Hi,

Other than getting stuck in the most bizarre detour the City set up around the Convention Center while going to Restaurant Depot, the weekend was great.  The Pirates played this weekend (no traffic there 🙂 ), the Pittsburgh Marathon was this weekend, the Penn’s play off against the Canadiens and Pitt’s graduation all combined to grid lock the City.  The detour made you turn up tenth street under the Convention Center, down Penn Avenue, up eighth Avenue then down Liberty.  It was so convoluted, traffic was backed up to the Ft Duquesne Bridge (and there’s not way to turn around once you’ve gone this far).  Literally it took me an hour to get through it.  So for the way back, I hoped on the thirty-first street bridge and came down route 28 and was home in fifteen minutes.

The oddest thing happened yesterday.  The neighborhood was holding a spring clean up, they always hold these on Saturday mornings.  That’s my busiest day for breakfast, so instead of helping, I offer a location to gather and supply coffee.  The front door was open and there were several neighbors on the front porch, I was in the pantry working on breakfast when this Oriental woman walked in with two boxes of Krispie Creme donuts and said “These are for Jennifer”.  I had no Jennifer staying here and have no idea what that was all about.  Would anyone like a box or two of Krispie Creme donuts?  🙂

Heather and Matt, from the War Streets, housed their musicians here.  They had five rooms.  The wedding went great over at the Mattress Factory, from what I hear.  The Musician were great guests.  We also hosted a number of parents coming for their kids from Pitt.  I even had my newspaper deliverer visit this weekend.  Ruth has always told her husband Greg what a cool looking place and so for their anniversary, he booked a get away weekend.  Very nice.

The Pittsburgh Glass Center is hosting a very cool exhibit to coincide with Pittsburgh hosting the North American United Nations World Environment Day, June 5.  All the exhibits have to be either using green or have a green theme.  For those of you not familiar with PGC, their mission to foster glass artistry.  They teach classes, mentor and foster glass in the arts.  They are located at 5472 Penn Avenue, just past Lawrenceville.  There was an article on the exhibit in the Trib this morning, here’s a link to the Trib, then type Glass artist look at our fragile world in the search box and it will take you to the article.  The sculptures look amazing.

Speaking of artists, there is a wood artist working out in Lincoln-Lemington (generally out past East Liberty).  The Urban Tree Forge is located at 1004 Washington Blvd in the old Elias Studios.  John Metzler takes trees that have been cut or blown down and recycles these into furniture and pieces of art.  John made a tables for the G-20 Summit from oak and sycamore here on the Northside and tables for the Carnegie Library’s historical collection also here on the Northside.  An associate, Joshua Space made the face on one of his gargoyles on display at Phipps Conservatory out of a piece of sycamore he found fallen in his neighbor’s yard.

It’s been raining all afternoon, seems to have quit for now.  I think I’ll try and take da boiz down the park, I don’t imagine the dog gestapo will be out.  We should be safe.  🙂

The Penns were up one nothing first period, now after two periods Canada’s up two to one.  Lets go Penns,

ed