Yes / No / Maybe (Friendship Ave Stitchings)

As a stitcher myself, these pieces of street art are pretty excellent to walk by going down Friendship Avenue by the park. Kudos to whoever is responsible!

30 Before 30: Exploring Carrie Furnace

Last Wednesday, Carrie, Corey and I took a bike ride out to the Carrie Furnace with some other cyclist adventurers. The group ride was part of BikeFest, which there are still plenty of awesome rides to do before it ends on August 19! (Like the Underwear Ride, which is tomorrow and which I am still trying to work up the courage to do.) This post will mostly be a photo-dump of the ride and the tour of Carrie Furnace. This was a seriously awesome event, so thank you to the organizers for giving me a chance to cross off another of my 30 Before 30 goals!

The ride started out at the Pump House at the Waterfront.

Away we go!

The weather? Perfect. 

Once we got to the site, ZeroFossil, who is working to outfit the Carrie Furnace with solar panels for sustainable energy, had a bike set up to power the blender that made us some tasty margaritas. Here I am giving it a go, but the seat was just a bit too high for me.

Because the thing you want to do before you walk around a dangerous and unstable site like the Carrie Furnace is drink some alcohol. Cheers!

This place was more massive than I ever imagined.

There was so much good graffiti.

Guerilla artists built this deer head at the site using materials found on site. This thing reminds me of the Enchanted Highway sculptures in North Dakota.

After the tour, we biked back to the Waterfront and had beers and food at Blue Dust in Homestead. It was an awesome night of biking, adventuring, and meeting new people. BikeFest has been filled with opportunities to do awesome things and meet awesome people; go out and ride around before it's over!

The World According to Mister Rogers: Reflections

When I knew I wasn't going to finish Bone Wars, I wanted a replacement Pittsburgh-related book for August. The World According to Mister Rogers was on my suggested reading list, so I requested and picked up a copy from the library last week. [Fun Allison-fact: It wasn't until I was in my very late teens that I realized that Mister Rogers was a program based in Pittsburgh. It didn't click until I was interning at WQED in college. Clearly, I used to be a lot less Pittsburgh-obsessed...)

It was certainly a quick little read, as it is quotes and excerpts from the man himself. With a cat on my lap and the men's finals in diving on the TV (oh, how I will miss my nightly Olympics binges), I picked out five of my favorites to share. These seem so relevant to my life now. I think it might be interesting to pick this up in another ten years to see which are relevant to me then.

Solitude is different from loneliness, and it doesn't have to be a lonely kind of thing.

I've always been a bit of a loner. I try not to be scared to do things on my own, because knowing I can rely on myself has always been very important to me. I love being around my friends, but sometimes it's really comforting to spend a solid few hours alone. 

Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else. I've felt that many times. My hope for all of us is that "the miles we go before we sleep" will be filled with all the feelings that come from deep caring--delight, sadness, joy, wisdom--and that in all the endings of our life, we will be able to see the new beginnings.

Since moving back to Pittsburgh in July 2010, my life seemed to be filling up with a series of endings. The ending of my mom's life is undoubtedly the most significant, but peppered in there were the endings of big things like relationships and friendships, and of little things like hobbies or projects. I spent a lot of time bogged down by the endings that I wasn't fully appreciating all of the beginnings. Somewhere in the midst of the past two years I have started and grown with this blog, become a person in love with biking, and met so many new and wonderful friends in Pittsburgh. From now on, I'm going to obsess less over endings and focus more on the new beginnings that inevitably spring from them.

It always helps to have people we love beside us when we have to do difficult things in life.

If I have learned anything in the past two years, it's that I have the best friends in the world.

How great it is when we come to know that times of disappointment can be followed by times of fulfillment; that sorrow can be followed by joy; that guilt over falling short of our ideals can be replaced by pride in doing all that we can; and that anger can be channeled into creative achievements...and into dreams that we can make come true!

Similar to recognizing new beginnings, here is something that I can also subscribe to. Life is always going to be a series of ups and downs. Sometimes you're on a rollercoaster with just a few little dips, but maybe you're on the Phantom's Revenge in life, where the lows feel pretty terrible. When everything seemed to be going wrong in the second half of 2011, I felt like I would never break out of everything that was disappointing, sorrowful, guilt-inducing, and angering. With the first half of 2012 behind me, I can say for certain that those negative things are becoming more and more a part of my past, and that fulfillment, joy, pride, and creative achievements are becoming my new normal.

I find out more and more every day how important it is for people to share their memories.

Truth! Last Tuesday night I joined my dad and three of his college buddies for dinner at Wingharts. A few beers in, and they were regaling me with stories of their Beta Theta Pi days. Their stories of buggy-racing victories, frat-house antics, and having been to most every Steelers home game since they were in their twenties was absolutely amazing entertainment.  

PGH Book #8: Bone Wars

Like any kid who grew up in the 80s and 90s, dinosaurs were an essential part of my life. I remember receiving books about dinosaurs for Christmas and spending hours looking at the pictures of these awesome monsters that were once real. After seeing Jurassic Park in the theater, I would put my brother and his friend from down the street in a wheelbarrow and run them around the backyard pretending they were on their own Jurassic Park tour. It was great fun, especially when I would dump them out of the wheelbarrow and tell them to run from the hungry T-Rex. Seeing Dinosaur Hall at the Carnegie Museum for the first time as a kid was incredible. There aren't too many moments in your life when your jaw drops like the first time you see dinosaur skeleton. (Well, for me, at least.)

My love of dinosaurs continues today. (So much so that I am planning on buying a T-Rex costume for Halloween this year.) (Oh, and will probably have to buy this for my dopey-looking fat black cat.) When I searched for a Pittsburgh-related book that had to do with dinosaurs and found Bone Wars: The Excavation of Andrew Carnegie's Dinosaur, I was happily surprised! But, I guess I shouldn't have been considering I now walk past dinosaurs daily on my way into work. We are a dinosaur city! How lucky for me!

"Disco Dino" lives right outside of my new office building.

But, I have to be honest. I did not finish this book. About halfway in I got so confused by all the archeology terminology I didn't know and then there were ten or fifteen different main people and they were alway changing places and connections and... Well, I just had to put it down for good before I go to the end. There was this excellent quote that I made note of, and will always remember:

[Regarding the purchasing of a complete dinosaur skeleton to be displayed in Carnegie's museum in Pittsburgh for the people of the city to view and enjoy.]

"My lord--can't you buy this for Pittsburgh--try," Carnegie scrawled along the margin of the modest New York Post story. "Wyoming State University isn't rich--get an offer--hurry AC."

Determined he was, and it earned Carnegie a collection of dinosaurs that is unrivaled by anyone else in the world. 

As self-imposed punishment for failing to finish Bone Wars (which, I'm sorry, but so many times I have almost written or said "Boner Wars"), here are some pictures of a typical almost-thirty-year-old's apartment:

PGH Stuff and Things N'at: August 2012

Due to a combination of extreme discomfort (stupid poison ivy legs) and a return to high temps (stupid sweaty poison ivy legs), I feel like I haven't been able to do much fun stuff lately. The good news is the itchiness is gone! Now I just have to wait out the disappearance of these scabs and patches of dead skin (I know, sounds really cool, right?!), but I'm back to shorts, skirts, and dresses. Stupid work pants be damned! So, in lieu of a post dedicated to one thing, here's a post dedicated to five things. Stuff and things n'at. Enjoy!

Love Front Porch
This morning while I was eating breakfast (toad in the hole smothered in cheddar cheese) and drinking coffee, I was catching up on my Google Reader. One of the PopCity articles I had missed last week was about Love Front Porch, based in Homewood. Do yourself (and Vanessa German, creator of Love Front Porch) a favor and read the site's About Me section. Or, if you're more of a watcher than a reader, press play:

I was inspired to donate to Love Front Porch, and I hope you will be too. The amount of time I spend in Homewood is basically zero. When I first moved back to Pittsburgh, a friend suggested I take a route through the neighborhood from my apartment in Bloomfield over to Regent Square. I felt incredibly unsafe. After that first ride through Homewood - even what as probably a less dangerous section that borders Point Breeze - I have stuck to braving Penn Ave when I need to get over to that part of the East End. Here's the thing though: I want to spend time in Homewood. It's a neighborhood in our city with a rich past (the Carnegies had homes there), storied culture (John Edgar Wideman sets many of his novels on those streets and Billy Strayhorn moved his family there), and buildings I want to explore (the Homewood branch of the Carnegie Library and Victorian homes in need of some TLC).  But, because Homewood is a hotbed of violence, I stay away. I want to love Pittsburgh as a whole, not just the sum of the parts where I feel safe. I wish Vanessa German all the luck in the world with her project. And I hope it can bring a sense of calm and community to a neighborhood that is ailing.

Strata
Sometime in July, I saw these weird posters go up around Downtown. I was intrigued.

When I found out the project was of Bricolage's creation, that was all the mystery I needed solved before purchasing a pair of tickets. I'm not going to reveal much about Strata. I was specifically instructed not to on my visit. But, participating in this was one of the more unique things I have ever done in my life. My dad accompanied me and he not only enjoyed himself, but he had a completely different experience than me. Bricolage has undertaken a huge endeavor here, and they have succeeded. Do yourself a favor and get refitnessed before time's up. The production goes until September 1. Who knows when something this incredible and bizarre will pop up in Pittsburgh again.

The Calm After the Storm - Pittsburgh's Beautiful Sunset
If you're an Instagram user (follow me at everythingbetterpgh) and you have any Instagram friends who live in Pittsburgh, chances are they posted a picture of the sky from Sunday evening. We had a terrible day of rain and scary storms (which I was fortunate enough to get caught in on my bike!), but by 8 p.m., the rain had cleared and looking up was a treat. These photos: unedited.

Looking down Friendship from my corner on Gross Street.

East Liberty Presbyterian Church and The Highland Building

Happy Birthday, Andy Warhol!
Today would have been Andy Warhol's 84th birthday. While I was getting ready this morning, NPR aired a bit about it, and the unassuming cemetery in my hometown of Bethel Park where he is buried. Listen to the story here, and scroll down to watch a great time-lapse video that brings Warhol's grave to life over the course of two years.

Movin' On Up: To the 16th Floor of PPG One
Not going to lie about the rough string of ten days or so I just had to live through. Between the poison ivy, the anniversary of my mom's death, a bike accident, and two flats in four days, I was seriously down in the dumps. Add to that a crazy week of work, but not because of my day-to-day responsibilities. We packed up our offices in the Henry W. Oliver Building and bid farewell to the Daniel Burnham-designed mini-skyscraper and have said hello to PPG One, i.e. the glass castle that is so essential to Pittsburgh's skyline.

Sixteen floors up, with one of those baller window-walled offices is where you'll find me, Monday through Friday.

Now that the move is over, I am so happy. Walking into that building today, sitting at my desk and looking out the window at Pittsburgh, the Mon, the Smithfield Street Bridge, and the South Side Slopes... I feel like I won the office lottery. When I started with the law firm I work with, I didn't ever expect to a) have a job where I felt so challenged and engaged with my work (I had started off as the receptionist, but am now a writer/paralegal) or b) sit in an office that I truly think would make anyone jealous. I remember being a kid and visiting my dad at his office out in Robinson and thinking "Look how important he is with this office and this big window and wow!" (I was also OBSESSED with playing with the Xerox machine in his office; I was a weird kid.) Tomorrow, he's coming up to see my office and my window and I can't wait to show it off.

I feel like this move has been the 180-degree flip I needed in my grumpy overall mindset. I am excited about all the stuff and things n'at that are to come.

Get Out There & Ride Your Bike

After the Bloomfield Halloween Parade (which we're getting closer to every day!), BikeFest is my favorite yearly Pittsburgh event. It's a celebration of biking in Pittsburgh, and there are so many awesome opportunities to get out there and ride around the city. This year, BikeFest kicks off with PedalPGH on Sunday, August 5. 

It's pretty much guaranteed to be the largest group ride of the year, which should help to bring awareness to biking throughout the city. I see more people biking every day, and the more people out there with us, the safer we will be. 


BikeFest then continues through August 19, and the list of scheduled events is extensive and there is definitely something for everyone.

Here are the events that I've highlighted on my calendar:

SUNDAY - August 5 - PedalPGH Ride

MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY AM - August 6/7 - Moonlight Ride

WEDNESDAY - August 8 - Carrie Furnace Ride

THURSDAY - August 9 - Northside Public Art Tour

FRIDAY - August 10 - BikeFest Party

SATURDAY - August 11 - The Hollows Ride

SUNDAY - August 12 - Yoga Ride

TUESDAY - August 14 - Roberto Clemente Ride

THURSDAY - August 16 - Underwear Ride

FRIDAY - August 17 - Flock of Cycles Ride

SATURDAY - August 18 - Light Up Ride

SUNDAY - August 19 - Golden Girls Scavenger Hunt

I'm looking forward to those rides as I continue to add miles to my Pedal for Pennies project. Whether you're a daily biker or just go out for a fun ride every now and then, try and get out there for PedalPGH and some BikeFest activities. It's a great way to show you care about biking in Pittsburgh, which in turn gives BikePGH more leverage when making the city a safer place to be on two wheels.

Keeping it Local in Lawrenceville on a Saturday Night

I've been in self-imposed isolation for the past week and a half due to my lovely poison ivy legs. But, with the weather being fortunately cooler, I dragged myself out to get some grub at the first Pittsburgh Food Truck Roundup on Saturday night. We walked down toward the empty lot where the trucks were set up, and walked right to the back of a line. We weren't sure what line we were in. I don't think anyone knew what line anyone was in. It was very British of us all to be standing there in a queue, not really sure of what might be at the end of it. Eventually, I ended up with cheddar potato pierogies from the Pittsburgh Pierogi Truck and some honey lavender ice cream from the Dozen dessert truck. 

We hurried down Butler toward 39th just in time for my first visit to the Arsenal Cider House. This has been on my Pittsburgh to-do list for a while now, and I went with some seasoned veterans (Steph and her boyfriend Derek) who already had empty growlers ready to be filled. We sampled four different ciders (and here I thought they only had one cider at a time!) and picked two (one that was peach-like and one that was sour cherry) to take back to their house.

Steph and I sat in her backyard in Lawrenceville listening to LCD Soundsystem and drinking some pretty great cider until my legs started itch and I needed to make my way back to the comfort of the couch where calamine lotion and bags of ice were easily accessible.

I'm nearly out of the woods with this whole poison ivy nightmare. I've been able to bike more the past few days and spend more time outside without feeling like I need to scratch off the top layer of my skin. There's so much good stuff coming up with PedalPGH and Bikefest in the next two weeks that I would hate to miss.