More Reasons to Love Philadelphia

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I had a dream the other night that I was visiting Chicago and my heart did this leap and I thought, Oh, I missed this city! But then I got lost on and couldn't find my way to 9th and Pine (I don't even remember if there is a Pine Street in Chicago), and wished I was back in the City of Brotherly Love (aka Killadelphia b/c of the high murder rate per capita. I think it's going down though. As long as you buy your crack in an upper-class neighborhood, you're safe).

And then both yesterday and today, I ran into Celia on the way to work, and she is one of my favorite people. But seeing people I know is a common occurrence here. After running in Celia again this AM, I also spotted one of the guys who took my fiction workshop a couple of times and we were able to briefly talk about Mary Gaitskill, Raymond Carver, and the importance of bike helmets while waiting for the traffic light to change.So nice. And luckily, I had my promiscuous phase in my early 20s, so there's no real danger of me having to avoid like, dozens of guys I'd rather not see ever again. Oh, and Celia sent me a link today for Emma Carol, Inc. Apparently, my cat has been setting up a boutique behind my back.

So, here are your Friday Philly photos. The first one I took for Celia today, because she commented on this random graffiti on a construction site when I saw her on Thursday. See if you can find the dancing Gila monster thing:


This is a church either near or in Rittenhouse Square. I liked the gargoyle.

And I think that round thing up top is a lion or some other kind of monster


Chalk balloon art.




Handsome black cat in repose.


Far away.

And close up.


I like the detail on this scooter. 



This could be Emna Carol's long lost sister (this cat and 45,098like it in S. Philadelphia alone).


And this is a donkey that we saw last weekend in New Jersey. I made Dan pull over and let me pet him. It was definitely a him.


And friendly, and when you petted him, dirt would fly off in clouds.



I put a dandelion behind his ear, but he shook it off and ate it. 

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