Sunday Morning Post (V.1; #15) - Recovering from An Afternoon Party

As Berthe sang in Pippin:

“Give me a night that’s romantic and long/And give me a month to get ready”

I was reminded of these words this morning as we both awoke to sore knees, recovering from a great time in Center City Philadelphia yesterday.  The occasion was an alignment of the stars which found a few blogger friends* able to get together for drinks, a meal, and great conversation.  The challenge was getting there, but damn it was worth it!

Warrior Queen and I both have mobility issues due to arthritis.  We are both able to walk short distances without the aid of a cane, but we find the rod to be a good insurance against falls. 

This was complicated yesterday by platform construction at our nearest SEPTA train stop.   The train is not coming to this station (in reality a cement platform with a lean-to for a shelter) until the construction is completed. We had to drive to a station about a mile away which is currently serving as the last stop on the line.  

We parked, only to find the train starting not on our side of the station where it should have been for trains going into the city.  Thus, we had to reach the other side via an underpass: down three flights, walk through a short passage reeking of urine (an offensive aroma common to all SEPTA stations), and up three flights of steps at the other side of the platform.   We took a few breaks along the route, but we finally were able to board the train.

The part I had been dreading — the walk from the station platform to the hotel where we were to meet up — was actually much easier than I thought it would be.  We went up one escalator which was fortunately up and running (there is a God), across the station to an elevator where we ascended to the main grand hall of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  I interrupt my narrative for this fun fact: the hall doubled as a Philadelphia International Airport terminal for the climatic scene in Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys. 
 

From here, it was a walk through a bridge to the Marriott Hotel where our friends awaited our arrival.  It had been a while since we’ve been downtown.  The largest change I noticed was a two-story high Times-Square-style video screen directly across the street from the Convention Center.  Whatever would William Penn think of such over-the-top consumerism?
  

We briefly met in the hotel lobby, quickly decided on lunch at Maggiano’s Little Italy across the street, and took a leisurely stroll to the restaurant. I think it is safe to say that a good time was had by all, although Warrior Queen did nurse her single gin and tonic for the entire meal.  We parted ways at the train station, virtually retraced our steps at our train station after a relaxing ride, and returned home exhausted from our adventure.

It was a good type of exhaustion to feel at the end of the day.  We had actually done something other than just go to work and come home just to watch life pass by our living room window.  As Pippin reminds us, the good times will pass in no time at all.  Best to grab every opportunity we can while we can, and I hope another opportunity to share with these friends comes again soon.

*Fearsome Beard and his husband Ken, Mistress Maddie, Warrior Queen, and myself. 

(Thank you for reading.  Berthe, we feel your pain.)