I can’t thank you enough for discovering my Philly Chit Chat blog this year. I can’t believe that over 30,000 people have stopped by to check it out. I try and keep it pictorial and not too overly personal with my feelings, but I will be making an exception with this last entry on 2007.
I’ve always been interested things, events and people. I like to photograph all three. I lived in NYC for 18 months on a work assignment. I discovered celebrity photography. My friends were tired of getting my emails with a dozen attachments, they suggested I start a blog, which turned out to be very popular as I posted an entry a day and told people what it was like to be a paparazzi (although I was really a fan shooting celebrities for most of the time I wrote it) http://www.confessionsofapaparazzi.com/ . Then in October 2006 I broke a couple big stories on the blog, which were picked up by People, Us, MTV and MSNBC referencing my blog, and then was hired by a photo agency.
When I returned to Philly in Dec 06. It was depressing, no more nightly celebrity events or interesting people to shoot or I thought. My friend Phyllis took me to a party in Feb 07. I met the incomparable, social butterfly Thom Cardwell (center)
who began taking me to events to photograph. I re-discovered Philadelphia and the people that make it interesting. I started Philly Chit Chat, a blog about Philly people, events and things (with a celebrity thrown in here or there; in 2008 more celebs will make there way in, I am seriously ending Confessions as an everyday blog, as I want to focus on Philly Chit Chat, although I will still be going to NYC to shoot events, just posting them in Philly, because heck I’m from Philly and that’s Philly enough for the blog – LOL)
OK here comes the fun part. I made a list at the begining of the year and I have to say I did everything I wanted except for one thing.
So let’s recap:
1) I shot my first professional gigs on a red carpet at a movie premiere in Philly & NYC (Rocky & Georgia Rules) 
2) I was published in the Daily News (Angie Everhart & Vince Fumo March 07) 
and in the Phila Inquirer (First time: Barry Manilow and back-up singers Sept 07)
3) I broke a few Philly stories including the waxing of William Penn and the Zoning Notice regarding the PNB Bldg (and I have had to hold back more than a dozen things as people asked me not to write about it)
4) I shot both Philly Film Festivals and met some of the Philly Photographers
5) I photographed my favorite singers Bruce Springsteen & Bono (September)
6) I changed Photo Agencies and began getting published nationally and internationally with WENN (September)
7) I got a Press Pass in Philly (October)
8) I was published in People Magazine online [October] (This shot taken in NYC)
And in the glossy US Magazine in November (This shot taken in Philly)
9) I met the most interesting people, attended some great parties and events
Monica Malpass, Mary Patel, Thom Cardwell and Friend
The New Generation Media Giants – Matt Ray, HX magazine; James Duggan, QUEERtimes, and Steve McCann of PhillyGayCalendar
Blog Convention – Joey Sweeney seminar
I met two of my favorite Philadelphians – Sharon Pinkenson and DJ/QZine Robert Drake 
10) I will be getting published in Where Magazine, a publication that I’ve handed out at the Visitor’s Office of City Hall when I have volunteered there.
11) I attended Mark Segal’s Holiday Party and saw some of Philly’s politicians sing the 12 Days of Christmas (I wasn’t allowed to take photos, so I didn’t). I had always read about this party in Stu Bykoskey’s column and really wanted to go someday
12) I lived through insulting the Clay Aiken fans who left over 60 messages in the comment section.
13) I kept my day job and didn’t get fired pursuing my paparazzi passion (in NYC & Philly), got very little sleep, and my heart still beats at only 50 bpm so I am not too stressed out yet.
***Thank you to Mike, My family, 
Katie & Simon for their couch in NYC, my friends in NYC, Margarita, Carmen, Luisa, Kenny, Doug, Vincent, Demis and Cara, and my Philly friends Phyllis, Thom, James, Mary Patel, MK, DG, Philebrity, Gilbert, Paul, John, Amtrak, Greyhound and to my readers; Thank you, thank you thank you and Happy New Year!!
P.S. I never got published in the Metro Newspaper. I tried, and I tried and I tried. They just rather pull their photos from the AP wire. Shows how local they want to be.
“What are you doing, why are you handcuffing me, are you arresting me, why are you arresting me?”, “I just made a wrong turn, just help me push my car around”
NOTE TO READER: At this point Houdini has escapes from her handcuffs, this happened twice to the crowds delights and cheers. She was so clueless she didn’t realize how serious it was that she kept slipping out of the handcuffs.
This time the officer really made them tight. They dumped her stuff out from her purse, and asked her why she had a knife. She I don’t drive in the City, but I know there are a lot of murders going on and I needed to protect myself. “OH why are these so tight, they hurt”, the cop tells her “look if you can get out of these I will give you $100 bucks, and you’ll need that money”; She just kept repeating “Are you arresting me, why are you arresting me?”
Then the officer takes her over to the car and says, look drinking and driving is dangerous. You could have killed someone when you drove through the park. Look at what you did, here is your car more than a block away from where you drove in, and you have been drinking. 
I asked the tow truck driver if he was impounding the car. “No we only impound the car if it was a “Live Stop” and her license, insurance or registration was invalid. Her’s were fine.” What will happen is he will find drop the car off on the first available spot on the street, and when she’s release she can make the arrangements to remove it. If she gets too many tickets, we will boot it and then impound it.
OK these guys are the last people I want to see a week away from Nutrisystem morning noon and night, they are affiliated with Fusion Gym, which I never heard of, but love the name. This is what I read about it: Awarded Best Gym in Philadelphia Magazine’s Best of Philly 2007 fusion is a structured fitness studio for group and personal training that delivers the essential guidance, motivation, and support customers need to get and stay fit via a holistic approach that addresses HEART, MUSCLE and MIND 
OK hmm all around and Zelinda with the red hair, no more walking home girl!! Then it was off to the Cashman bash, where I would see a lot of these people over there, which would explain the convenience of the party times. 2 -5:30PM, and then 6 – 9PM, but it was still kicking when I left at 9:30PM
If you are a long time reader of Philly Chit Chat or my other blog 
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow 
The layout of the resturaunt was smooth, plus the decor and the private booths along this hallway were an oasis, ok I think they did that on purpose and it works. I still have two more parties, that’s right two more parties until Sunday. So I will be posting those events, and do a real time sappy Christmas blog entry and then tie up loose ends for the year, tell you about the f**king awesome year I had, thank the people that made it happen, and what I hope to do next year.
The room at the Westin was really beautiful this year.
Last year’s room; I think the Westin got a better decorator cause that pink rug had to go and the room looks so much better now
Here are two of my favorites Brett and Helen Gym Flaherty. Brett is an outstanding attorney, a great dad and an amazing athlete, but Helen is the savior of children every where. I first met Helen back when she championed the effort to keep the stadiums out of Chinatown, an issue my life partner was also concerned with. Another cause Helen near to her heart is education. Recently on Frontline she was quoted as saying, “Education is not a business. At some point, quality of education and the concept of profit will conflict and that quality of public education will suffer.” Brett and Helen are the proud parents of three children, and I am going to find a house for them in Fairmount so they can be my neighbors and I can see them more often.
Some of my closest friends that I still keep in touch with weekly or monthly. Diane, Sharon, Jeff, beautiful Maryanne, Todd and Celeste (missing Susan, Marcy, Sonia and Barry)
April and her friend
Kevin, the invincible Sheila and April getting their groove on
One of the best litigation attorney’s (and a mighty good dancer to boot) Sherrie Savett and husband, radio host and former senator, Bob Rovner
She’s bringing sexy back
Thanks to John, Mark and Berger for throwing another great shindig
Mike and our friend Jeff plead their case to Santa in hopes that he won’t give them coal again this year.
Bob Kelly was there, it was great catching up. He used to go hunting with my dad.
Jimmy Burt and the Flyers Alumni – Bob Kelly, Gary Dornhoeffer and the great Bernie Parent!!
Santa’s Helpers
My boss Joe, Bernie Parent (I went to school with his son Chuck and also got to tell him that I picked up “The Secret”, after he recently mentioned in an article that it changed his life), Gary Dornhoffer and Mrs Burt.
Hat Trick!! I had no idea that fans threw their hats on the rink when someone gets a Hat Trick. It was amazing to see.
Rebecca won a chance to ride the Zamboni between periods
He shoots, he scores!!
Then it was sudden death, and we lost by some fluke 
It seem to land on his shoulder, and the fans started cheering with our win, but when he stood up the puck fell into the goal. 
It didn’t matter, it was a fun night all around. It’s always nice to see your co-workers with their families and to catch up. OK but that parking lot craziness has got to go, I can see why public transportation is the way to go.
