An Update of Sorts! Books, Pedaling, and Resolutions

The month of June was amazing, but it also kicked my butt. I started and ended the month in Washington, D.C. (once getting there by bike, and once getting there by bus - can you guess which was more enjoyable?) and spent one weekend in Boston at a wedding. It's been a while since I've hopped around so much in a short period of time, and I'm looking forward to both feet being firmly placed in Pittsburgh for a while (until Labor Day, at least).

Having been so busy in June, my plan for July is to take it a little easier and spend some time catching up with things. Like how I've neglected to enlightened you all about what I've been reading or how I've been doing with my resolutions. I haven't abandoned any of those projects! Which is great. I've just been too lazy (and too hot - OMG, it's hot!) to get around to it. Now, with a homemade iced coffee in hand (still trying not to spend so much money this month) and new mixes from friends as my soundtrack, here is a recap on things and stuff.

Resolution #1: Read more!
First, here's a list of what I've already read in 2012.
1. 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente 
2. Building a Better Robot
3. About Three Bricks Shy
4. Brothers and Keepers

Now, here's what I've been reading.

PGH Book #5: Me, and Earl, and the Dying Girl - Jesse Andrews

My friend Corey lent me this right after he read it. He thought it would be right up my alley, and because Jesse Andrews is from Pittsburgh and the story takes place in Pittsburgh, that it would fit the requirements of a PGH Book for 2012. He was right. On all accounts. This was one of the funniest, most touching, and possibly sharpest books I've ever read. One of those rare books that you do not want to finish because you want to story to keep going forever. It's a quick read and would be wonderful to enjoy by the pool this summer.

PGH Book #6: The Paris of Appalachia - Brian O'Neill

Brian O'Neill came to speak in one of my writing courses at Pitt. I don't remember much from his talk, except for how I thought he didn't look anything like the little photo that accompanies his columns in the Post Gazette. But after reading this, I will always remember him for his unique and very wise perspective on Pittsburgh. The essays in this book are spot-on Pittsburgh. Even the ones that detail some of the city's downfalls (I'll be the first to admit that Pittsburgh is not perfect, but for me it's pretty damn close) capture the city's resilient spirit. 

I've slowed my pace on the reading, which I expected would happen. (That's why I front-loaded my list with quick reads...) But I'm about to finish my seventh book over the weekend (a book that has done nothing to quell the overwhelming wanderlust that's itching at the back of my head) and am halfway through an eighth (which is a behemoth of a book, so much so that the library refused to let me renew it for a fourth time, so I had to take a break). 

As for the other resolutions: Some progress is being made, some progress is not being made. Now that we're halfway through the year, it's time to kick into a higher gear, especially with volunteering. I can't even remember how much I've actually volunteered so far this year, but let's put that figure around two hours. Out of fifty. But! I've just registered with Corey and Carrie to volunteer with GrowPGH on July 21 at their urban farm in Braddock. 

I'm sure I've been better at trying new things. Of course, I haven't kept a list or anything, but I'm getting better at being less afraid to try a new thing - be it a food, an activity, or habit. One major one that sticks out in my mind is whitewater rafting, which I was able to do for an amazing reasonable price ($4) because my friend Brian's brother Ben is a rafting guide at Ohiopyle. Coincidentally, whitewater rafting was on the 30 Before 30 list, so I've officially crossed an item of the (still unfinished) list.

And finally, my baby, Pedal for Pennies. As of today I have biked 2,012 miles. 2012! So far in 2012! I really can't believe I'm already under the 1,000-mile mark for miles left to log. It feels like I was just celebrating hitting 1,000 miles yesterday. I'm not only on target to hit 3,000 miles, but I should crush that and wind up around 3,500 (crossing fingers for another mild winter...). To date from pledges and donations, Pedal for Pennies has raised $1,400 for Gilda's Club of Western Pennsylvania. Wanna get in the game and make a pledge? Click this link: http://pedalforpennies.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading! Stay cool, and enjoy the Pittsburgh summer. 

My First Motorcycle Ride: Seeing the City a New Way

You may recall that I was going to make a concerted effort in April to do new things, and then keep a list of them so I wouldn't forget them at the end of the month. I wasn't wholly successful in meeting my goal, as I often wimped out and just went to new restaurants. But a wonderfully willing and motorcycle- owner friend name John helped me close out the month of April doing a new thing that I never actually thought I'd want to do.

I'm the sort that considers a motorcycle a death machine, but I've been trying to do more things that scare me or make me nervous lately. I trusted John to take good care of me and not let my last moments be the seconds before my head splattered on the pavement. And we made an adventure out of it. I picked four different outlooks in the North, West, South, and East and we figured out our routes on the go.

John wasted no time in getting me acclimated to going fast. We zipped down the 40th Street hill and across the bridge and onto 28. It was scary, but awesome. And I was immediately hooked. Our first outlook was the Troy Hill cemetery. Going up Troy Hill Road I could watch the skyline in the reflection of John's shiny helmet. The cemetery probably wasn't the best place we could have chosen, but if I have the opportunity to rope a cemetery visit into an adventure, I will.

From Troy Hill we got back onto a numbered road (here's the thing about not owning a car: I don't know anything about our highways - I just know they are numbered and fast and not safe for me to bike on) and flew across the West End Bridge to the West End Elliott Overlook. I don't think John had ever been there, so I was really excited to share of one my favorite outlooks.

Back down a hill we went, and then up Mount Washington we climbed. At the outlook we stopped at on Grandview Ave, we could already tell we were in for a amazing sunset. The PPG building was glowing and orange. The weather was so temperate and clear. We got back on the motorcycle and headed to our last destination.

I've only recently found out about this gem in Schenley Park, and it was a spectacular sunset to end our adventure with. We sat in the grass and watched the orange sky turn slowly into night.

We were nearly back in Bloomfield when I shouted to John and asked if we could go down Bigelow into the city. He obliged and that little addition to the end of the ride was definitely the most thrilling. I won't tell you how fast we were going, but know that the city was coming at us very very quickly. From the city we took Liberty back up to Winebiddle and hit nearly every greenlight until we got to Bloomfield proper.

I survived my first motorcycle ride. We celebrated at Brillobox.

PGH Book #4: Brothers and Keepers

The fourth book in the 2012 Pittsburgh Canon was suggested by and graciously lent to me by one of my oldest friends, Kate. As soon as I mentioned my resolution to read these books about or relating to Pittsburgh, she immediately said "Brothers and Keepers."

Confession: When I was at Pitt, one of my writing professors "encouraged" us to go to a reading/discussion/lecture featuring John Edgar Wideman. Because I was a dumb, unappreciative college student, I went - begrudgingly. I might have even fallen asleep at one point. I admit to this because after reading Brothers and Keepers, I am so mad at my stupid younger self for not paying attention during that ninety minutes of my life when I could have had the pleasure of listening to this man tell me stories, teach me lessons, and make me appreciate words in a way I haven't in a while.

I could never adequately explain how much I loved this book, so I thought the best way to honor this beautiful memoir from John Edgar Wideman was to hand the reigns to Kate and let her explain why it is one of her favorite books:

Brothers And Keepers is among my favorite books.  Amazon tells me that I have purchased it nine times, and I purchased it for myself in 2003, which means that those other nine were given away as gifts. I bought a bunch of copies from two of the Half-Price Books stores near Pittsburgh. So what makes it that good?

First, it’s non-fiction, my preferred brand of reading, and it’s a memoir, which I also prefer. There’s something so satisfying about hearing how life is experienced differently across people—I’d say that a good 2/3s of by personal library is autobiography or biography.  Second, it’s a story of a Pittsburgh family, and I do love Pittsburgh. So much so that I gave up being a baller in Baltimore to be a pauper in Pittsburgh, because there’s something in this city that Baltimore doesn’t have. There are third and fourth reasons, but I’ll get to those in a bit.

I studied non-fiction writing at Pitt, and majors are required to do a non-fiction readings course. I told my adviser that I wanted to skip the book-length non-fiction class and wait until the short essay non-fiction class came around in a subsequent semester. This was true, but for a very bad reason: I had heard that the professor in the book class was hard on students, and I hadn’t yet found the merit in failing at something worthwhile instead of succeeding in something worthless. In the end, I ended up in the book class, with Jeanne Marie Laskas, who was not so hard a grader and once wore mismatched shoes to class. I didn’t think twice when I saw the book on the list. John Edgar Wideman grew up in Pittsburgh, Jeanne Marie told us. So what, I thought. I never heard of him.

And then  I read the book. There’s so much depth to it, so many surprises. I’ll let the surprises be his, but will tell you this much: Wideman grew up in Homewood, with his brother Bobby. Black boys in a black neighborhood. John grew up, went to Penn, was a Rhodes Scholar, teaches at Brown, wins prestigious writing awards. Bobby is serving a life sentence for homicide. Here is the central theme of the book: How did two brothers, in the same city, neighborhood, family—identical contexts—end up so differently? That’s my third reason. The examination between differences among siblings, something I feel so deeply because of how different I am from my sisters, has kept me reading and rereading this book. Make no mention of the fact that John himself has three children, one of whom plays in the WNBA and another of whom is serving a life sentence for homicide. Siblings, same city, neighborhood and family—identical contexts—finding themselves on remarkably different paths. Wideman, who spent years trying to answer this question about himself and Bobby, now tries to answer it as a father. Bobby’s son has been killed. He took a life, and one was taken from him.

Much of the story takes place inside Western State Penitentiary, Pittsburgh’s prison. The river trails runs past it, and while out on a run one afternoon, passed the building. The first thing I noticed was its mansard roof. I thought what a beautiful old building it was, and when I looked past the old ruins, I saw a modern concrete building and razored wire. I have lived in Pittsburgh for twenty-four of my thirty years, and I do believe that was the first time I ever saw the prison.

I do, however, spend a lot of time in the Allegheny County Jail. Therein lays my fourth reason for adoring Brothers and Keepers.  I loved the book before I started teaching in the jail, but after that year, when I had more or less fully developed the sense that most inmates were not actually bad people, just had decision-makers, I fell for it even more. I’ve taught murderers.  I’ve taught rapists. I even taught the man who fatally shot my sister’s boyfriend. But they are someone else’s criminals. They are my students, and I see them as redeemable souls, like John sees Bobby, but like so few other people do.

One of my roles in the jail was to find inmates to tutor other inmates.  Before I departed for Baltimore, I gave each tutor a copy of Brothers and Keepers. One of them, with whom I had a particularly strong  bond, asked me how I knew about the book. I told him that I’d read it at Pitt, and he seemed incredulous. I thought I told you about this book, he said. I must have looked confused, because next he told me that the book was about his father, one of Bobby’s accomplices, who also did some prison time. But, he told me, his had got out of prison and built a productive life for himself. My tutor was also trying to  figure out how he ended up in jail. It wasn’t because his father had been in prison, he told me.

So the book is good enough, and the internet makes the story even better. Since its publication, there’s been much written on Bobby’s case. Some of it enrages my bleeding liberal heart. If you read the press clippings after reading Brothers and Keepers, it’s like reading the epilogue. A letter from Bobby ends the book, but certainly didn’t end the story.

In writing this, I kept thinking of the high homicide rate for young black men. I found some stats from 2005, the year I worked at the jail the first time. Allegheny County published this conclusion, “Mirroring trends documented in other urban areas, the homicide rate for young, black men in the City of Pittsburgh was nearly 60 times the city-wide average and more than 50 times the national average.” I also read a chapter from The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, which claims that more black men are in American prisons than had been colonial slaves.  I’ll leave you with those figures; maybe they’ll lend some clarity to how black men in Homewood make their decisions.

-- Kate Lukaszewicz, April 2012

Kate Lukaszewicz has a last name I am never certain how to spell. She is one of my favorite storytellers and conversation partners. She is my former hallmate, manager, assistant and roommate. She is awesome and out to conquer the world, with a cocktail in hand.

This is one of my new favorite descriptions of Pittsburgh.

So here we are at the end of another month in 2012. Whenever I think about how quickly this year is flying by (which has been made to happen ever quicker due to the increased number of awesome things happening lately), I think about how much is left to come (the bike trip, the pool, fireworks) just in the warm-weather months makes me excited.

Though I haven't actually done the volunteering at the time of this writing, I am spending a couple hours with BikePGH tomorrow at the Steel City Showdown (which hopefully I'll get a post out of for sometime this week). That'll bring the volunteering hours to three for the year. I'm a ways away from fifty. 

As for trying new things, I did try and keep a list this month, but halfway through I sort of gave up. I'm not happy with me either, okay? But, here is what I wrote down and what I remember: Mercurio's in Shadyside, my first cappuccino, walked across the Ellsworth Pedestrian Bridge, Taste of Dahntahn in Downtown, La Cucina Flegrea Regional Italian Cuisine in Market Square, Olive or Twist in Downtown, the Apollo Cafe in Downtown, drank beer at Shale's, had an iced latte, Eat Unique in North Oakland. Basically: I went to new restaurants. I need to do some actual NEW THINGS soon. 

Biking is going great. I actually treated myself to a new bike recently as a little pat on the back for getting to 1,000 miles. I'm continuing to have fun with it. And the nerd in me is loving all the stats that I get to play with as a result. As of writing this on Saturday evening, I've logged 1,055 miles in 2012 and have so far raised just over $850 for Gilda's Club of Western Pennsylvania. If you want to get in on the action, visit the Pedal for Pennies blog or click this link to make your pledge.

With April and its one random bizarre threat of snow behind us, it's sun and warm and good stuff ahead.

PGH Book #3: About Three Bricks Shy

I need to start this post by saying that I couldn't be happier with my resolution to read more. I think transitioning into a job that is 98% writing from a job that was 100% the opposite kind of killed my joy of reading over the past year and a half. Of course, the first two books in my 2012 canon were easing me into a real book that is more words than pictures. (I had to start small, otherwise I would have never made it this far.) My third book for the year was Roy Blount Jr.'s About Three Bricks Shy: And The Load Filled Up. And it was a real, honest-to-goodness book. (For a book about sports, I can't recall it containing a single photograph. I'd check to be certain, but I already returned it to Corey.)

"Have you heard of these people before, Georgiana?"
"Certainly not, Serena. Nobody has heard of any one in Pittsburgh."

For those unaware, About Three Bricks Shy is about the Steelers in the '70s: the season before their first Super Bowl win. While I read it, I kept thinking about how these were the Steelers my dad watched back in the early days of his season ticket holding. I thought about that and thought about how odd it will be almost 40 years from now when I'm talking fondly about Big Ben, Bettis, everyone's favorite former disaster factory: Jeff Reed. (Though, his exit did make way for the adorable Canadian kicker. SQUEEEEEZEM!)

I enjoyed the book from start to finish, but I was so pleased with the Why Pittsburgh chapter that I read it twice. Please, do yourself a favor and read this chapter at least; it is so good!

What happened to the month of March? It feels like it was here and gone in the blink of an eye. Is that called getting older? Or just me being swept up in longer days and warmer temps? Regardless. 2012's third month is nearly history. What have I been accomplishing?

I'm a jerk. I didn't volunteer again this month. There's still a lot of year left. I'm not worried.

I am continuing to try new things! I'm struggling to recall much from March 2012, but I know I tried things. I promise. (Mental note: Start keeping track of these throughout the month as you do them; remembering them at the end never works.) The ones I can remember: Nakama (had no idea this was cook-on-the-table!), arena football game (indoor fireworks!), and went to Construction Junction. Yeah, I really need to start keeping a list.

Still pedaling away. I think about what it will feel to reach 1,000 miles next month (unless we have a crazy April snowstorm that lasts three weeks, I should pass that mark at the least) every day. As I write this, I have raised over $500! If you'd like to Pledge a Penny and support Gilda's Club of Western Pennsylvania, fill out this form.

I feel like I've got a grip on 2012 right now. April, I'm looking forward to spending some time together.

PGH Book #2: Building a Better Robot

The second book in my 2012 Pittsburgh canon was an exciting purchase. It's about a subculture based in music (my favorite kind of nonfiction). It's about Pittsburgh, and a place I'd been! And, perhaps most important, it was written by a friend, Andy Mulkerin.

PGH Book #2: Building a Better Robot: 10 Years of the Mr. Roboto Project

Go! Andy!

Any semblance of good musical taste that I may have is thanks to a boy I dated when I was in high school. He made me mixtapes (yes - actual tapes!) that were full of songs and sounds I'd never heard before, but that I quickly fell in love with. On occasion I'd go with him to shows, which is how I'd been to the Mr. Roboto Project before. He came over to pick me up, and when my parents asked him where he was taking me he said, "Wilkinsburg." Their faces turned white, but they let me go anyway - and thank goodness, because that night I was introduced to a band that is still one of my most favorite bands. (There was even a story about that Weakerthans show included in the oral history section.)

This was a really great read. I loved learning more about a place I only knew on the surface. Of getting a glimpse into what was going on behind the scenes. I saw only a handful of shows there, but for others this place was a home. It's a great little subset of Pittsburgh.

"People often focused on what you couldn't do there. I think they missed the point of what you could do there. You could form your own band and book your own shows there. You could run for the board of directors. It was an empty room that you could create something in if you chose."

The end of the book listed all of the documented/known Mr. Roboto Project shows over the course of the first ten years. I'd like to highlight a few.

9/22/2000: My first introduction to The Weakerthans. Also still listen to Elliott quite often.

2/23/2001: Was definitely at this show.

This one is for Boston friends. I was always very proud of the whole Girl Talk is from Pittsburgh thing.

So, another month is coming to a close. Let's check in and see how I'm doing with my other resolutions...

Sadly, I did not volunteer this month. But I did get in touch with BikePGH regarding Bike to Work Day in May.

But I have been going gangbusters on my third resolution to try new things! Just off the top of my head, the following were firsts for me in February: high tea service at The Inn on Negley, South Side Soup Contest, Construction Junction (post to come, I think), Screen printing!, hosted my first proper dance night (Confetti w/ Cousin Mike), celebrated Phil Collins Day properly, went to the new Mr. Roboto Project location, and probably some other things I'm forgetting. I'm making progress!

I announced my fourth resolution, to finish something, at the end of January. I'm happy to report that a few days ago I surpassed both 300 miles biked and $300 raised! Pedal for Pennies is something I'm really excited about. I've been planning ways to celebrate throughout the year with friends and family. If you'd like to learn more or make a pledge, please visit Pedal for Pennies.

February was not my most productive month blog-wise, but I expect that with March will come slightly better weather and increasingly longer days. During the time I haven't been adventuring, I have been creating, and will hopefully be re-launching my stitching/crafting side-project in the spring. Exciting things are coming. Soon, there will be green.

Happy Leap Day!

Too Much of a New Thing: The South Side Soup Contest

I have always been a picky eater. I can't remember being any other way. I try my hardest to eat like an adult, but that often means trying new things, which has always been an oddly terrifying thing for me. So far this year, I've really made an effort to try new foods when they are presented to me.

My first big foray into trying to overcome this strange fear was during Pittsburgh's first-ever Restaurant Week. I went to Habitat with friends Kate and Zack, where my options for dinner were limited, so I couldn't just fall back on the safest option. I had oxtail. It wasn't bad.

My next attempt came at Carrie's 28th Birthday Tea at the Inn on Negley. I ate every bit of every scone, sammich, and sweet that was set in front of me, and enjoyed every bit of everything.

So, with two overall positive experiences under my belt, I ordered tickets to the South Side's Soup Contest.

Let me first say that this was a really great event. After a somewhat negative experience at the overly packed Bakery Square Bake-Off a few weeks ago, the organized and well though-out Soup Contest was really fun. If I were a foodie, I would have loved it, I'm sure. But, I'm still making baby steps toward being a well-rounded eater.

The first soup we tried actually ended up being my absolute favorite of the ones I tried. It was the Charred Tomato Basil with Baby Grilled Cheese Croutons from Local Bar + Kitchen served up at Delanie's Coffee. When we started the day, we were both excited to try new soups and eagerly walked between locations or waited patiently in line. But, after trying MANY new things in a VERY short period of time (including things that I already know I don't like - like bacon or onion), I started to feel a little less eager and a lot less patient (and also kinda like my hands had frozen).

The second soup we tried that day. A Lentil Soup from Stagioni picked up at the Milkshake Factory.

Fortunately Allie started to feel the same, and so we hatched a new plan: buy slices of cheesecake and take them to Big Dog Coffee for nice hot pick-me-ups.

I learned a really valuable lesson, and it's something I'll keep in mind so long as it's 2012 and I'm trying new things: new things in moderation. I was a little ambitious thinking I would be able to stomach so many new things at once. Though I'm glad I tried, because that's a lot more than I ever would have done.

PGH Book #1: "21" The Story of Roberto Clemente

You may recall my first resolution for 2012 was to read more. Well, I am happy to report that I have been keeping ahead of schedule! Now, this is partly due to the facts that a) I started this first book before 2012 began and b) it is a graphic novel. (I wanted to ease into things.)

PGH Book #1: "21" The Story of Roberto Clemente

"21" covers Clemente's lifespan from a child in Puerto Rico to the fatal flight that took his life.

This is a quote I will take to heart.

The Cathedral of Learning! It's weird to see it there, because I've never seen that popping out of the skyline at any Pirates game I've ever been too.

I've never been very good at book review, so let's just say I read it, I enjoyed it, and I think you might enjoy it too! Now, a month is nearly behind us in 2012 already! Time. It flies. You may be wondering how I've been faring with my OTHER resolutions. Well, even if you're not, I'm about to tell you. My second resolution was to volunteer, which I did just a tiny bit of this month when I went to a BikePGH volunteer night. I was there just shy of an hour! One down, forty-nine to go.

My third resolution was to try new things. I have tried new things! Here's a short list: walked all the staircases in a neighborhood, went to the Park House for a beer and peanuts, had dinner with my dad and brother at the Tap Room, tried out Habitat with Kate and Zack for Pittsburgh's first Restaurant Week where I ate OXTAIL for the first time (after a quick text-message consultation regarding if I would hate oxtail).

My fourth resolution? Well, that is something you'll have to wait a few more days to find out more about...

EvBetPGH Resolution #3: Try New (Pittsburgh) Things!

Or even just try new things in general.

One thing I'm embarrassed to be known for is being extremely reluctant to try things. This is mostly related to food, now that I really think about it. And, honestly, that is just never going to change. But! What I can change is my aversion to routine and regularity.

Now, becoming a regular at a few local Pittsburgh institutions this year has been incredibly enjoyable. Especially when those things involve burgers, hot dogs, and great alcohol. But, it's time to keep those regular visits coming, but sprinkle in more new things. New restaurants. New nights out. New places to go. New people to see. I want new (Pittsburgh) things. For now, my "new thing" goal is one new thing a week.

Suggestions, again, are welcomed and encouraged! What things in Pittsburgh do you think I haven't done or haven't seen or haven't experienced? Leave a comment, or send me an email!