Forget Fracking – It's Time for Pre-School Power!

Happy April Fool's Day.  In celebration, I am participating in the Pittsburgh Guest Blogger Event! Today’s post comes from Valentine Brkich of Small-Town Dad, and is part of a special day of shenanigans from other Pittsburgh Bloggers. You can see my post over on West of Mars, where I am talking about how my parents helped me love books, and how my birthday wish is to pass that love of books on to the children in my community.

It’s all over the news. Marcellus shale. “Fracking.” The booming natural gas and oil industries. Western PA is on the verge of an energy revolution, one that could bring in billions of dollars to the local economy. The thing is, not everyone’s convinced it’s safe for our environment. I have another solution to our energy problems. And it’s one that doesn’t involve digging or fracking or any of that stuff: my 4-year-old son.

The boy is a walking, talking, limitless source of clean, renewable energy. I know this because from the moment he opens his eyes in the morning until he falls asleep at night he’s hopping, skipping, jumping, rolling, running, bouncing, bounding, climbing, crawling, stomping, sliding, and shuffling all over God’s creation. And best of all, other than the occasional toot or burp, there’s little or no harmful emissions.

Even when he’s sitting, like at the dinner table, my son is incapable of stillness. He constantly shuffles around in his seat, switching from his bum to his knees to his feet and back again. One second he's in his chair, the next he’s on my lap, or on top of the table, or underneath it. Ironically, the only thing he’s not doing is eating.

Bedtime is the only time we can get the kid to stop moving, and we usually have to put him down with a tranquilizer gun. Just kidding! We don’t even own a tranquilizer gun.

NyQuil works just fine.

What’s funny is I used to have energy like that myself. No matter how much I ran or how far I rode my BMX, I always wanted to keep moving and playing. I’d never tired. Now, by the end of the day I’m completely drained, even though all I did was sit on my tuckus all day, first in my car, then at work, then in my car again, then at dinner, and afterwards in front of the tube.

I guess Newton was right: An object in motion tends to stay in motion, while an object at rest tends to fall asleep on the couch around 8:30.

If there was some way to harness my son’s youthful exuberance, we could forget about all this fracking nonsense and instead tap into his seemingly endless supply of preschool power. Of course we’d want to make sure to only use his excess energy for good. Otherwise the results could be disastrous. Those of you who’ve seen my living room know what I mean.

A simple solution would be to construct some sort of kid-sized hamster wheel that produced electricity. But then, of course, we’d have to find a place to put it, and I’m a little foggy on the laws as far as child-powered electric generators go.

If only I could invent some type of synthetic fabric that captures kinetic energy and stores it for later use! I could come out with a whole line of kiddie clothing for over-active kids like my son. Think about it: At the end of the day you’d just take off your kid’s pants, plug them into some device that would extract all the stored up energy, and then use that energy to power all the lights in your home.

Or, in our case, every household in our zip code.

But alas, I’m just a lowly writer. I’ll have leave it to some electrical engineer to devise a way to capture my son’s excess energy before he burns it all up and grows into another lazy, unmotivated, energy-deficient adult.

Not that I know anyone like that. ~

Written by Valentine J. Brkich. You can read more nonsense like this over at this blog, smalltowndad.com.

In The Big City: Dark Sisters, presented by the Pittsburgh Opera

Last night, I had the opportunity to see the Pittsburgh Opera's presentation of Nico Muhly's modern opera, Dark Sisters.  It has taken me several hours to try to process my feelings about it, and I am still not sure how well I am going to be able to convey them.

The opera is about a group of people who belong to the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, otherwise known as FLDS.  The are a polygamous family; one husband, 5 wives, and countless children.  The opera opens with the group's ranch having been raided by government officials.  All the children have been removed, and we see each wife crying out for her children.  The husband, who serves as the prophet, tells the women he is leaving to ponder God's will, as the women are left behind to seek perfect obedience which will lead to perfect faith.

One of the wives, Eliza, is beginning to doubt the validity of the group's beliefs; when she learns her teenage daughter has been promised to a middle aged man in marriage, she begins to think the prophet is a false prophet.  Most of the other wives are perfectly obedient and accepting of the religious dogma; only Ruth, who suffers from mental illness, does not follow blindly.  Eventually the husband returns home, as we see the wives deal with the jealousy of sharing the person they love the most, in the most intimate way possible.

The second act opens with the wives being interviewed for a national news show.  The women try to emphasize that they only care about the children, and that they are happy and free in their choices.  Suddenly Eliza reveals on national television that she was a child bride, and that she is not free.  As the show closes, we learn that Eliza has sought freedom by leaving the sect, while Ruth has also sought freedom, by committing suicide.

This was an incredibly complex show; the music is complex, the moral themes at play are complex, and the emotions evoked are complex.  I was surprised, first off, to find frequent moments of levity and dark humor in the show.  I think they were perfectly timed, and absolutely necessary.  They helped counterbalance the starkness of the reality of subject matter.

In terms of the topics, as I already said, I am fascinated by the FLDS.  It saddens me to see the women enslaved by the bounds of their religion.  The increase in child brides is tantamount to human trafficking.  I feel for the women who have no choices.  But some women do feel they have a choice, and they are willingly choosing their faith.  This is where the matter becomes sticky for me.  At what point does this stop being a human rights issue, and start becoming an issue of religious freedom?  Are the two things mutually exclusive?  I was glad I went into this experience well read on the topic of the FLDS.  It made me appreciate the extreme attention to detail in the music and staging.  The show was on point with everything I have ever learned about the FLDS life.  And the constant muttering of "keep sweet", meaning to put on a happy face and be a perfect wife, was almost eerie.

Although not my first live opera, this was my first experience with a modern opera.  As a chamber opera, the experience was much more intimate.  It was in a smaller setting, and the minimalist set helped draw the audience into the characters and story.  The music was complex and rich, but what really made the show, for me, was the amount of feeling the performers portrayed from an acting standpoint.  I felt the anguish of these women.  The moment that struck me was when Eliza revealed her child bride status on television, and the wives began to insist she was lying.  Oh, the looks on their faces, it just made that moment so real, so frightening.

I highly recommend the show to anyone well versed in opera, or particularly interested in the topics of polygamy and the FLDS religion.  This was a much different experience than any other cultural event I have ever attended, and now, more than 12 hours later, I find myself feeling like the show makes the concepts of right and wrong much less clear cut.

I received tickets to this show compliments of the Pittsburgh Opera in exchange for my honest review.  All views presented here are 100% original and honest.  All pictures were provided by the Pittsburgh Opera and used with permission.

In addition, the Pittsburgh Opera provided me with tickets to give away to a reader.  Congratulations to Samantha Miller for winning those tickets.

Giveaway: Dark Sisters, presented by the Pittsburgh Opera

Loyal readers of this blog know that I have not posted much lately, and I have not done a giveaway in forever, but this week presented an opportunity that I could not wait to share!

Have you ever become totally fascinated with a topic?  I do not mean merely interested, I mean fascinated.  You devour every book, movie, documentary, web page, television series, or news article related to the topic.  It consumes your mind during moments of idleness.  You try to immerse yourself in the topic, to experience it from all angles.  This happens to me a lot.  And lately, my fascination has been with polygamy.

About 5 years ago, I stumbled upon a television series that was a fictionalized account of a polygamist family.  I instantly became hooked.  When the series ended, my interest in the topic dropped.  Then a reality show about polygamy became popular, and once again I was hooked.  Only this time, the topic had staying power.  I found myself spending hours searching online about polygamist cultures.  I have read numerous books written by former polygamists, and I have watched several documentaries.  I sought out any type of media on the topic.  The only thing I was missing was something musically oriented.

Which is why I totally geeked out when I learned that the Pittsburgh Opera was presenting Nico Muhly’s opera Dark Sisters.

Exploring issues of suppressed individuality and subservient women’s roles, the opera uses episodes from the media – most recently the 2004 raid on FLDS leader Warren Jeffs’s compound in West Texas – to tell the story of the women’s suffering, and how one woman tries to escape. Premiered in 2012, DARK SISTERS revolves around sister-wife Eliza, who has a profound self-discovery after the world comes to the gates of her family’s complex, run by The Prophet. During an appearance on national television to defend her way of life, Eliza makes a dramatic confession, and her world falls into chaos. Resolving to make her own way in the world, she faces the consequences of leaving everything she has ever known.

Doesn't that sound amazing?  I learned that this particular opera often sells out, so I really doubted I would get to see the chance to see it.    So when the Pittsburgh Opera presented me with a chance to see the show and review it, I was ecstatic.  When I found out I was also going to be able to giveaway 2 tickets for my readers to see the opera, I was over the moon.

This is a wonderful opportunity to experience opera.  This is a modern opera, sung in English.

Entry to the giveaway is easy, using the form below.  I simply want to know, what topic fascinates you?

Additional entries are also available.  Participants must be 18 or older.  Tickets will be available at will-call with photo ID. The performance is at 8 PM on Friday, January 31 at the CAPA Theater, 111 Ft. Duquesne Blvd. Winner will be notified Wednesday January 29 via email.

What are you waiting for?  Enter now!
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Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Looking Back at 2013

This year?  Kind of amazing.  Probably the most creative, fun filled, growth filled, challenging year I have had in my adult life.  I have spent so much time working on myself as a person, and while I am miles away from being perfect or even where I would like to be, overall I am really happy with me and with my life.  So many awesome things happened this year, we must review the highlights.

We papered our floor with book pages.  It took two months, and was back breaking work, but we transformed our living room into a work of art.

I completed a 35 Day Project in honor of my 35th birthday.  35 days of random acts of kindness.  Many of my friends and family members participated as well.  It was amazing.

We watched our nephew graduate from high school.

We reached two geocaching milestones.  We found our 200th geocache, then we cached every day for the entire month of August, our longest streak ever.  I also got to introduce my niece, nephew and his girlfriend, brother and brother in law to geocaching.

We watched our good friends get married.

We visited many of the filming locations from the movie The Shawshank Redemption.

We watched my brother get married.  Later on in the summer we got to visit them and see their new house as well.

We went to our first comics show.

I saw the largest yarn bombing in America, also known as Knit the Bridge.  It was while my niece was visiting us, so I took her to see it.  It was one of the many awesome things we did together during her visit.

We saw John Hodgman perform, and met him after the show.  He totally knew our names, because we had been all over social media talking about the show.  Later, when I reviewed the show, he shared my post.  I was so ridiculously star struck over the whole thing.

We saw the giant rubber duck make its way into Pittsburgh and attended the huge party on the bridge.

We took a whirlwind trip to New York City to see John Roderick and The Long Winters perform.

I made an entire Christmas Tree's decorations out of old book pages.  It is so beautiful I cannot yet bring myself to take it down, despite the fact that it has been up since before Thanksgiving.

I was offered pretty much the perfect job for me.  I have been there for a month now, and the giddiness still has not faded.

So, this a look back at my year.  Pretty amazing, right?  I kind of think of it as a montage.  And every montage needs a soundtrack.  So here are some of my favorite songs from 2013 to go along with my look back at this wonderful year.

Not a Drop to Drink

Tell us about a time when you felt out of place.

I am a very self conscious person.  It is not that I do not like being the center of attention; on the contrary, I enjoy all eyes on me, as longs as I am in control.  It is the moments when attention is on me without my control that I dislike.  That means anytime I am the oddball, or I embarrass myself, or I am not the norm.  And those moments, those not-the-norm moments, well they happen all the time.  Most notably, these moments happen in social situations.

Neither Hubby nor I drink.  It is not that we are not big drinkers, it is that we do not drink at all.  As in, less than 3 drinks a year.  Most people assume this is because we are prudish teetotalers (not in the least), weirdly religious (once again, that is a no), recovering alcoholics (HAHAHA that is funny), or cheapskates (well, we are, but that has nothing to do with why we do not drink).  In reality, I do not drink because I am gluten intolerant with a host of stomach troubles, so alcohol makes me sick for days, and Hubby simply does not like the taste.  There are multiple times when we both have wished we could drink, and enjoy it.

Over the summer, I saw a contest being sponsored by Construction Junction and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.  People who had creatively reused materials for a home improvement or art project could enter their project.  I entered our beautiful book page floor.  I was ecstatic to learn that we had won.  Our prize was two tickets to The Steel City Big Pour, a huge craft beer festival in Pittsburgh.  So there we were, two non drinkers, headed to the biggest party in Pittsburgh.

It was kind of funny, actually, the fact that we won tickets to an elite craft beer event.  These were pretty coveted tickets, so we decided to go and make the best of it.  We spent about an hour and a half walking around, tasting food, taking pictures, listening to live music, and watching people have a wonderful time.  We walked away with a bag full of swag (mostly beer related).  We fully enjoyed the atmosphere.  But it did feel weird that we were not drinking any of the dozens of beers that were available for tasting; we were certainly in the minority, and could not help but feel a tad out of place.  Some people may think that those tickets were wasted on us, and while we may not have experienced it in the same way as most of the other people in attendance, we still had a good time.

The rest of my photos from this event can be viewed here.

Tiffany Trivia: Pittsburgh Edition

Write about whatever you'd like, but write using regional slang, your dialect, or in your accent.

Today, I decided to kill a few birds with one stone.  I am writing to the prompt, reviving an old series from the blog (Tiffany Trivia), and addressing the "random facts about me" meme that is storming facebook.  Thanks for indulging me.

As a kid, growing up in the Ohio Valley, Pittsburgh was our closest local city, so I really considered myself a 'burgh girl long before I moved there.  I grew up saying y'inz and eating chipped ham sandwiches.  Plenty of my friends lived by the crick.  And even my small little town had its share of jagoffs.

So, it really should have come to no surprise that I ended up living in Pittsburgh for several years.  Even though I do not technically live in the burgh now, I still live close enough to visit often.  Today, I am going to take time to remember all my favorite things in Pittsburgh, and to discuss the quintessential Pittsburgh things that just do not click with me.  Pardon me if I slip into Pittsburghese now and then.

When many people think Pittsburgh, they think about watching the Stillers and eatin a Primanti's sammich.  Here is a little secret about me: I do not really like either of those Pittsburgh icons.  I know, I know, I should turn in my burgher card now.  Do not get me wrong, I do not HATE the Steelers, I just really do not care about football that much.  I also do not HATE Primanti's.  I just do not their coleslaw that much.  If I were going to do a Pittsburgh sports and dinner date night, it would be watchin da Pens and eatin a corned beef sammich from Sammy's.

Taking the incline up Mount Washington is always a fun burgh activity.  The view is gorgeous, a great place to take pictures.  But my favorite place ta look down on the city is the West End Overlook.  I used ta go there a lot when I lived there, and there would hardly ever be anyone there.  It was always a nice quiet place to go and reconnect with the world around me.  A close second is the view as you cross the Veteran's Bridge.  But usually I am goin to fast to enjoy it too long.

Everyone in Pittsburgh, at least the Sahth Hills where I lived, loves Fiori's pizza.  I admit, I have never eaten it.  Instead my favorite pizza place was The Pizza Company down in Castle Shannon.  Best breadsticks and wings ever.  That is one of the few places that actually tempts me to eat gluten.

Most burghs, at some point in their lives, spent some time carousing in the SahSide.  I never really cared much for bars, so I rarely went to the South Side.  Because I was more into exploring the community, I much preferred The Strip and the NorSide.

Some Pittsburgh things it is a given that I am gonna love.  Heinz Ketchup?  Yup.  Mr. Rogers?  Yup.  Dinosaur statues?  Yup.  Pierogies?  Yup.  Dippy eggs?  Aw yeah.  But the thing I love the best about Pittsburgh is her people.  Burghers are the best people on earth.  Sure, we may still have mullets, and wear jean jackets, and our idea of dressing up is wearing our "good" Stiller jersey.  Sure, we make the Pittsburgh left, and we slow down before the tunnels.  But Pittsburgh is full of the most loving, generous, creative people I know.  And no matter where I end up living, I will always be a burgher at heart.

A special Shaht Aht to everyone who understood every single word of this post, and mentally read it in a Pittsburgh accent.

Go Stillers.  N'at.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Let's Go Bucs!

HAPPY BUCTOBER!  What the heck us Buctober, you ask?  It is the fever that is sweeping Pittsburgh, as tonight, October 1st, the Pirates host the wildcard playoff game at PNC Park.  First time a playoff game has ever been held in our gorgeous stadium, and the first playoff game for our Buccos in over 20 years.  YINZ GUYS!  GROUP HUG!

I desperately wish I could be there tonight to feel the crackling energy of an entire city in love with our team. For the first time in years, we actually have not been able to go to a single game this year, due to a lot of other commitments and the fact that the games are actually selling out now. But that has not reduced my Bucco love, I simply love them from afar.

I, along with thousands of others, will be thinking about the game all day today, daydreaming about pennants and World Series games along the river.  So, was there ever any doubt what today's playlist theme was going to be?  Listen to this playlist on repeat, get pumped up, and let's do this!

Come on boys.  Raise the Jolly Roger.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: F is for Fifteen

Last night the Pittsburgh Pirates secured their spot in the playoffs for the first time in over 20 years.  This season has been a dream for the Pirates, breaking a losing season streak, and making the city of Pittsburgh tremendously proud.

When the Pirates began their journey to this moment, dealing with 20 years of losing seasons,  I was just 15 years old.  Fifteen seems like it was a lifetime ago. Some things about me were so drastically different from how I am now (like the fact that I still had my natural hair color).  And some things about me were uncannily the same (even then I always had a book in my hands).  But one thing that has remained a constant over those years is Bucco baseball.  My entire life has been filled with Pirates games, many of them losses.  Because I have 3 cousins who have played major league baseball, the game is in my blood.  And because Pittsburgh was the closest city to where I grew up, the Pirates were the hometown favorite.  

I have incredibly fond memories of games with my childhood friend and her family, my college and grad school friends, and of course my own family.  I remember taking my nephew to his first game.  I remember the first game Hubby and I went to when we were dating.  I remember the highs, the lows, the strikes, the homers, the cotton candy, the hot dogs, the bobbleheads, the 7th inning stretches, the fireworks, and most of all the tremendous excitement I felt watching a major league team play.  It never really bothered me when the Bucs lost.  Sure I preferred a win, but I loved them just the same.  They were my team, and have remained my team.

In honor of the tremendous journey this team has taken over the last 20 years, today I compiled a playlist of some of the top songs from 1993, when I was just 15, and the Pirates began their journey to where they are now.

Raise the Jolly Roger.

In The Big City: John Hodgman at the Rex Theater

Ever since Hubby and I have been together, we have been big fans of John Hodgman.  In fact, as we were driving to our honeymoon in New York, Hubby read excerpts of one of Hodgman's books aloud to me.  Because that is what nerds do to show their love.  They share nerd culture.

As we have gotten older, and more comfortably entrenched in nerd culture, we have come to an even deeper appreciation of Hodgman's genius, through his books, his recently released Netflix special "Ragnarok", and his amazing podcast, Judge John Hodgman.  About a year ago, I vowed that the next time he came within a reasonable driving distance, I was going to see his live show.  That item got checked off the bucket list this past weekend.

The minute I learned Hodgman was coming to Pittsburgh, I bought tickets.  I then spent 3 months fretting about Hubby's work schedule to insure that he could attend with me (it all worked out).  By the time the big day arrived, I was so excited I could not shut up about it.  I was tweeting and facebooking like a maniac.

We got to the show about 30 minutes before the door opened, and already a line had formed.  This was going to be amazing.  When we got inside, our diligence paid off with second row seats on the right aisle.  Sweet.  The show opened with a 30 minute set by local comedienne Gab Bonesso.  Hubby was familiar with her work, but this was my introduction to Gab.  She did a great job, and it was wonderful to be able to support a local artist.  If you have a chance to see her live, take it, you will not be disappointed.

Then, the big event.  Hodgman took the stage, and for the next hour and a half, I was in heaven.  I knew the show was going to be good, but it totally blew away all my expectations.  I saw a whole new side to Hodgman, and I do not just mean the part where he stripped to his skivvies (more on that in a bit).  I saw a much more relaxed, casual side to him, and I have to say, my love and admiration for him grew.  He talked a little bit about Pittsburgh, some outdated cultural references, a very amusing tale of his recent speaking engagement on April 20th (my birthday woot woot), some amazing stories about his "cats" and even a song or two.

  During his set, I was consciously aware that I was experiencing pure joy.  This is not an exaggeration, I literally paused and realized how happy this show was making me, and said a silent word of thanks, just for being alive to experience it.

The highlight of the show was when Hodgman stripped down to his boxer briefs, donned a dress, and did a bit in character as Ayn Rand.  It was so amazing, and given the fact that one of our dogs' middle name is Rand after this same woman, I suspect it was the highlight of the night for Hubby.  He laughed so hard, and it made me so happy to hear him having a great time.

There were two moments of the night that melted my Pittsburgh loving, media nerd, fangirl heart.  The first moment was when Hodgman ended the show by singing the classic Mr. Rogers closing song, "It's Such a Good Feeling".  The ENTIRE audience sang (and snapped when appropriate) along with him, and it was one of those moments of perfection you only experience when seeing a live performance.  I was kicking myself for not recording it, still am.

After the show, I snuck up to the stage and asked Hodgman if I could have the paper he used for the cultural references bit, and he graciously obliged.  I clutched it in my hand, and we waited in line for the meet and greet, so that I could get it autographed.  When we finally got up to him, Hodgman said "Oh, hello again.  I am John".  I responded "Hi, I am Tiffany, and this is my husband, Steve".  Then the second heart melting moment happened.  Hodgman responded with "Oh, the Harkleroads."

::blink blink::

HOLY CRAP HE KNEW WHO WE WERE.   Turns out he had seen all the support we were both throwing his way on Twitter.  And then, he thanked us for said support.  I was so blown away and flustered that we forgot to get a photo with him.  He proceeded to sign the paper he had given me, and chatted for a few minutes.

Not only was John Hodgman a hilarious and engaging performer, he was humble and gracious.  If I could sum up the entire night in one word, it would be, without a doubt, "magical".

Go support live shows by both local and nationally touring artists.  It is an experience unlike any other.

View the rest of my photos from that night here.

35 Day Project: Support Local Tech

It comes as no surprise that I am a techie person.  I like gadgets, and apps, and innovation in general.  And I love Pittsburgh with all my heart.  So, Pittsburgh based technological innovation?  Well that just about makes me swoon.

So, when I learned that the Pittsburgh Tech Council was accepting votes for their 2013 Data Awards, I KNEW this was a perfect chance to show some love and kindness to some great organizations and businesses in the burgh.

I used this as my kindness act for last Thursday, and took the time to cast votes in every category.

Sometimes, it just feels good to show the burgh some love.

April Fools! Guest post by Will Reynolds Young

Happy April Fools!  My April Fool’s Day post comes from Will Reynolds Young, and is part of a special day of shenanigans in the form of April Fools Guest Blogs from other Pittsburgh Bloggers. You can see MY post over on Ya Jagoff!, where I talk about a bothersome resident of Lawrenceville.  A special thank you to Alex for organizing this fun blogging event!

In today’s age we all understand that Social Media is becoming more and more a part of everyday lives. Social Media is often looked at an excellent opportunity for business and personal branding experts to spread their knowledge. However, over the last few months I have had the pleasure of  Social Media being put towards plenty of Social Good.

Over the last few months I have had the opportunity to engage in many campaigns for social good that create social change and awareness. I have seen some incredible showings of support for organizations in need. One of my favorites goes back to September for Light of Life.

This fundraising effort started by Jessie of Light of Life posting in the Pittsburgh Bloggers group sharing the need of socks and underwear.

From this post came an outpouring of support from the community lead by Lindsey from I Heart Pgh who created a Crowdrise campaign. Eric Williams imagined the hash tag #givingskivvies and from there it spread like wildfire through local social media channels. A simple Google search of the hash tag #givingskivvies yields over 500 results. So many people contributed to this campaign through tweets, Facebook and blogs posts. However, it was a simple organizations needs and the love of community that helped Light of Life reach 140% of the Crowdrise Goal!

Another incredible example and showing of support comes from Facebook with the Western PA Humane Society. The Western PA Humane Society has a very active page and one day they posted a need for Iam’s Dog Food. There supplies of dog food were dwindling down and they were in need of more. With-in hours they had an out pouring of support, shares, comments and people looking for a number of ways they could help.

Often times Social Media is regarded as a fun or business platform but it truly can be used for incredible amounts of social good. This kind of social giving came simply from the needs of a charitable organization providing for the community. When the community saw the organization in need people stepped up to help and provide how they could. At the end of the day this is what society is all about, helping folks when they are down and the same should apply to the organizations that play such a vital role in our society.

Will Reynolds Young is a Social Media Freelancer and Chief Digital Officer of Climb On! Products, Inc. In his spare time he is a social media fiend, co-organizer of PghTweetup and a internet and music addict.

35 Day Project: Guest post by Jessi

Jessi is a woman I know through the Pittsburgh social media scene.  I first connected with her when a group of Pittsburgh bloggers got together to raise money to purchase socks and underwear for the Light of Life Rescue Mission.  Since then, Jessi has consistently shared uplifting messages, and generally makes social media a happier place for me.  I am so glad she is participating in my project!  

I was visiting a close friend of mine who is in the hospital getting cancer treatment. She was leaving with a nurse in a wheelchair to be taken down for radiation when her childhood church's priest arrived for a visit. She stayed to have him pray and bless her and then was on her way. She had asked me to stay to keep an eye on her laptop, etc. until her family came back from lunch. I had intended to get some work done while she was gone, but the priest settled on in. "Nooooooo," I thought. While I identify as a Christian, I'm not Catholic. I have never understood the reverence Catholics, in general, have for priests - I'm the kind of Christian who likes a church where the pastor is a passionate brewer of his own beer and has a tattoo or seven. But I've known some nice priests and am a big fan of a few Catholics in particular like author Henri Nouwen and of course Mother Teresa. And my dad.  So, while I certainly have no "problem" with priests, I'm just not totally sure how I'm supposed to act toward them. Do I call them "Father?" That seems weird. Are we supposed to just talk about church and churchy stuff?

In any case, this priest decided he was going to make himself at home. I reluctantly put away my iPhone in an effort to communicate attentiveness and respect and we engaged in polite conversation. For, oh, an hour. Every ten minutes or so, I thought for sure he would leave. But he didn't. I was feeling anxious about the work I needed to do. And I was really resenting him for it. I also kind of thought maybe he'd ask me a question or two about myself - you know, in a pastorly fashion. Nope. He just sort of talked about himself and about how you get from one part of town to another. In great detail. I was starting to really feel put out. I wanted to get some work done! And I thought that if I wasn't able to turn my attention to my growing queue of unread email at least I could be having an interesting conversation. I started to get a tiny bit bitter that this leader of the Church had apparently no inclination to interact in a caring, others-centered way.

For all he knew, I was really emotional about my friend's illness. I was, actually...and I kind of would have liked to have maybe talked about it. Or prayed about it. But instead we were waxing philosophical about the various ways one can avoid the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. But then, I got a hold of myself. I'm a leader in the Church, too. Not in a priest kind of way, of course. But I know the gospel just like this guy does. And I know how to pay attention, listen well and extend care toward someone. I know how to set my own needs aside and focus on someone else. Why was I expecting that God provided this person in his frock to meet MY needs. Perhaps I was in the right place at the right time to meet HIS.

I made the choice to be kind. And as soon as I got rid of the garbage in my head that I was letting distract me, we had a lovely conversation. When the family returned, the priest asked for directions to the parking garage. I offered to escort him there myself. We got a little turned around in the hospital hallways, actually REALLY turned around, and it was my fault. To the point where I started to feel embarrassed about it - he was elderly and I was dragging him all over this gigantic building. But he was quite gracious and good humored about it. He kindly extended grace to me, when he would have been totally justified in being grumpy about it. We parted ways warmly and I felt happy that I had changed my attitude - it made all the difference.

We all know this, but we forget, so I'll say it. Kindness doesn't just affect the person who receives it. It changes the one who gives it.

35 Day Project: Run For a Reason

I have been deliberately trying to perform acts that cost little or no money.  There are about a million worthwhile charitable organizations, and it is always difficult for me to select just a few for monetary donations.  However, for today's act, I decided to donate to my friend Becky's fundraising efforts for her upcoming half marathon run.

Becky is running the race for charity.  That means she has committed to raising a set amount of money to go toward a charity of her choice.  If she does not raise the full amount, she has to make up the difference out of pocket.  Her charity of choice is Genre's Kids With Cancer Fund.

I told you a few days ago how awesome Becky is.  This just proves my point.  She has committed to helping  in a real tangible way.  Today, I did what I could to help Becky get a little bit closer to her goal.  I took a small, tiny, minuscule step toward helping them eradicate childhood cancer.  Becky is over halfway to her fundraising goal.  A goal I feel confident she is going to surpass.

In the Big City: Madama Butterfly

This week, I had the good fortune to win tickets to one of the Pittsburgh Opera's performances of "Madama Butterfly".  It had been many years since I last saw the Pittsburgh Opera, and I had never seen a full performance of this particular opera, so I was over the moon.

"Madama Butterfly" is the story of a young Japanese woman, whose name is Cio-Cio San, but who is affectionately called Butterfly.  Butterfly has fallen in love with an American Naval officer, B.F. Pinkerton.  The marriage broker has arranged a marriage between the two.  To Butterfly, this marriage is a new beginning; she flees from her past as a geisha and embraces a new identity as a wife, an American, and a Christian.  As she rejects her culture and her religion, her family, in turn, rejects her.  But she fears not, for she has love.  However, Pinkerton's view of the marriage is not so steadfast; he sees this as a temporary folly, to sate his desire, until the time when he can have a real marriage to an American wife.

Pinkerton leaves Butterfly, and three years pass.  Butterfly is now poor, and has no family support.  Her only supporter is Suzuki, one of the servants.  In Japan, marital abandonment is tantamount to divorce, but Butterfly refuses to lose hope.  She is certain her husband will return.  Butterfly is visited my the American consul, Sharpless, who tries to tell her Pinkerton will not return to her.  Butterfly stresses that her husband will return, for, you see, he has a son.  Sharpless leaves, without telling Butterfly the truth.  Soon, Butterfly spies Pinkerton's ship in the harbor.  She waits for him to come to her.

Eventually, Pinkerton does come, but not for Butterfly.  Pinkerton, with his "real, American wife" in tow, has come to take custody of his child.  When Butterfly learns this, she is devastated.  She now has nothing.  No family, no husband, no child.  She has lost her will to live, and, after sending her son to play, she commits suicide.  As she lay dying, Pinkerton cries out her name.

The staging of the opera was simply beautiful.  The set was simple with clean lines, which allowed the beauty of the story to be the main focus.  Similarly, the costumes, while beautiful, were understated.  The actual stage aspect that struck me was the gorgeous lighting.  At times, I found myself watching the shadows of the actors projected by the stagelights; the effect was quite haunting.  I also was bewitched by the use of colored lights to convey different emotions.  Red for rage and the heartbreak of Butterfly's death.  The colors of moonrise and sunrise to signify Butterfly's hope for Pinkerton's return.  There were also a few moments that left me breathless, including a moment in Act II when flower petals fell from above as Butterfly and Suzuki decorate the house for Pinkerton's return.

What can I say about the music, other than it was phenomenal.  The orchestra and singers worked in perfect harmony, and the result was magic.  Particularly impressive was Roger Honeywell, a last minute replacement for Pinkerton.  He stepped in to replace an ill cast member, having not sung the role in 14 months.  He was wonderful.  But the stars of the show were Maria Luigia Borsi as Butterfly, and Mika Shigematsu as Suzuki. The depths of the emotion conveyed by both women left me shattered.

After the show, I stayed for the Meet the Artist session.  What a treasure this was.  I loved hearing more about all of the artists, and I have to say, Maria Luigia Borsi is simply enchanting.  Listening to her speak about her love of opera as a child was nearly as beautiful as listening to her sing.  Maria confessed that she cries every time she sings Butterfly.  I am not surprised, for she left me in tears as well.

A note of particular interest: during Act II and Act III the Pittsburgh Opera's general director, Christopher Hahn, was seated just in front of me.  Watching him watch the performance was an amazing opportunity to see the impact of this performance on someone who has spent his life around the opera.  He was as enamored as I was; that is the power of this show.  The Pittsburgh Opera has much to be proud of.

There are two shows left, and I encourage you, if you can, to attend one.  Be sure, also, to check the gorgeous photos on the Pittsburgh Opera Facebook page, and the videos, not only of some performances, but of the Meet the Artist session, on the Pittsburgh Opera YouTube Channel.

Disclosure: I won the tickets to the show from a contest on another blog.  I was not compensated for this review, nor was I asked by the Pittsburgh Opera to write a review.  I simply wanted to share the beauty of this performance with my readers.

35 Day Project: Sharing the prize

On Sunday (the day the project kicked off, which I find to be less than coincidental) I got some very exciting news.  My friend and fellow Pittsburgh social media maven Sue contacted me to let me know I had won a contest on her blog.  She had two tickets to the Tuesday night show of the Pittsburgh Opera's production of Madama Butterfly.  As soon as the contest had been announced, I relentlessly entered every single way offered (daily tweets, blog comments, etc.).  It was pretty clear I wanted to win.  And, as it turned out, my tenacity paid off, because I did indeed win the tickets.  I was pretty over the moon.

The show would begin at 7.  I knew that it was unlikely Steve would want to, or be able to go with me, so I asked him if I minded if I shared the prize with a friend.  Another fabulous Pittsburgh woman, Becky, had entered to win the tickets as well.  Becky is, in short, awesome.  She is a hard working mother of two, she is training for the Pittsburgh half marathon, she is a weight loss champ, and she is just a good person.  I felt like she deserved to have a night of operatic magic.

So, my act of kindness yesterday was that I shared my prize, and invited Becky to go with me.  We met after she was done working, and sat in some amazing seats for 3 hours of sheer brilliance.

As we were talking, Becky mentioned that she had mentioned the contest to her husband, and he, like my husband, seemed less than interested in attending.  So, in the end, it all worked out.  My act of kindness to Becky was a night at the opera, and my act of kindness to our husbands was a night NOT at the opera.

35 Day Project: Make Room For Kids

Image courtesy of That's Church.

There is an amazing organization championed by one of my most favorite Pittsburgh folks ever, Virginia Montanez, of the awesome blog That's Church.  The organization is called "Make Room for Kids", and it is an extension of the Austin's Playroom Project at the Mario Lemiux Foundation.  Their mission is to bring video games, and dvd/entertainment equipment to the kids staying at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.  These are kids who are bravely battling some serious illnesses, often confined to their hospital rooms for very long stays.  Make Room For Kids provides the hospital with gaming equipment that these kids can use during their stay, helping them pass the time, and for a little while, just feel like kids.  There is so much more to their backstory, which Virginia has outlined here, and I really encourage you to read it.

The program continues to expand and grow, and with it, so do the needs for additional equipment and movies.  Remember, these are for sick kid.  How does one say no to that?  They answer is, you don't.  Today, in her blog post, Virginia made an appeal.  An Amazon Wish List has been created, with some of the items they were hoping to add to the collection for Make Room For Kids.  So, for the second day of the 35 Day Project, I decided to purchase and item off of the wish list.  It was something small, a movie.  And I was able to use some Amazon points we had accumulated.  It was a simple act; to me, it was just a movie, but to a sick kid, it is a few minutes of happiness.

Yet another example of why Pittsburgh is so great, and why I am proud to be a part of it.

In The Big City: East End Book Exchange

Anyone who knows me at least a tiny bit knows I love books, and I never met a bookstore I did not like.  Which is exactly why I was super excited to learn a few weeks ago that I had won a $25 dollar gift certificate to the East End Book Exchange, courtesy of IHeartPgh.  Not only was I going to get some more books (like I really need more), I was also going to get a chance to visit a new used book store and support small local business.  That is a win all the way around!

First thing first, let me tell you how excited I was that the book exchange had Sunday hours, a rarity with used bookstores.  I knew Hubby would want to visit with me, and weekends are our only option.  We were finishing up the paint in the living room the weekend of our visit, so Saturday was out.  It was exciting that we got to have a Sunday morning afternoon date in the city (we visited a few other places while we were there and even got to have brunch!).

If I could sum up the vibe of the East End Book Exchange in one word, it would be "swoon".  I loved everything about the store, and could easily see myself spending an entire afternoon there.  It has a very cozy vibe, with several little reading areas set up.  It would be a perfect place to tuck yourself away on a cold day 

with a great book.  

There was even an area for kids, and I think it would be so cool to host a story hour there!

The book selection had a lot of variety, and the prices were very reasonable.  I took the opportunity to get books I would have never selected for myself normally.  It never hurts to expand one's literary repertoire.  There is a section of rare books, and I found that incredibly fascinating.  I could have spent hours poring through just that section alone!

The store is brightly decorated with artwork, which is a cheerful addition.  They are also going to be continuously adding more cool vintage furniture from a local dealer.  Probably one of my favorite aspects of the decor were these gorgeous book sculptures displayed in the front windows, made by a local artist.  I was seriously drooling, I wanted one so badly!
   

Awesome little finds like the East End Book Exchange really make me miss living in Pittsburgh, and make me all the more determined to spend more time in the city.  After all, it is not that far really.  One thing is certain, however; the East End Book Exchange is now on my list of "must visit" places in Pittsburgh.  As in I "must visit" it each time I am in the city.  And you should too.

Check out the rest of my pictures of the East End Book Exchange here.

Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with the East End Book Exchange, nor was I asked to write this post.  I simply wanted to share a great Pittsburgh find with my readers!

In the Big City: Before I Die

I am a pretty big fan of public art displays.  The Pittsburgh Dinosaurs.  The Erie Frogs. The Garret County Bear Trail.  The Punxy Groundhogs. I love seeing art out in the real world.  But when a public art display is also interactive, meaning I can be a part of the art, well, that just about makes my day.

On Sunday, Hubby and I had an impromptu day date in Pittsburgh.  We went to explore a couple of specific businesses, and ended up driving around and exploring parts of the city as well.  It was something I used to do a lot when I was single, and we did together a few times when we were dating.  While we were driving around, we stumbled into Allegheny Center, and drove past a remarkable building.  It had large squares of chalkboard paint on different spots of the building, and there were sentences written on it.  Each sentence began with the words "Before I die, I want to__________________".  The blanks were filled in on many of the sentences.  We drove by it, and I was so struck by it, visually, that I decided to drive back around Allegheny Center so I could stop and take pictures.

When we got back to the spot, I got out of the car, and started snapping shots.  Some of them are a little hard to read, since it was obvious the chalkboards had been written on many many times.  The remnants of old wishes mingling with new wishes.  Many of the wishes were poignant, many were sweet, many were heartbreaking, and a few were just fun.  I searched and searched until I found a tiny remnant of blue chalk and wrote a wish of my own.  Before I die, I want to write a book.

I have never been a huge fan of the whole bucket list concept.  I am not sure why, but to me it just seems sad.  I would rather live in the moment.  But this public art project took the whole concept of a bucket list and made it into something I found inspiring and incredibly moving.  If you live in the Pittsburgh area, I really encourage you to do some explorations and find this building.  If you live somewhere else, go exploring.  And do a little reflecting about what you want to accomplish during your time on Earth.

See all the photos I took here.  Also see a video about the project here.

In The Big City: The Oven Pizza Co. in Wexford

Having not lived in the immediate Pittsburgh area (read Allegheny County) for more than three years now {has it been that long?}, I am slightly out of touch with where the new, cool places to drink, dine, and socialize are.  Thank goodness I am a part of the Pittsburgh TweetUp group.

You might be wondering, what is a TweetUp?  Well,  it is an event where people who are active on Twitter can get together to meet, socialize, network, and generally have a nerdy and fantastic time.  Often times, these events also involve charitable work or organizations.  We have attended quite a few TweetUps over the past 2 years, and recently, we have been interacting with this group a lot more.  There are a lot of great people in the group, and through them I have gotten to know a lot more about Pittsburgh businesses and organizations.

Last night, we attended a TweetUp event at a business in Wexford called The Oven Pizza Co.  This is a restaurant serving brick oven pizzas as well as so many other delicious foods, and an assortment of drinks.  We had never been to this place, so I was excited that the TweetUp was giving us a reason to go.  First off, the ownership, management, and staff at The Oven were so accommodating and welcoming to our group.  They had prepared a list of specials for us, including some half price menu selections and drinks.  They had a designated area for us, and helped distribute the food to our table.  They even came out after we had eaten and gave us samples of gelato, which was beyond delicious.  Furthermore, the staff came out and interacted with us, being social.  It is people and events like this that really put the "social" in social media.

I just cannot say enough wonderful things about the staff, service, and food at The Oven.  Last night, I tried the gluten free Winter Walnut Fig Pizza.  Holy moly, this pizza was so delicious.  I paired it with a Sweet Potato Bisque, also amazing.  We had a wide array of food at our table, and the consensus among all of us was that the food was incredible.  The atmosphere is warm and inviting, suitable for a family pizza night or hanging out with a group of friends.  Already, hubby is suggesting the place to his coworkers.  All the highest praise.

Now, I know what some of you locals are thinking "Wexford, that is not really in the big city" to which I would say,  technically, you are correct.  But the "In the Big City" series on my blog refers to Pittsburgh specifically, and, to me, Pittsburgh is bigger than city lines.  Pittsburgh is a state of mind, a specific type of person, an incredible combination of great food and great friends.  So, regardless of the fact that The Oven Pizza Co. is located in Wexford, they are Pittsburgh through and through.  Also, it's my blog and I can do what I want :).  But in all seriousness, check out The Oven, both online (their website, Twitter, and Facebook) and in person.  You will not be disappointed.

Also, check out the Pittsburgh TweetUp page too, and hopefully I will see you at a TweetUp soon!

Making the Holiday Season Full

Last month, I talked about my family's Polish Christmas customs, and what a huge part of my identity this is. I cannot imagine a Christmas without these traditions.  But for so many, Christmas is yet another day full of hunger.  So many Americans have difficulty having any type of holiday meal, let alone one that honors their cultural history.

Over the last couple of years, I have gotten to know some amazing folks, thanks to social media, who run a project called The Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project.  The goal is to collect reusable bags to help individuals visiting food pantries to safely, efficiently transport food.  We all know how flimsy plastic and paper bags can be (not to mention the scourge plastic bags are on the environment); imagine trying to carry those flimsy bags across several city blocks, or taking them on public transportation.  Tote bags are collected and distributed to food banks.

In addition, The Pittsburgh Tote Bag project helps raise awareness about various needs of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food bank, about hunger, and about recycling.  In short, this group does a whole lot of good.  As part of their 2012 Holiday Project, they decided to specifically raise awareness about the culturally diverse impact of hunger.  Imagine not having your favorite food, a long standing family tradition, as part of your holiday meal.  The 2012 Holiday Project suggested that people donate ethnic food items, along with a reusable tote bag.

I talked a lot about this last month, and encouraged my readers to donate.  Now, I put my money where my mouth is.  Tonight, I am attending an event where folks from the Pittsburgh social media set will gather together to celebrate the holidays.  We are using the opportunity to also donate tote bags and food items.  The food items I chose to donate are Hispanic food items, including rice, several types of beans, chicken stock, corn meal, coconut milk, tomato sauce, and peppers.  As I shopped, I could not help but think about the people who would receive these items.  I can only hope that this donation will help to honor and bless them as much as being a part of this project has blessed me.

Please consider donating to your local foodbank this holiday season, and take some time to check out The Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project. They are just good people.