I'm late getting to my blog today, and that's because I've been running around with Sean Kinsell, who's visiting from Japan for just a few days.

Yesterday afternoon, Sean drove to my place, where he charmed the socks off Coco, who is normally very reserved about strangers.

In fact, Coco liked Sean so much that she seemed genuinely willing to share her rawhide chew strip:

A rare privilege granted only to a select few, but Sean was so polite that he let Coco keep it all to herself.

But Sean did not come all the way from Japan to visit Coco. (No need to tell Coco that, is there?)

Following what has now become an annual (if controversial) tradition, we drove to Philadelphia to meet up with Tom Brennan. Anyone who hasn't read Tom's famous Agenda Bender blog is missing out on some of the wittiest, most unpredictable writing in the blogosphere. As I told Tom yesterday, he was one of my first role models (which is saying something for someone who disagrees with the idea of role models).

In addition to being a blogger, Tom has now become a charitable entrepreneur (is that the right term?) in Philadelphia's trendy South Street area. With a couple of other people, Tom has started the Philadelphia AIDS Thrift store (aka PAT) at 514 Bainbridge Street. The store has its own blog (written by.... who else!), and unlike many of the gouge-em thrift stores in the area, everything is priced to go, and customers are helping a very worthy cause. Here's what they're about:

Philadelphia AIDS Thrift is incorporated in Pennsylvania as a non-profit business. We are in the process of getting certification as a federal 501(c)3 charitable organization. Our mission is to sell the lovely and interesting stuff generous people donate to our thrift store and then distribute the proceeds to a wide variety of local organizations involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

We are committed to making a difference in the lives of people affected by HIV/AIDS. And to creating a store that serves this mission and is at the same time a good place to shop and fun place to be.

A busy man, Tom was on a tight schedule, so I really didn't have time to take endless pictures of him posing before every item in the store, but I did catch him posing in front of this very fetching beach towel:

But please! Don't anyone think the shark reflects on the store's prices or business practices! The prices are so low I was shocked. Two fine books I'd been looking for for years cost me a total of $1.34.

Regular readers who have heard about my struggles with fax machines might remember my stated goal of buying one. Well, I found one there without a pricetag, and they told me it was $25.00. Later on my way out, the price was dropped to $15.00, so I couldn't leave without it. I've checked it out and it works beautifully. Plus it came with a brand new cartidge (worth $25.00 on ebay), and it doubles as an answering machine with caller ID, multiple mailboxes, PC hookup capacity and more stuff than I need or understand. Now I feel really guilty. (So, bear in mind that notwithstanding the picture it's not Tom who's the shark.)

From the store we went to have coffee at the Bean Cafe (615 South Street), a great little hangout where we could all dish the blogosphere to our hearts' content.

When it was time to go I realized that I didn't have a group picture, so I perched my camera on a nearby shelf and did my best with the auto-timer, jump-in-the-photo feature. Here we are, all wired on caffeine and good times:

After dinner, wine, and talk, it was a little too late for Sean to do any more driving, so he stayed here in the guest house. And after breakfast, Sean was on his way back:

(Not quite all the way back. I don't think Japan is within driving distance.)

NEWSFLASH!! Well, Japan is certainly within blogging distance! I now see that Sean had already written a post about his visit before I did -- and he did so right here, while I was asleep!

(Which means I can't blame Sean for my tardiness!)

MORE: At the end of the evening last night, Sean and I drank to Steven Malcolm Anderson. If only Steven could have been there in person.