P-dot.

So I guess I should probably actually tell you about our trip to Pittsburgh, rather than just saying that I’m going to do that and then leave you hanging for a week eh? (annnnd the award for run-on sentence of the night goes to….)

We had a great time.  Seriously great.  Our trip down was awesome – great tunes, food, company and conversation.  As I mentioned in my previous post, we stopped at Grove City on the way into the city and then again on Sunday on our way back home.  that proved to be quite profitable. 

While actually in Pittsburgh (All day Friday and Saturday), we did SO much stuff.  We both felt like we really maximized our time there, seeing lots of the city.  I could give you a rundown of all that we did, but I think that might be a tad boring…so instead, I’ve compiled a list of all of the highlights of our time away**

• Going to a Pirates game. I don’t even really follow baseball, aside from the Jays every now and then.  But they have a pretty sweet ball park, that overlooks the city and the river.  It made for a great atmosphere, and a great way to spend a night in the city.  (Not a bad way to spend $18)

• This guy at the game (the one in the middle, sitting all by himself):

Towards the end, when it was getting obvious the Pirates were going to win, he got pretty excited and felt the need to rub/jiggle his belly quite vigorously.  It was pretty fun to watch.  Here he is mid-jiggle.

• The fact that it was free hat night (because I need another cheap ball cap that I’ll probably never wear).

• Getting into the Fort Pitt Museum for a grand total of 6 dollars.  You know the guy working the front desk is a little desperate for customers when he hacks the price of admission by two thirds. 
• Going to the zoo….and seeing monkeys do X-rated things….like really X rated.  I’d put a picture up here, but I  put one on facebook and already think I’ve tainted too many people’s minds. So I’ll refrain.  Go there if you’re really curious.  And people, I’ve got to tell you – it was pretty funny.  Does that make me a bad person?

• Seeing the most amazing fireworks show ever.  Like really.  I know people say that all the time – “oh that was the best (fill in the blank) ever.”  But I mean it this time.  4 times during the summer they have a fireworks show after a Pirates game, and it just happened to be while we were down there.  We got a great viewing spot on a hill right by the river they were shooting them off of, so we just layed there and watched.  I’ve never been so overwhelmed by sight, sound and feeling before. (You could feel each firework down to your core)
• The fact that our hotel had a continental breakfast with cartons of chocolate milk.  Every day Ben and I would each take 2 or 3 (all secret like, mind you), and then keep them for our lunches that day.  Because that’s how we roll. He is dutch you know.
• Sitting and walking down by the river, multiple times.

• Eating at Red Robin (that’s in honour of you Sheena)
• Hanging out with Sidney for an afternoon.  It had been a while since we’d seen him – he’s been kind of busy, what with parades, being famous and shaving his dirty playoff moustache, but it was nice to catch up with an old friend.  Even if it was just for a few hours. 
• The fact that our hotel check out wasn’t until noon on Sunday.  (Read: we definitely went back to bed after breakfast till 11:30)
• The U of Pittsburgh campus.  So stunning.  The buildings were old, beautiful and historic.

• The school fair we went to in the little hick town of Coraopolis one night on our way back to our hotel. (The small town near our hotel).  Because, why the heck not right?
• The outdoor stone fire pit at our hotel that overlooked the river. 

But no trip is 100% perfect…so here’s a few of the lowlights we encountered..

• Me spilling the ENTIRE contents of my yogurt on my white shirt one day at lunch…and then licking it off my shirt because I didn’t want it to go to waste.
• The slim-jims I bought at the local grocery store.  I was really looking forward to gnawing on a great piece of meat on this roadtrip, so while Ben bought a big ol’  expensive $5 bag of beef jerkey, I spent a whole $0.90 on 3 little Slim Jims.  I mocked him for his expensive purchase, saying that pepperettes were really where it was at.  Well I couldn’t have been more wrong.  I busted one out at the ball game…but after a few bites, I couldn’t hack it anymore.  The fact that it was described as “mechanically pulled chicken” and was oozing grease probably should have tipped me off.

• The un-classy joint we ate dinner at one day.  Ben saw rave reviews for this one restaurant that supposedly had really amazing sandwiches that he wanted to try out. So we did.  It was kind of cool, right in the middle of the market square, surrounded by cobblestone streets and old shops. But it was also surrounded by really loud obnoxious drunk people. And the actual food? Well, I guess the sandwich was ok.  Except for the fact that IT HAD FRENCH FRIES ON IT.  No ham and cheese sandwich should come with french fries on it.  Period.
• The torrential rainstorm we got caught in on the way home.  We seriously might has well have just driven through the lake to get home, because it was ridiculous.  I have never seen so much rain ever…it was scary and although several cars just pulled over, we trucked along at 5 km’s for a long while, my knuckles with a deathgrip on the wheel.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the recap as much as we enjoyed our time away! Overall, our trip was amazing.  We rested, explored, laughed and created memories.  Happy third anniversary to us!

**Disclaimer: there may or may not be a blatant lie somewhere in the highlight reel.