Trips to Philadelphia Over the Years

This video popped up this morning on my iPhone. Apple makes these delightful compilation videos. I thought I would share it with all of you. I may not be visiting Palm Springs with Pat in the near future but we will definitely be going back to Philly to visit our friend Don.

Have a great day everyone!

Violet and Carmen

Me at 120 Washington Avenue, Downingtown, PA August 8, 2010

 Since the death of Bill I've been revisiting significant episodes of my life. 

I've been reading a lot about near death experiences and how when your soul departs from your body your life is reviewed with a "Board of Elders". This is not judgement but rather a video review of  your life. How you treated others in your life both from your aspect and their aspect, how you made them feel. I haven't died but I have been having dreams, both at night and during the day of reviews of my life and those episodes.

One episode that has always stuck with me my whole life was the Mystery of Carmen and Violet. 

From 1943 to 1954 I lived with my family at 120 Washington Avenue in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

That little kid with the fat ass would be me running up the stairs to our apartment on the second floor. The two adults are my mom and my father. This photo take around 1946, the time of the "Carmen and Violet Mystery"

 We lived in a second floor two bedroom apartment that rented for $22.50 a month (I will always remember that rent because my Mother often had problems coming up with that amount monthly). 

120 Washington Avenue, Downingtown, Pa 
September 10, 2004

Other member of my Tipton family also lived in that apartment building, which is stills standing today. And interestingly it is still in the white trash section of Downingtown. Yes, our family was white trash, another word for POOR.  My father was an uneducated hillbilly from North Carolina who came with his eight brothers and mother and father in 1929 from the mountains of western North Carolina to southern Chester County to work as cheap farm labor at his uncle Don Byrd's fruit and vegetable farm in Unionville, Pennsylvania. My Mother was descended from a poor Quaker families who had immigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 1600's. Her mother died before she was two years old. Her father was a philanderer and physically and mentally abused her as the youngest of her family. She ran off and got married at sixteen years of age when she met my father on a double date (she switched dates with her girlfriend when she saw my father and his drop dead hillbilly looks for the first time.

My father at 21 years of age. He met my Mother when he was 18 years old. My Mother knew what she wanted and she went after it! Shortly before she died she told me "Your father was the only man I was ever with."

My father was originally her girlfriend's date but when my father drove up in his car with a rumble seat in the back my Mother told her friend Edie "You get in the back with Hank, I'm sitting up front with HIM!" 

I found this picture of my parents in his wallet after he died. He carried it all those years (60) that they were married.

Now that I have set the background to my story of the "Mystery of Carmen and Violet." 

Carmen and Violet lived in the neighboring apartment on the second floor where we lived. 

They had a little girl whose name I don't remember now but I do remember the names "Carmen and Violet." I also remember that evening December 11th, 1946 when something very serious happened. 

I had just turned five years old. I had just started first grade. I was awakened by a lot of muffled voices and shuffling around. I got up and went into the small hallway separating our apartments (it was very small, I guess that's why my parents were so friendly with Carmen and Violet, they were also about the same age). The police were there with flash lights. They entered Carmen and Violet's apartment in the dark with their flashlights dancing about the small room looking for Carmen and Violet's little girl. Their little girl was between a year and two years old. She was in the apartment by herself and was still groggy from being awakened. I asked my Mother what was going on. She told me to go back to bed. Of course I couldn't, I was born nosey. She eventually told me that Carmen and Violet had been in an accident and they had to take the little girl (I wish I could remember her name) away. I've forgotten a lot in my life but that is one episode that I never forget. The confused look on that little girl's face as the police carried her out of that darkened apartment. Later, much later I found out that Carmen and Violet, along with another couple were killed in a head on crash with an oncoming truck on Route 322 returning from West Chester after purchasing paint. My Mother told me the details of the story about Carmen and Violet about 2005 after I asked her during one of the trips I often took her to visit her relatives. She was now forthcoming with the information on Carmen and Violet.  I told her that I often remembered that night the police came into our cockroach infested apartment building and searched out for Carmen and Violet's little girl who no longer had parents. That was the first time in my life I know SOMETHING WAS WRONG even though no one would tell me what happened.

It's a funny think this story has stuck in my head all these years, often coming back. A few years ago a "Remember Downingtown" group formed on Facebook. I joined it because I had memories to share. Someone else posted their memory about that accident that Carmen and Violet were in. A head on crash with the four of them in their car rounding a turn on Rt. 322 returning from the nearby town of West Chester after buying paint. Four people dead. Lives cut short. A little girl an orphan.

I've often wondered over the years what happened to that little girl. I think one of the reasons I've always remembered this story and that night was because of the exotic name "Carmen and Violet." I don't remember what they looked like but I do remember what their little girl looked like and that their apartment was small. Eventually my Uncle Dude Tipton and Aunt Jeanne Tipton moved in that little apartment with their four little girls. My Uncle Henry and his wife Margaret lived in the apartment above us. 

Why do I bring this story up now? This morning I searching for high school records on Ancestry.com and I came across a link for an Edward Thompson. The reason the "Thompson" link showed up on my Ancestry.com account was because my cousin Jane Tipton (daughter of the aforementioned Henry and Margaret Tipton) eventually married John Thompson, a relative of Edward Thompson. Does  your head hurt now? So what does Edward Thompson have to do with Carmen and Violet? Edward Thompson was the father of Violet. 

What came up on Ancestry.com? Carmen and Violet's death certificate. 

Carmen Marino's death certificate

Violet Thompson Marino's death certificate

I pay a lot for my annual membership of Ancestry.com. the past five years I've rarely used it what with my quarterly holidays with Pat and the last three years taking care of Bill. This year I was considering cutting back on my full membership for a cheaper price but now I have changed my mind. Ancestry.com has opened up so much to me that was previously lost to history. I love this kind of information. Looking at Carmen and Violet's death certificates I now know the date and time of their accident and deaths. 

I hope I haven't bored anyone to death with post on this serendipitous discover. I am fascinated with this kind of history especially from my past.

I am convinced when I die I will find out ALL THE ANSWERS. I am so looking forward not only to reuniting with Bill, which I know will happen but also meeting all my relatives again. I'm also looking forward to that review of my life and know what former lives I have lived. Do I sound crazy? I'm not I assure you. I never did subscribe to this man made religion (Organized Religion). Never made sense to me. But what does make sense to me is that our souls or spirit inhabits our physical bodies during this earthly learning experience. I don't fear death. Our real life is our spirit and when we die we really do go Home. Maybe I'll see Carmen and Violet. 

Video House Tour Of Our Pennsylvania Home October 2005

These days, after the passing of Bill I've been very reflective of our past years together.

This video that I'm posting today is a video copy of an 8mm film compilation that Bill and I made of our previous home in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. We had our home built on 6.875 acres of wooded land in 1980. This home was to be our dream home. We planned to spend the rest of our lives in this home but that dream was cut short by the ever increasing Pennsylvania school taxes we could no longer afford to pay. 

In this video you will see me refer to getting ready to spend two weeks in Rehoboth Beach Delaware. At that time I was scheduled to house and cat sit for two women who were going to spend a few months in the winter in Florida golfing. 

I don't remember seeing this video before. I just watched it which brought back a lot of fond memories of the wonderful house that we had in Pennsylvania. I will harbor a resentment against Pennsylvania for taxing us out of our wonderful Pennsylvania home the rest of my life. So many of my Delaware neighbors moved here from several high tax Eastern states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey (even worse than Pennsylvania), and New York. 

Watching this video reminds me of how much I miss my longtime friend Bob McCamley (we met when we were in Army together in 1960). Bob died in 2013 of Parkinson's Disease. 

It's interesting seeing both me and Bill when we were much healthier. I could walk like a normal person. Look at me going up the stairs. I could actually do it on my own. Now I struggle. Even walking on even surfaces I struggle. I like the exchanges between me and Bill, the little digs at me when he says "junk". I do tend to accumulate.

Watching this video I am also reminded of my ponds. Oh how I miss those ponds. They were self filtering and crystal clear. I have a pond here but I don't have an electrical pond filter here. My ponds here aren't so clear but the goldfish who inhabit them are happy and reproducing.  I refresh the pond water here with a hose from my well. Interesting I always used to say "we" when referring to anything around this house but since Bill is no longer with me, I have to get used to saying "my", which always causes me sadness.

This video is long. You're not required to watch it of course. But I do want to post all my videos that I had made from our many 8mm films. I have them all in my You Tube account now under "Private" but since I don't plan to be around much longer in this world, I figure I better make them "Public" so there is a history for anyone who is interested in my time on this planet. 

I'm cleaning up things folks for my eventual Final Exit. Maybe some distant relative in the future will be interested. I hop so . If not, well I tried. One thing I do know now is than none of my relatives now are interested. Not even one of my twenty-four nieces and nephews. Which is sad but it is what it is. 

Philadelphia December 2018

Twice a year Pat (my Canadian Travel Buddy) and I meet in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.  We stay for a week at the guest suite at our friend Don McK's co-op which is located in center city Philly. We meet once in the spring and the other time in the fall after Thanksgiving but before Christmas.

Pat and I never have specific plans a la "If this is Tuesday this must Belgium" but we always have a great time. This visit was no exception.  

Usually we eat at the same restaurants but this time we took a gamble and ventured out to try something new.  One fabulous place for breakfast or brunch is called Green Eggs; good food, great service and not expensive. They even had scrapple, a southeastern Pennsylvania "delicacy" (scrapple is made up of pork leavings and cornmeal, yes, the snout and ears and whatever else of the pig that doesn't end up in the meat section of the supermarket). They did the scrapple right too, crispy on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside. Green Eggs could even accommodate Pat and his vegan requirements.  We're finding more and more restaurants are vegan friendly. Of course we returned to our favorite restaurants like Hip Veg City and Marathon Grill and even Mama's Place.

This year we were able to see two good movies.  "Green Book" (notice a green theme here?) and "Bohemian Rhapsody".  Both excellent movies!  We give "Green Book" at ten. That movie is going to produce some Oscars for sure.

Pat bought a large painting which he took back on the bus with him.  Yes, Pat takes the bus from Toronto to Philly, a twelve hour trip.  You won't catch me taking a bus.  I'm spoiled.  I take the plane and he meets me in Buffalo.  I have bathroom needs.

At the end of the video you'll see I'm locked out of our suite. Another fun challenge, our lock only worked half the time. Always an adventure when we venture from our comfy nests. At least Pat wasn't locked out this time.  He was comfortably ensconced on his bus headed back to Toronto, Canada. 

By the way, I'm having trouble responding to comments on this blog. If I don't respond to your comment, it's not because I don't want to.  Blogger has done something and I haven't figured it out yet. All comments are still welcomed!

More videos of our trip to Philly in future blogs. I am so glad the mice are out of our house!

Rain, Rain Go Away

  Hey folks, I'm back! After spending a rain soaked week in Philadelphia, PA, I'm back home here in southern Delaware and it is STILL raining.  OMG! We've had enough rain already!

The banner photo at the top of this blog is of Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I took it this past Sunday, Mother's Day, one of the rare days that we had a splash of sunshine during our weeklong stay in Philly.  The short video at the beginning of this post was taken about a half an hour ago from our garage door.  Yep, it's still raining. Nice to take a nap but come on folks, we do need a little shine just like we need a little Christmas.

Pat and his mixed berry smoothie at The Marathon Grill at 19th and Spruce Streets

So how was our (me and Pat) stay in Philly?  Fabulous or as Donald Trump (he of the limited vocabulary) says:  "Fantastic!"  Yes folks, in spite of the rain, walking down narrow rain soaked streets catching our umbrellas on low hanging branches and trying to avoid getting major splashes from passing center city vehicles, Pat and I had an AMAZING time.

Me and my gigantic veggie quiche and salad at the Marathon Grill on 19th and Spruce Streets, Center City Philly - I had this meal three maybe four time while I was in Philly - FANTASTIC! We ate well folks during out week in Philly

Pat took the bus down from Toronto to Philly last week then rented a car to drive to Casa Tipton-Kelly for a three day stay.  During our stay we had our annual Old Time Photo taken with my friend Lar.  



Go "straight then make a left"? Are you kidding me? 

Then last Monday we drove to Philly for a five day stay at my friend Don McK.'s co-operative, which has a guest suite.  We've been at this guest suite before and it is very conducive and CHEAP for a center city stay in Philly.

Pat napping in our suite during one of those rainy days in Philly during our stay - rain is good for napping

I love Philly as does Pat.  We didn't have anything special planned for our stay, just to enjoy the vibrancy of center city Philadelphia.  

Pat soaking up the modern furniture decor at Libery Place while I checked out a condo for sale (which I would have purchased on the spot if I had $734,000 - fantastic views of the city!)

Pat likes to visit Old City and the modern furniture stores, which we did.  We also like to visit some of our favorite restaurants like Hip City Veg, Mama's Veg and try out new restaurants, which we did and I will write about later.  

Pat getting ready to enjoy a sumptuous vegan repast at Mama's Veg in center city Philly last week - those brown "things" are falafels - yes, Philly has falafels!

Pat also likes to check out the center city housing situation which, you guess it, we did.  We went deep into formerly No Man's Land, which was the boundary past South Street.  Folks, that area, which was Danger Territory when Bill and I lived in Philly (we lived at 24th and Naudain St, one block away from South Street) is now very expensive Millennial Heaven.  I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around taking a stroll down Fitzwater Street without the fear of being mugged and never seen again except on a morgue slab.  Yes folks, it was THAT BAD when I lived in Center City Philly (the 70's).  One just DID NOT GO past South Street if one valued one's life.  Forget about the police protecting you, they were too busy harassing gays cir circling the Merry-Go-Round at Delancey and Spruce.  My apologies to my blog readers who don't recognized there references but my Philly readers sure do, don't you?

Pat checking out a now expensive ($400,000 plus) gentrified house in the formerly low income section (i.e. "black") section of Philly

So anyway, I'm back folks and in fine fettle.  Next trip up is to another world renown city famous for it's vibrant downtown, Toronto, Canada; Pat's home town.  I take the big bird up there at the end of August and return the day after Labor Day.  

Yet more adventure folks!

I'm back!!

Lunch at the Marathon Grill, Philadelphia, PA

Me and Tom at the Marathon Grill April 1, 1994 - my last day at my job in Philly

Still here folks!  I just got back from a three day visit to Philly yesterday.  And yes, I had a fabulous time.  I love Philly.

So much to talk about but short of time this morning folks.  So I'll just post about my reuniting with my former co-worker and friend Tom J.

Twenty-two years ago today, April 1, 1994; I quit my job at the First Fidelity Bank in center city Philadelphia.  Tom took me to lunch at the Marathon Grill on South 16th Street in Philadelphia.  

This past Tuesday I was eating breakfast at the Marathon.  I was seated at my favorite table by the window watching the lemming workers going to work.  Something seemed very familiar about sitting next to that wall of glass watching all the activity outside on 16th Street and then it hit me.  Almost exactly to the date, twenty-two years ago I was seated at this very same location (different table) with my co-worker and friend Tom J.  I asked the waitress to take a photo of me at this table.

Me seated at the "window" table at the Marathon Grill by S. 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA

Then I had a great idea (as I am often do, humble me admits).  I called Tom and asked him if he would like to have lunch at the Marathon.  He said he would and we met the next day.  

Me and Tom at a booth at the Marathon Grill (all the window seats were taken during lunch hour this day) March 29, 2016

After lunch we walked up 16th Street to Liberty Place to meet another co-worker who is still working at the bank!  Wow, I cannot imagine me still working in Philly twenty-two years later.  

Tom J. and Jim O., both former co-workers at the bank (Jim still works there!)

I made the decision to leave my job (I didn't have another job) at the bank and Philly because I just had enough of city living.  I wanted a more interesting life other than just "working for The Man."  And man oh man, have I ever had an interesting life since I left that job and working in center city Philly.  

Of course we all make our own decisions according to what we believe will enhance the quality of our life.  Tom retired early at 48 years of age. Tom he made a lot of money after he left his job several years later by going into business for himself and then selling that business to Boston Scientific.  Me? I began an odyssey that continues to this day.  Do I have any regrets about quitting my job?  Oh no.  OH NO!  Do I have other life regrets?  Oh sure.  OH SURE.  

These days I like to visit Philly.  Philly has changed a lot.  It's actually a happening city now.  No longer are the streets deserted when the office workers leave at 5 PM.  Now there is a thriving and vibrant pulse of activity in center city Philly.  Philly is fun.

Next month I return.  Travel Buddy Pat is coming down from Toronto.  More adventure awaits.  And yes, I'll ask Tom to join us for lunch at the Marathon.

Don, me and Pat at the Marathon Grill December 3, 2015 Philadelphia, PA

Day in Philly

Sunday was my day in Philly.

Having living and worked in Philly for over thirty years, I visit as often as I can.  

Delaware Tech offered a $39.00 round trip to Philly this past Sunday.  How could I pass up that opportunity?  

I had to get up early to catch the Jor-Linn bus leaving from the Delaware Tech campus in Georgetown.  Real early.

Always my worry in getting up early for a trip is my "bathroom needs" before the trip.  When I was young I didn't worry about such bodily functions but now that I have aged, I no longer have complete control over my bodily functions. Thank goodness my body cooperated with me on Sunday morning and "everything" came out fine.

The bus was going up for the Philadelphia Flower Show.  In previous years I paid the ticket price for the Flower Show, just to get to Philly for the 2 1/2 trip in the comfort of a big bus.  Those tickets were $89.  Now the ticket is $99 for the ride and flower show.  Just between you and me, the Philadelphia Flower Show never impressed me.  Just a bunch of vendors centralized at the Philadelphia Convention Center.  And oh, the CROWDS, so crowded.  No fun folks.  I'm glad I had the option this year to buy a ticket for the ride without the flower show option.

Getting on the bus at the Delaware Tech campus for the trip to Philly this past Sunday morning

The main reason I wanted to go to Philly was to visit my longtime friend and former co-worker Don McK.  Don lives in center city Philly. 

I talked him into switching from the God awful Windows operating system to an Apple iMac during my last visit to him last fall. But Don has a learning curve that he needs help with, and that was my goal during this visit to Philly.  And of course I always like visiting Don and sharing our Old Man Medical Issues.  Always fun.




As during my last trip, rain was forecast.  Lucky for me the rain didn't begin until I left Don's place and made the race for the bus.  And yes folks, I almost missed the bus again.  Just like last trip.  

I arrived in Philly at about 10:30 AM.  I walked to Don's co-op at 21st and Walnut from the Convention Center.  I don't walk like I used to.  When I lived and worked in Philly I didn't have to deal with my arthritic legs, hips and back.  Now I do.  Plus, there is so much construction in center city Philly, I had to make numerous detours. 

I arrived at Don's co-op and was admitted into the confines of his concierge guarded building at about 11 AM.  Got to his apartment and we spent about an hour updating our medical histories.  Then to his computer.  I showed him how to created folders for his porn Internet copied photos he had on his desktop. I told him "You don't want those photos laying around your desktop Don. And oh, can you forward me THAT one?"

After about an hour of iMac instruction, our stomachs were growling.  We were hungry!

Lunch at "More Than Just Ice Cream", a wonderful mostly gay restaurant off of 12th Street just around the corner from Walnut Street.  We took the SEPTA bus down.  Free ride for us, we just show our Medicare cards.  You see folks, there are some benefits once you reach the Geezer Stage.

Don and me in front of "More Than Just Ice Cream" restaurant 

After lunch, back on the bus, back to Don's apartment.  With the cleared desktop, we were ready to move Don's tax files from his old and SLOW Dell Windows based computer to his brand, new FAST iMac computer.  I just about completed the job when we both noticed I had only about twenty minutes to get to the Del Tech bus.

I called my tour director and told her I was on my way.  I wish I had a video of me hobbling down Market Street towards the Convention Center. Again, I kept encountering streets completely blocked off for construction of new skyscrapers.  Man oh man, has center city Philly ever changed.  Gone are the days when I worked there and most of the tall buildings, none taller than City Hall, were mostly office buildings.  Now that the computer has effectively eliminated the need for all those low paid office workers (me, being one of them), that prime real estate in center city Philly is quickly being converted into condos, co-ops, hotels (the bank where I formerly worked is now the Ritz-Carlton hotel) and apartments.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel formerly the Girard Bank - Philadelphia, PA

Lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel

All with high monthly fees.  I've been priced out folks.  Even the modest row house where Bill and I used to live in center city is now worth over $600,000.  We bought it for $27,000 in 1969 and sold it for $95,00 in 1980.  And at that time I thought I made a killing with that "huge" profit.  Anyway, I digress.

Bill going into the garage at our row house in center city Philadelphia - 1976 - check out his blue Maverick 

I got to the convention center but I couldn't find the bus.  I saw a couple of police officers on the corner of one of the convention center buildings.  I asked "where do the busses come in?"  They directed me to around the corner.  Stepping over several stinky homeless people mounds on the ground (some things never change in Philly), I found the Delaware Tech bus waiting for me. The bus was leaving at 4:15 PM.  I boarded the bus at 4:12 PM.  Three minutes to spare!  Seriously folks, I don't like cutting things that close.  

We depart center city Philly and the rains began. Luck was with me folks.  

An as I and the other whiteheads (old people) departed Philly, I reflected "Another good day in my old hometown."  

I return to Philly in early May.  I'll meet my Pat, my Canadian Travel Buddy.  We'll spend a week at Don's then down here to Lower Slower for three days. 

Life is good folks.

P.S.
The banner photo today is of the tree line at the Delaware Tech campus where I was waiting for my bus

Throwback Thursday - Philadelphia 1969

Me - 1969 in our dining room at our new Philadelphia address

The year was 1969 and the place was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

I always wanted to live in the Big City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  In 1969 we finally realized our dream and brought a 16 foot wide, 50 feet deep row house in center city Philly at 2409 Naudain Street.

2409 Naudain Street - our door is the red door (of course) - 1971

We were living at an apartment in Roxborough (Philadlephia) after we had moved from Bill's New Jersey (Pennsauken) apartment.  After they raised the rent from $145 a month to $165 a month, I decided that was too much.  So instead of throwing out money down a rat hole every month I suggested that we look at properties in center city Philly.  I always wanted to live in center city Philadelphia.  It was my dream to walk to work (I had a job at Girard Bank right across from City Hall) and the OTHER reason was so I could walk to the bars.  The GAY BARS.  I didn't have a car at that time and wouldn't drive anyway because one doesn't drive and drink and I did like my gin an tonics in those days.

Me and my G & T - dancing the night away at an after hours club - NO DRIVING - I just stumbled home

So looked at houses and decided on a recently rehabbed house on the edge of center city.  The previous house was torn down because it was in a bad section of town.  Yes, we were The Gays gentrifying a bad section of town.  

Our nice backyard at Naudain Street, Philadelphia, PA - 1971

The asking price of the row house was $27,000.  I suggested that we pay the asking price.  The owner almost tripped over his own shoes rushing to get the agreement of sale before I changed my mind.  

We bought the house. The next week I was sick to my stomach, convinced that I had made the biggest mistake of my life ( I hadn't). Now we had a 20 year mortgage at $119.27 a month.  WE.WERE.LOCKED.IN.  Funny how one feels when one makes a commitment like that.  

Our two little Pomeranian dogs out for a walk in front of our Philadelphia home - 1977

Well folks, it didn't turn out too bad.  We had that mortgage paid off in five years.  This was before the housing market got wise to the facts that many gay couples lived together and had double incomes and could easily pay such a mortgage off.  Remember those days when the husband went to work and the wifey-poo stayed home and raised the little brats kids? 

We lived at that wonderful property for eleven glorious years until I had my fill of police sirens (sometimes it seemed as if they went all day), potential race riots (we lived on the edge of the "bad section") and just the general feeling of suffocation of living in the middle of a densely populated city.  Plus, I grew tired of going to the gay bars every weekend.  That novelty wore off on my 37th birthday when I was standing in the 247 Bar and the lights flashed on as the bartender screamed "LAST CALL!"  I thought to myself, "What am I doing here?"  That night I left never to return to gay bar cruising again.  

"What am I doing here?"

We sold our center city townhouse for what we thought was the astronomical sum of $95,000 and moved to the country (Downingtown) where we lived for the next twenty-five years until we moved to our present location here in Delaware in 2006.

By the way, know how much that "little row house" in center city Philly is worth now?  Zillow estimates $621,864.  It was last sold in June of 2009 for $592,000.  Hey, maybe we should have stayed and won the lottery.  

Last year when Pat and I were in Philly, I showed him where we used to live.  You know what folks, it's now in a fou fou section of town.  Just goes to show you.  

Our former Philadelphia home now, fou fou home.  

Our Philadelphia Home

2409 Naudain Street (house with red door) - our home for eleven years in Philadelphia, PA

From 1969 to 1980, Bill and I lived in a center city town house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Prior to that we lived in an apartment in Roxborough, which was also in Philadelphia.  

When our rent was raised significantly in our Roxborough apartment we decided to buy a house and put our monthly housing expense into equity. 

I always wanted to live in Center City Philadelphia so I could walk to work and…..walk to the bars.  Hey, it is what it is.  I didn't have a car (Bill drove) and parking was always a bitch anyway when we went to the bars, so why not move to Center City?

Our home with the roof deck (see green cinder blocks at the top of the roof

So we went from paying $165 a month rental for a two bedroom apartment to paying $127 a month mortgage on a house that we bought for $27,000, which at the time I thought was outrageously expensive.  However, just to put the prices in context, our Center City Philadelphia house last sold in June of 2009 for $592,000.  

We loved that home.  There was an entranceway on the first floor as you walked in.  To the right was a garage (barely large enough for Bill's car but he never parked it in the garage because someone would park in front of the house and block him so he always parked outside).  

Further on down the hallway was a coat closet (something I don't have in this monster of a house we live in now).  Then a full bathroom and in the back a laundry room leading to the walled in back yard.

Me on the grill in the back yard - a hibachi - whatever happened to them?

To the left was a den with a fireplace. 

On the second floor (I have photos of all these but I'm not posting them because I don't want to overload this post with photos) there was a dining room, kitchen (albeit very small, a "Pullman" type kitchen) and a large living room with TWO Mussolini balconies overlooking the walled in back yard.

The view of our backyard from one of the living room balconies on the second floor - Bill built that swing

On the third floor were two bedrooms; one in the front and the other in the back separated by a full bathroom.  Bill had the front bedroom and I had the back bedroom.  Yes, we sleep apart, have for years…..I sleep alone having grown up sharing a communal bed with my two younger brothers until I was 14 years old.

We surely did love that house but there came a time when I tired of going to the bars, got tired of the noise of living in center city Philly (police sirens almost continuously and still to this day, when Pat and I visited last November the sirens were still going reminding me of why I left).  I also yearned for openness and fresh air.  The downside was that I would now have to commute to work by train.  

Bill built a rooftop deck to satisfy my need for privacy, space and sun.  

Me working on my base for skin cancer - 1974

I also like to plant and grow things.  Bill built window boxes for me on the roof and I had a small garden in our back yard which I assiduously maintained. 

My tomato plant, such as it is.  Believe it or not I have a few tomato plants growing in the back yard now in a compost pile.  Somethings never change.

These days we live in beautiful southern Delaware.  I have my space, sun and privacy.  A bit older these days though folks, 40 years old to be precise because the pictures featured on this blog posting were all taken in 1974.  Some things never change though.  This Bhudda, which one of our Naudain Street neighbors gave us, is now in the oval planter in our backyard here.  I can see it from my bedroom window.  When I look at it every morning as I do when I get up and open the curtains I am reminded of that very same Bhudda that used to sit on our rooftop garden at our lovely home in Center City Philadelphia.  Memories, how sweet they are.

Bill

Bill Kelly May 1974

More old photos folks!  This continues my series of photos that I recently found after not looking at them for forty years.  Someone (literally "Someone" of Dr. Spo's world) mentioned that I've rarely posted early photos of my other half, my spouse, my husband, my partner of the last fifty years (this July), Bill Kelly.  Well folks, here it is.  This is my handsome Bill, photo taken September 1974 at our center city Philadelphia townhouse.  Bill had discovered a baby bird and he thought I was taking a picture of the bird.

Bill doesn't like his picture taken.  Yep, Bill is on of THOSE people which has always been a source of great frustration to me.  I had always imagined myself with a Prince Charming life partner that I could photograph endlessly.  Not so with Bill, most of the pictures I have of Bill he has his arm in front of his face.  The latest such episode was last night while we were sitting on the back deck.  I thought he looked cute with the setting sun behind him.  Bill realized that I was going to take a picture of him with my iPhone and immediately said "Oh no, you're not taking a picture of me!" and proceeded to place his arm in front of his face.  

But as you can see Bill was (and still is) quite the handsome dude.  Ironically, Bill's look was never my type.  I was never attracted to the conventionally handsome man or the "All American type" as Bill calls them.  I've always found the guys with the slightly offbeat or unconventional look more sexually attractive.  Don't look for me to go into orgasmic paroxysms over the likes of a Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise.  They leave me flat; zero sex appeal. But Bill has more going for him than his looks, he has always treated me like a prince.  Always, except when he gets mad at me for some insignificant domestic misdemeanor but that's a subject for another blog post.  Maybe not but the majority of the time Bill has always treated me better than anyone.  Bill puts up with me, who else is going to do that?  

So here he is folks, the man I've been sharing a life with for the past half century.  And we have a few more years to go.

Me (center as if you didn't know already) with my brother Isaac (on my right) and Bill (on my left) - 2012

I'm Baaaack!!!!!

The Ritz-Carolton Hotel in center city Philadelphia, formerly the Girard Bank where I worked from 1965 to 1986

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been absent from these parts for the past week to ten days.  If you’re a regular follower of my blog you know that last week I traveled to my former home state of Pennsylvania to check off one of the items on my Bucket List.  Yes folks, November 9^th was my 72^nd birthday and I returned to the scene of my crime(s).  Ah yes.

Last Wednesday, November 6^th, my traveling companion (who shall remain nameless in this and future blog postings) and I traveled 125 miles (2 ½ hours) to my former hometown of Downingtown.  The first leg of our journey was to stay overnight at the Hampton Inn in Lionville, a small village adjacent to Downingtown.  In my previous life I used to work at this same Hampton Inn (1994-2001).  The plan was to leave our car at my brother’s house in Downingtown for our next three day stay in center city Philadelphia.  My brother would drop us off at the train station in Downingtown so we could catch the R-5 Thorndale SEPTA train to center city Philadelphia. There was no need for us to drive our car into center city and pay $45 and up a night for parking accommodations. 

We left Delaware around 9 am and arrived in Downingtown about 11:30 am.  It was too early to check into the hotel, and the day was mild and sunny so I decided that we would park our car in the parking lot at the bank where I used to work in Downingtown and take The Tour.  The bank parking lot is only one block away from the apartment building on Washington Avenue where I grew up in my formative years from 1946 to 1954.  We got out and began The Tour.  My poor traveling companion, only now did I realize I subjected him to points of interest that were only of interest to me.  But he is a kind hearted man and he bore the tour.

We checked into the hotel a little after three pm.  Already I’ve forgotten most of what we did (another reason for this tour, that I could take it while I still have most of my mental facilities and before I enter my final days at an assisted care facility like a friend of mine.

Oh, I remember what we did.  We had dinner at the Brickside Grill in Eagleview and just my luck it was Trivia Night.  Oh how I used to love playing trivia every Wednesday night at the Brickside with a Chicken Quesadilla and an Appletini martini. Trivia Night was one of the activities that I missed the most when I moved to Delaware form Pennsylvania.  We only had a team of two (usual teams are four or more) but we finished a respectable last with 28 points out of 40 (the winner had 39 points). 

Trivia Night at the Brickside Grill in Eagleview, PA

Back to the hotel for a restful night, the next day we would be driving to my brother’s to drop off our car and have him take us to the train station. 

We check out of the Hampton Inn and head off to Downingtown and Wegmans.  Wegmans is another experience I miss in Delaware that I wanted to take advantage of while in Downingtown.  Ah yes, brunch at Wegmans.  When are you going to get a Wegman’s Delaware?

Wegman's veggie food bar - wonderful!

After lunch we drive to my brothers’ house to drop off my traveling companion’s car and have my brother taxi us to the train station in Downingtown, my traveling companion and I dragging our luggage behind us. We’re taking the local. And this was the “local, local.  For the eleven years that I commuted daily to my banking job in Philadelphia I never took the “local, local”

I was expected a leisurely, three quarters empty train, ride on the scenic Main Line train tracks but instead I got the Calcutta Local.  OMG!  It seemed like every half minute the train stopped to let on my passengers who obviously don’t have a regular job (like us.)  These many people don’t work?  These many people are college students, retirees (like us) and who knows what?  At least there was one benefit to riding the local, the train trip only costs us one dollar apiece.  That’s the senior citizen off rush hour rate.  I can deal with that.  God, Pennsylvania was actually does something decent for the senior citizen.  But then maybe it’s just SEPTA.  Yeah, that’s it.  It couldn’t be the state government of Pennsylvania doing something beneficial to help the senior citizen because they literally taxed me and Bill out of the state.  That’s why I had to move us to Delaware.  But I digress.

After what seemed like a mini-series eternity, we arrived at Suburban Station in Philadelphia.  We have arrived!  Ah, the noise; the beeping horns, the rude squeal of the sirens of the emergency ambulance and police vehicles; the greasy, spit strew sidewalks, the street vendors, the ever present scaffolding blocking sidewalks, forcing you out into the street to play traffic dodge. And of course the pigeons and the homeless begging for money and food but I have to say there didn’t seem to be as many pigeons or homeless on the streets from when I used to live, work and play in the city in the from 1960 to 1980.

My Traveling Companion on the mean streets of Philadelphia

Dragging out luggage behind us on those mean city streets, weaving our way through all manner of folks, we beeline it to the Latham Hotel at 17^th and Walnut Streets.  Immediately I noticed a marked difference in my former home, the city was alive!  Much like Frankenstein’s monster was brought to live with electric thunder zaps, Philadelphia was alive.  Wow!  I loved it.  My traveling companion loved it!  Good decision Ron!

We arrive at the hotel and were greeted by a doorman who graciously opened the door for us and said “Good evening sir.”  Well, obviously we were in Kansas anymore.  Nice!

"Your chariot awaits you sir!"

We check in.  Our room is on the 13^th floor.  I had done my research in planning this trip.  Previous guests had advised taking a room on a higher floor to minimize the street sounds and for a better view.  We were not disappointed.  We had a fabulous view of the skyline of Philadelphia.  Our room, while compact was nicely appointed in a modernistic design.  The bathroom was almost art deco with the back lighted mirror and the rectangular wash basin.  And the closet even had a safe with an easily programmed combination.  One of the things I don’t like about traveling is where to put my valuables (credit cards, wallet, laptop computer and jewelry.)  Here was the answer.  I could sleep easier at night now not having on my mind that someone was going to slip into my room in the dead of the night and abscond with my valuables.

The Latham Hotel - our fabulous accommodations in Philadelphia! (we were on the 13th floor)

After we settled in, it was time to eat…..again.  My traveling companion is a vegan and we were searching out a restaurant or hole in the wall to accommodate his green needs.  I’m not a vegan (not a prime rib, pulsating pink center, meat eater) but I do like most vegan meals.  We both don’t like seafood or fish, which is a big plus in a traveling companion.  My friends who like fish, that’s the first thing they look for when they travel “Where’s a good fish restaurant?”  They’re after the shrimp, salmon, trout, octopus, mussels and all that other “fishy” stuff.  Thank gawd I didn’t have to accommodate that kind of traveling companion.

A healthy veg dinner! Of course the ever present cell phone.

We were in luck.  Allison, our front desk person advised us that there was a Veg City restaurant just two blocks up the street on 16^th and Sansom Streets.  We venture out onto the teaming streets.  One big thing I noticed in center city Philly this time that wasn’t there when I used to live and work in Philly, the city was alive!  It was vibrant!  What happened?  When I lived and worked there, the only time the center city streets were teaming with people was when the corners of Broad and Chestnut Streets next to City Hall were the four banks of Philadelphia National Bank, Provident National Bank, Girard (now Mellon) Bank and Western Savings Fund Society.  All those banks are gone now along with the cast of thousand that it took back in the day to push the paper around.  All that paper pushing has been replaced with computers.  No more do you see legions of lowly paid clerks crowding the streets of Philly in the daytime.  Now you see a hip crowd of cool folks from around the world seeing out the coolest venues for their nighttime entertainment.  Many of the former office building towers have been converted into either hotels or condos thus explaining the influx of folks walking their dogs and pushing their baby strollers (ah yes, the presence of straight people with the ever present baby strollers) on these grimy streets of center city Philly.  I overheard one man talking on his iPhone (almost everyone seemed to be talking on a smart phone by the way) saying “I’m walking down this street in Philadelphia and man, this is a vibrant city!”  That said it all, Philly was vibrant!

Public transportation in Olde City Philadelphia 2013

My traveling companion didn’t have to walk too many city blocks until we found Veg City, which was almost literally a hole in the wall.  But man oh man, what great food.  I got a veggie wrap which was better than any hoagie I’ve ever stuffed into my face.  I had sweet potato fries with that and a smoothie.  DEE-LISH!

Next up (and I have to move forward here), Saturday night and we were to meet up with my fellow blogger friends Dr. Spo, Cubby and Nate.  The guys were in Valley Forge, PA where Dr. Spo was attending a shrink seminar (not his head but how to shrink others’ heads).  Anne Marie of Philly (actually Norristown but what the hey, close enough) and hubby Todd treated the same Dr. Spo and the boys to dinner. 

My friends (Pat, Nate, Cubby and Dr. Spo) and I army birthday dinner at the Knock Restaurant and Bar

Dr. Spo and his entourage arrived at the hotel Saturday evening for a night of frivolity and feasting and a little toe dipping in the gay bar scene later in the evening hours.  Dr. Spo sent a text message enroute informing me that the traffic was horrendous.  Uh, sort of expected that on a Saturday night in Gotham City.  Then he call (or texted, I forget which) WHERE WAS HE GOING TO PARK?  Um, didn’t think about that.  Well, Dr. Spo is a smart cookie and he quickly figured out that he would have the hotel concierge park their rented chariot, which they did.  Another text message received from Dr. Spo “We’re circling in.”  I wasn’t quite sure if that was a threat or a promise.  Oh well, it wasn’t long before I heard a “Tap, tap” at my door on the 13^th floor of the Latham Hotel.  I open the door and invited Dr. Spo and his two cohorts into our lofty aerie thirteen floors above 17^th Street.  After the customary introductions (none had met my traveling companion) and obligatory hugs we were off for dinner.  I had chosen the Knock Restaurant and Bar restaurant at 225 S. 12^th Street  per a recommendation I received from my longtime friend Don who is a longtime resident of center city Philadelphia.  I’ve been out of the city so long, I’ve don’t know where anything is.  As it turned out, “Knock” was a perfect choice for fine Saturday night dining for five elderly gay men, long past their youthful, cruising for a bruising prime.  As Dr. Spo said as he entered the dimly lit environs of the restaurant “Ah, proper dining.” 

Dr. Spo and Nate strolling the mean streets of Philly (note me in the background on Dr. Spo's shoulder)

We all ordered drinks except my traveling companion who is not only a vegan but a tea toller (God bless him!).  My friends were treating me because it was my birthday (God bless them!).  I pigged it up and ordered TWO fancy dancy Grasshopper Martinis which were sweet and tasty and provided a nice little buzz halfway through the second martini.  I then ordered beer braised beef tips.  Yummy!  Dr. Spo ordered trout, so I was back to my fish eating friends.  I think Nate ordered some fishy dish too and I forget what Cubby ordered.  My traveling companion ordered a salad, which was might expensive when it came time to split the $240 bill four ways.  That salad cost him $60.00.  Hope it was good.

Me enjoying a smoothie at the Marathon Grill on 16th Street

After I long and leisurely dinner during which I brought up the prospect of my imminent demise at almost every available moment which Dr. Spo reflexively batted down as he has been doing for the past year or so, my fellow dinners split the bill four ways and we were on our way for some Saturday night bar hopping.  First stop the famous “Woodys” bar of 202 S. 13^th Street in Philadelphia.  First change I noticed in Woodys was the number of  female ladies in the bar. Hmmmmm….interesting development that.  I suspect there were quite a few straight folks in the bar also, prepping for the dancing later. 

Bar hopping at Woody's after dinner - me as usual running off at the mouth

We all ordered beers and tried to stay out of the young folks way.  After slurping down our beers (hard cider for me, me no beer man), I proceeded to try and navigate our way to The Bike Stop, a long time center city, nighttime gay neighborhood leather bar.  OOOOOOOHHHHHH!  Not to worry folks, when we finally found it on a back street called Quince, all was tame.  And to think my fellow travelers were concerned that they weren’t dressed appropriately in gay dray.  Gawd, Dr. Spo even had on his plaid, lumberjack, Paul Bunyon shirt.  I guess the gay fashion police message hasn’t reached Phoenix yet. 

Outside the "Bike Stop".  No, were weren't dressed appropriately for a leather bar.  Dr. Spo came close with his Paul Bunyon shirt.  

After yet another round of beers, and answering Dr. Spo question of exactly where my traveling companion fit into my life (an answer that I will not share in this public blog), Dr. Spo called it a night.  But I wasn’t done yet.  I had to insist the guys visit my former place of employment, Girard Bank which is now a ritzy hotel called (of all things) the “Ritz Carlton.”  I don’t know if I impressed my friends but I figured I could play my birthday trump card, which I did.  Then we were on our respective ways.

We walked back to the hotel and parted ways at the entrance where the doorman was holding the door open.  The birthday boy’s official celebration was coming to an end and indeed what a celebration it was.  Good, kind friends took me out on the town to celebrate my 72 years on this blue ball hanging in space (I saw it in “Gravity” at the movies at the Midway in Rehoboth on Tuesday night with my traveling companion).  Thanks guys for the bestest birthday celebration I’ll ever have (and probably my last one keeping in with the theme of my imminent demise).

Then it was back to our hotel room on the thirteenth floor which was proving to be pretty lucky.  My traveling companion hooked up my Macbook Pro computer to the hotel TV and I saw several episodes of “Breaking Bad” with Walter White.  Hey, great program!  And here I thought I was cool because I had watched all the “Six Feet Under” and “Madmen.” 

The view from our hotel room of Walnut Street 

Now folks, I know this is a LONG blog posting but I’m making up for not posting for a week and while my memory is still fresh (or as fresh as it can be for an old geezer like me).  There were a few adventures that I didn’t take you the reader on like my tour of my old neighborhood (and again dragging my ever patient traveling companion with me to hear my oral history). 

Waiting for Godot Dr. Spo?

We also stopped in the Apple store right around the corner from the hotel.  My iPhone wasn’t turning off properly.  The good folks at the Apple store immediately replaced my iPhone with a brand new one, free of charge since I was still under warranty.  That was a good thing.  The bad thing was I have over 1,200 photos on my iPhone that had to be backed up to iCloud then downloaded to my new iPhone.  That download malfunctioned (froze) because I immediately went out and started taking more photos even before my backed photos in iCloud had finished downloading.  Long story short, I spent a lot of time in the Apple store which is a cool place to hang out but this wasn’t in my Birthday Bash itinerary.  Turned out I had to extend my stay in Philly for a day (until Monday) which was good because I was loving our hotel room and all the excitement of a now vibrant center city Philly lifestyle.  But the bad thing I found out the next day was that I neglected to call my brother to tell him of my change of plans.  I didn’t think to call him until the darkness of early evening and by then he was almost frantic and on the verge of putting a missing persons report in on me.  My mind is going folks, it really is this is why I did my birthday bash this year before I’m having someone put on my shoes in an assisted car facility.

The view at morning from our hotel room of Walnut Street

As I said, this is a long blog posting and even I’m getting tired of it now so I think I’ll wrap things up.  I’m home now, my traveling companion is almost at his home in Toronto Canada as I type this.  I gots to catch up on my sleepy time as I lost many hours over the past week from activity more suited to a man much younger than myself.

But all in all, my Birthday Bash week was an absolute unqualified success and I am already looking forward to repeating the adventure again next year, same time, same city. 

My Traveling Companion wanted a "taste" of the subway.  We got it.  Once was enough.

Vacations and trips are fine folks but I’m glad I’m back and sleeping in my own bed.  I’m looking forward to going back to my regular routine.  But it is always nice to have something to look forward to like this trip I took this past week and perhaps even better is having good friends like I am fortunate enough to have.  Thanks guys!!!

What I do best, relax