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.

I've created an AboutPhilly twitter account that I'll be using to share reviews and news, keep in contact with folks and more. If you're twitter-inclined, start following me at AboutPhilly, and I'll see you in, uh, twittertown.

SEPTA employees have been working without a contract since March. After several months of negotiations with management, SEPTA's largest union, Transport Workers Union Local 234, voted earlier today to authorize a strike if a contract cannot be reached by the end of the week - meaning that the strike would begin just as the Phillies start playing home World Series games. Yikes.

How your commute may (or may not) be affected:

• First of all, remember that a strike isn't guaranteed: SEPTA employees are only striking at the end of the week if a contract isn't reached by then. Talks are scheduled to begin again on Monday.
• If a strike does occur, SEPTA subway lines, trolleys and busses will be affected. Regional Rail will still run since its trains are operated by a separate union. NJ Transit and the PATCO will also be unaffected.
• During the last SEPTA strike in 2005, the city made 2,200 additional parking spaces available for the duration of the strike. No word yet about whether they might do the same thing this time. Either way, if you'll need to drive to work in Philadelphia, consider making carpooling plans.

UPDATE: As of 3 a.m. on November 3, a SEPTA strike is in effect. For more information about the history of SEPTA strikes and what to do during the strike, visit the SEPTA strikes page or my blog post about biking during the 2009 SEPTA strike.

After all the Phillies-win revelry (and pole greasing) in Philadelphia last night, was anybody else a little surprised to wake up this morning and discover that it's only Thursday? It feels like the weekend should already be here. With that in mind, here are your extended weekend picks:

Thursday: Go Out to Eat
This can be anywhere, as long as you're sitting outside. We're looking at a high of 74 today, folks, and it's probably going to be the last one we see for a while. Maybe bring a sandwich to Rittenhouse Square, chomp on a crepe at Beau Monde, or get a burger-and-shake dinner at PYT?

Friday: Haunted Poe
For a haunted house that's "going more for a sustained spooky vibe than outright terror," check out BRAT Productions' Haunted Poe, based on the works of good ol' Edgar Allan.

Saturday: Explore Philadelphia's Hidden Past
This free event from the Philadelphia Archaeological Forum promises illustrated talks by archaeologists, artifacts, an opportunity to see a working archeology lab and more.

Sunday: Humor Abuse There are still tickets available for the final performance of Lorenzo Pisoni's much-lauded show about his childhood in the Pickle Family Circus.

Image: Meg Favreau