maybe more people will come visit me now!

Nine Underrated US Cities, and Why you should visit them....

check it out, half way down the page.

more validation, justification, whatever you want to call it...

"People know that Pittsburgh is a really great place for families because of safety, schools and the arts." says Wendy Hermann, director of student services for master's programs at Carnegie Mellon University. "I see students wanting that whether they're married or not. They see staying in Pittsburgh as way to say that's the kind of lifestyle they're looking forward to."

America's Best Places to Raise a Family

here, there, and everywhere

I awoke to a cup of coffee and oatmeal with my Uncle Bernhard (no one around here pronounces his name correctly either), at the butt crack of dawn. After some lovely morning chatter I headed off to spend a moment with Jeremy and start a new tradition for Mother's Day (breakfast at Ruthie's in Ligonier). After some tasty bacon, and perfect over hard eggs (yolks not broken, way to go Ruthie's), I headed into Braddock to meet Jenny and her peeps. It was a lovely day with the sun in and out behind the clouds, and I found the three gals making the most of the day: digging up the vacant lot next door. Diligently preparing the ground for a garden to grow all the makings of salsa and pasta sauce (a gal after my own heart). It was nice chatting, and having the chance to make two more friends. I am looking forward to having them over for enchiladas (they are all craving decent Mexican, and Michael makes a mean pan of chicken enchiladas) when we have completed the move and start to settle in.

After feeling like a lunp of uselessness (I wasn't exactly dressed for hard labor), I headed into the city to meet my other new friend, Michael (cause just what I need is one more of those in my life) who promptly showed my that P*brgh has decent local coffee (they even had coconut syrup!). After briefly sitting, sipping, and giving cliff notes on our lives, he, ever so graciously, offered to give me the delux private tour of where to and where not: beginning in Shady Side, a quick jaunt along Liberty Ave then back south through Squirrel Hill, a jump on the East Parkway to Mt. Washington over to the North Shore and back again to Shady Side; a true gentleman.



It was a lovely day exploring, and I am can't wait to get here permanently and do some more of the same. It was a lot, but so worth the plethora of information intake.