Philly Finale

So let's recap what happened this week.  Tonight's my last night in Philadelphia, and I'm back in the City Grange ending my week like it started.  There's been great food, historic sights, trying moments in public, and a little bit of SAP training I suppose.  Let's start with Tuesday.

After work we decided to go down to The Continental, which is a very interesting blend of modern-retro.  With hanging basket chairs upstairs and 50's style booths downstairs, it was a great little global tapas restaurant in downtown.  We all shared so much food it was hard to keep track of what we ate, but the cheesesteak eggrolls were phenomenal.  Also, the waitress really came through for us.  Half of us jumped on the smartphones to find the best deals in a bar or pub downtown, and after some debate, we asked a local.  She told us that The Fox and Hound had $2 draughts and we were sold.  Just a short walk and some directions later and there we were.  The beer was cheap, but the kicker was the karaoke.  After some convincing to get up on stage and some liquid courage, most of us sang something.  I got up and sang 'Moondance' by Van Morrison, which was a great choice.  I just hope I did it justice because I love that song.  It was my first time in public doing karaoke, unless you count the time I helped the acoustics at Sammy's when they knew the guitar but not the words to 'Hotel California'.  I don't.  Everyone said I was good, but do you tell a colleague they were terrible?  The night was almost ruined when some unknown local completely ruined one of my three choices, 'Santa Monica' by Everclear.  It was so painful.  How can you be so bad when reading a teleprompter?  And he was older than I was, had he not heard this song?  However, my friends who sang did awesome, and I even got up one more time.  I was more nervous because we had some huge Third-Eye Blind fans in our group, but they said I smashed 'Semi-Charmed Life'.  MC thought it was good and he HATES that song by them, but, loves the band.  Good thing I've had that song memorized since it came out.  The bad thing was, where the hell can you find pizza late night in downtown Philly?

On to Wednesday, which the morning was not too fun.  However, a few of us made it out to the Philadelphia Art Museum, which I will get the pictures up as soon as I can.  Things from statues of Buddha and a Buddhist Abbot's chair, wedding cabinets from Lorenzo de' Medici's time, to weapons and armor through the ages.  Just look at the slideshow soon and it'll give you the idea.  I made it out on an almost 3 mile run down to the Liberty Bell, and found out it's not too far.  However, I was asked through my headphones and sunglasses if I could spare some change.  Listen buddy, I'm carrying a hotel key.  Do I look like I have cash on me?  You're lucky I acknowledged you and answered while jogging on (haha, great British pun, he should have been jogging on).  Then it was on to the restaurant National Mechanics.  Good food, great pub atmosphere, but an even better trivia host from some part of the UK.  I'm guessing Irish, with a thick accent, foul mouth, and great humor.  Both teams got their asses kicked, but in our split-table format, my team ended up winning by 2 points.  That made up for the lack of good service, but to their credit it was pretty busy.

That leaves tonight.  DS and I made it down to the historic district to actually visit the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.  So we got to see where the Declaration and Constitution were finalized.  Also, the second house to the Supreme court, which used to be six members that presided over three regions (north, mid-atlantic, and south) in pairs.  The park ranger stated many lawyers after first year law school forget this fact and feel sheepish.  Glad I'll know it now, hopefully you will too.  After taking some pictures, to be posted later, we walked around the historic district.  For dinner it was authentic Philly cheesesteaks from Jim's Steaks on 3rd Street.  What a place, I think I saw an autographed picture of a 22 year-old Bruce Willis in there.  That was delicious, and the district is beautiful.  I also found a great little record store which I think was called Repo Records.  Why was it great?  I'm glad you asked.  As a collector, any used record shop you can grab 2 Rolling Stones albums, Jimi Hendrix 'Are You Experienced', Bob Marley 'Legend the Best of', Skynyrd 'One More From the Road', and THE BEATLES 'ABBEY ROAD' is considered the best record store in town without competition.  The only complaint is, I've yet to find Led Zeppelin, and earlier in the day someone grabbed 'Four' from them a few hours before I got there.  Damn Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and US History.  You kept me from a certain unattainable treause.  But now I still have a reason to drag whoever I'm with into a record store.  After returning from the mile or two long walk, I had to digest.  Then it was off on another run, a four mile trek that involved the 'Rocky' steps one final time.  That has to be one of my new favorite runs and sites to see, and with so many fountains to run around and past, it's just awesome.

Philadelphia has to be up there on my favorite cities to visit now, and I'll have to come back.  But I need to get out of City Grange in the lobby and back to my room.  I hope you enjoyed my Philadelphia travels as much as I did.  Maybe when you come here you remember some of my experience and try out some things that I got to do while here.  One last side note, as soon as I get my South Carolina shot glass from SS, grab one from my old home state of NC (which won't be hard) I'll be up to four states out of fifty.  Not bad for two weeks...  (By the way, I am trying to collect all fifty if you were wondering)

That way, when you come to Atlanta to visit me and break one, I'll know what state to visit next.

Philadelphia: Boat House Row/Museum of Art

I'm currently training in Philadelphia.  It's my first time ever being here, and we're staying in the Westin in the heart of downtown.  Last night I found out The City Grange restaurant and bar in the lobby is not too shabby, their angus slider trio was the perfect mix for a burger lover like myself.  I'd rather be writing a bit about The Stone Rose Lounge at the Fairmont Hotel or the Desert Ridge JW Marriott in Scottsdale, but last week was last week.  I'm making myself go back to the Phoenix area on vacation so maybe I'll have something to write about.  But let's get to today, also known as, the motivating day/run that led me to finally start this blog.

A colleague/friend of mine, BF, and I wanted to go for a run after training today.  He's got some family from the area, and used to come here for some of his high school rowing competitions.  So he had an idea of where to go and what to see.  Plus, he's ran the route before (not since high school I should add).

We decided to go down to the Art Museum, which if you haven't seen the movie 'Rocky', it's where Rocky bounds up the steps shadow boxing, and lifts his fists in the air in triumph at the summit.  He was training too, just not at a computer.  So we navigated through downtown, and to the museum.  Ran up the steps, shadow boxing of course, and at the top I lifted my fists in triumph.  He didn't, but whatever, he's been here.

Then it was down Boat House Row along the Schuylkill River.  We made it to the bridge, took a minute or two to stretch, and continued along our way.  6.13 miles around downtown and an hour and two minutes later, we returned to the Westin.  The staff gave us light chuckles and asked if we had found the museum.  I thought I'd seen every statue in Philadelphia we ran so far.  BF said certainly not, and I was glad to have such a guide on an awesome run.  I wondered if my Dad ever rowed there in his 'Rocky' days...

After we re-hydrated, we were off to dinner at El Rey a few blocks away.  Walking in Philadelphia is much different than in downtown Atlanta, except for the fact the drivers here seem to want to kill pedestrians.  The food was great, and it's a nice trendy place.  It's a mexican restaurant, and the enchiladas and quesadillas I had were much needed after the run.  Also, on the wall there was a movie poster that was a wrestling promotion which said, "Los Leones del Ring Contra La Cosa Nostra."  Found out it is a mexican mafia/wrestling film from 1974.  Of course, the lions of the ring is immediately something I can related to, possibly may even be related to some of "Los Leones" if you get my drift.  Last interesting note about this place is that they had about twenty different tequilas there, where's SS when you need him?  Makes me wish I didn't have work/training tomorrow!

Now keep in mind, this was my first day in Philadelphia.  If I can do half as much as this the rest of this week I'll be extremely pleased with this business trip.  That reminds me, I didn't mention the 10 hours of training I accomplished today.  All in all, it was a great, long day.  But as my grandfather told me, and a lot of people around my work say/live by, "work hard, play hard."  Believe me, I'm working on it.

If you made it through my intro and this first post, I applaude you.  I hope you'll get as much out of reading this blog as I have writing it so far, even this early on.  Post any comments, and check periodically because as soon as I run past something else to write about it'll be posted.

Introductions

Hey there!  Didn't notice you reading when you sat down there.  I'm glad you found your way here whether by accident or just checking up on things.  I'm Jason, but also I've been called "The Other Ben" and it's a pleasure to virtually meet you.  That's a tribute to my twin brother, not that Alex doesn't deserve a shout out too.  (I'm secretly hoping my family never reads this, but good luck with that right?)  Just kidding everyone, I'm thinking of all of you.  But let's get down to business.

Logistically, this is the only time I'm going to mention actual names, but if you're looking for yourself you'll have to be on the look out for initials.  For example, if I wrote about grabbing a drink with myself I'd write, "Throwing one back with JL."  Not that you're not important, but this blog isn't quite about the people unless you're involved.  So look for yourself, however I'm not naming you.

So after that rant, what is this blog really about?  I'll be brief from here on, but it's about 3 things:

1)  Travelling - not really advice per se, more so where I've been
2)  Entertainment - this is what I've been doing
and last but not least...
3)  Running - where I run and the cool (I hope) things I see along the way

I've just gotten a job where travelling is almost a must, and I hate running on treadmills.  So I'm hoping I'll have enough to keep this blog up for a while.  In a few years, I'll probably read this more than you...

That being said, and introductions completed on my end, I'll wrap this up so I can start out.  (As you could probably guess, there's a reason I'm starting this tonight.)