Halllloweeeeeennnnn Part 2: Phrighteningly Philadelphian

Pumpkin carving last year was tons of fun, but it's even better when you get to do it with great friends.

And it's even better than that when unto the world is born, Dumbkin:

Hey Guyz!

Happy Fall, y'all!!!

Impressions on Post-Impressionism

Given that I want to see four special exhibits at the art museum to complete #51, I decided earlier this year to become a member of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Since joining the museum less than six months ago, I've been to two special exhibits and attended two of the Art After 5 events, one of which featured the glorious Swinging Foxes (shameless plugs for friends' bands are encouraged on the blogosphere, no?). My membership has more than paid for itself at this point, and I plan on milking it for all it's worth during the remaining six months of its life.

Now, I have what I consider to be a limited knowledge of art. I remember the basics from high school classes, and I make an attempt to retain what I learn after seeing an exhibit or researching on my own; however, I always feel as though I should know more. Hence why I put this objective on my list.

So, which two special exhibits did I see?

The first was Van Gogh Up Close.

The second was Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse: Visions of Arcadia (which you can still see through September 3, 2012).

Both were wonderfully curated exhibits, but the Van Gogh collection was simply phenomenal. I found it to be extremely engaging and educational. The pieces on display beautifully communicated the story of Van Gogh's life, and I feel that I learned a lot of interesting details.

Can I tell you all about it now? No (womp womp). But I can tell you that the (blurry photo of the) painting to the right was done for his namesake. After a series of melancholic pieces, the framed Almond Blossoms painting hung brightly at the end of the exhibit, revealing the joy and hope Van Gogh felt at the birth of his nephew. It was my favorite of all the paintings we saw that day.

There are a number of exciting upcoming exhibits at the museum. Suggestions on what to see next would be appreciated!

A run to remember...

I was in the midst of (inadequately) preparing for this year's Broad Street Run, when I realized that I really needed to get my butt in gear for a 10 mile race that was less than three weeks away. Lucky for me, my good buddy Rachel also had the same epiphany. She suggested running to a meeting place and then trekking the bridge together.

You would think that with our combined degrees (in all- two undergraduate, one law, one post-bac program, three-quarters of medical school, and one-quarter of a tax LL.M.), we would easily find each other on a planned course. This was simply not the case as clearly documented by this crazypants route:

That part where I turn west on Race street should only last about 2.5 blocks, not 2.5 miles...

Despite our initial ineptitude, we eventually met each other on the New Jersey side of the bridge and were able to run back to the better side of it together.

If you're a runner (or a walker) and you happen to be in Philadelphia, I highly suggest that you give running (or walking) the bridge a try. Sure, the trail on Kelly Drive has beautiful scenery along the Schuylkill river, but the bridge has unmatched views of the Philadelphia skyline. Plus, if you're looking for a challenge, half of the BF Bridge in either direction is a long uphill stretch. A lonnnnnnnnnnngggggg uphill stretch.

On a somewhat related note, I will (hopefully) complete #18: Run a Marathon on November 18. I'm nervous, and scared, and feel like I'm going to throw up every time I think about it, but mostly I'm excited. Training officially starts on July 30, and I'll no doubt find myself running the Ben Franklin multiple times to help prepare for the 26.2 mile race this fall. Maybe I'll see you on the bridge!

Harry Potter Movie Marathon

Dear Applicant:

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted as a visiting student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Your accelerated course, “Muggle Fiction/Wizarding Fact: A Cinematic Review of Modern Magical History as Recounted by Non-Wizards,” will be held on March 30 and 31 at our newly commissioned satellite campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

A course viewing schedule and additional information is enclosed for your reference. While partial credit may be awarded, attendance for the entirety of the course is strongly encouraged.

We await your e-owl by no later than March 23.

Yours sincerely,

Brett W. Murphy

Adjunct Professor, Muggle Studies

Harry Potter Movie Marathon Weekend was AMAZING. I don't care if y'all judge me for having a whole weekend dedicated to watching "children's" movies. 1) You're an idiot if you think the HP series is only for kids, and b) Haters gonna hate.

Invitees received their official acceptance into the course via post owl a few weeks prior to the event, despite them already knowing exactly when the event would take place and me already knowing that all of them would come. It was a packed weekend, but we managed to fit all eight movies over a day and half. Throughout the screenings, I ensured that guests were appropriately well fed. We had...

Chocolate Frogs

Pumpkin Juice

Lemon Drops

Knickerbocker Glory

Treacle Tart

Mini Meat Pies à la Slughorn's Slug Club

Pumpkin Pasties

and of course...

BUTTERBEER!

Everything was pretty darn delicious, if I do say so myself. And although I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, it was well worth it (besides, when your kitchen is basically the same room as your living room, you don't miss out on much). I loved hosting such close friends for an unsurpassed Harry Potter experience. Now I just have to figure out what to do with my chocolate frog mold... in the meantime, who's up for another round of butterbeer?

Claire and Ian, aka the cutest children in the WORLD...

...except when one of them throws up on you.

And now that I've admitted that you did this, Ian, I must also apologize to future-you. So, Future-Ian, I am sorry that I have forever recorded your upchuck onto the vast permanent record of the Internet. Hopefully by the time you are old enough to have my action affect you, the world wide web will have gone the way of the 8-track and the VCR. Either way, I don't hold any grudge against you, even though it really smelled rather horrible.

Despite the heretofore referenced incident, the night went off rather well. Jake and I gave Erin and Michael a gift certificate to a nearby favorite restaurant with an (unsolicited) offer to watch the kids while they enjoyed their meal. Claire made Jake and I a delicious pizza, Jake and Claire watched Cinderella, and I read Ian a few bedtime stories before putting him to bed.

I'm greatly looking forward to at least four more babysitting experiences (hopefully sans puke)!

Seriously though, how could you not love these two: