Philadelphia Street Art

Apparently, Philadelphia is overflowing with street art. I was recently reading a Philly blog that was talking about specific ongoing projects and one of those is called STIKMAN. I was very interested in finding a STIKMAN after reading about the project but didn't really think I would ever find one. To my great surprise, I found one our very own Manayunk. They range in size from quite small to large as a person and they are made from a variety different materials. You can read more about the STIKMAN project here. http://www.woostercollective.com/2005/09/25-week/

Check out the one I found.



Philadelphia also has another street art project going on right now. I noticed it while I was running the other day in Manayunk. I happened to see a little soldier that children play with that was painted pink and glued to fence along the path. I didn't think anything of it until I stumbled on a website where people had been posting pictures of pink men they found in Philadelphia. It looks like they’re part of something called the Phantom Soldier Meditation Project. Apparently there are 3,764+ of them scattered throughout the Philadelphia. And, I assume it’s not a coincidence that the number of American war dead was at that number just a few months ago, when the campaign started. It is really an incredible reminder of the cost of this war.

We have found around 8 Pink Soldiers so far and are keeping our eyes our for more. Here are the pictures I took of them.



Here is a picture of the sign explaining the art project.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1377/1367548639_0c519f1538.jpg?v=0

If you are interested in learning more about street art around the country and world, check out this website. They have some really fascinating projects all over the world and very creative and artistic.

http://www.woostercollective.com/

Wow I am not so good at this

Well apparently I haven't been as good at keeping up with my blog now that school/work has started. I knew I would be busy, but I find all my down time being spent with my community...which is how it should be. I really enjoy spending time with the other five individuals I live with and we find a variety of different things to do.

I am also still pretty consumed with running. Sara and I have been running faithfully for months now and we are nearing the end. We only have three runs left. I can't believe the marathon is only a week away, but honestly I am really glad to be done with such a strict schedule. It will also be great to see many of the other Lasallian Volunteers who are also running and coming to watch. In total I think there is 15-20 of us running.

Running hasn't actually been all that bad. Bud has really been sprucing things up for Sara and I after our mid-week long runs. Normally, our community has dinner together at 6pm Monday-Thursday, but Sara and I have been missing dinner on Wednesday so we can complete these runs together because they tend to be on the long side (anywhere from 5-10 miles depending on the week). After our first mid-week long run where we missed dinner, we came back to find that the kitchen table was set for us and dinner was staying warm in the oven. It made a good run even better knowing that our community was thinking about us. Not only was the table set and dinner ready, but Bud also made a wonderful centerpiece for our dinner. It was a great pick me up, and the centerpieces only got better as the weeks rolled on. I only have pictures of two centerpieces, but they are great. They are pictured below in order....mind you the second one is the best!!!

Week 1 - A tribute to well of course running and also the many blisters both Sara and I were getting. If you look closely you can see "blisters" on the cactus.



Week 2 - This needs some explaining...see Bud started referring to our sports bras as sand traps. Long explanation, but needless to say it stuck. He then made a artistic representation for us....hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

It's Running Time

Well the time to the Chicago Marathon is getting smaller and smaller each day. I am in the midst of the week in which I will run 40 miles. I have four runs this week in this order 5 miles, 10 miles, 5 miles, and 20 miles. Basically, I will be committing about 10-12 hours of my life this week to running....just running...that's all. When I think about it, it makes me go a little crazy, but I realize how much I do enjoy running and that the ultimate goal is worth it...not only finishing a marathon but also raising money for the Lasallian Volunteers.

The above picture was taken just before my 10 mile run on Wednesday night. Surprisingly, it was probably the best run I have had since training began. The weather was beautiful. My body felt good and I ran like the wind was pushing me at my back. I finished the run with a great time and I still had a great amount of energy. It was the first time that I really felt like I could finish the marathon. I always have a run like this close to the finish of marathon training. I was beginning to get worried because I have not had a good run in a long time, so despair was starting to set in. But for a nice long run I knew I could do it and the goal of finishing another marathon was attainable. There is nothing better than believing in yourself fully even if for something like running.

I also have a few updates regarding the Chicago Marathon in relation to tracking me while I am running. First off, for those of you who tracked me last year via email or text messaging on your cell phone...well you can do it again...and for you newbies I am going to explain how to track me right now. All you have to do is click on the link below. From there, you can sign up for runner tracking. The runner tracking system gives you the option of receiving email updates or text messages when the runners you are tracking cross the splits which are located at 15K, Half, 35K, and the finish. I had many friends and family do this last year and it really worked out. The only problem is that it doesn't send the text messages or email updates (depending on which method you choose) immediately. Some might come fairly quickly and then the final Finish time might not come until an hour after I finish the race. It isn't perfect but my friends/family that couldn't make the marathon last year enjoyed getting the updates on my progress and seeing my times.

Here is the link

http://www.doitsports.com/results/MSG-signup.tcl?sub_event_id=2161

Secondly, I wanted to give everyone an update on fundraising. As of today, I have raised $350 towards my goal of $1,000. I am hoping to get closer to my goal, but I am also excited with what I have raised so far. Also, the Lasallian Volunteers as a whole have raised $9,518.98!!! Our ultimate goal is $26,200. We have a long way to go, but we are slowly getting support in from around the country. It is exciting to watch not only our progress as runners but also as we raise money towards our goal. If you think about us this week, say a prayer or send good thoughts our way or do whatever it is you do to support people as we run 20 miles this weekend. It is our longest run before the marathon and one that most dread from the beginning of training.

One final note - After my fantastic 10 mile run on Wednesday with Sara, Bud and Leo (two of my Brothers) had prepared a wonderful dinner for us and set the table for us upon our return since we had missed our community dinner because of running that evening. It pretty much capped a great day. The pictures of our table and us eating are below.

525,600 Stairs

Ok...I love the RENT Musical. I think the music is great and it has a great message. Well since I moved to Philadelphia, I often feel like I am living the famous RENT Song, 525,600 Minutes. Why you may ask? Well because I live on the 3rd floor (or the Penthouse as Sara calls it) and I have something like 32 stairs to climb before I get up to my floor. About 3/4 of the way through the second set my quads and calf muscles start burning like none other and sometimes I think I might not make it. It is even worse when I have laundry because you have the added weight along with less maneuverability and you can't see where you are going. Basically, what I am saying is that if I don't have great legs by the end of this year I am going to be disappointed. Climbing these stairs multiple times a day is bound to have an effect....right?

I thought I would share my stairs with each of you. If you are lucky enough maybe one day you can climb them too...

Staircase Number 1



Staircase Number 2



Now, at the top of our stairs, there is a drawing that Sara (my lucky Penthouse buddy) and I have affectionately given different names to. I call the painting Man on Fire and Sara calls it Man on Top of the Mountain. Either way he is our inspiration for when we get to the top of the stairs...almost like he is greeting us and congratulating us for making it. It is very motivational at times. You can probably see why we have different names for him if you look at the picture below. He is probably standing on top of a cliff with water behind him but hey...water...fire...it is pointless when you are climbing 525,600 stairs.



As a tribute to Man on Fire/Man on Top of the Mountain, Sara and I took a picture on the top of the mountain we climbed last week in upstate New York. This mountain was a 2 mile hike up pretty much on rocks the whole time...it was pretty tiring. We thought the picture would look nice in a frame sitting on the bookshelf at the top of the 2nd set of stairs. This way our smiling triumphant faces can greet us along with Man on Fire/Man on Top of the Mountain. Take a look...

It's Been A Long Time

Before I write anything, I need to commend my Michigan State Spartans for an impressive showing during their first two football games. It is a great start to the season when you know you have a much better record than Michigan and Notre Dame. Sparty and I give them a thumbs up. Go State!!!



Wow...I can't believe it has been so long since my last post. I have been up to quite a bit recently and therefore haven't had a chance to update this blog...so here goes with the short version of my past two weeks...pictures included.

By my count, I have been in five states over the last week including New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland. It was my first time to Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey so needless to say I was pretty excited. I also experienced the first of all first...a trip to New York City, but I am getting ahead of myself. Let me start where I left off about two weeks ago.

First - About two weeks ago the final member of our community joined us. Sara was on her vacation for the summer and joined us just in time for the start of the school year. I will give more detailed information about all community members as promised, but I have far too much to write currently. The below picture is Sara, Denis, and myself at Lasalle University's first football game of the year. It was a miserable game in which they lost 28-0. I love football and I was bored watching, but I did get a free t-shirt out of the deal (obviously the one in the picture). For anyone that really knows me, they will know a free t-shirt was worth it.



Second - After the miserable Lasalle football game, Sara, Denis, and I headed to Lake George in upstate New York to enjoy a weekend with other Lasallian Volunteers and some Brothers in an A-Frame. It was a great weekend of relaxing, riding in a canoe, watching the Sound of Music, playing games, and hiking up a mountain. But it was started and ended with a trip to Brooklyn. One of the volunteers didn't have a ride up, so we took a little detour and drove to NYC to pick her up. It was probably one of the best decisions we made during the weekend. We stayed in the Brothers community in Brooklyn which is beautiful for one night. They treated us to pizza and beer in their garden and great conversation. The Brothers sent us on the road the next morning with all sorts of great food and feeling very refreshed. We had such a great time that we are considering spending Thanksgiving in NYC. After leaving Brooklyn, we headed to the A-Frame which is right on the Hudson River. It was a great weekend overall. There is a slide show of pictures below for you to peruse. You will notice some great outdoor shots with some New York City flare including Yankee Stadium among others. If you can't view this slide show from your email, just click on the link to my blog and you can view it there.



Third - Myself and two of the Brothers in my community, Bud and Leo, headed to Northeast Philadelphia for a retreat. It was three days on getting to know one another and team building before we start the year at the Spiritual Center. I should probably clarify here because I am not sure I have thoroughly explained this. My job as a volunteer is split between two places, West Catholic High School and the Christian Brothers Spiritual Center. At West, I work in the Guidance Office and at the Spiritual Center, I work with Bud and Leo. We create and put on programs in our community for young adults. The focus is on spirituality, service, and social activities. So Bud, Leo and I headed on our retreat which was led by Sister Maria of the Sisters of Mercy. We stayed in the Sisters community and Maria led us through various activities everyday. It was really quite nice getting to know the Brothers and spending time in the Sister's beautiful home. The slide show below contains pictures from the week.

Also, some history I experienced over the week. The Sisters live in a home that was built by Rachel Avery who was part of the women's suffrage movement in the early 1900s. Rachel Avery was a personal friend and worked alongside Susan B. Anthony. When Susan B. Anthony would come to Philadelphia for meetings, she would stay in Rachel Avery's home (the house I was staying in). Maria was telling me this one night over dinner and I was quite intrigued. Come to find out that "Aunt Susan," as Rachel Avery referred to Susan B. Anthony, would stay in the pink room on the 3rd floor. Turns out I was staying in the pink room on the 3rd floor. It was really neat to be experiencing a piece of history like that. I included pictures of the room along with the house so you could experience the history with me. The dog in the pictures is Midas. He lives in the community as well.



Finally - I traveled done to Baltimore this weekend with Denis to hang out with some other volunteers and watch another pitiful Notre Dame game. It was nice to visit a new place and Baltimore has some really cute areas. We stayed the night with the volunteers and Brothers who live and work in Baltimore. They have a nice home which happens to be right next to a prison. I did not get any pictures of the prison. It was interesting because you can hear all sorts of noise coming from the prison from announcements over a loud speaker and also inmates yelling and what not. Friends and family often park outside the prison and yell to inmates on the inside. Apparently, it was someone's birthday the other night and a few cars pulled up to celebrate with their incarcerated friend/family member. I did not get to experience this while we stayed in the community but I did hear all the other noises. I don't have many pictures of this trip, but I did manage to get a few shots of Camden Yards.



I hope you have enjoyed this marathon of a blog entry. I am impressed with anyone that made it this far. If you did in fact read the whole blog, why don't you comment on what was your favorite part of my travels or something you thought that was interesting. I am eagerly awaiting your responses.