walked about 4 miles yesterday afternoon), and observed the concert on the TV and saw some fireworks from the rooftop of our apartment building. Since I've been sick for about 3 weeks now, we decided this was the safest place to see the celebration.

All of the people that TB works with are so nice, and they all get along really well. I feel like we've been here forever. It's like anywhere you go, the SWA employees take you in and make you feel like you are family... regardless of name, rank, or serial number!

Hope you enjoy the visual documentary of our PHirst PHourth in PHilly (ok... so I've taken the PH a little overboard... oh, well)!!

Scavengers No More!

It finally happened... I found a grocery store!! I drove into Delaware and went to Target, Giant Foods, Target, and PetSmart. AND IT WAS ALL TAX FREE!!

I couldn't believe it! I got enough food to last for a month... just in case I can't get back to Delaware in the next few weeks! The fresh markets and Walgreen's can support my milk, bread, and cracker needs until I can get more turkey, cheese, and chicken breasts!

I must say that I haven't ever enjoyed a trip to the grocery store like I did today! But the fresh markets have great seafood, fruits, and veggies... I don't think we're gonna starve anymore!!

I think that's my cousin...

Tonight after our 6-block walk with our furry loved ones, we came home and called it a night. After a little channel surfing, TB landed on the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge.

Max and Marlee had been playing and wrestling over the Wubba (dog owners... if you do not have a Wubba, they are only $12 at the local PetSmart and are worth every cent!), Max decided to chill on the couch by me while Marlee took the floor under TB's feet.

After looking down, TB got my attention, and Marlee was fixed on the TV! She was so interested in the agility drills. I know whe was thinking... Does chasing a little fuzzy, loud-mouth pooch count as an agility drill?!?

We laughed and laughed at her until she realized, and then she stretched out and laid down. Watching all those other pups working so hard tuckered her out!

And 1,800 Miles Later...

On Sunday morning, Max, Marlee, and I left our house at 5 AM with Mom close behind to start our trip to Philly. We stopped and filled up our tank, and hopped in I-20... then on I-59... and finally to I-65 where we ended up in Nashville. There with a smile on his face was Troy ready and waiting for the next 12 hours ahead.

It was a fun ride. We stopped at the Walgreen's for some medicine for Marlee. I don't think the rubber tennis ball she ate for dinner on Saturday agreed with her belly. After a potty break, we hit Jack in the Box for lunch. Jack in the Box got the condiments right on my sandwich, but the chicken breast patty was a little spicier than I bargained for... I got the spicy chicken sandwich, which made my mouth burn to the point that a large sip of Diet Coke didn't even stop the capsaicin tingle.

We continued east to Knoxville and then turned north towards Virginia. I didn't think we would ever get out of VIRGINIA! That has to be the longest drive I've ever been on. We decided to go ahead and go to Baltimore on Sunday and drive all the way through to Philly.

Max and Marlee were so tired. They slept the entire way on a backseat that could have been confused with a 5-star doggie spa. They had a blanket on the seat and sateen covered king size pillows; however, Max preferred to lay all over Marlee. It was really cute, and we were so proud that they made the trip easily.

I know that Troy and I were at our wits end by about 5 hours outside of Philly. I missed every "Welcome to Whatever" state we were in, so I was guessing at to the time... I wasn't very observant while Troy was driving!

We laughed and had plenty of family quality time... but that doesn't mean that I am going to EVER plan to make a drive like that again. My truck seats are permanently indented from our behinds being planted in them for 19 1/2 hours.

When we finally made it into town, it was 2:30 EST, and the pups weren't really excited about their new surroundings. We are doing better now, but Marlee is still a bit spooked about the entire city life thing. Max seems like it... he likes to chase the pigeons and watch the people.

Well... that's about all I've got right now from Philly. I'll write again tomorrow as we continue the search for a grocery store. We still aren't exactly sure how people around here eat other than for the local corner fruit salad and felafel ball stands, but I'm sure that we'll figure it out soon. We'll have to, or we'll be forced to eat turkey sandwiches from the Wawa. Ok... so now I'm just rambling. Enjoy the pictures!