Saturday, May 14, 2011

Hi,

Tomorrow’s the Pittsburgh Marathon, and the course is right in front of The Parador again.  It is Brian Eno’s birthday (1948), the anniversary of the release of woman’s nylon stockings (the first totally man made fiber by Du Pont), Lyman Baum’s birth anniversary (1856) he wrote the Wizard of Oz series, the most famous became the film The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  but he wrote may other children’s books and many featured the Wizard of Oz.

So Ashton Kutcher is replacing Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men.  I’ve never seen Two and a Half Men, but I’ve followed Sheen’s recent exploits.  I think it’s kind of funny.

OK, they’ve found a new way to torture me.  I don’t know what’s causing it, but I keep getting these phone calls where the person on the other end asks for someone by name and there is no one with that name staying here.  The one thing in common is it’s always one of those on-line schools.  Their phone number is never blocked, they are always professional and politely apologize for any inconvenience.  Usually they ask for a different name each time (sometimes they will ask for the same person, but it’s from different schools.)  Any of my longer term blogging fans might remember the last annoyance with the phone I complained about.  I would get calls at the same time (usually around 10 a.m. and then around 2 p.m.) from the same phone number and when I would answer, not one said a word and the call was terminated.  Once I realized it was the same number and the same time of day, I quit answering it and the calls stopped.  (This has happened occasionally for the past two years.  It will be the same number until I quit answering it, then it quits.  Several months later it will start again, but with another phone number).  Weird.

Tis the season for house and garden tours.  The Ligonier Valley Home Tour is 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on June 18th, admission is $30 (discounted if tickets are purchased before June 12).  Visit their web site or call 724.238.9030 for more information.  The Mount Lebanon Library Garden tour is scheduled July 10 from noon until 5 p.m.  This self guided tour lets you meet with the local gardeners, Penn State Master Gardeners and Pittsburgh Rose Society members.  Tickets are $20 ($15 if purchased in advance and more information can be found at their web site or 412.5311912.  Brighton Heights Chocolate House Tour is back in conjunction with KS Kennedy Floral and Gourmet.  No silly, the houses aren’t chocolate, the houses have gourmet chocolate you can sample.  The tours are June 12 from noon until five and cost $15 ($10 if purchased prior to June 11).  More information can be found at 412.734.0233 or their web site.  The Botanic Garden’s Open Garden Tour is $55 ($110 if you opt for the bus tour).  The 14 gardens can be toured on June 26 from 8:30 until 5.  More information at 412.444.4464 or their web site.  Phipps Conservatory is spicing their summer show up with having local artists create works of art out of recycled materials showing “Living Harmoniously with Nature” is possible.  It runs today through September 27 and their normal operating hours and prices are in effect.  Here’s something that’s not a garden tour, but will offer a unique view of the City, Venture Outdoors will be hosting a moonlight kayaking excursion, this Tuesday.  The cost is $35, reservations are required and it takes off from Washington’s Landing from 7:30 until 10.  More information is at their web site or 412.255.0564.

Available at the Pittsburgh Public Market, in the Terminal Building in the Strip is Clarion River Organics.  This food is organically grown by an Amish collective up in the Clarion River area.  Now how, you might ask, do Amish have a web site, or get their food all the way down here?  Well there’s a marketing group that’s doing all the things the Amish won’t for them (at a fee of course).  They are offering organic vegetables, meats and cheeses.  The one Amish farmer they interviewed has 15 children and 20 grandchildren working his farm with him.  🙂

GE’s building a brand new manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, TX to make locomotive cars.  They’re spending $96M, between the new jobs and 250 new jobs at their Erie plant, their locomotive work force will swell to over 10,000 employees.

Have a good night and a great tomorrow,

ed