Jon Bon Jovi

is so right!
"i've been there, done that, i ain't looking that it's been a long long road feels like i've never left, that's how the story goes."

I was just giving directions to friend who's visiting Steubenville University in OH with his high school senior daughter. They have a few hours to kill tomorrow before the plane trip back and he wanted to know what were "the not to miss things to do in Pittsburgh." I thought of an incline ride and a view from Mount Washington or the Carnegie Museum or the Strip District (not that kind of strip) and then went on-line to get him directions with actual street names, as I navigate by land marks. Good if you live some place and are familiar, a recipe for getting very lost if you're not.

As this friend is uberefficient, he was looking at a detailed map while talking with me, and the first land mark he mentioned, was Magee Women's Hospital where my sister and I were birthed. And I was caught up in wave of bitter sweet homesickness that was almost palatable. My mind started racing back through my life, being little living in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill, the Jewish section of town. I remembered my dad carrying me on my shoulders, down the hill past Poli's to a great little Jewish deli for bagels and lox. Talking about sights in the Golden Triangle (where the three rivers come together ) reminded me where my dad parked his car for like 20 years along the river that would get flooded out, but never flooded where he parked because he'd studied the flood plane. It was risky, but "if you investigate and pay attention you can save yourself $5 week." He'd tell us. The semiannual treks to "down town" on the bus to visit dad at his office and go to lunch at the Top of the Triangle or some other really cool restaurant. And as I made these comments with joy and some tears in my voice, my friend said " it sounds like you had a lot of good times with your dad growing up."

I began thinking that a big part of a place always being home is not so much the place itself, but the people you were with when you lived there. As I type this tears are flowing down my face, because after I got off the phone I remembered the last place I was with my dad - Allegheny Cemetery. I like living where we do now and we've been blessed with so many wonderful friends, and experiences we wouldn't have had if we'd have stayed at home... but it's nice to know that in the span of one conversation "you can take the home from the girl, but not the girl from her home."

Political Junkie

I just can't help myself. I should be in bed asleep. I have a meeting downtown tomorrow, but it's like a guilty pleasure. Maybe it's the seasons of "The West Wing", but this race for the Senate has captured my interest. And it's not just because the Democrats have won the House. Although it certainly is a plus.

(O.K. for the record I am listed as a Republican, which is the party I choose at 18, because my grandmother said we had to be Republicans to break the political machine in Pittsburgh! It made me feel all Norma Rae...)

That aside, I think what's putting "the jam in my jelly roll", so to speak is that I have witnessed the huge lines of people waiting to vote all day. It started this morning, voting in our little precinct house when I had to wait 50 minutes and continued in the afternoon when my husband topped my wait at an hour. Then, we have polling at the parish hall and all day it was non stop; can't get a parking space; parking in the grass and up the circle; wall to wall cars. Every time I looked out my office window it was a steady line of bodies across the front glass doors. That stir of patriotism even if it's of the "disgruntled get the bums out of office" type of patriotism of which my boss is not fond, has me jazzed. And might I just say, and well yes I think I will, a woman as Speaker of the House! YES!!! You know that's what - two seats from the presidency? And today with what all goes on it's pretty possible, pretty possible indeed. I think my estrogen is doing tiny, yet meaningful victory laps around my ovaries.

We've had a visit from...Flat Stanley!

We've been host to a wonderful "guest" - Flat Stanley - on here from New Hampshire. He's been a delight and loves to meet new people and explore new places...check out what he's been up to.

"I wonder if I should get a job while I'm here, free lunches?"

Flat Stanley meets the Fishman twins Mabel and Bleu!

"Dinner out and your treat! I'm there."

Solving the problems of the day...

"There's nothing like a ride in the country! Hey girls, where are my headphones?"

"Lullaby and Good Night...let sleeping dogs lie I always say, especially that Chloe!"

"How do I get myself into these things? Nice bear..."

"Just a little higher please."

"Now these are my kind of people."

" Sweet tea...yummy, thanks for sharing!"

"A football game - awesome! I hope I can get to the concession stands at half time."

"I've had a great time, but it's time to head back to N.H....on the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again... Good bye!"