What a busy weekend!I stayed in on Friday night to parepare for the onslaught of activity that would begin with a big lunch at my Grandmother's house on Saturday, with my parents, aunt, uncle, and two extended family members being the featured, out-of-town presence.
Then I went out to Philadelphia to meet up with Kalyn, a classic bike messenger type with a Timbuk2 bag and an affinity for all things Catholic.
We positioned ourselves perfectly on the corner of 20th and Market Streets, just in time to meet Cornelius* as his taxi cab was whizzing by. Unbeknown to me, I was also perfectly positioned to plunge deep into a rain puddle and saturate my whole left foot. Ick.
Unexpectedly, Cornelius hopped out of the cab to walk a bit with us, and we accompanied him on the walk to 30th Street Station (my left shoe squishing water with every step) where he'd catch his Amtrak to home. It isn't often when two Lancaster natives should find themselves in the same metropolis, so I was thankful that--with a little cell phone and map coordination--we could meet up briefly.
From there, Kal and I did a little shopping on 17th and Walnut, and then we went to the Continental for dinner. I have always wanted to eat at the Continental, and I came very close to almost doing so about two years ago. The big green olive on the roof (that lights up at night) always attracted me, and when I tried to get in two years ago, the wait was 2 hours. Yuck!But on Saturday afternoon, we whizzed right past the hostess and up to the second floor, where we sat oursleves on giant swing seats that hung from the ceiling. At first I thought the constant movement would make my food not sit well, but the food was so good (and Kal's life story was so interesting) that I easily forgot about the physics of the swing. I also forgot how very cold my left wet foot was.
We went dutch (which I think means it wasn't a date after all), and then I excused myself to the restroom, where I had the awkward realization that both the men's room and women's room was completely visible to the opposite gender via a two-way mirror. I covered my eyes in shock, then kept up my hand as a side-blinder while I made my way to the stall farthest away from the men's side.
I appreciated this restaurant's futuristic decor, but will privacy be something we really compromise in the future? Actually, I suppose it will be, since we are getting quite accustomed to it already (at least in other forms).
Because of the public view, I chose NOT to take off my wet sock and shoe and warm my foot beneath the electric handdryer, although I desperately wanted to.
After the Continential, we made our way to Rittenhouse Square Park, where I made greater efforts to avoid further puddles and where Kal introduced me to his punk rock friends who hung out there. I discovered I had friends in common with one of them (small world!) and from there we departed for the cathedral, talking about the pros and cons of squatting and the prospects of Kal establishing a community house for young Catholics.
When we entered the cathedral, we were just in time for Eucharistic Adoration to begin. We were in the main cathedral this time (as opposed to the side chapel), and the place was gorgeous but certainly dark and large in its grandeur. It took much effort to calm myself down and focus in on God, especially when I had just consumed two cups of hot joe and was still dealing with a very wet and very cold foot. You would think that--with all of that Philadelphia walking I did that day--I would have surely squished out all of the excess puddle water and would have had a dry foot. But indeed I had anything but!
As the the night continued, I was thankful that my friend Melanie had invited me to sleep over at her apartment there in the city. I was feeling absolutely frigid at this point and gave serious consideration to both (A) accepting a pair of clean socks from a stranger who offered them and (B) running outside (even though it was now raining), finding my warm slippers in the trunk of my car, and just wearing them for the rest of the evening.But I did neither, kept thinking about warm places, and eventually found myself plastered up against Melanie's synthetic fireplace mantel, eating up the electric heat that it produced.
With my left foot now happy in a warm fresh sock, we stayed up until 3:30 AM chatting, snacking, and playing with her new kitten. In the morning we went to Mass at St. Philomenia's, which I now declare is my most favorite church interior! The beautiful paintings, ornate tile work on the floor, plethora of statues, and even the presence of a St. Philomenia relic made it the most enjoyable church environment to experience. That's not to say that I haven't been in more beautiful feats of architectural strength. It's just that I like this one the best. :-)
On the drive home, I went again to my Grandmother's house, where much of the family had gathered again, this time to eat leftovers. It was a great conclusion to a wonderful weekend!
*Name changed to protect the introverts.
