Our weekend together was really, really wonderful.  I married my best friend, the love of my life, and the person who knows me better than I know myself.  I miss him for so many reasons, even in the smallest ways.  Coffee in the morning.  A hand to hold.  How he makes me laugh (at myself, no less).  Sweet tenderness.  Cravings for chips and cheese at the exact same time.  Feeling short.  I could go on and on.

We did the “touristy” things — Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Christ’s Church, Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia Museum of Art.  We ate amazing food, including Alma de Cuba for restaurant week and this fantastic recipe for Cavatappi with Broccoli, Red Onions, and Garlic from grad school friend/colleague/fellow-FDR-researcher “Betty”!

We also had some of the best beer and mussels at Monk’s.  Steamed mussels with bacon and blue cheese?  Yum.  You must go there if you are ever in the area.

We also strolled along the banks of the Delaware River, enjoying the sunshine.  A great day.

JPJD left a few hours ago, but not before we indulged in some gelato.  Since “ice cream” is my man’s favorite meal of the day (yes, meal), we simply had to.

This “LOVE” sign is a familiar sight around Philadelphia.  ”The City of Brotherly Love” will become “The City of Married Love” this weekend!  JPJD arrives this afternoon and I can hardly contain my excitement.  I think I’ve told everyone I know here (which is a small number of people, but still).

I’ve been working away at my first research memo this week, resulting in many good “conversations” with former presidents.  I’m in 2011 now (I started in 1630) and am working my way through President Obama and the 2012 Republican Primary Candidates.  After about a hundred more speeches, I’ll do some editing, formating, and provide some “interesting observations” before sending it off.  It’s a major accomplishment.

And then, let the weekend commence!  We have plans for Independence Hall (maybe stream National Treasure on Netflix, too, just to set the scene?), the “Betsy Ross” House, Philadelphia Museum of Art, cheesesteaks, ice skating at Penn’s Landing, beer & mussels with AC and significant other, a lecture on Nixon at the school, church, Philly Restaurant Week, and watching tonight’s Republican debate together on cable (this is a big deal, people).  Oh, and sleeping in my tiny twin bed.  But I don’t think that will be a problem.

I’m a little brain-dead because I’m in the midst of keyword searching 2,351 presidential addresses.  Fun facts I learned today:

• Common (and popular) words ending in “city”: sagacity, electricity, capacity, tenacity, simplicity, reciprocity, publicity, veracity, incapacity, atrocity, multiplicity, scarcity
• Common (and popular) words containing “hill”: chilly, Hillary, The Hill (as in Capitol), Churchill, uphill, hillside
• And, going with the U.S. National Parks theme, Theodore Roosevelt established many state parks and had an acting secretary of state named David J. Hill (who signed the orders).  Since national parks frequently consist of hills and the proclamations to designate said parks are “Done in the city of Washington, D.C.” (or at least they were in 1903), I got to know Acting Secretary Hill quite well.

I’ll conclude with, hands down, one of my favorite West Wing clips ever.  Ever.  Unfortunately somehow the embed function has been removed from this clip, so just click here for the beloved episode of C.J.’s root canal.

Dinner tonight is courtesy of friend/colleague/writing partner SB: Barefoot Contessa’s Greek Panzanella.  I substituted Trader Joe’s Balsamic Vinaigrette for the dressing, but otherwise everything else is the same.  Light, fresh, and flavorful, I’d highly recommend it!

The electric skillet came through!  Here’s the mixture for the Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa and Black Beans that I mentioned.  Instead of baking them, I put the peppers back in the skillet and added water to the bottom, steaming everything together.  They were delicious — great pre-West-Wing dinner!

I got on the train early Saturday afternoon and made my way out Wilmington, DE to visit my dear friend and college roommate (she’s going to be in this a lot the next few months, so I’ll call her AC).  We had planned to explore the Italian Market in south Philly, but Friday night/Saturday morning brought an ice storm to the city . . . and, as I quickly learned, the East Coast doesn’t  know how to deal with ice or snow.  So I slipped and slid my way to the train station and met said-friend in her neck of the woods.

We went to Terrain, the sister-store to Urban Outfitters and Anthroplogie, this beautiful home and garden store with a delightful cafe inside.  Seriously — it’s a good thing I’m living in less than 140 square feet, otherwise I would have been tempted to buy the place out.  Their baby trees were so cute.  So cute.  But $34?  And the good chance that I’ll kill it?  Nope.

The brunch was fabulous.  They bake their bread in flower pots!

We spent the afternoon drinking tea and knitting.  Here’s my yarn for the “Philly Cowl”:

I’m quite excited.  We feasted on a delectable array of cheese/crackers, salmon with red onion and fennel relish, spinach and portabella risotto, and roasted Brussel sprouts for dinner.  This morning, I want with AC to church, lunch, and the library before heading back home on the train.

Speaking of food, thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful recipe submissions!  I’m planning to make a few this week before JPJD arrives and it’s livened up my soup-in-a-hot-pot options.  I think all the change and stress stripped me of my creativity, and you’ve given it back.  So thanks.  You’ll be seeing them soon!

No, I do not have any suitors (except the one over Skype).  But I really want to knit a scarf.  I’ve started many a scarf and haven’t finished any of them, but I think that a specific goal and deadline will keep me on schedule.  So here’s my project:

What do you think?  It only requires two stitches (knit and purl) and not a lot of counting.  We’ll see how it goes

In other news, I now have a super-high-tech flat-screen TV with 65 cable channels.  I haven’t had cable since living at my parent’s house, so this is a new development for me.  And I’m not sure which JPJD is more excited to see next week: me or ESPN.  Tonight I’m hosting my advisor for dinner (Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Quinoa), and we’re going to try and hook up the laptop to the TV for a West Wing viewing party (thanks, Mom & Dad!).

Speaking of food — more entries welcome and needed!  I have two thus far, and that gets me to . . . Monday.

Thanks for reading, thanks for caring, and thanks for following!  Have a great weekend.

Your task, should you choose to participate, is to send me (either via email or comment function below) a dinner recipe using the aforementioned items.  It must be healthy.  It must have “normal” ingredients and not break the bank.  It must not be a “Lean Cuisine” or something of the sort.  I promise to make every recipe submitted and post a review/picture of the results.  Hey, you might even win something!

But in the midst of my homesickness (yes, I’ll admit it), I am stunned and amazed at how God is providing for my every need.  A wonderful gate agent on Sunday who helped me get two 53-pound (and overweight bags) through the checking process with a sympathetic smile and explanation that her daughter goes to school out East and “it is so hard to get everything you need out there.”  A dear friend who ferried me around the city and helped me haul those two overweight bags, Amazon shipments, and thirteen Target bags up to my new home.  An unexpected freezer in my room.  A welcome dinner on Monday night.  A “nook” outside my advisor’s office — a space of my own with a window that lets in the morning light.  A mailbox.  And internet today!

I’ve started each morning with coffee in this beautiful mug from jd’s wife and oatmeal in this beautiful bowl, a Christmas present from another dear friend who gave it to me so that I’d be cheered when “eating alone.”  I love my little 4-cup coffee pot, my routine.  Slowly but surely, I’m feeling settled and, dare I say, at home.

Ivory vinyl curtains.  Mint green polyester “bedspread.”  The anticipated “cable television” looks as old as I am (and nothing but static as of yet).  But there are positives.

Very-nice Brazilian PhD visiting student bathroom-sharing-neighbor.  Spacious closet and “kitchen” shelving.  Refrigerator that works so well it froze my milk by morning.  Windows that let in the sunrise.   And the perfect hooks to hang my twine/clothespin JPJD-shrine.

“After” pictures below, and more to come soon.

Bedroom

Office

Kitchenette

And, I’m off!