TravelPhiladelphia FriendsSlaughter It was to be the event of our lives -- dinner at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. We had ascended the staircase of life and Martha had agreed to come along. What better way to start than to have poached eggs ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0153 chocolate croissant ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0154 and muesli with honey ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0155 and without flash ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0156 at Small World. It seemed to make Benjamin ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0157 very happy.

We knew things were ok at home when we noticed that Sarah and Lily had decided to try to kill the television ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0158 before we left.

After negotiating I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike (thank you E-Z Pass), we were happy when Martha agreed to call ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0159 Joe and Amy and see if their kitchen was viewable. This amused Suzanne ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0160 who then engaged in a long discussion of old times with Martha ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0161 ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0162 ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0163 ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0164 before Bill emerged hoping to be incognito ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0165 but he got engaged in the conversation ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0166 ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0167 as the topic of gin and tonic's ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0168 came up and was really engaged with efforts to make this conventional camera ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0169 work while I recorded the beautiful setting ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0170 in their back yard and even took this self portrait ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0171 Blair Witch style.

But, of course, this was all a prelude to the trip down the road to the Philadelphia Cricket Club, ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0172 Founded 1854 which spread out before us ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0173 much to the amusement of Suzanne and Martha ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0174 as I snapped the tennis courts ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0175 and Bill showed us where the Bar Mitzvah might occur ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0176 as dinner was served ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0177 but not to us, since we were relegated to the bar where Suzanne and Martha continued the conversation ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0178 and Bill ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0179 seemed ready to have at my wine ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0180 before we were seated.

At the table, Martha ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0181 Suzanne ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0182 and Bill ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0183 studied the menu as I recorded the people at the next table ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0184 before Bill took my picture ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0185 and the tennis courts ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0186 emptied.

Our waitress, Tess ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0187 took this family portrait ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0188 as the bread was served ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0189 and Bill displayed his toes ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0190 that were in great need of a pedicure because we are all aging too much to be able to handle such things.

My gazpacho ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0191 was good as was the vichyoisse ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0192 and Suzanne's salad ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0193 that served as a prelude to the salmon ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0194 steak ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0195 ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0196 and pasta ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0197 sans flash ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0198 that filled us up so that only the under-50 person at the table was willing to try this dessert ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0199 at meal's end.

After capturing the trophies ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0200 the summer camp posters ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0201 the club hoi polloi ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0202 and the brick emblem ../../../Sabbat/2003/07.13-15.03CricketClub//IMG_0203 we were ready to head back to reality, such as it is. But, we were happy to have demystified the Cricket Club, once and for all.