Wednesday in Philadelphia

As you no doubt remember, today was my Renoir Day at the Art Museum. I love art but I am not a student of it, so whenever I get the chance I take advantage of the guided tour. The one that our Art Museum puts on for its Renoir exhibition is particularly good, and if you are so inclined I highly recommend it.

Other than our excellent guide, the best thing about the tour was that it took place an hour before the gallery opened to the public, so we had the place to ourselves for the better part of the hour, making for a peaceful roaming period.

I won't bore you with the details of the exhibition (unless you insist) other than to say that it is a wonderful exhibition, even though one thing leaves me wondering. What is it? Glad you asked.

As is always the case, the exhibition leads to the gift shop. Galleries and museums are built that way, and we expect it. The thing that bothers me is the choice of souvenirs. Artists spend a lifetime of sweat and toil, often in abject poverty - so that we can purchase a necktie with one of their great paintings on it.

Get your Seine at Chatou mouse pad or coffee mug, as Renoir spins in his grave, I'm guessing. I certainly don't mind a poster or repro book, but the T-Shirts and refrigerator magnets leave me cold. It strikes me as shameless marketing and I think the art deserves more.

Meanwhile, the Parkway is alight in color for the autumn season, and I suspect that we're running out of time for that particular view. Most of the roads surrounding the museum were closed today, as local TV prepares itself for our big Thanksgiving Day Parade. I'm not a big parade guy, and as Mitch Hedberg advises, I like to walk backwards to speed them up a bit. On TV, however, they seem to take forever, as the Mummers prove year after year.

Sadly, I have no amusing anecdotes to report. The NJ Transit bus was on time and I was courteously escorted to the museum by a Mr. Singh, one of Philadelphia's fine foreign taxi drivers. For eleven dollars, it was a hoot. Next time, I might try a SEPTA bus, but for sheer entertainment, you can't beat a taxi ride. Honking horns, quick lane changes and a total disregard for traffic laws makes for a high value.

Since Wednesday is the biggest drinking day of the year, I had the option to hang around and get drunk with the rest of America, but I reached my limit with the two-beer lunch at Friday's and headed back home for my regular Wednesday night spin session. I have Friday off too, so there's plenty of time for that drinking nonsense.

To youse and yours (as we say here in Philly) have a Happy Thanksgiving.