Dancing

Opportunities for physical activity are abundant in Philadelphia. From aerial yoga to Zumba classes, Philly has it all. A variety of activities are available to motivate the community to incorporate fitness into their routine. 

Over the past three years, I have enjoyed taking Barre3 classes, practicing yoga at Amrita, getting sweaty during spin classes at City Fitness, and perfecting my dance moves at Society Hill Dance Academy (SHDA). Since I do not always excel at finding a balance between my activities and interests, the dance class package I purchased last year from SHDA got dangerously close to expiring. Somehow six months flew by without my husband and I attending a single lesson. Fortunately, one of the instructors reached out and we scheduled our remaining lessons. Last Wednesday night, after a six month hiatus, we returned to SHDA located at 409 South 2nd Street.

Michelle was our instructor and she was wonderful as she guided us through the slow dances we previously learned including Foxtrot, Waltz, and Tango. Her warm personality, encouragement, and skill made me regret not returning sooner. It was also a pleasure to see the resident cat, Madelyn.

Madelyn at Society Hill Dance Academy

My husband and I previously took dance lessons at Swing Cat located in Pottstown when we lived outside of Philadelphia. I always looked forward to attending my weekly swing dance session after work as well as getting dressed up for the parties they hosted Saturday nights. It was fun to dance with people of varying skill levels to great music. Sometimes they even had live music including Chelsea Reed and the Fair Weather Five.

My husband and I at a wedding, using our dance skills that we learned from Swing Cat

I'm glad my interest in dance is something I can continue to explore in Philadelphia. If you too are interested in sharpening your dance skills, check out SHDA where your first lesson is free.

The Women's March

Despite the cold, numb fingers and toes could not keep me from the Women's March. It was empowering to be surrounded by hundreds of like minded individuals in the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection.

Outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, students spoke out about the need for gun control. Strong women communicated the importance of boys and men being held acccountable for their actions. Mayor Jim Kenny and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro stood with us and acknowkedged anti-Semitism, racism, and xenophobia will not be tolerated. Regardless of what the current dysfunctional presidential administration conveys and condones, LGBTQ rights and trans lives matter.

Let's continue to stand in solidarity and work towards change. Make sure you are registered to vote at your current address so you have a say in who gets elected. Consider donating to Planned Parenhood, an organization that is dedicated to protecting women's reproductive rights and access to health, and The ACLU, an organization that defends our civil rights.

Broadway Philadelphia

Circa 1990, I loved roller skating to MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This.” My dad took me to the roller rink almost every Sunday until my desire to skate changed to a passion for bowling, and we joined a league. We always enjoyed our quality time together, and in my preteen years, we spent many hours walking around Franklin Mills Mall and playing arcade games.

On one of our outings, we stopped at Tower Records where my dad purchased Carole King’s album Tapestry which he proceeded to continually play on car rides. I fell in love with her music from the somber title track "Tapestry" to the catchy "Smackwater Jack." When I heard her belt out “You’ve got to get up every morning, with a smile on your face and show the world, all the love in your heart, then people gonna treat you better, you're gonna find, yes you will, that you're beautiful, as you feel,” I felt motivated. That song was just what I needed to hear as a twelve-year-old. At that period in my life, I felt anything but beautiful, not because I had acne and braces, but, because my classmates called me ugly to my face. The blue glitter lipstick I wore didn’t help matters.

When I entered high school, the same year as Rory Gilmore, things were looking up. My dad and I went on road trips to visit colleges, I met one of my best friends, and my face reaped the benefits of Acutane. It was an exciting time and hearing King’s song “Where you Lead” every week during the opening credits of the Gilmore Girls made it even better.

Philadelphia’s burgeoning appreciation for Carole King has been evident over the past three years. In 2016 the Philly Pops performed her music and, much to my excitement, I won free tickets and was able to introduce my husband to her music.

The Academy of Music, located at 240 South Broad Street, is currently presenting "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical", rendering a trip to NYC unnecessary to view the wonderment of King’s life. My father would sadly never experience the musical as he passed away four years before “Beautiful” debuted on Broadway. The year the play debuted, 2014, is the same year my husband and I met. Since I have been able to spark his interest in King's music, we decided to see the play.

As fate would have it, the upscale vegan restaurant Vedge, located at 1221 Locust Street, had availability at the perfect time before the play. Since we had a gift certificate, we decided to reserve a table for two. The rutabaga fondue is an amazing dish that I highly recommend. It is a sophisticated version of a Philadelphia soft pretzel with cheese and the perfect comfort food before venturing out in the cold to walk the few blocks to the Academy of Music.

The performance was wonderful as the play depicted King’s relationships with her family and friends in a way that made her relatable. It shed light on the meaning and inspiration behind songs that I had loved for years by the prolific songwriter.

Urban Axe Throwing

Right now, it is 29 degrees Fahrenheit in Philadelphia. When it gets that cold, I limit my time outdoors and start to seriously consider moving to sunny California. Finding new places to spend my time indoors is appreciated, so I was happy to be invited to a birthday party at Urban Axes, located at 2019 East Boston Street in the Kensington area of Philadelphia. That’s right, you can pay money to participate in the competitive sport of urban axe throwing. In addition to group events like the one I attended, they take walk-ins and have 8-week leagues.

Once you sign a waiver and crack open a cold one (it’s a BYOB), a knowledgeable coach, I mean axepert, will go over the rules and provide you with guidance on the best way to heave an axe. Getting a bullseye (which I found near impossible), or even getting the axe to stick in the wood is more dependent on rotation than force. You can earn between one to three points each time you throw. On the final throw each round you can earn seven points if you hit a green dot known as the clutch.

Our group of 14 had four throwing lanes and two wonderful coaches. I was not a natural at this sport, and despite all the encouragement and pointers, I came in last. After 45 throws which were split between three rounds, I ended up with 11 points. To put that into perspective, the other scores in the group ranged from 33 to 129 points.

 

After working up a sweat (just kidding, the axe was only slightly heavier than my can of hard cider) we went to Frankford Hall, located at 1210 Frankford Avenue in the Fishtown area. The hall has an outdoor area where gas lamps and fire pits will warm you while you enjoy your food and libations along with a game of Jenga.

I recommend getting the soft pretzel which is verified to be vegan as it does not contain dairy or eggs. Sadly, the beer I drank, Schofferhofer Grapefruit, according to BeerTutor, is not vegan as it contains carmine made from crushed cochineal beetles. Since that's disgusting, I need to find another beer next time I go there. To find out if your booze is vegan check out the website Barnivore.

Ice Skating

One of my goals for 2019 was to don a pair of ice-skates and take a few laps around an ice rink. Last Friday, I accomplished my goal when I went ice-skating at the Rothman Ice Rink at Dilworth Park, located at 1 South 15th Street in the Center City area of Philadelphia. When I stepped onto the choppy ice for the first time in three years, I questioned my decision as my shins felt like they were on fire. Once the Zamboni smoothed the ice, the task at hand become pleasurable and I enjoyed gliding on the ice.

The lodge at the ice rink didn’t appear to have any vegan offerings aside from some beverages and french fries. After working up an appetite, my spouse and I walked the five blocks to Wiz Kid, located at 124 South 19th Street. My first experience dining out in 2019 was so satisfying as I ordered one of my favorite sandwiches in the city; the CFT comes with county fried tempeh, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and thousand ranch sauce. The combination of ingredients blended together in perfect harmony; the prepared tempeh, crunchy pickles, and creamy flavorful sauce really make the sandwich standout.

Before returning home to our precious cats, we stopped at Hip City Veg, located at 127 South 18th Street, for a brownie and hot chocolate which really satisfied my sweet tooth.

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2019 and welcome to my life. My name is Michele and I live in Philadelphia with my spouse and our three cats. We are currently fostering a fourth cat named Doc from the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).

Meet Doc

Doc loves head pets, spending time with other cats, napping, devouring food, and playing with his favorite feather toy that he was gifted for Christmas. Please spread the word that this ginger is looking to get adopted so he can live out his nine lives in a loving forever home. As evidenced by the photos below, he can make himself comfortable anywhere.

If you aren’t ready to adopt but want to spend time hanging out with cats, head over to the Kawaii Kitty Cafe located at 759 S 4th Street in the Queen Village area of Philadelphia. Go there to relax and experience some cuteness while sipping on some of the most delicious vegan hot chocolate the city has to offer.

Former foster cat Ace at the Kawaii Kitty Cafe

Kawaii Kitty Cafe

Kawaii Kitty Cafe