Pens Stanley Cup Playoffs 2012: v. Flyers, Game 3

Eeeeeeeek.

That was kinda brutal. And embarrassing. Let's not talk about it. I watched with friends at my apartment. There were chips, cookies, pretzels, and Pizza Hut.

It was an absolutely gorgeous evening. So, for a pick-us-up treat, Corey, Carrie and I rode our bikes to Walnut Street for a delicious helping of gelato from Mercurio's. Afterward, I wanted to get some more miles in, so I rode through to Oakland and went across the Panther Hollow Bridge. That's one of my favorite places at sunset, so it was nice to catch one to to wrap up the week.


I stopped at the corner of Dawson and the Boulevard - my ol' stomping grounds - and caught a glimpse of that beautiful skyline. So we lost another. There's always the possibility of turning it around?

EvBetPGH Best of 2011: This Used to Be Our Playground

Throughout the month of December, I'll be returning to five of my favorite adventures/posts from the past year.

Date of Post: August 17, 2011
Title of Post: This Used to Be Our Playground: South Oakland on a Summer Night

South Oakland is pretty much the last place in the city I would ever live now, but those four years I spent inhabiting those streets were a blast. It's always fun to take a walk down memory lane. Just watch out for all the garbage strewn about.

Red Sky at Night: Pittsburgh's Delight

On consecutive nights a couple weeks ago, Pittsburgh was treated to beautiful pink/red skies. Fortunately, my plans for both of those nights (Wednesday for Jurassic Park on Flagstaff Hill and Thursday for the preseason Steelers game against the Eagles) involved being outside.

Kind of crazy pink clouds over the crowd at Heinz Field.

Pink light reflecting off of PPG Place before kickoff.

Gorgeous skies over Oakland before Jurassic Park on Flagstaff Hill.

The weather is starting to cool off. Its time for crisper air, crunchy leaves, and all the wonderful things that a Pittsburgh fall will bring. Red skies at night, Pittsburgh's delight.

This Used to Be Our Playground: South Oakland on Summer Night

I had a horrible day at work. My computer was completely busted, and it was taking me four times longer to do everything as a result. I had already taken a day off that week, so feeling behind and feeling extremely frustrated, I basically fell apart and had the worst day. As I packed up my stuff for the ride home, I asked myself, "What would make me feel better?" After batting away the many thoughts of different ice cream places I could go to, I decided to return to Oakland, where I had biked past some pretty nifty murals, street art, and graffiti earlier in the week on my way to my doctor's office.

It ended up being a wise decision.

I invited Corey with me, so we took our bikes and rode through Bloomfield and North Oakland and through the Carnegie Museum's parking lot (so much fun to zoom around with no cars in the lot). We locked up in Sennot Square and started our walk. When I say it was the most perfect summer night, I am not exaggerating.

Corey says Warhol looks like a '90s female talk show host. No one in particular. Just your run-of-the-mill '90s female talk show host.

I went to college here. I spent four years walking these streets. I'm sure this was there then. How did I miss it? Now, it's the first thing I see. What a difference five or six years makes.

What I love about Pittsburgh (because I'm almost always a pedestrian): Louisa Street in Oakland turns into a stairway halfway through.

Groceria Mercante. Everything about this sign is great. The font of "MEATBALLS" might entertain me for days.

This is a rocket, but I also see a butt.

Rocketeer with a paintcan on a dumpster.

Kind of grammatically awkward and incorrect, but at least it's pleasant.

Ghost Bikes make me incredibly sad.

Another reason I love Pittsburgh: murals in unexpected places. I wouldn't exactly pin the wall of Gene's Place off of Louisa Street in South Oakland as the prime spot for this display. But it works, so well.

I've only been in Gene's Place a couple times, but walking by made me want to plan a night of South Oakland bar crawling, before the students get back, of course.

I dont think it's meant to look like this pig with wings and a crown(?) is pooping, but that speck is sure in a great place to assume that is what's happening.

The bike ride, the walk, the sights, and the company were enough to rid me of the bad mood that hovered over me all day. I was feeling so good by the time we'd biked back to Bloomfield, that I decided to make chocolate chip pancakes for dinner.

It ended up being a wise decision.