Pens Stanley Cup Playoffs 2012: v. Flyers, Game 4

Well. OK! That was a lot different than the first three games! It was hard to be positive at the beginning of this game, but sitting there at the bar at the Map Room in Regent Square, something happened. It was like I instinctively knew they couldn't lose. Because if they did, they were done. And then it's just an incredibly long (and likely losing (sorry!)) season of Pirates baseball. So, they had to win. They HAD to win.

And they did.


Allie and I made friends with the guy sitting to my left. His name was Mike, and he was an interesting and awesome Pittsburgh character to talk to. He'd done some time in Boston too, and lived in a couple other cities I've visited to on my North American travels. He lives in Regent Square now, flips houses around the city and suburbs, and seems to really love being back. We gushed about how good it felt to be home finally.

With every goal the Pens scored, our little corner of the bar became more and more involved in each other's conversations. We were enjoying the company of mostly strangers. We were high-fiving and cracking jokes. Mike bought us a round of beers. I might never run into him again, but for the duration of the hockey game, we were total buds.

I rode my bike home from Regent Square overcome with that "love of Pittsburgh" feeling I get sometimes.

Let's go Pens.

Saturday Night - Picnic in the Outfield

Saturday night, a few friends and I decided set up in the outfield of a Regent Square baseball field for a picnic. It was pretty spontaneous, as picnics go. Everyone brought a sammich of their own. I brought some odds and ends (whoopie pies!) to share. Corey and I biked over to Regent Square from Bloomfield. Corey led the way, and we ended up going down some really beautiful backstreets in Shadyside. BUT! We also had to tackle some major hills his way, one of which was pretty killer. I'm fairly certain that if Corey hadn't been with me, I'd have just dismounted and pushed. But, we prevailed, and were rewarded with two very nice downhill glides on S. Dallas and Forbes.

After we all gathered on sheets in right field (we figured if a real game started up, we were in right field, so we'd be about as useful as the kid who usually gets stuck in right field), we ate our foods and goofed around. Eventually, we got into a round of the Noun Game. We were probably so loud and obnoxious, but we having fun and putting on a good show for the S. Braddock passerbys.

Whoopie pies, made by me! Sadly, not PGH-themed. My food coloring may have been expired, and I can't bear the guilt of having poisoned my friends.

It might have been the perfect summer night.

Buffalo mozzarella from my trip to PennMac in the Strip that morning. Delicious.

After a second round of the Noun Game, we all parted ways for the night. Some of us on bike, some of us on foot, and some of us by car. But for a few hours, we were just a handful of kids, sitting on sheets in the outfield of a baseball field, hanging out and laughing on the perfect summer night.