The hardest part about living in Yinzlandia is football season. Y'see, in Yinzlandia they have a really really good football team. They've won an insane number of Superbowls. Everyone is a die-hard fan. Or so it seems. Then there's me. I love football. Just . . . not the home town team. My favorite team USED to be the Yinzlandia team's biggest rival. But, like the Yinzlandia baseball team, my team has been bad, nay, AWFUL for the last 15 years or so. But I'm not a fair weather fan. I will wear my colors proudly and just not go out of the house on Sundays in the fall for fear of outing myself. Very few people know my football obsession, and my true friends will tease me good naturedly, but too many here are not so nice abou it.
So what's a sports fan to do? Well, if you're me, you fall in love with hockey. I originally started watching hockey as an undergraduate. Hockey wasn't very popular where I grew up, so it's been a learning curve for me. One of our first Christmases together, Hubby got me "Hockey for Dummies." (I think he was tired of answering all my questions.) When we moved to Yinzlandia, we started going to hockey games. Now, this is just my opinion but there is NOTHING like live, in person hockey. To really experience it, go to a live game. If you must watch it on tv, be sure to listen to Mike Lange and Phil Borque instead of the tv announcers.
But I digress.
Our first season here was 2003-2004. That was the start of a rough period in Yinzlandia hockey. While the Pens acquired Marc-Andre Fleury (aka Flower), Le Magnifique was out most of the season with a hip injury. Bankruptcy, a 23 game won season and all kinds of ugliness follow. And yet, we still go. And I learn to love hockey. The Pens threaten to leave for Nashville if a new arena isn't built. We hold our breath, and we still go. The team starts to gel and win. And win. And finally I'm a fan of a winning team. It's very strange to cheer a winning team after being a lifelong fan of a losing team (even if it is a different sport).
In 2009 the Pen win the Stanley Cup, which is the most amazing thing I've ever witnessed, sports wise. It's the first round of the playoffs and the Pens are down 3-0 to the cross-state rivals. A best of seven series means it's win or go home time. And the Pens have pulled it off, winning 10-3. The most goals scored by the team since 1991.
There was a point, I swear. I just kept getting distracted by the hockey game. . .
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Always look on the bright side of life
I was apparently delusional when I thought I'd be better at keeping up this blog than I have in the past. Oh well.
Some changes around my home in Yinzlandia. No, unfortunately the house hasn't sold yet. I did, however, get a new job. This was my first week and it was thankfully kind of quiet. I only had one very small dust up. A doc left a patient chart in the library out in the open where anyone could see it. The library wasn't busy at all (it was Friday, Good Friday to be more precise) but since hospitals are always on alert for unannounced JCAHO visits one can never be too careful.
I do miss my old coworkers. I'm in the very start of a learning curve at the new place, and it's hard not having anyone to ask questions. But I have a feeling once things get rolling I'll be fine.
Still nothing on the house selling side. I found two houses I really like, both are still for sale. I've become a little pickier when it comes to where I'm looking for a house. I want a place where either I can walk or take the bus to the new job. The biggest downside to the new job is parking is awful. And expensive. So if I can cut back or cut out that expense I'll be very happy.
Spring has started here in Yinzlandia. My mini-lilac bush has tiny lilacs on it. My regular lilac bush has buds, but no flowers yet. And my rosebush that won't die is green and leafy. I need to make friends with someone with a truck so I can go and get more mulch for my front yard. And flowers. And grass seed. Oh the joys of home ownership.
Happy Easter and a blessed Passover to those who celebrate. Happy Sunny Sunday to everyone else. ;)
Some changes around my home in Yinzlandia. No, unfortunately the house hasn't sold yet. I did, however, get a new job. This was my first week and it was thankfully kind of quiet. I only had one very small dust up. A doc left a patient chart in the library out in the open where anyone could see it. The library wasn't busy at all (it was Friday, Good Friday to be more precise) but since hospitals are always on alert for unannounced JCAHO visits one can never be too careful.
I do miss my old coworkers. I'm in the very start of a learning curve at the new place, and it's hard not having anyone to ask questions. But I have a feeling once things get rolling I'll be fine.
Still nothing on the house selling side. I found two houses I really like, both are still for sale. I've become a little pickier when it comes to where I'm looking for a house. I want a place where either I can walk or take the bus to the new job. The biggest downside to the new job is parking is awful. And expensive. So if I can cut back or cut out that expense I'll be very happy.
Spring has started here in Yinzlandia. My mini-lilac bush has tiny lilacs on it. My regular lilac bush has buds, but no flowers yet. And my rosebush that won't die is green and leafy. I need to make friends with someone with a truck so I can go and get more mulch for my front yard. And flowers. And grass seed. Oh the joys of home ownership.
Happy Easter and a blessed Passover to those who celebrate. Happy Sunny Sunday to everyone else. ;)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Architecture
I love looking at buildings. The carvings, the window shapes, leaded or stained glass windows. I work in a very old part of town in Yinzlandia and I love taking walks during my lunch time and looking at the buildings. Unfortunately, the sidewalks aren't that even in some areas, so I've tripped more often than I care to admit. I digress. . .
I also love reading the plaques on buildings. So many houses and buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places in this one small part of town. Fascinating! I've discovered many interesting bits of trivia from walking around too. For instance, I had no idea Gertrude Stein lived only a few blocks from where I work when she was growing up. And the inventor of the Ferris wheel lived in the same area.
The bricks that have designs carved in them. Archways and columns. Brick sidewalks. I would love to look inside of some of these buildings and see if the attention to detail has survived. We're looking to buy a new to us house and I've been having a blast finally getting to see inside some interesting houses.
Growing up, I lived in what a friend from college once called "Beaver Cleaver, Flatlands." Every other house looked alike. There is no history or interesting things to look at. The city part of town was (and still is for the most part) run down and not very well taken care of. To see how Yinzlandia is taking care of it's old buildings makes me even more sad when I go back to the Flatlands. But that's another story for another day.
I also love reading the plaques on buildings. So many houses and buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places in this one small part of town. Fascinating! I've discovered many interesting bits of trivia from walking around too. For instance, I had no idea Gertrude Stein lived only a few blocks from where I work when she was growing up. And the inventor of the Ferris wheel lived in the same area.
The bricks that have designs carved in them. Archways and columns. Brick sidewalks. I would love to look inside of some of these buildings and see if the attention to detail has survived. We're looking to buy a new to us house and I've been having a blast finally getting to see inside some interesting houses.
Growing up, I lived in what a friend from college once called "Beaver Cleaver, Flatlands." Every other house looked alike. There is no history or interesting things to look at. The city part of town was (and still is for the most part) run down and not very well taken care of. To see how Yinzlandia is taking care of it's old buildings makes me even more sad when I go back to the Flatlands. But that's another story for another day.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
About books and libraries
I love to read. I am a regular at the main branch of the Yinzlandia public library. Many of my friends from library school work at Yinzlandia Public Library (YLP) and I've become friends with others both through the people I already knew and by spending so much time there.
I grew up within walking distance of a library and spent many an hour there. Punishment was not letting me go to the library that week. Seriously. When I went to college I worked in the library for two years (edited the college paper the other two). Then something happened. I'm not sure what it was, but all of a sudden I stopped going to the library. I lived in a state with a great public library system, yet I never went. I still read a lot, but mostly I bought books. It was the dawn of Amazon.com and we lived quite near a Borders Books Outlet so that was part of it. After I got married, we moved to Yinzlandia and I once again got a library card.
Jackpot. The book nerd in me could not be happier.
In the 9 years I've lived here, I've checked out thousands of books. I've run into friends there. I've attended programs there. I just now put nine books on my request list. When I think of the money I just saved, I can't believe how lucky I am to live in a place with such an awesome library system.
Just this past fall, a "library tax" was on the ballot to keep the branches of YPL open. Coming from a state where library levies are the norm, I couldn't get over the idea that people weren't willing to fund libraries. Yinzlanders came together and the tax passed, but it was kind of scary for a moment. I can't imagine a world without libraries. Take away my TV, my cable, my DVDs, but you'll pry books out of my cold dead hands.
I grew up within walking distance of a library and spent many an hour there. Punishment was not letting me go to the library that week. Seriously. When I went to college I worked in the library for two years (edited the college paper the other two). Then something happened. I'm not sure what it was, but all of a sudden I stopped going to the library. I lived in a state with a great public library system, yet I never went. I still read a lot, but mostly I bought books. It was the dawn of Amazon.com and we lived quite near a Borders Books Outlet so that was part of it. After I got married, we moved to Yinzlandia and I once again got a library card.
Jackpot. The book nerd in me could not be happier.
In the 9 years I've lived here, I've checked out thousands of books. I've run into friends there. I've attended programs there. I just now put nine books on my request list. When I think of the money I just saved, I can't believe how lucky I am to live in a place with such an awesome library system.
Just this past fall, a "library tax" was on the ballot to keep the branches of YPL open. Coming from a state where library levies are the norm, I couldn't get over the idea that people weren't willing to fund libraries. Yinzlanders came together and the tax passed, but it was kind of scary for a moment. I can't imagine a world without libraries. Take away my TV, my cable, my DVDs, but you'll pry books out of my cold dead hands.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Networking
One thing I've learned about Yinzlanders is they are incredibly nice people. And it rubs off! I think I've become a friendlier person since moving here. I've always been nice, it's one of my flaws. But I can come off as standoff-ish and that has changed. I've been known to talk to strangers for no reason. Shocking!
Anyway, back to networking. My boss has allowed me to spend some money to make changes to our Patient & Family Education Center in my smaller hospital library. We talked to some of the caseworkers and nurses and asked what they think would be good in there and the overwhelming theme was stuff for kids. Smaller hospital is changing its focus to Women and Infants Health and there's really no place for new big brothers or big sisters to go for a "break." I have no kids and have not had much experience with kids, so I asked a friend who is a children's librarian for video suggestions. She in turn talked to one of her friends who is going to provide a list that her child's teacher put together. Woo hoo!
Several job openings have also come my way via networking. A friend from undergrad told me about an opening at her hospital's library (she's in a different department but thought of me when she heard of the opening), and a former professor (and current friend) from graduate school told me about an opening at yet another hospital. I've been pretty fortunate in that I love my job, but the system I work for is very shakey financially. It's been very fortuante that I've had people looking out for me, so to speak. Makes me pround to live in Yinzlandia.
Anyway, back to networking. My boss has allowed me to spend some money to make changes to our Patient & Family Education Center in my smaller hospital library. We talked to some of the caseworkers and nurses and asked what they think would be good in there and the overwhelming theme was stuff for kids. Smaller hospital is changing its focus to Women and Infants Health and there's really no place for new big brothers or big sisters to go for a "break." I have no kids and have not had much experience with kids, so I asked a friend who is a children's librarian for video suggestions. She in turn talked to one of her friends who is going to provide a list that her child's teacher put together. Woo hoo!
Several job openings have also come my way via networking. A friend from undergrad told me about an opening at her hospital's library (she's in a different department but thought of me when she heard of the opening), and a former professor (and current friend) from graduate school told me about an opening at yet another hospital. I've been pretty fortunate in that I love my job, but the system I work for is very shakey financially. It's been very fortuante that I've had people looking out for me, so to speak. Makes me pround to live in Yinzlandia.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
'Hoods I have known
My jobs here have been in city neighborhoods and I've loved walking around them and exploring. First was Oakland, home of students, hospitals, and more students. The places to look were never ending. There were people from all over the world, food trucks, every type of restaurant imaginable. Very crowded all the time. And I'm not fond of crowds, so it was (and is still) an adjustment every time I go there.
From there, I went south. Well, to the South Side to be more specific. Known for it's night life more than anything else, I love the quirky shops that dot the landscape. I found a place to learn to knit there and ended up making a very good friend in the process. A trip to Groovy, with it's retro toys and games, takes me back to my childhood. "Oh man! I had those! And my brother had all of those and then some!" South Bank Galleries is two stores in one - the bottom level is packed to the brim with stuff. You name it, it's probably there. Church pews, old telephones, furniture, bar ware, neon signs, records, jewelry (both real and costume). Upstairs is the art gallery where you can look at an buy works from Picasso to Roy Lichtenstein to local artists. They have lay away and I keep saying one of these days I'm going to put something on lay away. Ahh, dreams. . .
Next 'hood was Bloomfield/Friendship. I. LOVE. THIS. PLACE. Beautiful houses, awesome food, great people. The best burgers are there (Tessaro's), the best Italian food is there (Alexander's), and my favorite Thai place is there (the one in the yellow building, not the one further up). I've been trying to get Hubby to move there for four years now. Unfortunately, we've apparently missed our window of opportunity to buy there as now all of the houses for sale are either a) tiny small, b) condos with one bedroom, or 3) OMG expensive.
Now I'm in the Central North Side for work. It's absolutely gorgeous here. The houses are amazing, even if the area is still a little rough around the edges. And by rough around the edges, I mean I don't walk with anything of value on me except my phone and even that I try to keep out of sight. From my job, I can walk to the National Aviary and see the birds, I can walk through a park and check out the lake and watch the ducks swim and the people hang out. Lots of old industrial buildings are being re-purposed into housing. A 20 minute walk from work takes you to this big brick building that was once a warehouse of some sort but is now home to some of the most gorgeous (IMHO, YMMV) condos I've seen in a long time. If I had a spare $400,000 I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
We're looking for a new house and 'hood to move to and while my focus has mainly been in the East End, I'm open to other suggestions! Currently there are two houses on my watch list that are in the running should our house ever sell - one in Squirrel Hill, the other in Morningside. But that's another post for another day. . .
From there, I went south. Well, to the South Side to be more specific. Known for it's night life more than anything else, I love the quirky shops that dot the landscape. I found a place to learn to knit there and ended up making a very good friend in the process. A trip to Groovy, with it's retro toys and games, takes me back to my childhood. "Oh man! I had those! And my brother had all of those and then some!" South Bank Galleries is two stores in one - the bottom level is packed to the brim with stuff. You name it, it's probably there. Church pews, old telephones, furniture, bar ware, neon signs, records, jewelry (both real and costume). Upstairs is the art gallery where you can look at an buy works from Picasso to Roy Lichtenstein to local artists. They have lay away and I keep saying one of these days I'm going to put something on lay away. Ahh, dreams. . .
Next 'hood was Bloomfield/Friendship. I. LOVE. THIS. PLACE. Beautiful houses, awesome food, great people. The best burgers are there (Tessaro's), the best Italian food is there (Alexander's), and my favorite Thai place is there (the one in the yellow building, not the one further up). I've been trying to get Hubby to move there for four years now. Unfortunately, we've apparently missed our window of opportunity to buy there as now all of the houses for sale are either a) tiny small, b) condos with one bedroom, or 3) OMG expensive.
Now I'm in the Central North Side for work. It's absolutely gorgeous here. The houses are amazing, even if the area is still a little rough around the edges. And by rough around the edges, I mean I don't walk with anything of value on me except my phone and even that I try to keep out of sight. From my job, I can walk to the National Aviary and see the birds, I can walk through a park and check out the lake and watch the ducks swim and the people hang out. Lots of old industrial buildings are being re-purposed into housing. A 20 minute walk from work takes you to this big brick building that was once a warehouse of some sort but is now home to some of the most gorgeous (IMHO, YMMV) condos I've seen in a long time. If I had a spare $400,000 I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
We're looking for a new house and 'hood to move to and while my focus has mainly been in the East End, I'm open to other suggestions! Currently there are two houses on my watch list that are in the running should our house ever sell - one in Squirrel Hill, the other in Morningside. But that's another post for another day. . .
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