Take me out to the ballgame...

This past Wednesday John and I went to see the Pirates play the Dodgers at PNC Park. As you can see, the crowd was a bit sparse, but we had a lot of fun. The seats were perfect to see the plays develop including a grand slam home run by Adam LaRoche. (Click here for the highlight.)

John got to learn a lot about baseball, but he sure enjoyed the food and the fireworks. We had hot dogs, Dr. Pepper and cotton candy on top of dinner at Wendy's. Then we got to enjoy the center field fireworks after each home run, and there were a few. The game ended in a Pirate blowout, 15-8!


We parked in a high rise ramp between PNC Park and the Andy Warhol Museum. Each level featured a Warhol painting as a reminder. We parked on level 4, the Brillo level. It's between the Grace Jones and Bill Murray levels.

Take what you like from that fact.

Wedding Day

Here's John at a wedding we attended last week. I think he was excited to wear a suit because he was the first one dressed before we went out the door.

The wedding was great. The couple are in their fifties. It is a second marriage for both and much happiness for all.

The bride is a member of our church so the wedding was there but the pastor was from the groom's church. The pastor knew the groom only as Steve and did not know his real first name is Ralph. As a result every time he referred to the groom he said, "do your Rrrrralph take Katherine...?"

The couple will live in at the groom's house in Chagrin Falls, OH. We will miss Kathy, but we are all VERY happy for her. They both are very blessed.

"What's that Dad?"

 

A few weeks ago, John and I were at his friend Andrew's house.  Andrew's mom had redecorated their foyer with an antique sewing machine and typewriter with a sheet of paper in the platen.  John stopped at the typewriter, paused for a few seconds, and studied it.  Finally he, "Dad! Look! It's a keyboard/printer."

I then explained that it is called a typewriter and it is the way people wrote things neatly B.C. (before computers).  He understood that fact, then said, "Wow, there isn't a screen at all!"

At that point I was relieved that Andrew took John into the family room.  Otherwise I would have started to bore John with tired old stories of college reporting classes in which I sat in a room full of typewriters much like the one above tapping out stories to meet the the end of class deadline.

Big Party

 

Here's Andy, Betty and Bobbie at the big christening party this past weekend.  One of the Ballet Ladies had a baby back in May.  Little Natalie was baptized this past Saturday in an outdoor ceremony with a full contingent of family from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Mexico City.

While any occasion suits the Ballet Ladies, this one was extra special.

Everything must change...

...or at least get updated. This is the Taco Bell location on the main drag in my hometown. When I was in high school it was much smaller and very different. First, the store was originally called Taco Joe's and featured a fiberglass statue of a surfer in front. Naturally after being frequently vandalized, they gave up on the statue. The entire chain followed "Surfer Joe" to the dustbin soon thereafter. Taco Bell moved in a few months later in 1970. It was the taco stand of the future. Avacado green bricks formed an arch for the front window with an abundance of stainless steel lighted by buzzing florescent lamps inside. I think you can understand the update.

Tacos were $0.21. Bean Burritos were $0.19. It was fashionable to ask for green sauce instead of red. At that time they also had extra hot picante sauce by special request. With a medium Dr. Pepper it was a decent midnight meal for under a buck. You just couldn't eat it while driving...they still need to work on that one.

Then sometimes things disappear altogether. This Bank of the West branch is on the hallowed McDonald's site. It had the original golden arches and Mr. Hamburger sign and a tiny parking lot that held perhaps a dozen cars. It was too popular for its location. At closing time, 10 PM on weeknights, the parking lot was still choked with high school kids cruising for burgers. It's central location ensured that kids from all five high schools in town could share a common repast of greasy food. French fries - the common unifier of man!

The area fell on hard times in the mid 1980s and was declared a "disadvantaged" area in the late 1990s. In this decade the area has come back thanks to the legitimizing effect of this California based bank and a Barnes and Noble across the street on a bulldozed Mr. Donut location. Now that's progress!