Hi,
Tomorrow’s the anniversary of the Panamanians taking control of the canal (1999), Scotland’s Hogmanay Day (a New Year’s tradition from pagan times), in Philadelphia, the first modern bank was opened by Robert Morris (1781), the Japanese tradition of Namahage is also on New Year’s Eve where men dress up as devils knocking on doors seeking “Any good for nothing fellow hereabout?” and it’s Samoa’s traditional Fire Dance. Birth anniversaries include French artist Henri Matisse (1869), Uniontown, PA’s General George Marshall (1880) and Jewish activist Simon Wiesenthal (1908).
First Night’s tomorrow. Many activities are free and totally open, others you need to purchase a $10 button others just require a pre-arranged voucher (free). If you are planning on attending, you may want to check their website to see if any of the limited attendance events. There will be a kids fireworks display at 6 pm and then one at midnight for the adults. Acts/Events include country western artists The Swon Brothers, one man variety show Chris Ruggiero, the robot interactive Lost Sound Search Engine, Pittsburgh’s River City Brass will have a show with River City Brass Ballet, jugglers and dancers from Steel Town Fire will perform with chain saw wielding ice sculpturers to choreographed music, the Arcade Comedy Theater and Player One will perform comedy skits, Pittsburgh Playwrights will showcase Kim El with a Kwanzaa them and Ray Werner an Iraqi War veteran piece, FJ Hartland’s comedy will perform Postcards from a Dead Dog, a CMU student’s will deliver a funk-rock-big band sound (complete with robots), the Puerto Rican themed band Machete Kisumontao will perform, folk-bluegrass band The Early Mays will be on stage, comedians Aaron Kleiber and T-Robe will deliver laughs, Pirates of the Mon will set sail on the Black and Gold Pearl in search of treasure at the Golden Triangle, magician Lee Terbosic will perform his feats of unbelief, Cello Fury will perform with Texture Contemporary Ballet and winding up the slate will be Pinball and Big Games (really large jenga, chess and checkers pieces. Whew, that was a mouthful. Check out First Night’s website for details.
For the second time in the past couple of months, the soul food restaurant Carmi’s had a nice review in the Trib Thursday. Carmi named for the owners CArleen and MIchael King is just down the street from me. Such great people, when they got married two years ago, I no longer do weddings so they insisted on having their rehearsal dinner here. They offer home cooked (and healthy portions) breakfasts, lunches, dinners and catering. If you are looking for a casual well prepared meal, check them out.
For those of you in the medical field, particularly EMT, don’t take this video to heart. This is not the way it’s done. In India, a monkey was walking along a commuter rail line and stepped on the hot rail. Knocked out! His buddy comes along and tries man handling him (or should it be monkey handling?) to awaken him. He bites him, trashes him around, even dunks him in water to revive him. It’s pretty funny and makes you think about the intelligence levels of monkeys.
Northside Common Ministries is hosting a “Chef-Off” Saturday, January 31 at the New Hazlett Theater from 11 am to 1 pm. They have invited 10 local chefs to create a brunch appetizer from items commonly found in their Food Pantry. Tickets are $25, they are also requesting a bag of non perishable food. You’ll have a chance to hob-nob with some culinarians, other foodies and other locals. (Maybe even sample some unique appetizers!) More info at their website, by calling 412-323-1163 or by e-mailing Jay at [email protected]. Northside Common Ministries does a great job helping feed the less fortunate, a great cause.
I want everyone to have a very happy and safe New Year’s Eve and a great New Year,
ed
Oh Ed! You had me. I’m a Pittsburgh native and discovered you through a Groupon offering today. I’ve probably spent the last hour reading your TripAdvisor reviews, getting to know you a bit through them, enjoying immensely your subtle responses to nit-pickers, and overall falling in love with this historic architectural gem you’ve managed to tune and tweak back into a North Side masterpiece.
Then spending time on the website, looking at all the rooms, I get to the nitty gritty pages and I see I can’t enjoy the place with my worldly and well travelled six year old daughter Quinn, my budding future veterinarian and mermaid princess, with her own menagerie of animals at home (dogs, cats, guinea pig, dwarf hamster, leopard gecko, fish….), who I am sure would appreciate Razor and RJ and give them her special brand of Quinn love. We are Aviary members as well and she considers that her special place, and, well, there’s TJ and Elvis, her favorite penguins, not far from you.
I only partially jest. I’m sure you have good reasons for the 14 and over crowd. It just leaves out potentially special and well behaved children who are a delight to have around and benefit from such worthy places.
A budget traveler by necessity myself, usually bidding 3 to 4 star properties on Priceline, and more recently exploring AirB&B options, a trip several years ago to Ireland and lovely B&B experiences there raised my interest in alternative and non-chain experiences. It’s a logical step for someone who avoids corporate food as a rule, and cherishes local establishments, to do so in accommodations as well.
I shall have to perhaps find an appropriate reason to stay solo, or a date, to perhaps partake in your atmosphere. This happily single dad and daughter combo will have to come by and admire the Inn from outside for now.
It’s been a pleasure reading up on the Inn.
Cheers,
Rich
Thanx so much for the kind comments Rich, children in an old mansion filled with antiques is a challenge.