Black Friday always breaks my brain a little, pitting the part of me that dislikes crowds against the part of me that likes saving money. I usually go with the part that dislikes crowds and spend Black Friday inside my house, eating sandwiches made from the leftovers of Thanksgiving dinner and looking for deals online. Mmm. Sandwiches.

I'm still debating about whether or not I'll venture out this year, but I am starting to think about where in the Philadelphia area I would visit on Black Friday. There is, of course, the gigantic King of Prussia Mall, whose doors will open at 5 a.m. even though the stores won't open until an hour later. Over at the Cherry Hill Mall, the JC Penney's will open even earlier at 4 a.m. And in Coshohocken and Philadelphia, Ikea is offering free coffee and breakfast until 10:30 a.m. in addition to its sales.

Is there anywhere you're visiting for Black Friday in Philadelphia? A store or sale you go to every year, or an especially good deal you've heard about this year? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

The Philadelphia Marathon

Friday: Learn to Felt
If you wish you could make woolly goods for holiday gifts but don't have knitting or crocheting skills, check out Felting: From Fuzz to Form at the Fairmount Art Center. During this evening workshop you'll learn how to turn old wool sweaters into new, totally giftable goods.

Saturday: A Hard Act to Follow - Circus Cabaret & Dessert Bar
Watch performers from the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts leap, bound and swing through the air, then give yourself a sugar high at the dessert bar.

Sunday: The Philadelphia Marathon
Not running? Watch the race from one of the marathon's cheer zones, many of which also feature food, drink and entertainment.

Sunday Bonus: Morimoto's Happy Hour
While I was drooling over Philadelphia Magazine's list of the Best Happy Hours, and I noticed one particularly awesome thing: Morimoto starts the week off early by offering its happy hour specials on Sunday nights. Come on, it's been a long weekend: go eat some sushi.

Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC

Wait, this can make a pie?

I'm a master of the side dish, but a dunce when it comes to cooking turkey. (I'm also very lucky - I've hosted Thanksgiving twice over the past few years, and both times I avoided cooking the bird.) If you also feel like your chef skills could use a little buff-and-shine before Thanksgiving Day, it's not too late. Here's a little run-down of upcoming Thanksgiving cooking classes in the area:

• Cranberry Chutney Canning
  Have your chutney and can it too. In this November 21 class, students will learn how to make and preserve cranberry chutney, which makes both a great Thanksgiving condiment and a nice holiday gift.
• A Down Home Thanksgiving
  On November 19 and 20, Reading Terminal Market is offering a dinner session that centers around that famous multi-bird, the Turducken. Learn how to cook the meal -- complete with sides like broccoli rabe with pork belly and baked sweet corn casserole -- and get to eat it too.
• Thanksgiving Side Dishes
  This November 19 class at Cherry Hill's La Campagne won't help turkey woes, but it should help you make some sides that could potentially outshine the bird.
• Thanksgiving Wrap-Up for Kids
  Yes, it's after Thanksgiving, but Kitchen Kapers' post-turkey-day class teaches kids how to cook with Thanksgiving leftovers and could buy you some child-free holiday-shopping time.
• Finally, if you want to eschew cooking all together this year, check out my list of the Best Philadelphia Thanksgiving Restaurants.

Image: © Meg Favreau

Visit Reading Terminal Market this weekend for forgotten foods.

According to CBS3's Doug Kammerer, we're in the middle of a good ol' nor'easter right now, which means we'll be seeing this rain and dreary whether for most of the weekend. Here are some weekend picks that'll keep you inside:

Friday: Body Worlds 2
The original exhibition of stripped-down and preserved human bodies is back at the Franklin Institute, this time with brains. Tickets for the 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. slot are only $18 as opposed to the regular $27, so go spend your happy hour learning about human anatomy.

Saturday: Festival of Forgotten Foods
From 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday, head to Reading Terminal Market to taste forgotten Philadelphia foods like teaberry ice cream and snapper soup.

Sunday: Train Festival
The skies are supposed to finally clear up on Sunday and forecasts are calling for temperatures in the mid-60s - get outside! If you have a rail-loving wee one, spend that outside time at the Train Festival in the Camden Children's Garden.

Not enough fun for you? Find more things to do on the November Events Calendar.

Photo by J. Smith for GPTMC

As I'm writing this, I can hear the sweet sound of the El rumbling by a few blocks from my house. Six days after it began, the 2009 SEPTA strike ended at 12:45 this morning. The deal finally reached between SEPTA management and Transport Workers Union Local 234 calls for a $1,250 bonus per worker plus, according to the Inquirer,

The five-year contract also calls for a 2.5 percent raise in the second year, and a 3 percent raise in each of the final three years. It increases workers' contributions to the pension fund from the current 2 percent to 3 percent, and increases the maximum pension to $30,000 a year from the current $27,000 a year.

How did the SEPTA strike affect your commute? Will you go back to using SEPTA today? What do you think of the contract deal? Sound off in the comments or join the discussion in the forum.

Between Election Day, the SEPTA strike and the World Series, it's been a crazy week here in Philadelphia. This weekend, do something fun:

All Weekend: The First Person Arts Festival
Celebrating "memoir and documentary art," the First Person Arts festival features films, talks, workshops and more (including karaoke!) through the weekend.

Friday: First Friday
Throw on a winter coat and brave the chill of November's First Friday. Go classic in Old City or check out the art openings, live music and more in Mt. Airy, the Frankford Avenue Arts Corridor, or Doylestown.

Saturday: Bacon, Sausage and Scrapple Making
From 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, stop by the Howell Living History farm in Lambertville, NJ to "meet your meat" as farmers make popular pork products while you watch. For $2, children can also participate in a craft program and make soap on a rope.

Sunday: Watch the Eagles
The Phillies didn't win the World Series. Disappointing? Yeah. Oh, yes. But this Sunday, fill your mouth with the only two words that could possibly replace "Go Phillies" right now: Go Birds.

If you're thinking of biking to work during the SEPTA strike, there are plenty of resources to help you travel on two wheels:

• The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is offering additional bike parking and a bicycle service station at City Hall that they promise will be set up this afternoon and continue through the duration of the strike.
• If you need a new bike or a tune-up for your existing cycle, here's a list of Philadelphia bike shops by neighborhood.
• The City of Philadelphia offers bike maps to help you plan your cycling commute. In addition to what you see on the maps, there are also bicycle lanes on Spruce and Pine Streets in Center City that were added earlier this fall.

If you are traveling to Philadelphia on Regional Rail and hope to use a bike once you arrive in the city, note that bikes are only allowed on Regional Rail trains during non-peak hours. The only exception is folding bicycles as long as they are folded and stowed in the train's luggage area. Read more about SEPTA's bicycle policy.

For more information on how to commute during the public transportation stoppage, check out the SEPTA Strikes page.

Image: Meg Favreau

Governor Rendell was able to delay the SEPTA strike while the World Series was in town by ordering SEPTA management and union officials to stay at the bargaining table. Unfortunately, however, Rendell wasn't able to hold the strike off entirely: as of 3 a.m. this morning, members of Transport Workers Union Local 234 have walked off the job.

SEPTA has posted a guide to which services are and are not running during the strike.

For information on how to commute during the strike as well as a brief history of SEPTA work-stoppages, visit the SEPTA strikes page.

Election Day is here again. On November 3, Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents will vote for a variety of public servants ranging from Philadelphia City Controller to Governor of New Jersey.

If you have recently moved or just registered to vote for the first time, follow these links to find your polling place:

Pennsylvania Polling Locations
New Jersey Polling Locations

Polls in Pennsylvania will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; polls in New Jersey will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Happy voting!

What a great game last night - despite the rain and being in Yankees stadium, the Phils brought the awesome. I've been joking with my friends since the National League games that the swine flu in Philadelphia is going to be spread solely through Phillies-based high fives. If we keep having games like last night, that joke seems more and more likely to become truth.

All Weekend: Watch the Phillies
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Febreeze that red shirt and put it on again. Not sure where to watch the game? Get some ideas by reading FooBooz's post on bars and restaurants with World Series specials.

Friday: Park in the Dark
The rain is breaking and tomorrow's high is supposed to be in the 60s, which means it should be a great night to spend in Norristown Farm State Park. For ages 7 and up, this nocturnal walk promises to be educational and creepy at the same time.

Saturday: The Henri David Ball
This elaborate costume ball put on by jewelry-shop owner Henri David is the place to scope out both wild costumes and famous folks - one of my friends has a much-cherished photograph of himself dressed as a creepy security guard with Governor Ed Rendell. The ball is at the Center City Sheraton and begins at 9 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door.

Sunday: Halloween Candy Buyback
If your kid has a king-sized pillowcase full of candy, here's a great way to cut the amount down to standard-pillowcase size: candy buyback. Mount Holly Family Dentistry in Mount Holly, NJ is running a candy buyback program on November 1 from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. where children 13 and under will receive $1 per pound of candy they turn in. The dentist's office will then ship the candy to troops overseas.