Hitting the boards

It's a phrase not widely known, at least not in the context I mean. I guess it depends on where you're from. But it's a big part of the Philadelphia region vernacular. "Hitting the boards." It means going to the boardwalk in a beach town, window shopping, eating salt water taffy and water ice, getting a sunburn, riding the ferris wheel, stepping in gum, buying new sunglasses, wearing hemp bracelets, bumping into small children, tipping over your custard cone, getting sand in your hair, wearing halter tops, and lots and lots of people watching.

That pretty much covers it!

I'm headed to the Ocean City, NJ boardwalk for the day tomorrow, and all I can think about is getting a Kohr Brothers peanut butter custard cone with chocolate sprinkles.

One class left

There's just one session left in my clay class. It's been really fun and relaxing. I have many pieces yet to come out of the kiln, so photos will be posted soon. I'll probably take the summer raku class in late July. Jewelry is so fun to make in raku, so hopefully I'll have lots to sell!

Back to work

It's so hard coming back to work after a long weekend!!! My brain is totally in summer mode. I'd so much rather be doing any number of the following rather than attending meetings and otherwise working:

1. Making jewelry (I have several projcects in the works and they are calling me!)

2. Walking (I've become addicted the the loop around Cooper River Park)

3. Sunbathing (it's bad for you, but I adore it)

4. Shoe shopping (I'm desperate for brown sandals)

But hey, a girl's gotta earn a living.

Paint your own toes

Did you ever get a bad pedicure? I've only ever had two professional pedicures in my whole life. The first one was exquisite -- complete with a leg massage, exfoliation and pristine polish. It was years ago (I don't let people touch my feet very often), administered by a friend of my stepmother's. Bravo Janet!

The second one was, you guessed it, bad. I got it here in Collingswood at a fancy salon which will remain nameless. The guy who gave it to me nearly scalded me with the water in the tub, then scrubbed my feet raw (do you really need excessive exfoliation on the tops of your feet??), and finally, with his shakey hands, managed to get polish not only on my toenails, but all over my toes as well. I even found spots of polish on the soles of my feet when I got home.

My friends had a laugh, calling me "clown feet" during our trip to get ice cream afterward ... which was really the only up-side to the whole experience. We'll probably laugh about it for years to come. For that it was worth it.

It took about 15 minutes and several polish-remover-soaked q-tips to make my feet fit for public viewing. Next time I'll just paint my own damn toes.

By the way, I'm refraining from posting a photo because I've learned that foot photos attract fans I'd rather not have.

Catching up

I swore I wouldn't let my blog postings lapse as they have been. Not because my deluded mind thinks I actually have fans ... but more just because this is a great place for me to unload my thoughts so my brain doesn't get too heavy carrying them around.

Anyway, here's a short recap of a few things that stood out over this past week, in no particular order:

1. I found out that Charlie dies BEFORE watching the finale of Lost. Bummer. But it's the price one pays for making other commitments on the night of a great TV show!

2. It felt especially great to throw pots this week. I made a bunch of stuff, mostly gifts for specific people, but also a mug and pitcher for myself. Hopefully they'll all turn out.

3. Because of the above, along with some other recent purchases, I have about a third of my Christmas shopping done already! What a nerd I am.

4. I can now say I'm a veteran of the Collingswood May Fair. Wow, it's a big event for our little town! Lots of booths (selling mostly junk), lots of food (some GREAT, some bad), lots of people (the people watching is unparalleled), and lots of fancy cars (everything from souped up dune buggies to vintage VW bugs to Ford Falcons and Caddys). Such fun to walk around with my neighborhood peeps too! I'm a true local.

5. Franklin Mills. Wow. I had somehow never been there until the other night. I didn't buy much, but the reason for going wasn't about me. My friend Alison needed a new wardrobe, and boy did she get it! So fun to see a friend try on clothes I picked out for her. Very gratifying. And she looks terrific in everything she bought.

6. The air conditioners in my place are officially on. The heat and humidity this morning got to me, and I broke down. The unit in my new apartment is loud, but it cranks. Yay! Of course, I say that now, but let's see how my next PSE&G bill looks.

Damn food

Food has a strange power over me. I've always had a little bit of a weight problem. Minor in the grand scheme of things, but annoying and sometimes depressing. Nearly 10 years ago I lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers ... but have gained almost 20 of it back. Better than gaining all 30 back, but not good just the same.

I've been back to WW a few times since and lost, then regained again. But I'm back at it again, with the goal of losing about 15 pounds. It's been a week and a half, and I can honestly say that I've stuck to the plan only about half that time.

Today was particularly challenging. Why is the mystery. It wasn't a particularly stressful day, so my need to eat everything in sight makes no logical sense.

So I sit here feeling defeated and plump. I tend to approach most things in life with a strong sense of logic, but for some reason, food falls outside of that space most of the time. Can any of you relate?

Sometimes I just don't feel like it

There's always tons of stuff I should be doing when I'm home. And I'm not just talking about vacuuming, doing dishes, laundry, etc. The stuff I mean is the project stuff. The creative stuff. The stuff I'm supposed to enjoy doing in my free time.

The list includes—but isn't restricted to—jewelry making, blogging (ahem...), opening an etsy.com account, working on my newly-acquired skill of making pop-up cards, cooking (for one), and reading (a friend recently sent me a copy of "Eat Pray Love" and I haven't cracked it yet).

All of that sounds terribly interesting and fun, right? But sometimes I just don't feel like it. I'd rather watch "Sheer Madness" reruns on Bravo, or play Spider Solitaire, or smoke a cigarette! Is that so wrong?

My brain needs time to turn off. To not be "on" and energetic and fabulous. The problem is that I end up feeling like a schlub when I'm not using my precious free time doing interesting things. I guess I just need to find a way to be ok with it ... because sometimes I just don't feel like it!

Cutie in the building

What do you do when you spot a cute guy in your office building?

I've seen this guy off and on for years, but months go by between sightings. The last time, which was probably last fall, we locked eyes on the street, but no words were exchanged. Like a school-girl though, I felt my pulse quicken and my eyes smile after the moment passed.

Since then, I've been convinced he got a new job. Not so much as a glimpse in months! Then today, he was walking back in with a co-worker, coming from what appeared to be an afternoon coffee run. We shared an elevator (he works on a floor above mine), and his co-worker was on a tear complaining about another co-worker. Cute Guy appeared slightly embarrassed to be associated with the rant. When my floor came, he held the door for me, and said, "sorry you had to listen to all the complaining."

I almost audibly gasped. He was making an attempt to engage me in conversation! I quickly replied, "that's ok, we all go through it!" He thanked me with a smile as the doors closed. Of course I wished I had said, "that's ok, here's my number!" instead.

Regardless, my pulse has been quick ever since. (can you tell how sadly starved I am for male interaction?!)

It will likely be months before our next encounter. I have no idea where he works, what he does, let alone his name, relationship status or even gender preference! Oh well. Nice to know there are cuties in my midst. It's been awhile since I had noticed.

XPN in the afternoon

Do you remember WIOQ in the '80s? It was awesome. I heard artists like Elvis Costello, Joan Armatrading and Cheap Trick for the very first time on IOQ. David Dye was my hero even way back then.

Fast forward two decades to WXPN — where most of WIOQ's devotees migrated in the late '80s — and I still love radio, and David Dye, as much now as I did then. I don't even have a CD (or tape) player in my car. Just a radio.

For years now, I've loved listening to David during his "live" time in the afternoons on XPN from 4pm-7pm even more than his taped show World Cafe (probably because it feels more real to hear him live, plus you know it's local and just for us Philadelphians, not every listener from here to Seattle). So when they recently announced that he would be replaced 4 days a week by the guy who had been hosting the evening show Y-Rock, I was nervous. Very.

Turns out no need. Jim McGuinn, that Y-Rock guy, uh, rocks. He's by far the best new voice on XPN in years. The other newer DJs on XPN are alright ... but in my mind they are just fillers between David, Michaela Majoun and Helen Leicht. But Jim fits right in with the veterans.

He's natural and easy-going on the air. He doesn't have a put-on on-air voice, and he never talks down to the listeners, or tries too hard to be funny/smart/clever, or sounds self conscious. Talking into a mic seems as natural to him as talking to a friend over coffee or a beer. It's very refreshing!

Let's hope he sticks around. Tune in and check him out.

Inflatable watercraft

I'm thinking about buying an inflatable kayak. Or a folding one. See, I live just 3 short blocks from the Cooper River, and could easily paddle several times a week if I just had the right watercraft. But the number one issue is where on earth do I store it?? My place is on the second story of a duplex, so I don't have a basement. Nor do I have a driveway, back yard or even a shed at my disposal. So folding or inflatable seems like the way to go.

But I know the fun will wear off quickly if the damn thing takes too long to prepare for the water. Do any of you have experience with such things?? I need guidance.

Latest wares

I glazed a whole bunch of stuff in my clay class last week, so hopefully it all got fired and I'll be bringing it home tonight. Watch for photos on my flickr set called my clay work.

In the meantime, though, I took advantage of having kilns at my disposal to fire some beads I made a few years ago. I've been wearing them on leather cord off and on all week, but this morning the inspiration struck me out of the blue to make earrings (pictured). I love them! Much more to come... and watch my flickr photo set called my jewelry. So fun to have fresh inspiration.

Saying so here might kick my rear to do it, so I'll proclaim now that I will soon start an account on etsy.com for purchasing my wares. Stay tuned!

Damn Pollen

It's time to admit it. I have allergies. Never before has the spring pollen taken such control of my head. The creases in my eyelids hurt. My eardrums ache. How do all of you who suffer from regular allergies (much worse than mine) deal with it? I guess I'm about to find out. The doctor prescribed Clariton. Wish us luck.

It's no wonder the pollen causes health issues. Just look at the layer of yellowish-green dust covering your car. We're breathing that crap in! If any of you have tips on how to deal, please share.

Porch haiku

The porch. The sun on the porch. The awning's shade. A new pad for the chaise lounge. Giving myself a pedicure. A light breeze. A cool beverage. Suntan lotion. Pigtails. Spring Saturday bliss.

Dirty Rock

Bless their hearts, those White Stripes. Meg and Jack. Icky Thump? Yup, that's the name of their new record and single and it's as sick as it sounds. It's dirty, melodic rock that makes your nose scrunch up and your head bob (well, I can't speak for you, but it does those things to me at least). Damn I love them! Not sure when the new record comes out, but I can't wait.

Also, I heard an old track of theirs from before they were on a major label and realized I need to dig back into their older stuff too. Some of their songs are tough to listen to, but what's good is friggin' GREAT. Icky thump, indeed.

Oh What a Beautiful Building!

The Kimmel Center is really beautiful and unique. Say what you will about how it fits in with Philly's architecture ... and how approachable it looks from the street ... and the fact that you can never tell if there is anything going on inside unless you are, in fact, inside ... I'm partial to it just the same. I suppose I'm biased considering that I've worked there for 7 years!

Anyhoo, take a look at what a pretty building it is!
> Kimmel Center on flickr.com

Changing the Chi

Ever since moving to Collingswood, I've had the opportunity to blur the often-too-well-defined lines of my life by bringing a variety of friends together. It has been a revelation. In fact, it should have been on my "top 5" for why I love Cwood so much! I get to see all these new, wonderful sides to the people in my life through the eyes of the other people in my life.

Tonight, I had three of my dearest friends over for a walk and take-out. Two of them know each other very well, but the third had only heard about the others, and vice versa. I wasn't nervous about their liking each other or getting along ... but you just never know how such meetings will go.

After dinner, I excused myself from the dining room to have a smoke on the porch. I sat there gleefully listening to the three of them interact—their voices raising and lowering, their laughter bellowing, and the ice cream dishing. It warmed my heart!

As they were getting ready to leave, I looked at the mound of dirty dishes in the sink not as a chore, but as a happy remnant of a successful party. As I cleaned up, the sounds of the festivities replayed in my head.

My new apartment and I love bringing friends together. To quote one, "it changes the chi in the room." Yes, it sure does!