Sunday

7:00 a.m. - wake up and figure out either i get up now and get my sorry ass to Philadelphia or come up with some really creative excuses.

7.20 a.m. - finally wake up, realize the train leaves in 10 minutes. Groan, figure out its not going to happen. decide to take the 8.33.

8.33 a.m. - catch the 8.33 train to Penn Station. Good going already.

8.39 a.m. -

8.40 a.m. Okay, I have a long journey. Book for the day is "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri (who also wrote "The Interpreter of Maladies" which is one of my favorite book of short stories). Its a good read but eventually I fall asleep.

10.14 a.m. Switch to NJ transit to Trenton. Good going so far. Fall asleep again. Wake up as telephone buzzes.

10.27 a.m. (Text message)
CC: R ya on da road?

10.28 a.m. I decide it would be funny to pretend like I'm still asleep and not coming to Philly.
(Text message) KS: Just woke up! Shit!!!

10.29 a.m. (Text message)
CC: Y am I not surprised!

12.30 p.m. Reach 30th street station. Meet up with CC. ("How did you make it here so soon???") I'm the only one who thinks that pretending to be asleep and not on the train is funny. Ha ha ha. Fortunately we're both too hungry to argue over my juvenile antics. Decide on Vietnamese food.

1.00 p.m. Crowd outside Vietnamese restaurant. (Whats the occasion? who knows??) Men in dragon suit dancing and lots of fireworks. Luckily we get into the restaurant before the crowd realizes the show is over.

2.30 p.m. Its good to walk off the Vietnamese food. Chinatown in Philly is smaller than the one in NY but its as colorful and interesting. I fear I'm going to be hungry again really really soon. I see this gate on one of the entrances to Chinatown, I wonder if it has historic significance. Fortunately, the moment passes.

4.20 p.m. We watch "Das Leben der Anderen" which just won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. The Ritz has great popcorn, second only to the Cinema Arts Center. Some woman acts snotty with us, won't let us sit down next to her ("My friend is sitting there") I want to smack her with her handbag but CC reminds me that one doesn't behave like that in civilized society. I control myself, vowing I will smack her if she ever shows up in NY.

5.20 p.m. I'm engrossed in the movie. CC is bored. Das Leben are wandering. I'm dying to know if HGW is going to expose Georg now or later or if Christa is going to have to continue sleeping with the sleazy politician and CC is bored. Philistine.

6.30 p.m. Its dark outside now and we're walking down Locust Ave when CC notices an interesting street name and we take a picture. I tease CC that she looks like an indian air hostess doing the namaste.

8.00 p.m. Visit to the video store. There's a scary looking lesbian who is in charge of the videos. I'm checking her out checking out CC. I'm asked to select two movies. I ask for "The Prestige". Its out. I ask for "Step Up". Scary lady gives me this weird look. I couldn't care less. I want to see Step Up, she can go suck it. Unfortunately, Step Up is out as well. (Damn). We settle for "Man of the Year". I like Robin Williams so I guess it'll be okay. We pass by this shop that has this crazy prop outside it. I love it so much I take a picture. If I were to see that outside my front door any night, I'd probably shit bricks. I wonder if I can ever use that as a practical joke to scare the beejeebers out of anyone I know. Probably not.



9.00 p.m. I hate "Man of the Year". I want dinner and a bad movie. I mean like a really bad movie. I haven't had my fix for a while.

10.00 p.m. We get pizza, I'm regretting the Barbeque Chicken almost as soon as I see it but its too late. I should have agreed to go to Pico de Gallo. I'm really full but I can't stop eating so I finish up the entire pie and I know I'm going to be sick. Oh well. Also, I discover CC does not like to have her picture taken.



We admire the ginormous paper cut that CC has gotten. I wonder for a split second if they will ever come out with papercut proof paper in the future.


10.15 p.m. Second visit to the video store. Scary lady is still there, this time she is accompanied by her straight friend/co-worker who works out way too much and is wearing a hooded sweatshirt with "Brandeis Rugby" written across it. Any other time I would be intimidated but not today. I need a bad movie and I need it now. Besides, I don't know these people and I doubt I'm ever coming back here.

Me: Hi, I'm looking for a movie.

She: Which one?

Me: Do you have "Stick it"?

She: (looking like she wants to laugh). "Stick it??"

Me: Unless someone has returned "Step Up" in the last two hours?

She: (raising eyebrows) Umm nope. But I do have "Stick it".

CC looks like she wants to disown me, wants to apologize for my bad taste in movies. I think she and scary lady exchange a look of sympathy. I know now that scary lady is going to remember me forever.

11. 15 p.m. I hate "Stick It". This movie totally sucks. I can't believe that there is a movie that I actually hate. Maybe its just bad movie karma, or maybe I'm growing up? Scary thought. Wow this movie really really sucks. ("Its gym-nastics, not gym-nice-tics"). We take pictures of Mokey who wants attention but on her own terms. I hug Mokey till she yowls and jumps off. I grab her and squeeze her again. She really hates me now but will still pose for pictures.




I don't want to return to work the next day. Unfortunately, time flies when you're having fun and I still have a manuscript to submit.