Sandwich, Snacks and Drinks c/o Prohibition; Comedy and Music c/o Underground Arts

LMP Brigade strikes again. In other words, I had a last minute plan idea and I asked BC if she might want to join in. She said yes and so on the night in question a plan was born. Basically, I was interested in seeing Starlee Kine and the West Philly Orchestra at Underground Arts. We decided before getting there that we'd have some drinks and perhaps food at Prohibition Taproom. I walked there and it took a lot less time than I had thought, which made me a good 20 minutes early. BC then ended up being a little late, so I sat at the bar alone for a bit of time. When I sat down there were people on either side of me, but eventually one person departed, which made me glad because I could then save the seat for BC. It was a crowded house for a Thursday night, so I wasn't really aggressive about the seat...didn't put a jacket on it or a bag or anything. But when a big guy came up and asked about it I said, well no one's there now but I have a friend coming in 10 minutes so....He got quite grumpy about that, went to another section of the bar and grabbed a seat. Meanwhile the bar manager came up to me and gently chastised/scolded me, saying they have a first come first serve policy on seats. All fine and good really. I wasn't trying to be difficult. At the same time the guy's extreme grouchiness/telling on me and the bar managers faux conciliatory/judgy tone were kind of off-putting, even if I get it: it's busy, you'd rather have an ass in a chair now then have me leave because my friend won't have an chair for her ass later. But I didn't leave. A nice lady sat in the seat next to me, had a drink and left just as BC arrived. So all worked out. I just found it a little something. We decided to split the grilled cheese sandwich of the day, which included brie, pears and I forget what else. Good, but not quite hot hot hot enough.

I'm a sucker for fried green beans and I think they do an excellent job at Prohibition. The dipping sauce is also quite addictive.

They had an 'old man drink' special, which was the 'Fine and Dandy.' It was a mix of gin and other things. Potent. Old mannish for sure.

After our drinks and meal, we departed Prohibition for Underground Arts. There, we the 215 Festival put together a show that allowed us to see the comedy stylings of Juliet Hope Wayne whom I had seen perform once before. She is funny, but it kind of makes me sad that her entire schtick is 'I was poor, doing heroin and drinking too much and these are the decisions I made as a result.' It's legitimately funny, and she seems to have gotten her act together now, but after only hearing her two times, I kind of wish she'd find fresh material.

Then there was the West Philly Orchestra. They came out and played and it was fun and good.

Many of the musicians were wearing costumes. One girl was dressed up in a kimono while playing her tuba. I think it was a tuba.

And then came Starlee Kine. She decided to do a bit with two audience members, except she chose pretty much the two worst people in Philadelphia to do anything with on stage. The basic set up was: she had recently attended a wedding of two people she in one way or another had helped bring together...and she wanted far more credit than she got. So she brought up these two people and the bit was supposed to just be this list of how many points she'd get if they ended up doing a variety of things together. The problem is that these two were just surly and weird. In the initial introduction they quickly established themselves as being unable to 'go along with a bit' and kept on saying pretty much the opposite of what Kine expected or could have wanted. While this could have ratcheted up the comedy, it really didn't. It was just aggravating. Both the dude and the woman had this strange Philly swagger/I don't give a shit attitude and Kine struggled to keep them and the audience engaged. I truly believe it would have gone over so much better if she had randomly called out two more recent Philly transplants or just other people altogether....unless the whole thing was supposed to be a little Andy Kaufman/Tom Green socially awkward. If so, totally nailed it.

While there were more performers after Kine, it was getting late and BC and I both had work the next day. So, alas, we left before it ended. A good and lovely LMP.

Jalapeno Soda, Fries and Dogs c/o Hot Diggity

Two weekends back I met up with BC for a little quality adventure times. She was in search of record player speakers and wanted to check out a flea market not far from her south Philly hood. So I drove on down there and picked her up. She was kind enough to call me right before I arrived to ask if I wanted a coffee,  which was super perfect because I had planned on requesting a coffee stop on the way to the flea market. Great minds think alike. So we went to the flea market, which was more of a sidewalk sale really. We saw a tent that I suggested BC buy so she could go on camping adventures with me, and a lot of turquoise jewelry, children's playthings and even a karaoke machine, but no speakers. We then went on to a guitar store, record store and pawn shop...all to no avail. At that point we then stopped in at Hot Diggity. This was kismet, as Hot Diggity is on my resolution list. Once there we both took our sweet time deciding just what dogs we wanted and what dipping sauces would accompany the fries we planned on sharing. I also decided to try their lime, cilantro, jalapeno soda.

The fries were thick cut and tasty. Not overly salted. We chose garlic rosemary aioli, wasabi, and chipotle dipping sauces. I preferred the wasabi.

I chose the Texas Hold 'Em dog, which was a hot dog wrapped in bacon accompanied by barbeque and hot sauces, melted cheese and scallions. I'm pretty sure BC went with the Cincinnati Skyline...but I am not 100% sure on that one. I liked my dog well enough, but the bbq sauce was a bit sweeter than my palate really preferred and the hot sauce component didn't really balance it out. The soda, on the other hand, was quite something. A real mix of tart and strangely savory, and yet refreshing at the same time.

I would definitely go back and try their Vietnamese inspired dog and a few more of those dipping sauces and soda flavors. After our lunch pit-stop we went on to another thrift store where BC found the speakers she had been seeking! It was like magic. The shop was pretty neat in its thrift store glory. So many knick knacks, though not nearly enough paddy whacks.

Lasagna Times

The Friday before Hurricane Sandy found me making lasagna. I used the tomato meat sauce I had made in the country the previous week, the leftovers of which I froze for just a later endeavor. Pretty straightforward layering of meat sauce, ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

I was pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Wedding Reception Fun Times

I've known LB since I was 13. We lived on the same hall our freshmen and sophomore years of high school. I don't quite recall how it began, but during those years I'd often come to LB's room and we'd chat about this and that. Boys and the like. And even when we lived on different halls, I would often meander my way to her room to hang out during study hall. We managed to keep in touch post-high school and through our various locations and life changes. I recall having gone a pretty long time without talking to LB on the phone when I was in Chicago, and finally catching up. And I very much remember a portion of that conversation, which focused on keeping in touch. I feel like we both assured the other that if we ever got married, the other would totally be invited to the wedding. When I moved to Philly I enjoyed getting to spend more quality time with LB. We found a nice balance in our friendship and I have treasured LB's continued role as confidante and fun friend over the last five years.   When I first arrived in Philly LB was just starting to date C., and I had a good feeling about him from the start. So, to see them finally tying the knot, and to be invited to the wedding, is really just a happy making occasion all around. The fact that the reception really was just full on fancy/classy was a nice finishing touch, but it could have been in a dungeon and I think LB's family and friends would have been just as excited and danced and reveled just as much. And so, now that I've established that I am grateful for LB's friendship and glad to see her married to such a stand-up guy, lets get to it. After the wedding itself we took a handful of photos in a nearby park before making our way, trolley-style, back to the Union League and reception. After getting ourselves drinks we reconvened outside for a few more professional photos. Before all the other members of the bridal/groom party arrived, I asked LB to get a few candids with me...unfortunately the person taking the photograph didn't really stop to look at them, so out of the three, only this one is decent for both of us. Double chin on my part not withstanding.

And after those outdoor photos, it was time to go to the big ballroom for the dinner and dancing part of the evening. Just gorgeous. 

I don't know what V. is looking at, but she lost a hand over of it.

C. and M. are in lurve.

LW and V. LW was my junior year roommate, and V. lived on our floor as well. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it's been nearly 15 years since those days but, in fact, it truly has been. V.'s had a baby, LW is engaged. Time marches on.

Snap!

Their entrance was fantastic.

Sass!

The appetizer was a scallop with cubed potatoes, asparagus and some delectable sauce.

Lovely little salad.

And the piece de resistance, a nice bit of steak and an equally delectable portion of sea bass. Mmmm. Yeah I ate this entire plate.

Mr. Ass was in attendance, properly tuxedoed.

N. and I made a quick stop in the luxurious bathroom and I needed to take mirror photos. Needed it.

There was plenty of dancing, with the help of a live band from Baltimore.

I took a very similar photo of C. and R. at their wedding. Love it.

Dessert included these fun sticks of chocolate magic. I'll have to ask LB to comment in order to remember just what they consisted of.

I will also need to seek out additional photos of myself that prove that my makeup looked good. Here is really the only one I have.

A little tri-dancing and photobombing. Best photograph of the night.

Debonaire.

Action shot.

The evening was just lovely. I enjoyed a steady stream of champagne but knew to pace myself in order to fully enjoy myself without getting too sauced. Once the reception ended a bunch of folks went out to a bar, but I had work the next day and decided it would be best to retire to my room and get more hours of sleep than hours of revelry. This was a very good decision on my part. The next morning V. and I enjoyed the Union League breakfast buffet, which included omelets made to order. I went with peppers, tomato, bacon and smoked salmon, with a side of sausage. Gotta say, the sausage looked better than it was but the omelet hit the spot. After all the hullabaloo and excitement, it was quite strange to get into regular people clothes, get into a cab, and get to work. Going from so many faces I enjoy and so much fun to just another day in the office was a rather rough transition, but I kept my false eyelashes on for that day and that helped me feel like a little magic remained:)

Hair and Makeup for LB and C.'s Wedding

LB had a fortress of women (similar to a binder of women, really) as bridesmaids. There were 11 of us in total, so the hair/makeup side of the wedding day had to start early to make sure we were all taken care of. I arrived a bit early to the salon, which was across the street from DiBruno Brothers, so I went inside and ordered myself a latte and sat outside until others arrived. Then the fun really began.

LB's mother brought us all funny glasses, which we wore throughout the day. RPM went with the martini glasses.

This lady also did my hair. As a woman who doesn't own a blow dryer, I wasn't entirely sure how much information or direction I needed to give her. Or, rather, I wasn't capable of giving that much information or direction. But I had discussed my hair preliminarily with LW and MP in the office, so I did say that I was hoping for a low chignon and some sort of braid component. You'll see my hair soon enough. The four stylists did a really great job, I don't feel like they rushed any of our looks, and even though my hair was done by 11, it held up for the remainder of the day and all the way into the evening.

LB's hair took many more steps, which befits the role of bride. So there were a lot of moments when we just congregated around her as she was blown out, curled up, sprayed etc.

In addition to glasses, there were also snacks and mimosas for us, but somehow I took zero photographs of the spread.

I did, however, make sure my glasses were documented. I was the only one who didn't think to wear a button down shirt, which became a challenge when it was time to put on my dress without ruining my hair. I managed. I also managed to forget a very important undergarment at my apartment, which led to a anxious period of time when my hair was still getting done, but all I could think about was catching a cab, getting home, picking the item up and returning before everyone else's hair was done. It turned out just fine.

J. gave LB a massage, which LB loved...but she was quite shocked by just how strong J.'s hands were.

BC was also rather amazed.

My hair.

LB's hair in transition.

Cuties.

LB's hair in a light hairspray mist.

Once a good number of us had our hair complete, we started a migration back to the Union League for the next part of the journey: makeup. While this day was totally not about me, I gotta tell you, my makeup was really quite good. But somehow I didn't think to ask anyone to take any photographs of me when it was fresh, and even throughout the night I didn't really get as many photos as I should have. Actually, I was so concerned about what to do with my camera during the ceremony that I handed it over to LW hours earlier than I should have, thus missing out on many of the best stages of the prep process...I took photos with LB's camera, but that means I don't have them to share. In any case, here is LB getting her makeup did.

There were also snacks and champagne in the suite while we all got made up and ready. Here, RPM and AP both enjoy a hearty laugh about something while sitting near the unpictured food...man I really just wiffed the food aspect of this day.

The prep process went by in such a funny way. Time stopped, expanded and contracted. One moment it felt like there were so many hours to go before the bridesmaids needed to put their dresses on, next thing you know V. and I are in her room getting into go-mode. Funny aside, while I originally forgot the crazy brassiere that I purchased for the dress, I had brought two additional strapless bras just in case I had a wardrobe malfunction. Turns out that both of those bras were ultimately needed by two other bridesmaids. I'm quite pleased with my own weird craziness...I think most would agree that you don't need to bring three bras for one dress/night. And yet, actually, you do.

I hope that I turn up in a few of LB's pro photos so I can just give you a better sense of the overall look etc.