The Cliff's Notes version of my whirlwind weekend, with much name dropping:

On Thursday I had the house inspection. It took longer than I thought, and I had to leave before he was totally done. The fact that I'm claustrophobic as hell, and he was about to squeeze into the crawl space, probably helped propel me out the door.

On Friday I got up bright and early and (eventually) drove to Philadelphia. Friday night was spent with ratphooey, carolbethington, tssandwich (who I'd never actually met in person before), and a boisterous houseful of kids, cats, and extended family. It was the first time I'd seen ratphooey in probably about a year, and the first time I'd been back to Philly since -- can you believe it? -- 1991. It was alarming that every one of my Philly stories began with "Well, 20 years ago ..." Just when, exactly, did I get so old?

As I ran out of the house on Friday, I grabbed my mail, which included an envelope from bishopjoey. I sort of forgot about it during the drive, but rediscovered it as I cleaned out my purse (in anticipation of Frida) on Saturday morning. I mentioned it in this post, but his card made me laugh and loudly. The card reads "The day you decide to do it is your lucky day," and he had enclosed two elongated pennies (which are something I've been collecting for years now).

It couldn't have been more perfect. The card. The pennies. The timing. I'd been thinking how well ratphooey's house suited her -- so elegant and cosmopolitan -- and how my house kind of suited me -- like the house that Snow White would live in if she was an anarchist. I think it was sometime around then that I started deciding to buy it.

Then ratphooey and I headed out to the Frida show. The lines were incredible. Lines to park (the lot was full), lines for tickets, lines to get in once we'd gotten our tickets -- and the crowds continued inside the exhibit. I've definitely never seen that kind of a crowd for an art show before. And in an act of the randomness of the universe, I actually ran into somebody at the show who I know from The Co-op -- she still lives in Pittsburgh and, like me, drove up to Philly just to see the Frida show.

And as for the show ... I don't even have words. I've seen one or two of her paintings before, but to be that close to so many of her really famous pieces ... just wow. The two paintings that really need to be seen in person to be appreciated: Moses and My Dress Hangs There. I never realized that My Dress Hangs There was a collage before!

I also spent an absurd amount of money in the gift shop, in large part with the idea that I wanted framed Fridas for the walls in my new house. Totally worth it.

Unfortunately, after Frida there was very little time left for Philly. We grabbed a quick lunch at a nearby Whole Foods, then it was off to visit the house I used to live in when I lived there (yes, nearly 20 years ago). It looks almost exactly the same.

Unfortunately, South Street does not, tho that's another story.

But my time was up and we rushed home to pick up carolbethington and say our goodbyes. Then carolbethington and I drove back to Pittsburgh, where I deposited her with jumakiwi, and I dashed off to Belvedere's to check out Free's CD release party.

Sadly, I was too pooped to be very much fun, but I flirted with The Puppy (who was also being flirted with by Baiyinah's friends), chatted briefly with Sprout, clapped loudly for Free, and then came home and collapsed.

I want to write more about a conversation I had with telephasic yesterday about house buying stuff, but this post has become gargantuan already.

Also, many thanks to n0thingman for doing the cat sitting (and medicating) that made this whole trip possible.