MONDAY, 24 APRIL, 2000, PHILADELPHIA

Saturday was my friend Anita’s fifth annual Easter Photo Scavenger Hunt, which I had not erstwhile attended. It started in the afternoon with vodka tonics, cupcakes and chocolate at her house (never a bad start) as the group of 18 or so assembled. Once everyone was present and split into 3 groups, we were to scamper about her grounds looking for three eggs, each containing 9 scrolls numbered in different orders. Then, hop into a car with your group and a Polaroid camera and run around Philadelphia collecting the requisite pictures. First group back gets lotsa extra points. And so we were off, taking cross-dressing shots in Urban Outiftters or Baby Gap, climbing all over Anne’s car at the Rocky steps (above), making strangers drink water from our pitcher on the sidewalk (a lot more difficult than it sounds), making strangers switch shirts with someone in our group (easier than the water thing for some reason), getting the owner of a tattoo shop to drop his pants, getting a coconut cream pie in the face by a waitress (left), getting naked in the fountain at Logan Circle (in the 48° windy, should-be-spring-why-isn’t-it? dusk), &c., &c. One of the requisite photos was of the entire group pretzeled onto one swing in a park. We found a park, dashed in and spotted the nearest couple sitting on a bench trying to have a romantic little Saturday. “Quick! You! Girl! Take this camera. Follow us. We need a picture! Would you help us? Great, thanks. Hurry!” The girl seemed a little weirded out, but there wasn’t time to coddle the fragile emotions of strangers when there was a contest on. <Click!> Jump off the swings, grab the camera and go. But not before we note that one member of our group is giving the woman a quick kiss. Back in the car, he says quite somberly, “Umm, that was my girlfriend. She was … supposed to be doing this with us today.” Silence. “And,” he continues, “I have no idea who that guy is.” More silence. Then, quietly, with the utmost of tact and concern, the Marquis says, “Listen, I hate to make light of a tragedy, but … I mean, come on … you do realise we’re gonna get extra points for this!” Epilogue: We didn’t win because we didn’t get back first. But it’s not our fault! We were having Polaroid problems. Good thing I happen to bring my digital camera along as a backup. If you’re deranged enough to want to see and know more, Annie’s thrown together a picture page.