I went tha distance

Yeah, I made it back from Philly. Highlights below:

• Caught cab from airport. Cabbie has Reggae blaring, which provided a great soundtrack for the drive into town.
  
• Hotel is phenomenal--heart of downtown; view from the window is of that art deco building which is Philadelphia, the masonic temple where Washington was deflowered (or at least I assume he was), and city hall where I could see William Penn's face in distinct detail.
• Lunch (and some of the best fries EVER) at Marathon Grill
• Historic wandering--liberty bell, Independence Hall (great tour guide), Elfreth's Alley, Penn's Landing, Quaker meeting house, etc.
• Getting flashed at the Betsy Ross House--what kind of wacko pulls his little William Penn out at the Betsy Ross House?
• insidious accents--My coworker and I were talking like "we was from Philly" by day 3
• People from PA--you gotta love 'em. They are straightforward, no nonsense, hardworking, NORMAL people. No fake hair. No fake lips. No fake boobs. Hats worn because it's cold not to look cute. I need to move.
  
• Fitness center with individual flat screen tvs on each piece of equipment
• cheesesteaks!
• New veggies--I ate beets and parsnips. Parsnips suck.
• Amish food!
• Awesome food at Morimoto's and a chocolate martini with wasabi. Once you go wasabi and chocolate, you'll never be able to go back. I'm ruined.
  
• Posing by Rocky's statue and running in freaking freeeeeezing weather up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (along with many other folks, including an elderly man who gets his own highlight below)
• Elderly man runs up the steps and stops at the top for what seemed like hours with hands raised in fists. As he walks inside, we all clap, and he says, "Yeah, I work out tree times a week at the East Street Y. I don do da treadmill or nuttin', just da eliptical but it works, ya know? Look at me? I go da distance." [shake of fists in triumph]
• Dunkin Donuts--mmmm dunkin donuts

Prax was able to meet me for dinner, and it was nice to catch up and get a pickle magnet for Glinda and me.

Oh, the conference? More on that later. It gets its own post.