1992 R.I,P.

OK, this post is a couple of weeks late, but I've been busy. Schoolwork n'at. A chance encounter at Starbucks today reminded me that this post needed to be done.

So basically, as everyone knows, I moved to Pittsburgh in the end of January. I was semi-perched on the Pirates bandwagon before it was cool. By semi-perched, I mean that they were my favorite National League team long before I moved here. I had the hat already. The rest came later. And I had my first game ticket - for a game against the Astros in May - before the season even started. I actually grew up a Yankees fan, and now...I don't know if it's because I actually live here now or what, but baseball is more fun as a Pirates fan than it ever was as a Yankees fan. Maybe it's because I live a mile away from the ballpark. Maybe it's because the Pirates are more unpredictable than the Yankees have ever been (although the Yanks did actually miss the playoffs this year). Maybe it's because Pittsburgh is smaller than New York City, the ballpark is practically downtown, and the fanbase is, on the whole, probably smaller. Maybe it's because with the Pirates, it looks more like a game, and less like a business. I mean, they have pierogi races at PNC Park. And fireworks. There's a shark tank in the clubhouse. We're not constantly hearing about the players' exploits in the news (Ahem, A-Rod), or how much money they make, how much money they want (Robinson Cano, I'm looking in your direction on that one). And I loved Joe Torre to death, but did he ever show emotion in press conferences and the dugout? Ever?

And then there's how you can just randomly meet the players on the street. Andrew McCutchen stops in at the Starbucks I go to on a daily basis. I found this out 20 days into the season, and it led to a summer and baseball season that I will never forget. And no, I didn't actually meet him - although I have since had coffee next to him and his girlfriend and today, he held the door open for me. I met someone else very special because of him.

I attended my first game on April 19th, against the Atlanta Braves. This ticket came with my attendance of a career fair at PNC Park earlier that day. The next day, it's business as usual. I run errands, and then go to Starbucks with the intention of getting a cafe mocha and crashing with a book for a couple of hours. I'm putting sugar in my mocha when I hear, "Andrew McCutchen was in here this morning." I turn around, like, "Come again?" Barista tells me and that someone else that he's in there all the time. One thing leads to another, and I find myself invited to the Pirates game that would start about an hour later. We only stayed for five innings, because it was so cold, but the three of us - myself, Michael, and his friend who showed up at Starbucks after parking the car in the "Jack Reacher Parking Garage" - landed at Dominic's to finish the game off. Somewhere in those five innings, though...I got my first kiss. Ever. And it just so happens it was in a Major League Baseball park. I can also say I've made out with someone in the parking garage where one of the opening scenes of Jack Reacher was filmed. And to this day, I can't hear "Sweet Caroline" without thinking of that night, as the Pirates paid tribute to Boston that night (they would use it again after the game against the Rockies - Bethany and I were singing on the way out, I remember). By the way, he and I have been talking and whatnot ever since. We'd go to one more game (Dodgers in June. We lost), meet up after the Wild Card game (more on that later), and now...thinking about a hockey game in January. Even though he is a Sabres fan. I don't care. Baseball season will be rolling around again soon enough.

I went to my first Sunday game in May. Had arguably the best seat in the house, although there is NOT a bad seat in that ballpark. The Pirates, they do things for the kids. They show highlight reels edited with movie clips on the Jumbotron to get people going. They have giveaways, they get the fans involved in a lot of stuff. There's a trivia thing where the person gets to choose between something like a sweatshirt or a jacket...basically something great...and a mystery box. I'm always like, "Don't take the box," but this one time, a kid picked the box and got a ton of autographed stuff. I think that was the game against the Rockies in August. On a related note to the game against the Rockies, during each game, they ask the players a question, and their answers are recorded and broadcast on the Jumbotron. The question during the Rockies game was "What's your favorite cereal?" Turns out Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the most popular among the Pirates, but someone needs to tell some of them that Chex Mix is NOT a cereal.

August, as baseball fans know, is after the All Star Break. In the past twenty years, the Pirates have typically imploded after the All Star Break. People kept telling me that was going to happen again. I thought otherwise, because I always do. Heck, when the Pens were down to the Bruins 3-0 during the Eastern Conference Finals last year, I still thought they had a chance. When I went to PNC Park to get my ticket for the game against the Dodgers in June, KDKA was there, interviewing people. I got a 5-second soundbite on TV that evening, in which I said I had a good feeling about this year. And it did turn out better than it had. I knew it would, really, after this one game when the Pirates were down a whole bunch of runs in the fifth inning and they would come back to win. I think I knew then. And no, I didn't go to that one. I only saw people pouring out of the ballpark and across the bridge...I thought it was over. Turns out it wasn't. Anyway. I was laid up most of September, but I still managed to make two games - one against the Cardinals before all hell broke loose, which we lost, and then one against the Reds after with my mom (thanks to one of the home nurses), which we won. And the Pirates were still in the hunt for the division title at that point. They would eventually land with the Wild Card.

The Wild Card game against the Reds was here, because we had won the last series against the Reds. Michael and his friend went to the game. I went to BZ, a bar across the street from the ballpark. We met up afterwards. Let me tell you about playoffs in Pittsburgh. Playoff anything. It's a party. And a bar is the next best thing to being at the game itself. When Russell Martin hit his second homer that night, we actually heard the fireworks in the bar before we saw the play on TV. When the fireworks went off, everyone started SCREAMING. That would be our first playoff victory in twenty years. We would not only snap the streak of the losing record, but we would win our first playoff game in twenty years as well - hence why Michael would always text me with "1992 r.i.p." Fireworks go off at the end, and people just poured out into the street - and Michael and I would still manage to find each other. In the series against the Cardinals, with one exception, I watched all the games at Mullens. Best pierogies in town, by the way.

And when Game 5 was over, it was like a funeral around here for about a week and a half. They say that when you play Pittsburgh, you play the whole city. This is absolutely, beyond the shadow of a doubt, true. It only started feeling normal again about a week ago when the Penguins were playing here, Pitt was playing here, and the traffic was snarled. Everyone was complaining, but I just felt everything was back to normal, back to the way it should be. Same with the next day, with the Steelers playing here. The souvenir stands were back on the corners of Fort Duquesne Boulevard and the scalpers were hanging out downtown and by the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Just like baseball season. The only thing that was missing was the closing of the bridge and the Sax Man playing on the bridge. But March 31st, it will all start again. Raise it.

Oz the Great and Powerful

So I went to my first movie today. This is one reason why I've been looking forward to moving here...so I could go to movies without bumming rides. The easiest movie theatre for me to get to is at South Side Works, which is basically an outdoor shopping mall. It's kind of like the Ithaca Commons. There's the cinema, a Cheesecake Factory, a PensGear store, a Puma, Urban Outfitters...I went to Cheesecake Factory while waiting to get into the movie. Kind of wish I hadn't, because I was full afterwards. The chocolate cheesecake I had was pretty rich. It was good, but I was uncomfortable afterwards. The movie was kind of meh, too. It was ok, but honestly? James Franco didn't fit the part. The part of Oz may have been more suited for Johnny Depp, but maybe I've seen Alice in Wonderland one too many times. There was just something not right. Oh well...that just won't be added to my collection. It was a fun afternoon, though, and I'll be back. 42 comes out in April, and Star Trek in May, so...yeah.

Oh. PensPoints. OK, so the PensGear store is the official team store of the Pittsburgh Penguins. There's the store at South Side Works, which I went to when I went to see Oz, as well as the store at Consol. Since the lockout, the Pittsburgh Penguins have decided to start up a rewards program to generate interest in the team and the sport once again. You get points for listening on the radio, watching on ROOT, attending games, and buying things at PensGear stores. These points can then be redeemed for things like hats and jerseys. I'm probably not going to get very far, but it'll be fun to try. 

For the Birds

So I have discovered that there is an aviary near my apartment. This was great fun. The penguins were, of course, my favorite part. I think what got me, though, were the bald eagles. I had never seen one before, and was actually quite saddened by this. Have we really damaged our planet to the point that some animals can only be encountered in captivity? I'm sure there were other endangered birds there, but the eagles are what got me. I'm from a place where you can still see them in the wild, although this is very rare, and I never did see one. God gave us stewardship over this planet, and what have we done? Having lordship over lesser beings doesn't mean that we mistreat them. I know people who believe that this world is not important, that the next one is. These same people call themselves "pro-life," yet they are not interested in what is left for the children after they are born. Eagles were once very common. The kookaburra, a.  bird that mimics your laugh, was also once very common, I'm sure, as were the penguins I love so much. But we have destroyed habitats. The rain forests, for example. And most of us don't regret that. It may be too late, given that there is so little left, but that's why places like the aviary exist. They exist for the protection of these animals. I don't see them as existing for our amusement. Yes, we can go see them. Yes, they serve that purpose. But moreover, they serve as a reminder of what we have left. And what we have left is very valuable, and must be protected.

Discovering Downtown...and Macys

I had a mission: to find my brother's wedding present. They are registered at Macys, and I know there's a big one downtown, so that's where I went. Hell if I was going to go online and pay shipping when I could just go in person. I grabbed the 8, and as we're headed downtown, I see something. Starbucks. I decide I need coffee, before I undertake this mission, so...yeah. It's the one on the corner of Sixth Street and Penn Avenue...will have to keep in mind for future reference.

I have only been here for about a month, and have discovered something intriguing, something I could never say about Buffalo. I have not gotten lost. It's impossible to get lost when you have the Steel Building to orient yourself. But anyway. I find my way to Macys, on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street. Smithfield, I have become familiar with. My bank is there, the library, the Port Authority office, my pharmacy...I spend quite a bit of time there. But the Macys. It's in the building where Kaufmanns used to be, and in fact, the Kaufmann Clock and the old signage is still there, because of the building being designated a historic landmark. I go in and am stunned. This place is pretty much bigger than the closest mall to where I grew up. Something like eleven floors. Some of which house only offices, but still. There's a bookstore on the fifth floor, even. A couple of restaurants and cafes, too. A sales associate sees me and asks if she can help. Me: "Towels...where are they?" This place is amazing, and to be quite honest, I have not been impressed with JC Penney lately, so I think I'll shop at Macys from now on. Especially this one. A huge store. Right in the middle of downtown. I have never seen anything like this before, and I love it. I can't wait til the snow goes. Spring, summer, and fall - especially summer - here are going to be fantastic.

Heinz History Center

I last went to the Heinz History Center four years ago, and loved it. Not much has changed...the sports highlight video when you first walk into the Sports Museum is still there. I'm pretty sure they moved the footballs closer to the targets in the throwing exhibit, though. I still missed. I love the Sports Museum, obviously, but I also love the 1968 exhibit. I think I'll be coming back and bringing a friend with me. She would love it.

The thing that I love most about the History Center is the interactive exhibits. The Andy Warhol Museum is not too far from me, but I won't be going to check it out. I took an art history class in college. It bored me to tears. The Heinz History Center has hands on exhibits, and a lot of media stuff. You can listen to original newscasts. You can listen to Martin Luther King's speeches, which almost made me cry. You can immerse yourself in history. You can't do that at the Andy Warhol.

So what's left? There's the Carnegie Science Center, the National Aviary, and the zoo. Probably wait til spring for those, or at least the zoo.

Under the Ninth Street Bridge

When I lived in Buffalo, that was the first time I saw real poverty and homelessness. There was the woman who slept in the bus shelters up and down Delaware Avenue. There was Broderick, who begged for change in Lafayette Square. There was the woman and her two kids who were starving and living in a gutted building in Buffalo's West Side. But I never saw people living in tents...until now.

There's an underpass just before you get to the Ninth Street Bridge, also known as the Rachel Carson Bridge. Up against the wall, off to the side of the road, there is a group of people who have tents set up. One guy told me that he was aware of the resources that are out there, but that he wasn't "ready." It's winter. There's snow on the ground. I have been told that there are people out there who choose to be homeless. While this may be the case, there are reasons for that choice. Ultimately, you can't make these people get help. It has to be between them and God.

I can't walk across that bridge anymore, though. Not because I can't look at these people, but also because it's not entirely safe. I'll be taking the bus from now on. Or going across one of the other of the "Three Sisters." Crossing Lacock and Anderson's not safe anyway. The vehicular traffic has little regard for the pedestrians. But I can't be getting approached. I have nothing to give, especially to those who are trying to feed their addictions. There are other ways.

Grille 36...and Discoveries Along the Way

Jerome Bettis' restaurant, Grille 36, is not too far from my apartment. Went there with a friend today, finding a caesar salad suitable to replace the ones I used to eat when I lived in New York. No lava cake, though. We had the chocolate malt cake instead, and let me tell you about dessert at this place. They actually specify on the menu that the carrot cake is for two people. They should do the same for the chocolate malt cake, because there is no way either of us would have been able to eat one piece by ourselves. 

I should say that while I went with a friend, we actually met there. I got there on foot and got lost on the way. I guess I wanted to see the Immaculate Reception plaque that badly, because I forgot to hang a left at Mazeroski Way. 

This is the exact spot where the Immaculate Reception. I also discovered that Chuck Noll has a street named after him. I wouldn't have found all of this if I hadn't gotten lost. Hope I don't make a habit of this, though.

Finding a Church

Before I got here, I looked for churches online so that I would have a place to go when I got here. And I had narrowed it down to two: the Allegheny Center Alliance Church on East Ohio Street and the Community House Presbyterian Church and Learning Center on Parkhurst. I actually went to both churches this morning. ACAC was at 8:30, with Community House at 10:45. And with that, I was able to pick one. They made it easy, too. ACAC would just be more of the same. They even went so far as to say that they do not allow women to speak in their church, that if we had questions, we had to ask our husbands, or tell our husbands our thoughts and they would relay them. Yeah. No thanks.

Community House on the other hand is completely different from any church I've ever been to. It seems more authentic, which surprises me, given that it's a Presbyterian church; I went to one of those when I was a kid...and then became an atheist. I'll be going to Community House from now on.They are literally "Come as You Are." And there's no "But don't stay that way." This church truly is Christ-centered, which for me is a first. People are friendly, not judgmental. When I'd walked into ACAC, no one said hello. No one was smiling. You'd think people would be happy to be in church, but in this case, apparently not. It's like that line from 2004's Miracle: "They're Russians. They get shot if they smile." Community House has real, welcoming, people. That's what I was looking for, and I found it.

Finally Here

I finally made it to a place I had been talking about for most of my life. Not New York. Not Paris or London. Not Los Angeles, either. Pittsburgh. The Steel City. I was on a waiting list for an apartment, and my name finally came up. About time, too, because the management office was probably getting tired of me calling them.

The city is everything I thought it would be, even if the apartment is not. The apartment's just a roof over my head right now, anyway. The reason why I'm here is so that I can look for employment. I made the move, hoping prospective employers would take me more seriously than they did before I moved here. I've been unemployed for three years. I'm completely over it.

The great thing about my apartment, though, is the fact that there's a grocery store really close by, a definite improvement. There are several buses that go downtown; and downtown is not really that far away. I could walk it if I wanted to. My church is also within walking distance. This is all very good, especially considering the rumors I have heard about Pittsburgh's bus system. It's fine right now, but I don't think they're finished making cuts yet. They're doing the same thing in other cities, which is why I chose the way I did, taking layout and location into account. No, it's not just about the football team. It's about being comfortable, and honestly? Pittsburgh is fitting like a glove already. It's perfect. It's home already. And that's what this blog will be about: the job hunt and new adventures along the way.