Jagoff Does Not Equal Friendly

Friendly: adjective. Like a friend; kind; characteristic of or befitting a friend; showing friendship.

To use in a sentence: I thought I would find friendly in Pittsburgh.

Reality: Friendly in Pittsburgh is... eh...not so much.

Ok, well, its a far cry from South Florida. BUT... they need a lot of work up here. My perfect perception in my little perfect Pittsburgh bubble keeps deflating faster than our gas prices are rising here (over 20 cents in the last week!)

I recently went down to the strip to do a little sightseeing and shopping. Not sure if you remember me telling you or not, but this is another area where you see black and yellow for miles. The most recent thing I have been seeing are shirts with this:

So I decided to start up a convo with one of the guys selling them in bulk (or so it seemed). This is how it went:

Me: "So, just out of curiosity, what does the hand symbol mean?"

The Jagoff: "If you dont know then I aint telling you.."

Me: "How am I supposed to know if you wont tell me?" I think this is a completely legit question.

The Jagoff: as he shakes his head "Go watch the movie 'Dude Wheres My Car."

Me: Really? Dude Wheres My Car? Ashton Kutcher's so-called claim to fame stoner flick that I was humored by at the age of about 21? And this man... who was probably 30 years my senior... is telling me to watch it just to understand their stupid hand signal? My thought? If you have to go all the way back to a crappy movie such as 'Dude Wheres My Car" to find the meaning of what Pittsburghers like to do with their hands at baseball games, it must not be too special. I walk away, calling him a jagoff under my breath.

Then, like a fool, I came home and looked up the video. Quite frankly, I still dont get it. If you do... please fill me in.

Needless to say, this dude on the strip is not the first rude one I have encountered here. I guess we are all human and we all have bad days. And... it is evident that we all like to take it out on other people. Even in Pittsburgh.

Hang on... Im switching subjects...

If I were in South Florida this time of year, it would probably be hot. Super hot. Humid. Super humid. And there would be thunderstorms every single afternoon. Big dark clouds that would roll in from the west just in time to flood the roads for rush hour. My entire life I have hated this time of year.

However, it has been B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. here in my new city. It is in the high 70's/low 80's during the day and in the 50's at night. The trees are beginning to turn...  

though I keep hearing that it is a bit early for that to be happening. Personally, I think we are going to have a rough winter this year. I say this because I think mother nature is going to test me... you know, since everyone says I wont be able to handle winter. No matter what she brings, I am ready for her. Bring it on, ol' lady.  

Because it has been so beautiful out, I have spent alot of time exploring. This past weekend we spent 6.5 hours at Kennywood. For those of you who dont know what that is... its an amusement park that has apparently been around forever. In fact, I believe they have one the oldest wooden rollercoasters in the U.S. that is still functioning. Did I go on it? No way, Jose. You put those 3 words in the same sentence and I am hauling booty the other way... Oldest. Wooden. Rollercoaster. I. think. not... With a H-E-Double hockey sticks NO!

The park itself was neat, though. It was small and homey. Lots to see.... a parade full of marching bands, shows of kids singing (Steelers & Pirates songs, of course), a strange creepy girl (I think) dressed in leopard and acting like one who scared me out of the bathroom (thats a story for another day...), cheap eats (I devoured a bunch of cotton candy and Im not ashamed to say so), laser shows, rides, fair games (where you can win stuffed prizes that come in... you guessed it... black and yellow). It was just a good night out with good memories. Apparently it is something that all Pittsburghers have grown up doing. I felt like I was one of them that night... only friendlier.

And last but not least.... I must share the new song that I learned. Enjoy! (And laugh)... CLICK HERE!!

"Im one of those regular weird people" ~ Janis Joplin

It's Dark in Here...

Let's see.. Since the last post, I have encountered more of Pittsburgh and have transitioned into calling this my home. Which, by the way, is a very, very good feeling.

First off, my latest discovery: Schenley Park. This park is HUGE. It has rolling hills and hiking trails. It is home next to the Botanical Gardens and Consevatory, the University of Pittsburgh, the Natural History Museum... and on and on and on... In fact, I think it is safe to say that this is my favorite area of Pittsburgh.

What I think is the neatest thing is that, on Sundays and Wednesdays, Schenley Park has "Cinema in the Park." They put up a huge screen and everyone can bring their own blankets, food, drink, etc and sit back and watch a movie. I have gone on each of these nights. What amazes me is how it is so incredibly hot, but as you watch the sun set over the buildings of the University of Pitt, it begins to cool... far cry from Florida. Its beautiful, fun and calming.

There is always a downfall, right? Yes. The downfall of Schenley Park? Its lack of built-in bathrooms...

The downfall of this beautiful night outside at the movies? My bladder is the size of a pea. Look, Im a girl. And, quite honestly, I dont do well with squatting. In dark bathrooms like above. Especially if they are leaning. Do you see where I am heading? I spent my Wednesday night at the movies relaxing on my blanket while layin on my stomach... this is because while attempting to hover my 5'2 body over a toilet in the dark while the entire thing was planted on the ground at an angle that caused my pee to go where? You guessed it... straight  down, but angled forward... right onto my shorts. Not to mention, I did all of this while not breathing. I know, I know, gross and a bit too much information. I know that I didnt need to share this story, but, it just wouldnt be right if I didnt. Its the downfall of Schenley Park and it sat on my tush all night.

Next experience I have had? I drove downtown alone... This goes back to the blog that said there would be six signs wanting to lead me in six different directions... I knew where I was going, but I was still nervous. Its confusing. The roads here are so odd. Most have street lights on the sides at the corners. Last I knew, street lights were supposed to be up where everyone could see them... not in Pittsburgh. I spent most of my time trying to find where the light was to see if it was green or not... and realized afterwards that I didnt even pay attention to pedestrians! It could have been a disastrous trip, I suppose. All in all... I did it, only got lost once... and didnt kill anybody. Thankfully. The scariest part? The Fort Pitt tunnel.

I dont do well in tunnels. And, in this one, you cannot see the other side so it is extra scary to me. To top it off... there are lights that, as you are driving through, could be enough to send an epileptic into a seizure!! I dont know what they were thinking... I even had to close my eyes a few times!!

Just watch this video... (warning, if you are prone to seizures, please close your eyes if you are watching this in a dark room. haha)

At any rate, it was a fear of mine that has now been conquered. The big bad tunnel and the big bad city were ok to me. They didnt swallow me up and spit me out. They simply twisted me in circles, got me lost, then found... I'll get it next time.

Last but not least, another thing I have learned about my new city is that there are many, many storms... but their bark is MUCH louder than their bite. They roll on in to Pittsburgh, thundering and lightening, and then a little bit of rain and its gone. Now, I am sure they have some bad storms from time to time. But, after living in Florida all my life and experiencing a Florida afternoon thunderstorm on a daily basis throughout the summer, it makes Pittsburgh storms look like little red riding hood to the big bad wolf.

What I find so comical is that they interrupt programming, place a beeping warning along the bottom of the tv screen, radio DJ's warn the audience, everyone rushes to take cover...pulling out the lanterns and candles... because a storm is coming in....then...drip, drop.... its done. Mother nature is probably going to scorn me for making fun... but, frankly, I just cant help it. It has rained more days than it has been sunny since Ive been here... and each day was treated the same. Live through a hurricane, Pittsburghers... then we can talk.

Thats about it, for now...'til next time...  

"Im one of those regular weird people" ~ Janis Joplin