Just Another Week in Philly

There is no such a thing as a typical week in Philly.  For us, anyway.  But in terms of chaos level, if not content, here is a representative week.

Of course, there is work.  When Gabe has proposals, there is never enough time.  

Two going right now.

 On Monday, I helped Tarras finish moving to his new place.

On Tuesday, there was Scouts.  I taught first aid, and how to splint a broken bone.  For cravats, I had to cut up a Barbie (TM) sheet.  

Wednesday was band practice. We're getting ready for a memorial day gig.

Thursday was practice for Terisa's upcoming defense.

Friday was Terisa's dissertation defense.  She was splendid in her suit, but despite this picture, it was no walk in the park to get to this point.

 

But she totally aced it.  Women fainted.  Strong men wept.  The crowds went wild.

 

We had a small, but sincere, celebration with Terisa's cohort.  

There were many jokes about the fearless honey badger, and much laughter, some of it in relief.

To celebrate, on Saturday we finally went for that walk in the park--

 

--Wissahickon Creek Park, to be exact.  

Spring pretty, but we didn't encounter a single badger.

One of our church members had a wedding reception on Saturday night, and we got to spend a fun evening in a party we weren't responsible for!

 

Sunday, I taught a lesson to a mostly enthusiastic bunch of young men, 

and recorded the appearance of Captain CTR in the Primary.  No one knows who this superhero is, but he encourages the small people of our ward to make good choices. 

Of course, every superhero needs a sidekick.

 

He also poses with adoring fans.

I spoke at the baptism of this young man, 

 

And went home teaching to some of the funnest and finest people in this city, or any other.

 And that's a wrap.  Not flashy, but never boring.

Proposed Merit Badge: Urban Survival

Usually Scouts go camping in the woods or the the weeds, eat burned food from a smoky fire and shiver through the night.

Not this trip.

We stayed at the 100-year-old Marks Scouting Resource Center in downtown Philadelphia.

 We ordered Chinese food delivered in...

...and we played dominoes and Uno. 

Not to mention hide and seek and tag.

Never even got around to the movie we planned to watch.

Next morning, after eating breakfast without a single embedded insect, we went on a history safari. Here is the group outside Independence Hall.

We took up a whole row on the Independence Hall tour, but we weren't the only scout troop at the park. 

Here are the most historic scouts in the most historic room of the most historic building in the most historic city of the US.  At least that's what they told us.

We checked out the Presidents' House, Ben Franklin's grave, Christchurch, Franklin Court,

and the print shop.

And, of course, we had to be tough-looking at the Liberty Bell. 

Out of the nine boys on the trip, only a couple had been to any of these sites.

Then we started thinking about the kind of merit badges that would work in the city, and we came up with Urban Survival.  Hey, there is a Wilderness Survival, right?

Requirements: improvise an all-weather shelter.

Practice sustainable methods to hunt for and gather food.

Demonstrate understanding of proper clothing for the urban environment.

Successfully navigate from A to B in the urban setting.

Oh, the possibilities...

Everyone is Irish on St. Patty's Day

Happy one-month anniversary of St. Patrick's Day!

(Okay, so I got a little behind in my posts.  

It's been a busy month.  In a good way.  More posts to follow.)

For St. Patty's Day we pilgrimmaged to NY, via Weehawken. NJ.  

Here Kit shows how a little reflected morning sunshine gives a whole room a touch o' the shamrock.  Or Blarney, it's hard to tell.

We got an impromptu tour of Harlem, including the Cotton Club (not shown here because it went by without warning) and the famed Apollo Theater.

And this famous spot, Lynne's office!  Somewhere above the Red Rooster, the magic of accounting takes place...

We heard there was a parade.  

So did about a million of our best friends.  

If you don't think they are best friends at the beginning of the day, try mobbing around with them for a few hours and see what you think.

This is what the sidewalk looked like for blocks.

Really.

This parade was a little thin on diversity.  

There were bagpipe and drum bands.

And soldiers from virtually every war ever fought.

More bagpipe and drum bands. 

(I'm going to have to do some research: I thought bagpipes were Scottish...)

And miles of police and firefighters.  In this segment, there were flags for fallen comrades.

There were soberingly too many flags.

After we retired from the parade, we explored down by the river.  doesn't this cosmopolitan couple look happy here?

We finished up a delightful day at a Persian restaurant in Manhattan.  

We liked it so much, we set it on fire.  

(Did you know that styrofoam burns when it comes within about a furlong of an open flame, like, say, a candle on a table?)

Yes, indeed, dear readers, there is a story here, which shall be saved for some future date....

In the meantime, Erin Go Braugh!