Room With A View...

It's been a while since I last blogged, but things have been pretty hectic around here. I've been trying to get everything out of boxes, and things put away as organized as possible; however, in this tiny apartment, it's hard.

Our new home is in Glen Mills, PA. It's a suburb of Philadelphia, and we really like the area. We are about 5 miles from Delaware, the home of no state taxes, and there is a Target very close by! Our new address is 8303 Arment Drive, Glen Mills, PA 19342. I plan on sending out change of address post cards, but again, it's not been top of the list!

Anyway... we are on the top floor, which is nice, and have a balcony so I can still have a container garden. It's not flower beds and a pretty yard, but it's better than nothing! I'm not complaining. We have a pool and tennis courts on the grounds, and recycling bins are provided. I really like our complex... there's lots of grass for the pups, and they thoroughly enjoy the softness of the grass vs. concrete and asphalt.

Here are a few pictures from our balcony!

Whistle While You Work...

I know... I've fallen down on the job! It's been 2 weeks since the last blog entry... well, lots has happened in the past few weeks. Troy and I relocated to our new home in Philadelphia. We're in a little town named Glen Mills. I do miss the city conveniences... public transportation, a short walk to the Wawa or Walgreens. In our new place... it's a ride in the truck, but it is a lot like our home in Mississippi with Targets everywhere and grocery stores galore. We have lots to look forward to in Glen Mills. It's an easy commute to the airport, and there are bus and train routes all around. We like it...

I still haven't made any new friends. Not that I want to replace any of the ones I left in MS, but it gets kinda lonely around these parts when I'm home and Troy's at work. I'm sure all of that will come with time, but I'm about ready to get impatient!! Hehe!

I have pictures from our new view and others to upload, but I'm so tired from the move in and all of that drama. I'll blog more about it when I can focus!

Anyway... just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about you... my faithful readers, and there is much, much more to come in the next few days...

For all of you in Mississippi... Wish you were here!! It's so nice here. The highs have been around 85 with about 60% humidity. There is usually a breeze, and we've been going green all week! No AC... we've been chillin' with the windows and balcony door open. Yippee... I can't wait to see my first fall. We'll talk later when the snow comes... I have a feeling I'll be missing the 75 degree Decembers!

TTFN!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun...

Yesterday was our first anniversary. I can't believe it's been a year! The time has gone by so fast... so much has happened, and we've laughed, lived, and loved in the short 12-months. We've added new members to our family--our puppy, Marlee, and our new niece, Izzy; we've celebrated my sister and her husband's engagement and marriage; and most of all, we've moved to another STATE!

We celebrated by visiting The Franklin Institute. It's a huge museum in Philadelphia and had a traveling National Geographic exhibit on display, Real Pirates. It was showcasing Expedition Whydah (wi-dah)--the only pirate ship to ever be discovered and to ever be discovered in American waters. It was really interesting.

The museum also had an electricity exhibit, a giant heart exhibit, an amazing machine exhibit, a Sky Bike exhibit, and lots of other stuff. We walked through a giant foam heart; made our own electricity with magnets; and played with different kinds of machines in the exhibits. Then, we went to an IMAX movie, Wild Oceans. It was TB's first IMAX experience... I never knew that sardines were so popular. According to this movie, they are basically the center of the food chain for dolphins, sharks, birds, and humans on the east banks of South Africa. It was very interesting.

We ended the night with dinner at Phillip's Seafood. It was yummy, and then we came home and played with the pups. We watched the season finale of Design Star and the season premier of Summer Showdown. It was a fun day followed by a relaxing night.

There are pictures of the day on the Black's Web Albums link. Enjoy!

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!