Running Numbers

A scholarly look at the digits that matter.

by Nick Norlen

2 Number of times a month — the first and third Wednesday at 1 p.m. — that Rosenbach Library holds its "Made in Philadelphia" tour, which allows visitors to observe and even handle pieces of furniture and silver made in the city between 1750 and 1850. You have to polish and refinish them after you're done looking, but still, neat!

6 Minimum number of true birthdays that "leaplings" — people born on Feb. 29 — must have had in order to enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne with the free birthday dinner available to the first 29 of them who make a reservation for that night at Morton's, 1411 Walnut St., by calling 215-557-0724. I'm all for arbitrarily awarded free steaks, Morton's, but let's not reward the people who can usually choose between two days for when to celebrate their birthday. And you leaplings try to pass it off as a plight.

20 Number of pounds of pretzels consumed in a year by the average Philadelphian — compared to 2 pounds for the average American — according to the episode of Food Network's Good Eats that I happened across the other night just an hour before watching an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit titled "Philadelphia." Congratulations, Philly, that's the kind of spontaneous publicity that makes cities!

$22 Cost of advance tickets for the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show, March 2-9 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Unless, that is, you register for free to attend the 2008 Philadelphia Sustainability Awards Ceremony, to be hosted by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society at the Convention Center Auditorium March 3 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., after which attendees will be admitted to the show. And, really, what's more sustainable than skirting admission fees?

237 Number of consecutive years the St. Patrick's Day Parade will have been celebrated in Philadelphia as of March 9 — this year's date — making it the second oldest parade in the nation behind only the New York City Parade. The final meeting required for participating organizations that haven't attended earlier sessions is scheduled for March 6 at 8 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel at Broad and Locust streets. If you ask me, the Sustainability Awards would have been better suited for the Doubletree, in keeping with the apparent pun theme. Oh, I didn't tell you? The ceremony is being emceed by, wait for it, 6ABC meteorologist Erica Grow. God, I have good pundar.

Can I get your digits? I want to hear about the numerals you need to see. Let a number runner know at runningnumbers@gmail.com.