I'm So Happy!!!

I've been worried that I might get turned away at the voting polls on Tuesday. I registered to vote in Pennsylvania because it's a swing state and it took forever to get my voter registration in the mail. As a precautionary measure I got my Pennsylvania license as back up proof that I really do live here. I had to ask my mom and dad to send my birth certificate and social security card to me in order to do this. They very sweetly sent them right over. So, now I'm ready. Seven o'clock on Tuesday I'll be in line at my neighborhood voting center with my voter registration and PA license in hand ready to cast my vote.

This is slightly delayed, but I thought I'd get this on my blog before Tuesday. Below are some pictures of the Obama rally I went to with my friend, Josh on Oct. 11. There were 4 Obama rallies in the Philadelphia area in one morning. We had to stand a block away from where the stage was, but could hear his speech quite well. There was a lot of excitement in the air. One woman in particular embodied this excitement as she stood dancing on her front porch chanting "Obama, Obama, Obama..." as the crowds departed from the rally. Josh high-fived her and her enthusiasm.

William Penn's Curse

Philadelphia has the coolest city hall. In this shot it looks very stately, but at night it takes on a very sinister look. I think the figures at the top look like menacing ravens waiting to swoop down on innocent by-passers. A statue of William Penn is on the very top. For a long time, no buildings were allowed to be built higher than his head. If I have my story right, in 1980, the same year the Phillies first won the World Series, a building was constructed that was higher than Penn. Since then, every Phillies' loss has been blamed on the curse of William Penn. I guess, as of Wednesday night, Penn has forgotten his grudge.

A couple of weeks ago I started interning at Philadelphia's public library on Wednesday afternoons. I've just added a new blog to document my activities there. It is "Pictures & Prints Archives". I'll add a link at the right also.

For those of you interested in what I've been doing in my internship at the museum, I now have a new blog documenting my activities there. It's called, "Arsenic & Ephemera". It's the first link in the list on the right side of this page. Check it out.

The Phillies just won the World Series! The mass excitement and camaraderie of the Philadelphians is truly heartwarming. I wonder if there will be such a public display of emotion on the streets on Tuesday when the results of the election are tallied.

Milo and I are practicing for Halloween.

In My Room

The Asian storage area is impressively large. These huge flat files move electronically with the touch of a button. I was comforted to find out that they are equipped with a sensor that stops them from closing if there is an obstacle between them. I had disconcerting visions of being slowly smashed between the files like in the Star Wars garbage compactor scene.

This cabinet is our main project. It's stuffed full of all kinds of goodies we need to organize. Our job is to make custom boxes that are fitted with the proper housing for each item in this cabinet. Scrolls with rods are suspended, those without rods require a sling support, flat object will get individual sink mats, and so on...

This is what the scrolls look like when we remove them from the cabinet, then we remove their old tissue wrapping and give them a clean, fresh, plastic sleeve.

This is a box in the planning stage.

This is the climatized Asian storage room where I am now spending about 20 hours a week.

So I don't know who that dude is, but this is the lovely University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology where I am interning with their conservation department.

I think Chris said that he saw a sign on their street that I should come live with them this winter. Here it is.

Chris & Jenna are sharing their lovely home with me through December. Without their generousity, this little internship excursion would probably not have been possible.