Adventures in Pittsburgh

Update:  So I have since learned that there was a University of Pittsburgh football game AND American Idol auditions going on Thursday, which maybe explains the cab shortage.  Okay, so I won't hold a grudge, Pittsburgh.

I mentioned it took me 2 1/2 hours to find a cab in a busy part of town during rush hour.  So obviously Pittsburgh isn't the kind of town where you can easily flag a cab.  Lesson learned.  But catching a cab at the hotel shouldn't be a big deal, right?  RIGHT? 

Yesterday, I had a work event at 4:30 just 3 miles from my hotel.  I went downstairs around 3:30 and let the bellman know I needed a cab.  Plenty of time.  Then I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited.  FOR TWO HOURS I WAITED.  No cabs.  The bellmen were desperately on the phone trying to track one down to no avail.  I myself called and requested cabs and nothing came.

Me (an hour and a half in):  Any luck?

Bellman:  No.  I'm so sorry.  We've been calling.  It's not for lack of trying.

Me:  I know.  It's just...this is ridiculous.  Isn't there a hotel shuttle or something?

Bellman:  Yes, but it doesn't go where you're going.

Me:  I realize, but I couldn't just get a ride?  It's only 3 miles.  I just have to get there.

Bellman:  Our shuttle is backed up, too.  I'm sorry.  I've told the manager about the situation.

Me:  There's nothing anybody can do?  A car service?  Something?  It's only three miles. 

Bellman:  Sorry.

Me:  Do you have a car?  You busy?

Three cabs came and went during that two hours.  They either had another pick-up scheduled, REFUSED TO TAKE ME BECAUSE IT WAS TOO SHORT A FARE AND NOT WORTH THEIR WHILE (!!!!), or I was forced to defer to people who had to get to the airport.  Unbelievable.  I was able to get in touch with the person organizing the event and apologize profusely for being late at least. 

Joe:  Hello?

Me:  I'm about to offer money to a stranger to give me a ride.  Just giving you a head's up.

Joe:  Maybe don't do that.

Me:  I'm desperate.

Joe:  Don't tell the stranger that. 

Finally, a cab came and off we went.

I was able to attend the event for only the last 20 minutes amid strings of apologies. 

Twenty minutes...and then I realized I needed a cab to get back to the hotel.  I called.  I was told it would be at least an hour.  I went looking for an ATM to pay for the ride back because I was out of cash since I had not expected the 3 mile cab ride to cost me $17 (what the fuck???).  I found one.  Once I recovered from the $3.50 ATM fee, I realized I was completely blanking on my PIN number.  I could not have summoned it if you paid me a million dollars.  Or if you had told me it was the secret code to making cabs magically appear.  I tried 3 times but my PIN number had temporarily left my brain. 

I called Joe.

"This is crazy.  I'm just going to walk.  Fuck it.  It's only three miles and at least I'm in flats."

"Ok."

"It's getting dark though.  And I don't really know where I'm going."

"Yeah, probably not a good idea."

"Shit.  I'll call you back."

I stood idiotically on a street corner for a while considering my options.  Then I spied a bus stop.

Another call to Joe.

"Hello?"

"I AM A SMART, RESOURCEFUL GIRL!  I LIVED IN NEW YORK FUCKING CITY!!  I AM GOING TO TAKE THE BUS!"

"Okay?"

"I AM GOING TO TAKE THE BUS!  I WILL FIGURE IT OUT!"

"Godspeed."

"THANK YOU!"

I asked a girl waiting for the bus how to get back to the part of town where my hotel was.  She said to take any bus numbered 61.  Then she told me I was waiting on the wrong side of the street.  Thank you.

I waited and got on a bus numbered 61.

"Hello, sir.  I am not from here and I've never taken this bus.  Do I pay you?"

"Just feed your money into the money slot.  $2.50."

I took a $5 bill out of my wallet.

"You don't have change?"

"Nooo..."

"Well...ok...just get on.  Pay the driver extra next time."

"BLESS YOU!"

I paid attention enough to realize you're supposed to pull the yellow wire going around the perimeter of the bus when you want to stop and figured out where to get off thanks to my work iPhone.  My PIN number suddenly came to me in a flash.  I scrambled to find a pen in my bag and wrote it down. 

Twelve minutes later, I was dropped off a block from my hotel.  Twelve minutes. 

I walked back to the hotel and awkwardly passed the bellman on my way back in.

"I took the bus back."

"Listen, I still feel really bad.  I'm really sorry."

"It's ok.  It wasn't really your fault."

"Do you want a free drink ticket?"

"YES."

Needless to say, I did not explore Pittsburgh.  We are no longer on speaking terms.  But I will try my best to not be so fearful of public transportation in strange cities because I am a smart, resourceful girl who lived in New York fucking City and it really isn't that hard to figure out, especially if strangers and bus drivers are looking out for you.  Bellmen on the other hand could be advised to point out a bus stop a block from the hotel when someone has been stupidly waiting for a cab for hours and also could pass out a lot more free drink tickets.  Twelve minutes.  Unbelievable.

"Look Up, Young Lady"

This week I'm in Pittsburgh.  I didn't plan any tourist-y things for this trip because...it's Pittsburgh.  For whatever reason, I wasn't expecting this trip to be any big whoop and planned to stay near the hotel and take full advantage of TV and room service.  Pittsburgh, however, has convinced me to do otherwise. 

I chatted up my cab driver on the way to the hotel from the airport, which is a must do travel tip because cab drivers have the best advice about what's worth doing in their towns.  When I told him it was my first time here, he gave me the quick run down on what to do and see and he made it sound awesome.  The city should hire him for a nation-wide campaign of some sort and the people would absolutely flock. 

Afterward, I made polite conversation, but when it lulled, I went back to staring at my phone for entertainment.  We drove along in silence for quite some time.  There wasn't much to see, just trees and highway.  At some point, I vaguely noticed we were driving through a tunnel.  Then, "look up, young lady."  "What?"  "Look up!"  We emerged from the tunnel and immediately the city skyline was before us.  Totally beautiful and unexpected.  Nicely done, Pittsburgh.  Thank you, cab driver.

via

Who knew?  So far Pittsburgh has been charming and pleasant and actually quite pretty and I very much am looking forward to tomorrrow when I will have more time to explore.
But then, I also had to wait 2 1/2 hours for a cab today because I've been totally spoiled by cities wherein you can't spit without hitting a cab, and so was unprepared for the not-a-cab-for-miles-during-rush-hour phenomenon.  Not cool. 

Pittsburgh, I will let you make it up to me.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last Friday, my plane landed around 10pm.  I went home, repacked, got some sleep, and got up at 7 am the next morning to drive to New York to baby-sit my little cousins, ages 4, 2, and 1.  Their mama and papa had a wedding to go to in Manhattan, and I've had this baby-sitting gig on the calendar for months.  I love every chance to spend time with these kids.  The rest of my family is down South so even though I'm madly in love with all the kids in our family, this is the first bunch I've actually gotten to watch grow up, be at all the birthday parties, and see regularly. 

Baking with kids is rough, but how much they love it makes it so worth it.  As long as you completely give up any hope of not making a mess. 

We just followed the recipe on the bag of chocolate chips.  They didn't come out great.  That happens when a four-year-old is doing the measuring.  Still, best helpers ever.

Postcards from Chicago

Last week was Milwaukee-Chicago-South Bend.  The highlight of this trip was Chicago.  I have aways wanted to go there.  I've heard great things about the city and there's so much to do and see.  It's been on the list for a long time. 

Traveling alone makes things tricky, though.  On the one hand, I want to take advantage of my time in these places, but on the other hand there's only so many things it's fun to do alone.  Plus, I don't want to see and do everything so I can save some treats for when I go back for a real visit. 

So my top three for free time during my two days in Chicago were Harpo Studios (home of the Oprah Winfrey Show, although please tell me I didn't need to tell you that), the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower, what the hell is up with that?), and Chicago-style pizza.  I did the first two, but skipped the pizza because I ran out of time (also I had a huge lunch, as seen below).

So fun.  Can't wait to go back.



Room service breakfast.  I will never tire of this.

And now.  Drumroll please.  The epicenter of all that is right in the world....

The other thing that sucks about traveling alone?  This is the only proof I have that I was there!

The garage where Oprah and all the celebs pull in every day!  There were some large, rather intimidating, security looking guys lingering outside so this was my totally subtle walk-by picture.





The "YOU GET A CAR!" lot!

Yes ma'am.

I still haven't quite recovered.

















Men

Me:  Do you have any idea where my navy blue cardigan is?

Joe:  Weren't you wearing it when I picked you up at the airport last night?

Me:  No.

Joe:  Wait, what the hell's a cardigan?

Me:  A sweater that buttons up.

Joe:  That's not what you were wearing last night?

Me:  No.  That was a hoodie.  And it wasn't navy blue.

Joe:  Is that it on the chair?

Me:  No.  That's yours.  And it's also not navy blue.

Joe:  ...

Me:  Just say you don't know.

Joe:  I don't know.

Me:  Thank you.

Random

In the last 16 days I have slept in my own bed a mere 5 nights.  I like all the traveling and the new cities and sights, but when I stop for a second, it hits me how sort of exhausted I am.  This week has been Milwaukee, Chicago, and South Bend, Indiana.  Next week is Pittsburgh.  After that, the next destination is TBD. 

I'm so excited to go home tonight.  I will spend one night in my own bed, then go to New York to baby-sit for my sweet little cousins so their mama and papa can attend a fancy-schmancy Manhattan wedding.  Even though I'm tired just thinking about the whirlwind weekend with no time to refresh before getting on another airplane, I'm so excited to spend time with the little ones.  I miss them. 

I've had no time in the last few days to form complete thoughts, but I've formed lots of incomplete ones.  They are as follows:

1)  I've stayed at 7 hotels this month.  They've all had at least 4 ESPN's but none of them has had either E! or Bravo.  What the hell? 

2)  Actual conversation with girl at rental car counter:

Her:   Last name?
Me:   Gambino.
Her:   Oooh, is that Italian?
Me:   Yes.
Her:   Wow.  So what are you doing here?  Did you just fly in from Italy? 

It's an honor to be the first person someone has ever met whose last name ends in a vowel.  Also: if I was fresh from Italy, odds my destination of choice would be Milwaukee?  Anyone? 

3)  Charging hotel patrons for Wi-Fi is fucking bullshit.  Especially when there's no Bravo.

4)  The first thing I do upon checking into any hotel is bust out my anti-bacterial wipes and wipe down the remote, every light switch, the handle on the toilet, door knobs, the phone, the alarm clock, and all faucet handles.  I also travel with my own pillowcase so I can cover the hotel pillow in case it skeeves me out.  I like to come thisclose to flirting with OCD without actually being diagnosable. 

5)  On the bright side, all this traveling alone had made me completely unfazed about going to a restaurant and eating by myself.  Or going to tourist attractions by myself.  Though I draw the line at going on a Chicago river cruise by myself.  I had no qualms about going alone to Harpo Studios however (more on that later except to say, that audible squeal you heard from the heavens yesterday?  That was me.). 

That is all.

Books: Used & Rare

When I was little, I hated going outside.  I would so much rather have been curled up with a book.  Forcing me to put it down felt a bit personal and hurtful, even if it was for the benefit of fresh air and sunshine.  You were tearing me away from friends and worlds I had become a part of.  I can track my development by the books I loved: first, Little House on the Prairie; then, Little Women; then, the Anne of Green Gables series; then anything Jane Austen.  With many others sprinkled in between. 

When I passed this sign, driving down a gorgeous tree-lined road in Kingston, RI, I had to stop.

The store was magical and I quickly lost two hours wandering up and down the aisles and between the stacks of ancient books.  There are few things I love more than very old books.  Who was the first person to buy it in 1896?  How many hands have held it, read it?  What was their story?  I love the nostalgia and mystery of it.  I bought only four and that took major restraint. 

One I am keeping to myself for now because I plan to gift it to a friend this Christmas. 

Another is a book from 1900 on Twentieth Century Etiquette: A Ready Manual For All Occasions.  I like to look back on how far we've come and there's a very old-fashioned fuddy-duddy part of me that longs for the days of rules of polite society, carriages, and gentleman callers.  The section on Writing to Royalty should prove to be especially helpful. 

Another is from 1933 and is called The Truth About Beauty: How to Acquire a Beautiful Face and Figure.  That one should be interesting. 

The last one is a Mother Goose children's book from 1968 with illustrations by Gyo Fujikawa.  I love the illustrations and my plan is to frame some of the pages for hanging in a future nursery.  The idea of tearing pages from a book hurts my heart a little though so we'll see if I can actually pull the trigger. 

Postcards from New England

Last week I was in Providence, Boston, and New Hampshire.  Most of what I saw was airports, hotel rooms, and views out the window of my rental car during the five day work trip.  Though there were some highlights: exploring a quaint used & rare book shop in Kingston, Rhode Island, enjoying a beautifully designed and fantastically done hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island, and how crazy beautiful the views are from New Hampshire highways.  Had the leaves been turning already I might have had to stop on the side of the road just to take it all in.

Next week: the Midwest.

Maybe. Maybe Not.

Being done with school finally and the end of the grace period on my student loans fast approaching means that reality has come home to roost for this girl.  I've always had a very clear vision for my wedding, but when the time comes, budget concerns might mean some drastic scaling down is necessary.  It's best that I get used to the idea now so I won't be disappointed later. 

I'm starting to think I might be okay with an elopement if it could look like this (is that bride not absolutely the most gorgeous bride you've ever seen?).  Or this.  Or this.  Pretty. 

I could never do a true elopement because I need my nearest and dearest there.  Also I want a first dance.  And invitations.  And bridesmaids.  And a reception.  Some more getting used to the idea is probably in order.

Birthday Cake

This cake.  This frosting.  Add sprinkles upon request.  For the man turning 31.  Kind of adorable. 

Postcards from Toronto

Last week I discovered the Hipstamatic photography app on my iPad.  In Toronto (for work), I fell in love with it.