so about that farewell tour...

... we stayed.

The farewell tour

So it's like this.

The career opportunity I've been wanting for a very long time, in the city where I grew up suddenly fell into my lap. It happened so quickly I'm still not sure it actually did happen. I'm astonished. And excited.

And leaving Pittsburgh.

I'm not a native of the Steel City, but my husband is, which is how I was lucky enough to come to live here. And while I've spent the better part of the last decade here, I don't know if I ever got to know Pittsburgh as well as I should have. There are a lot of things you're "supposed" to do when you get here that I just haven't done. Partly because I married someone who's been here and done that, but partly because I was always thinking of living in Pittsburgh as a temporary arrangement. I feel sort of bad about that now, because Pittsburgh has become very much a second home to me. I have nothing bad at all to say about the people of this city. They're super.

I don't start at the new job until August. So for the next month, I'm going to make a list of things in Pittsburgh I either haven't done, or things I want to do once more before the move, and try to do as many of them as I can, time and budget permitting.

First things first:

• I've never been to Kennywood. (I KNOW!)
• I've never eaten at Primanti's (I was a vegetarian until pretty recently).
• I want to watch a last baseball game at PNC Park (I've at least done that). The only drawback there is it'll have to involve the Pirates.

I welcome suggestions of what other things I ought to experience before the move.

The day before vacation

Getting ready for vacation is so stressful, mostly because my husband is so freaking calm to the point of comatose while I am a whirling dervish of stress and trying to be organized and not forget anything and also breathe ...

Stress is more stressful when no one shares it. Because then, you're not only stressed, you're borderline neurotic, too and DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN... oh, sorry.

Really what I need is a vacation.

Ah, irony. There you are again.

So, tomorrow we start the drive to the coast. Yes, drive. Don't get me started; he won't fly.

We'll see how it goes...

Vacation...

We can barely afford it, but we're going to take a vacation this year, and go to Cape Cod.
I'll get to meet my new baby niece, not quite a month old. I'll also see my dad for the first time since our falling out (it's a long story. And boring.).
My younger child wants very much to see my dad. Me, not so much. It's just easier not to.
But, it may in all likelihood be the last time I see him. I wish I could muster up more interest in the situation based on that fact alone. Will I feel bad for the distance (both metaphorical and geographical) between us after he's gone?
Right now, I'd say no. After he's gone, I may feel differently.
Oh, but there will be beach time near a bona fide ocean on this vacation, to offset my 39-year-old angst.
So there's that.
We'll see how it goes.

Right now... it's June and I'm out of excuses

I just love this photo. Memorial Day at Phipps Conservatory. Good lookin' guys, huh?

I'm going to steal Uncle Crappy's idea and try to blog every day for the month of June.
I think my previous goal of every day for a year? Too ambitious.

I just need to write more.

We'll see how it goes...

Hannah Louise

My first niece, born on Mothers' Day.

I wish my mother could've met her. And my kids.

She would have been an awesome grandma.

(it's a cell phone photo, but she's still perfect)

Restart button

First, it was just a few days, then it was a week then it turned into a month.

I thought I would blog every day for a year, my 39th year, in honor of my mother.

Yeah, I suck.

So, restarting on Mother’s Day (Mothers’ Day?). Sincerely going to make a second attempt.