Happy Monday Morning, so glad the weather alarmist were wrong and it didn’t snow on the beautiful cherry trees which have begun to blossom.

I’m on my way to DC later this week and am excited to see their Cherry Blossoms bloom for the first time. I’m being hosted by Capitol Hill Hotel. They have a very interesting Election Year deal going on that they want me to experience. You can follow my exploration of DC via their twitter @CapHillHotel  as I take over their account next weekend.

Oklahoma Thunder’s Russell Westbrook was in town last week to play against the Sixers on Friday. Thursday was a big day for Westbrook. He stopped by the True Religion store at 1604 Walnut St to check out his new like of tshirts and sweat pants. (shot from video he posted) Later that night he got lucky at SugarHouse Casino. On Friday he made a sweet 1 handed dunk to Thundering past the Sixers in a final score of 111 to 97.

 

 

Fast forward a month and the babies are born and ready to be fed, see that fish dad dropped off yesterday morning.

I’ve been lucky enough to catch a few of the eaglets feedings. They are so adorable.

Happy 2nd Day of Spring, and 2nd day of Macy’s Annual Flower Show. This year’s theme America The Beautiful.There’s lot to see, smell and a few things on the schedule to participate in.

 Macy’s started setting up the displays and planting the flowers in the shoe department on Thursday.

Macy’s Center City Philadelphia
Greek Hall, 3rd Floor
1300 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-241-9000
Get Directions

Calling All Bakers – 5:30PM – March 22

Join
Macy’s Center City for a private baking class! Our specialty pastry
chefs will give you their insider tips to making the perfect apple pie!
With the purchase of a $20 ticket*, you will receive a $10 Macy’s gift
card**, access to the class featuring in-depth instruction, recipes and
your very own mini pie plate to take home. All you need to bring is
yourself and your appetite! Purchase your ticket at
MacysCCBakingClass.Eventbrite.com! Plus, with any $25 Macy’s purchase
made the day of the event, you’ll receive** a floral inspired coloring
book!

Event subject to change or cancellation. *Ticket purchase necessary for
entry. $20 Ticket purchase valid for 1 customer entry. Ticket purchase
is non-refundable. **Gift card valid until 4/3/2016 and will be
distributed at event check-in.

Good Saturday morning. It’s a good day for progress as the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA)  imploded the outdated high-rises to make room for low-rise townhouses.

Built in the late 1960s, 2100 people lived in the Norman Blumberg high-rises; the 18-story buildings, the Judson and Hemberger Towers. There was also 15
barrack-style buildings and another tower for senior citizens. All of them were taken down except the senior citizen building.

 In it’s place PHA will build units townhouse-style buildings, and PHA will has also developed a plan to create a retail coordinate in efforts to revitalize the neighborhood.

 The PHA website has more information on the project HERE.

Front row viewing

 This year’s event boasts support from Apple Vacations, Citrin Cooperman, Del Frisco’s, Digital Benefit Advisors, DTI, ECBM, Golf Performance Institute, Help Me PCS, Iron Mountain, Jersey Man Magazine, Magna Legal Services, Robbini Bespoke, Rock Avenue Bow-Ties, Savills Studley, Signarama Center City, ToBox, West Capital Management, and Weston Fitness.  

 

The Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia is a celebration of Israeli culture, with the aim of enriching the American vision of Israeli culture and society through film. Each season, a slate of feature films and documentaries are selected to provide a diverse and impartial reflection of Israel. Last weekend the opening of the Israeli Film Festival took place at the International House, and PhillyChitChat photographer Mike Hirata headed out there and grabbed a few shots.

Every so often I tell this story, an amazing true story that happened to my family on St. Patrick’s Day in 2005, the day we buried my father at sea, at his favorite fishing hole. I’m just going to copy and paste it here from the first time I wrote it in 2005. My nephew is now grown up so I changed his name for his protection.

Today marks the 4 year anniversary since we spread my dad’s ashes in the Florida Keys as per his wishes. My father died suddenly at their house in Florida May 3, 2004. I like to mark this anniversary with this story each year: (Originally written March 23, 2005)Last Thursday, on St. Patrick’s Day, we celebrated my father’s life by spreading his ashes about 2 miles off the Florida Keys (he had died unexpectedly the year before in an accident at this house). It was a beautiful ceremony. We had a St. Patrick’s Day memorial party with his friends, no grandchildren, in the afternoon at the house on the water as dad had requested.

In the evening (about 9PM) the family (including the under 15 set who were not at the house during the day) gathered on the patio to enjoy mom’s key lime pie and other desserts by CANDLELIGHT. My nephew Peter (not his real name) was the only grandchild to join us on the patio as the other kids ate inside watching TV. Peter is a little over 2.5 years old (he had only met my dad about a handful of times as his family lived in another state) He wasn’t a big talker yet, but he could usually put a word or two together, and knows sign language for the important words like Eat, Food and Drink. (This was one of the last pictures I took of dad at their house in NJ with my mom and nephew Peter)

Peter had never been to my parents house in Florida, and this particular night was the first time he was even at the house at all as we all rented houses on a different parts of the island and had dinner at one another’s house the previous nights.  As we sat around the table on the patio, talked about the next day’s plans. PETER suddenly stood up from sitting on the ground and points into the darkness towards the water where my dad’s boat use to be docked (the boat was not there, as mom sold it right after dad died,) and states “POP-POP, boat.” He says this a few times. He goes on to say Pop-pop, minnow. “Pop-pop, home” “Pop-pop hello.” “No bait to fish”.

A very emotional Mom then asked me to go get a photo of dad and give it to Peter’s dad. His dad, pointed to the photo and says to Peter, “Who is this? Peter said Pop-pop.” Peter where is pop-pop? And then Peter pointed towards where the stern (back) of the boat would be, and where my dad spent many hours tinkering.

As time went on, things got quiet and Peter went back to being quiet and staring into the darkness, my sister Tracy said to me that it was like the movie the Sixth-Sense, I leaned over to her and said “Can Peter see dead people?”. (I don’t think Peter heard me, but his mother came over and tapped me on the head and looked at me with a disapproving look.)

THEN Peter jumps up and happily states, as he was raising his arms in the air like he was going to do a cheer, “NO ONE is DEAD,” “NO ONE is DEAD,” “No Sad, No one Dead,” Don’t be scared, No one dead, Pop-pop is Home.” After about a minute or two he stopped and began playing patty cake with Pop-pop? Then he played hide and go seek, even stating BOO a few times. Then he walked to the far (and less lit) side of the patio, about 25 feet from where we were all sitting, to where the empty hammock was. He then started pushing the hammock with TWO HANDS gleefully squealing “WHEEEEEE WHEEEEE ISNT THIS FUN….” Finally running back to where we were sitting stunned, Peter stated one last time “NO ONE DEAD, DON’T BE SAD” “Pop-pop HOME”

The Flower Show has come and gone. It was amazing how much it offered for $30 plus a ticket. I went three times this year, still didn’t make it to the retail section to buy anything. This year again, the PHS asked me to be a judge of the Flower Show Blooming Windows. That’s where area retailers decorate their windows inspired by the theme of the flower show. This year’s theme was National Parks. I love participating in this. I love to see everyone’s creativity. Not all photos of the windows were posted online, but I uploaded all of the ones that were.

I also wanted to include a few photos from my tried with Alex Holley and Mina Say What to the show last week. So I just combined them.

Alex Holley, Fox29, Mina Say What, Power 99 and I headed to the Flower Show last Wednesday. It was the first time the gals had visited, and they were shocked at how PACKED the place was in the middle of the day. We needed help navigating the show, and as luck would have it Alex found a National Park Ranger nearby.

 

 

Runner Up: Adolf Biecker – Did you know the Edgar Allen Poe house is party of the National Park system. I really wanted this to win, but I think it scared the other two judges.

Good Tuesday morning. Hope you’re week is going well even with this horrible weather.

Kathryn Ott Lovell, PPR Commissioner , Eagles Connor Barwin,  Mayor Jim Kenney and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) announced open registration for the Spring 2016 TreePhilly Yard Tree Giveaways. The giveaways, hosted in partnership with the Fairmount Park Conservancy and TD Bank, are open to property owners to obtain and plant up to two free trees in a yard or lawn on private property.  Registration is open through April 10, and a variety of species are available, including large shade trees, small flowering trees, and fruit trees.  New this year, TreePhilly is announcing a Philly “Tree Trek,” a social
media contest in which one lucky winner will be chosen to have
Philadelphia Eagle Connor Barwin
help plant their tree. Participants can follow Philly’s Celebri-Tree,
“Bud”, on social media as he explores Philadelphia landmarks before he
finds his forever home.  Residents can enter the #PhillyTreeTrek social
media contest on Twitter, Instagram and Vine (@TreePhilly).
Residents can register to pick up their
free yard tree at one of four (4) special giveaway events across the
City in April (sites and dates below). Detailed information on all
available species can be found at www.treephilly.org,
and participants can choose their species when they register online or
over the phone. Registration is strongly encouraged, but walk-ins will
be welcomed at the end of each event while supplies last. Participants
will also receive a planting and care demonstration provided by tree
experts, free mulch, and educational materials.

The citywide yard tree giveaway events and locations are as follows:

•  South Broad TD Bank store (2201 S Broad St., 19148), Sat. April 9th, 10am-12pm
• Aramingo TD Bank store (2267 E Butler St., 19137), Sun. April 10th, 12pm-2pm
• Frankford Avenue TD Bank store (6635 Frankford Ave., 19135), Sat. April 16th, 10am-12pm
• Woodhaven TD Bank store (3930 Woodhaven Rd., 19154), Sun. April 17th, 12pm-2pm

  “Thanks to TreePhilly, residents have become passionate about planting
  and caring for trees. We look forward to working over the next three
  years with TD Bank as a corporate partner,” said PPR Commissioner
  Kathryn Ott Lovell.

Earlier this month the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) hosted their annual dinner at the Marriott Hotel with nearly 500 supporters. This year HRC moved to a bigger venue, as the demand to attend continues to grow. Snap!’s Thea Austin with 90s hits “Rhythm is the Dancer” “The Power”, Jim Obergefell – the plaintiff at the heart of a Supreme Court case , Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, and the L Word’s Katherine Moennig were guests of honor.

Did I mention lots of fashionable, attractive gay men, friends and the ladies. Liz Bakom, Chris Labonte, Greg Drey ( When he’s not at Fishtown Social, you can find him at Starbucks. Last week the barista at his fav coffee spot gave him what I would call a most unique pick up line: “This morning my barista told me I have gorgeous lashes. I guess drinking all that Latisse paid off!” ) and Marvin Rocha

OUT at Borgata: Gay Atlantic City,