Never let it be said I am not dedicated to my girls, darlings!!!!!! Here I am sitting, with a functional (which I hope it stays) migraine, because I just have to tell you all about the amazing weekend Monsieur and I had in the scenic wilds of Pennsylvania.
Let me just say something. Pennsylvania has always been known as "the Keystone State," but if they do not watch out, they are going to become "the movie history state," because, who knew ex-Baby Jane, Julie Allred, was living not that far from my sister in Blue Bell?????? Not to mention Downingtown, which is where some of the 1958 classic "The Blob" was shot, especially the famous movie theater scene, with that theater still standing. I saw it with my own eyes, loves. And somewhere in the area lives the guy who devised the globby mass that was immortalized onscreen as "The Blob," and he still owns it, and keeps it in his garage!!!!!!!!!!! I bet it makes appearances sometimes at the annual Blob Festival in Summer. I have got to get down there, sometimes.
Near my sister's residence is an eatery that was used in M. Night Shyamalan's 2008 film, "The Happening," and just a few neighborhoods over is where much of "The Lovely Bones" was filmed, including the house where Stanley Tucci's character, serial killer George Harvey, lived. I am told people are still riding past that house, and, darlings, you better believe I want to see it!!!!!!!
So, there is more to Pennsylvania than Philly cheese steak, and some high end colleges. Well, this weekend, Monsieur and I were down there to visit my father, who is currently in residence at Villa St. Martha, not far from Downingtown (and my nephew, Jonathan, his wife, and their children!!!!), which is so bucolic and charming, that, honey, Monsieur and I are ready to move in there right away. But how can I, darlings, when I am still an ingenue??????
First, we had to contend with the Bus Trip From Hell. We managed to make the 6PM Bieber bus out of New York City, to Norristown, but it was so jam packed, with everyone listening to their crappy music and voicing their personal business on their phones and texters, which, I, for one, could not give a hoot about, any more than I would expect them to give a hoot about mine, unless they read it on here!!!!!!!! At least we had air, and it gave me a chance to rest, because, let me tell you, when you travel by bus at night, those overhead lights do NOT offer enough illumination to read by. And Norristown--what a burg!!!!!! The pizza places and laundromats are the classiest spots in town!!!!!! It is like a Pennsylvania version of Goat Alley, except the different regional architectural styles make it somewhat more picturesque.
We arrived at my sister's palatial manse in Audubon, where we were served homemade chicken, and ham and rice, soup. I must get those recipes, or maybe, Monsieur should, since he is the cook in the household. I mean, I can whip up something when time warrants it, but I am much better spotting social deviants, which I have picked up from my reading, and constant viewings of "Law And Order."
After a comfortable night, we arose, whereupon I had my absolutely crucial coffee, and before we knew it, we were on the road to Villa St. Martha. Its charm is inescapable, and so is the fetid heat in my father's apartment; being elderly, he feels the cold more, so he has to keep the temp up, so he thinks, which it often is, at 75 or 76 degrees. Who needs a sauna, darlings, when you can just go right here?????
My father said he had some gift certificates from Christmas he wanted to put to use, so it was decided to journey to the World Famous King Of Prussia Mall, which Monsieur was SO excited about going to. Which tells me, I have to get him out more, because there is really nothing that exciting about going to a mall. Though, having seen this one over the years usually at Christmas time, I will say they do themselves proud, decoratively, during that Season. This was one of the few times I was there out of said season.
I know times are hard, so it was sad to see some corridors actually closed down!!!!!! And, would you believe, not a single book or music store in the place???????? God forbid if one was a teenager; what would you do there??????? No wonder teen misbehavior is on the rise, when even the malls don't prove focal points of interest, anymore!!!!!!
We walked just about every inch of that place, at my father's 96-year-old insistence. My back was near broke. I was EMOTIONALLY exhausted, when we were done, though the day was capped off by a visit to a nearby Barnes and Noble, where I managed to purchase a copy of Ann Patchett's "The Patron Saint Of Liars," and Eleanor Henderson's novel, "Ten Thousand Saints" which turned up on the New York Times' Ten Best List, last year!!!!!!!!!! Monsieur, at the mall, bought the most charming Snow White spatula!!!!!!!!!!!! Too bad I could not find one with the Wicked Queen!!!!!!!!
But why would I need that, with the amount of wicked queens I know???????
From there, we lounged at my sister's, where I at least got my daily dose of "Law And Order," and Stephanie March!!!!!!!!!!!! We dined at Bertucci's, a local Italian spot that is one of the hot places to go on Saturday night, because it was packed!!!!!! We didn't have to wait that long, though (maybe they knew I was the Raving Queen), and the meal there was superb. Monsieur and I shared a Caesar Salad (but he ate the anchovies!!!!!!) while, for the main course, he had a pasta dish, while I opted for the Filet Mignon with potatoes and asparagus. And a glass of red wine, because, darlings, after being walked off my feet by my supposedly geriatric father, I needed a DRINK!!!!!!!!! My father had Eggplant Parmigiana, which was not breaded, which you do not see in THIS town, let me tell you--and it is more healthy. My sister had grilled chicken in balsamic dressing, which was what I was thinking of ordering, but will next time. The veggies were roasted and crisp, which proved to be discomfiting for my father, who, harking back to the 50's, likes everything boiled to mush with the flavor removed. The way all us baby boomers were raised on cooked veggies!!!!!!! No wonder so many of us, including yours truly, did not like them, as children!!!!!!!! After a meal like that, who could eat desert, but you better believe I had my coffee when we got home!!!! That is, after returning my father to Villa St. Martha, where, despite being glad for the visit with us, I feel he was genuinely glad to return to. And while he walked, I noticed he does so a bit slower. It is like up here he is accepting his age, because here he is allowed to accept it, whereas, while in Florida, he had to put up this act of the independent man who could do everything on his own!!!!!!! And it was getting to be a tough act to maintain!!!!!
He seems happy, for which I am grateful. So far, neither I nor anyone has heard from him a longing to be back in Florida!!!!!!!! Thank God!!!!!!!!!
How did the rest of the weekend fare???????????????
Monsieur and I bussed back to the city, where we rested, I attended Mass at Dignity, where I was welcomed by many I had not seen, and where I learned,sadly we are soon to lose our wonderful choir director, who has only been with us about two and one half years!!!!!!!! Nuts!!!!!!!!!!!
I returned home to a nice meal with Monsieur, television, bed, and a whole new week at hand. Is it any wonder I have a migraine, between traveling through two states, and all the running around we did?????????
It was worth it, darlings!!!!!!!!!! And it is all in the way of being the Raving Queen!!!!!!!!!
See you on the next excursion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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