Sitting at the stoplight at Midvale Ave., waiting to turn left onto Kelly Drive, I noticed a car was trying to cross over Midvale from the gas station parking lot to the right turn lane.  I made some space and the grey Honda Civic scooted through.  Only after it passed did I realize that it [...]

Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting at my computer at 2:30 pm, still in my pajamas, when the phone rang.  It was my mom’s cousin Amy, who moved back to Philly last week after about 40 years away.  She was in lobby with her sister Angie, and they wanted to know if I was interested in [...]

A couple of days ago, I emptied all the loose change from my wallet. It was getting unwieldy and difficult to close, and I figured I didn’t really need all those quarters, nickels and dimes. I had some bills, I’d be fine.
I spent most of yesterday afternoon helping Cindy get ready to move [...]

Sitting at a table in the Center Court of Reading Terminal Market this afternoon, I idly noticed as a young woman walked over to a table near me and settled in. She pulled out laptop, an external hard drive and a portable mouse, looking like she was ready to do some serious work. [...]

Yesterday around noon I found myself walking north on 18th Street on my way home.  The day hadn’t gotten dark or breezy yet, and so people were everywhere, draped over all available Rittenhouse Square real estate and occupying every outdoor table at Devon and Rouge.  As I approached those two restaurants, a thought flashed through [...]

I Dined Out for Life tonight with four friends I don’t see nearly enough at Mixto (11th and Pine).  I had the ropa vieja, which came very highly recommended by Jamie, and was not at all disappointed by it.  It is a mess of slow and long-cooked beef in a sauce that is tangy and [...]

Waiting in line at my local hardware store yesterday afternoon, getting some keys made for a friend, I found myself standing behind an elderly woman. She was buying a mop, some light bulbs, a few bottles of cleaning products and a few other things I couldn’t see clearly. She wore a curly brown [...]

Saturday afternoon, I was walking home from Reading Terminal Market, after having seen a Film Festival movie and lunch at Cafe Spice with friends. Cindy and I hit the market after lunch, although the thought of buying food after eating so much made our stomachs revolt slightly. We parted ways after our joint [...]

Last week I wrote about the CVS at the corner of 19th and Chestnut and how I always imagined that that intersection would be the set for the play of my life. Here’s another piece of the story of why I am attached to that spot.
During my childhood, my mom would bring my sister and [...]

Saturday morning, just after 11 am, my cellphone rang.  It was my sister, calling to say that she and Green Mountain Grass were leaving soon and would be driving up to Philly for the day.  The bus is still busted and is hanging out in Maryland being repaired, but the bass player’s very generous parent [...]