A Quick Stop in Philly

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I left Rio for New York's JFK, and got through customs fast enough that I thought I could probably catch an earlier Boltbus from Penn Station to Philadelphia's 30th Street station than the one I'd booked, ut I ended up spending quite a while helping a Brazilian woman with limited English skills figure out how to use the AirTrain and New York subway. I spoke to her (and an MTA janitor) in Spanish, and managed to get her headed in the right direction and with the right Metrocard, just in time to catch the LIRR to Penn Station from Jamaica Station, except the doors on the train were closed a couple of minutes early, even though the train was just sitting there. So, I was a few minutes too late for the earlier bus. No matter, I used the extra time to hit up the Duane Reed and Payless Shoes and do the shopping I was planning on doing in Philly. I also at probably the best egg and bagel sandwich I'd ever had. I don't know if I was just hungry, or if I really missed bagels, or it was really just that good, but I regret not going back for a second one.

I got on the Boltbus and met my mom and Jay at the 30 Street Station. Since my phone wouldn't charge, I was fortunate to have a few quarters in my backpack, which I had actually been annoyed to be carrying around accidentally over the last several weeks. Sometimes things just work out. So, I used a *gasp* payphone. Yes, they still exist in some places in the good ol' US of A. I missed it.

We headed over to my old digs in Manayunk, met up with Karen and later Mike, I did some unpacking, laundry, and repacking, and went to Target to get me an iPod (they were out). So, we headed over to the law school, since I promised my mom I'd let her take a few photos of me there before I graduated. Then we headed over to the Penn computing store and picked up that iPod. Would have been nice to have for the other travels, but I really was getting it in anticipation of my distance-learning bar study course which requires an iPod.

We headed to lunch/dinner at Monks, my favorite restaurant in Philly. Yum. Muscles, burgers, and the best Belgian beer menu maybe in the world. Yum again.

And then, it was off to Israel, where I would land the next afternoon, in time for Shabbat dinner with the family.

No photos for this entry, guys. But I promise some more soon.

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