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Chinatown - Philadelphia, originally uploaded by truman216a.

I love the retro mood of this photo of Chinatown.

Yeah, I like to call the girls who go to the gym, wear their hair down, and strut instead of working out “gym bunnies.” I think it’s funny. If you really go to work out, and sweat, you should know that a new branch of Sweat is opening on March 1 in Old City (43 N. 3rd St.). I got a sneak preview today. It’s beautiful! I went to check out the classroom, so I would know whether or not I wanted to take a yoga class. (Not too much thumping, bumping music and a nice-sized classroom are what I require, plus a good instructor.) I was impressed by the large size of the classroom, on the upper floor in the back of the building. Upstairs were also the cardio machines, with lots of elliptical runner machines (I think that’s what they’re called) and lots of treadmills. I think all of them had their own TV’s, if that is your thing. Downstairs were all the muscle machines, which I don’t know much about, but it all looked brand spankin’ new to me. Mirrors, hardwood floors - looked good! And my guide told me they’ll have a shop, a chiropractic person, I think he said massage, a salon, and other stuff! This marks the fifth location for Sweat, with others in Manayunk, Center City, Queen Village, and Fitler Square. They’ll have another in South Philly, opening early summer. I like Sweat because it is a nice, middle-ground type of place. Not too macho, not too loud, and nice and clean, with good instructors. Sweat!

What’s Fun-A-Day, say you? Simply put, it’s a free art show in West Philly. More specifically, a show by local artists who created one work on each day in January. In Philly, some 70 people — professional artists and casual funlovers alike — signed up to participate in 2008. This year’s creations run the gamut from thirty-one haikus composed on SEPTA, to a daily leaf-quilt-square, to a month of different breakfast pastries. Others are entitled “neon paper cut designs,” “a walk and a photo,” and “flowchart-a-day.”
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Remember last week?
I do.
It was warm. I had short sleeves on. I wrote a blog, encouraging everyone to go outside.
So now, less than a week later, I write another blog. This blog tells people to stay inside. If you’re reading this right now, nestled up next to the fire like the smart lil’ bear cub you are, then you might be the smartest person in the world. Smarter if you could figure out this nasty BlackBerry thing.
It’s gray outside. Cold gray, depressing gray. The kind of gray that encourages sweatpants and bottomless cups of cocoo. Mmmm…cocoo…Cocooooooooooo.
But hey, want to hear something that may or may not warm you up - and if it doesn’t, I’m sorry. Go to Honey’s and eat some French Toast. Tell ‘em French Toast sent you. That will warm you up perfectly.
For others though, here’s something to warm you up.
Phillies’ pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Thursday. We are currently about a month and a half away from Opening Day and the Fightin’ Phils odyssey to defend the NL East championship. A month away from Ryan Howard either being really happy rich or really annoyed rich, Chase Utley saving another dog, and the debuts of Brad Lidge, Pedro Feliz, Geoff Jenkins, So Taguchi, and maybe someone else like Kyle Lohse or Kris Benson. The World’s Oldest Man Jamie Moyer is back and so is Cole Hamels, who along with Brett Myers, will be the anchors of a rotation to be filled out by baby-faced Kyle Kendrick and Adam Eaton, who hopefully will look the highly paid pitcher he is or if anything, be rid of that goatee.
Please.
That goatee grosses me out.
And of course JRoooooooll is back and making wild predictions like the Phils will win 100 games and Pat the Bat Burrell has the majority of the city wondering if he’ll step it up this year, the last year in his contract. I think he will. As long he doesn’t grow a goatee.
Eaton!
I for one, can’t wait for Opening Day. Just thinking about last year’s run makes me giggle like a tipsy toddler and I can only imagine that that excitement will carry over, at least for the first few series. The first month of the season features some wildly exciting series against Johan Santana and the Mets, the Rockies, the Padres, and the Cubbies. Last year, the Phils came out limp, weak and uninspired. By all accounts, they got lucky last year and caught one of those waves in the baseball season that takes you almost to the end. There’s nothing to say that it can’t happen again, but if anything, it’d make April more fun, “more perfect” if they were winning some of those games.
Here’s to ya, Phils. I hope you the best.
For the everyone else, stay warm, and if you’re reading this while you’re driving, maybe put your hazards on. Safety first!

Side Note: Tu Phace of Subliminal Orphans is spinning and getting into some craziness tonight at Silk City on Spring Garden. Cold weather be damned, this is good fun and it’s important.

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City Hawk, originally uploaded by moocatmoocat.

This red-tailed hawk apparently is auditioning for the job of Thomas Jefferson Medical College mascot. He’s been hanging out around 11th and Walnut for some time now, reducing the local pigeon population.

I’ve never ever witnessed couples getting it on while traveling on the train, but apparently someone has! I spotted this addition to one of SEPTA’s standard signs.

I only had my phone with me, so apologizes for the quality; if you can’t make out the graffiti, it reads: no sexual activity.

Perhaps with Valentine’s Day next week, some lovely El rider decided to be a bit pro-active and warn would-be lovers now, before they get the urge.

How about it? What’s the craziest randy thing you’ve witnessed—or even been part of—on any service of SEPTA?

Forbes magazine took it upon itself to create a list of the most miserable cities based on the Misery Index and the Misery Score compiling a list on Forbes.com. Evidently we are #5.

How miserable is Philly? The residents of the City of Brotherly Love once booed Santa Claus and pelted him with snowballs at an Eagles game. Maybe it’s the long commutes, violent crime and plethora of toxic waste sites that has people grumpy. Philadelphia scored in the top 20 in all three areas.

As if Forbes telling us we are a miserable bunch wasn’t enough the LA Metbloggers have decided that we suck based on this list with their post entitled, Detroit, New York, Philly, Chicago All Suck Worse.

Well LA let me tell you something. We tossed snowballs at Santa Claus because he was a fraud and we don’t like frauds. We enjoy our inconsistent weather. We like our long commutes. We like our tixic waste sites, we call them playgrounds. We like to dodge bullets on a daily basis because we are bad ass and we like to live on the edge. We’re not a miserable bunch, we’re happy so F off.

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Friendly Dragon, originally uploaded by Adamina.

Happy Chinese New Year! (and happy Ash Wednesday, too…two holidays in one!).
great detail of the dragon mural in Chinatown from Adamina

Philadelphia,

It’s almost 70 degrees out. I hope you’re reading this outside.

Sincerely,
Johnny Good Weather

ps. The new Jack Johnson album is pretty good.

Last week after a doctor’s appointment, I had the opportunity to do something I rarely get to do: walk around the historic areas and Old City. A coffee and a bottle of water later, and the inevitable happens—I need to pee. I’m at Fifth and Market, let’s walk up a block and check out the visitor center!

I think I was only in the Independence Visitor Center once before, shortly after they first opened, and, as a resident of the city, I never felt the need to go back. But boy, are those bathrooms amazing! The toilets are clean, the floors are shiny, the sinks are in proper working order, and the trash is not overflowing. The place doesn’t even smell like a public bathroom.

My only gripe? While everything is automated, I’d rather have hand-dryers rather than electric paper towel dispensers. Hand dryers are more efficient and leave less waste. I mean, if you’re going to go automatic anyway, why not use dryers?

RestroomRatings.com didn’t have a review for this bathroom, but I did find an article for the National Constitution Center, and from the one photograph, I think the bathrooms are pretty much the same. Now, as a resident, I’m not looking for the historic elements this reviewer valued—I just want a place to pee without worrying about creepy men masturbating in the corner.