Every year, I take a trip to Chicago to visit some friends and spend some time in one of my favorite cities. Every year, my trip to Chicago is scheduled to coincide with one or many Philadelphia events that I’d really rather not miss. It’s uncanny: bands, film festivals, exhibitions, and all manner of special events all pop out of the woodwork moments after my plane tickets are booked, secure and relieved in the assurance that I will be out of town, unable to attend. This year’s Chicago trip will occur over Labor Day weekend, when I will bear witness to the wedding of my good friends Anna and Paul. The night I leave (August 29) will be the night that Atom & His Package’s many admirers gather at the Church for his final show.

Today, five of the biggest names behind the scenes in gay porn are in the office, and my digital camera is at home. For a Friday, today certainly abounds with disappointment.

But all is not lost. Tomorrow, the LEGO Challenge will arrive at Penn’s Landing to determine how well Philadelphia LEGO enthusiasts, um, stack up to the competition. I am looking forward to seeing some weird and wonderful creations.