The Cardigans are still awesome

And here's proof.

I didn't follow them past their first hit album, First Band on the Moon which came out in 1996. Probably because I was eight and didn't know what it meant to "follow" a band. All the same, I remember "Loverfool" being one of the first songs I liked that wasn't in my parents' discography.

So two years later, when I was listening to Spice Girls or Britney Spears or something else instead, they came out with an awesome album called Gran Turismo that I'm just now discovering. I came across the video today...

Awesome for the following reasons...

1. It's a great pop song. They stopped making good pop in the 90's, I think (not that I follow it much today)
2. She looks like Kristen Bell from Veronica Mars - which is one of my top shows of all time.
3. There's a Star Wars reference at the end, which means The Cardigans are cultured, nerdy and awesome.

The defense rests.

Video Evidence...

...of Bill's mad piano skills.

He recently learned "Can't Help Falling in Love" and plays in beautifully. Here's a 5-second sample.

And this was just something I found on my phone that reminded me of warmer times. Its mostly Sam (Bill's sister) smiling, Bill ignoring me, and me sticking my tongue out... at myself. But it looks warm and there is a cute little kid playing on the beach so its worth uploading.

Playing Hooky

Yesterday Bill had a conference in the city which meant the rest of the day he was able to work from home. So before the conference, we trekked back to our old neighborhood and grabbed breakfast at Bill's favorite breakfast spot in the city: Sam's Morning Glory Diner. "Sam's Morning Glory Diner- The Finer Diner." It's  finer all right. They have this wonderful spiced ketchup there that they put in green glass bottles. Yummy in my tummy.

Family Weekend

This weekend Bill's family came to visit for a concert. Saturday morning I went on a few house tours in Passyunk Square East for my City Paper interior design post, The Great Indoors. I've covered a few other neighborhood open house tours but never has a series of homeowners been so nice or excited to have their homes featured! I hate snobby people who spend a ton of money on their homes and then feel really "private" about them. I love showing off my home and don't understand those who don't. But to each his own....

Anyway, I met up with Bill and his parents after the home tours and we went to Eastern State Penitentiary for their tour. Their haunted house clogs our streets but their unlimited free neighbor passes make up for it. They have a wonderful audio tour there (hosted by none other than Steve Buscemi) so if you haven't gone and live in the area- GO!

Afterwards, we started a mega chili cooking fest that aimed at feeding nine people. I got this yummy two-tomato chili recipe from Better Homes and Gardens which was the perfect meal for feeding tons on a chilly fall day.

photo courtesy of bhg.com

Then the fam came- Bill's two sisters, little brother and his brother-in-law, along with our good friend Sarah. After loading up on chili and some beautiful roasted veggies courtesy of Bill's mom (which I am kicking myself for not getting a picture of), we headed to the Academy of Music to see Amos Lee and Brett Dennen. Amos Lee is incredible in general but his voice and his massive band - which included a string ensemble this time- fill up a large space with so much energy. I like Dennen but he was better suited for a smaller venue. The family clan all seemed to love Amos too.

A very tiny Brett Dennen 

The Academy of Music's incredible ceiling 

My apologies for the crappy iPhone pics. No cameras were allowed so I had to sneak pics.

Today, Bill and I have kept it pretty simple, doing some work, riding bikes (plural because he rode two different bikes while I rode none), and making poached chicken soup.

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My folks had a livelier Sunday, however. My dad is on vacation so my parents are spending some quality, and fun, time together this weekend. Today, they headed into the city (St. Louis, that is) for a jazz brunch at Lola's. They are just such cool kids! 

My dad looking like a cool beatnik 

My mom looking like the Bloody-Mary's are really good :-) 

Finally Fall

After some warm weather and then an October snow, I was pretty sure we were going to have falling green leaves and no autumnal splendor at all.

But Friday brought this to our street...

I believe its time for a little Etta James...

Bill and Meg's Lehigh Adventure

Bill and I went hiking Sunday at Lehigh Gap. The hills there were used in zinc mining so at the top of the East hill/mountain/giant land mass, it's all rocks and no vegetation. The short hike winds through trees and over giant rocks (and in our case, some construction sites) until you get to the top which presents some amazing views of the Gap and the Lehigh River.

We also had some great left over Bobbies (Thanksgiving dinner on a hoagie) thanks to Rob. We happily ate them up under an evergreen while sitting next to a bear hole and hiding from obnoxious fellow hikers/high school students throwing things off rocks.

The sandwich I ate was THIIIIISS big

Halloween Party!

Last weekend we invited some of our friends for a Halloween party at our new (well, new-ish) apartment. I spent WAY too much time decorating the place. Several times I've tried to save money by making something myself and just end up spending a ridiculous amount of time instead. This was one of those times. I never want to cut out a paper bat again...

Oh, and did I mention we had snow? Snow! In October! I might be one of the only people in Philadelphia's history to have a Halloween party threatened by snow.

Our creepy potions and spooky decor! 

Our costumed guests... 

The recently engaged Timmy and Anna as American Gothic... or Pennsylvania Amish... or Little House on the Prairie 

Bill's siblings Sam and Jon (grey and red shirts) managing the spiked cider with

Rob and Jess

Greg as Popeye, Holly as a pirate and Rejoice as the Morton Salt Girl- which is a pretty awesome costume choice. 

John and Mandy as the late, great MJ and his Thriller lady lover. They showed off their Thriller dance  moves after coming back from a Thriller dance class. Yeah, they have mad skills.

Bill and I are cult classic movie characters. He's Hunter S. Thompson/Raoul Duke from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and I'm Marla Singer from Fight Club. Bill does not have a tumor and he did not name it after me. I just like Fight Club. 

Before the party, a few of us went to Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary. It's a haunted attraction inside a real prison that is half a block away from us. Check out my article about it here

Reading left to right: Jon, Sam, me, Bill, Jess and Rob