Bike Nerd adventure to the market...

  So there I was. Picture it with me if you will. 

Big booty, big booty. 

Bike seat.

Helmet.

Back pack. 

Cars passing me every three seconds. 

ME, pedaling

s.l.o.w.l.y. 

Pedaling up a gradually inclining road that would take me back home- where the water was. water. water. water. That's what I kept telling myself. Also hoping that no one would yell at me from the window of their car. Phrases like " HAHA BIKE NERD!" or " CAN YOU GO ANY SLOWER HELMET HEAD?" Ok. So it is most likely not probable that people would yell at me. It is way more probable that they would run me over.  Are you reading this Grandmom? Because I am really safe and careful ! But you should see these crazy people! 

  Any ways. Photo's from the journey... here they are

 These from a lovely farm stand inside the Pittsburgh Public Market.... beautifuls....

So then there was the Pitsburgh Marshmallow Factory, please visit them <here>

delightful and lemony! I tried them.. DELISH! I actually bought a turtle one... but it was totally devoured before I could snap a pic!

The Marshmallow people were also SUPER nice and really friendly- basically if you live in the Burgh, you should be buying their marshmallows!

Then my journeys took me about half a mile down the street to  this tiny hole in the wall donut shop! My friend Lilly calls them little works of art and they are! I did not partake in any of these delightful art bites, but I did try a Raspberry Lemonade donut last time I was in the Strip and it was GOOD.

My Inner Hippie was basically saying. Hells yeah! 

Oh did I mention that the ride there was all the way down hill basically? And the ride back was all the way up hill? I MUST say that the trip was worth it. I rode 10 miles, which made me feel like a major rock star. And then I called my mom to tell her and she was like " Oh yeah! Isn't it great! I ride ten miles every morning and then I walk two miles after that...." And then she works all day! Shout out to my awesome mom! You are inspirational! 

  <3 chau lovahs!

More to come..

Coming soon: my crazy friday last week.... AH! all i have is two words for that one

FeNdEr BeNdEr ... ugh!

Bubalicious.

" How you doin' Bubbalicious?!" He grins at me with his toothy and toothless grin. His eyes are squinty and puffy and much darker than the rest of his brown skin.
" I'm doing well! How are you today sir?" - For some reason my voice sounded extra white girl when that came out.  " You know these hormones they be got me on be trippin.... but YOU BEAUTIFUL! You know it's good to wanted. Don't even matter who it's by..." He steps closer to me and his giant frame is now towering over me.  I am sitting in the waiting room of a clinic waiting for me name to be called and so is Mr. Bubbalicious.
" Well, I don't know about that!" The lady next to me pulls out her phone and pretends to talk on it. Another lady across from me stares more intently at her finger nails. The old man sitting next to her pretends to fall asleep. For real people? Are you just going to leave me out here in the cold with  big Bubbalicious!?
" You IS RIGHT! HA HA!" He leans down and places his enormous hand on my shoulder  and loudly exclaims " You don't wanna be wanted by the  LAW! HAHAHA!!!" And I just had to laugh because this giant man wan pretty hilarious and pretty crazy and he called me Bubbalicious. Well then he walked to the other side of the room and continued his rant about " med'cashun" they got me on.
    So here I am sitting in a little chair with my gaint file-o facts in my lap with no body on my team to deal with big Bubbalicious and then it comes out, the real story about why Bubbalicious was at the clinic that day.  From behind me I hear,
  " Shoot man... I gotta see doctah Hall man...... How you doin' today ma'am? "
" I am blessed and how are you?" says a slightly grouchy, northern, a-pack-a-day, Yinzer old lady voice.
" I'll be better when that doctah get me off that med'cashun. Shoot. I be tryin to be with some body. Like.. you know BE with some body and they don't tell you that stuff be messin wicha HORMONES!....."
  .... SHOCK. I'm tryin not to laugh. And of course the phone lady sitting next to me has something to say about that. "Sum people like to share. But that is TOO MUCH! ...." Of course the older man who pretended to fall asleep earlier cracks open his eyes. Seeming to give a silent wave of empathy to Big Bubbalish.
   After a few minutes of not paying attention any more.. all the sudden ..
" I mean... just look we ALL got the mark of the BEAST. I mean come on lady... You got social security don't you? " Bubbalish and Old Yinzer are going AT IT. She is preachin' him the gospel and he is arguing his stance on the tribulation.
" I mean... go into the bathroom and you'll see we ain't even got to flush the toilet any more..."
" But John 17 says..."
and on and on and on until... " Miss Nelson...."
PEACE AND LOVE MY PEOPLE I AM OUT!
    " Oh hey girl. I see you Bubalicious... Have a nice day now..."
" You too sir!"
 ... This really happened.

A Thousand Words...

And the wild finish
our newly painted kitchen!
LOVE!

Getting HOME.

SO.. here I am back in Pittsburgh after a great weekend celebrating a dear friend in beautiful NC.
 So I drove and drove and passed many green hills and mountains and why is it that INSTANTLY when you travel south life just seems better!?
  Blame it on the sweet tea or the sweet accents. i . love. it. It is SO beautiful and the rolling hills and the trees. and the TREES! ahhhh...
 So, even though I love, love North Carolina and some day hope to return there... I have to say it felt pretty amazing to drive over a giant hill and then, right as you start to go down to the other side... you see a beautiful city of bridges- my city of bridges and my new home.
  I have had so many places called home and I was  thinking about this as i drove past beautiful green and fields of flowers and mountains with fog hanging in the valleys. And I realized that home has looked many different ways.
Once it was a house on a busy street with a kumquat tree in the back yard. It was a small apartment I shared with a friend for a summer. Home was a long country lane paved with river rocks and a nine foot security fence with shards of glass and razor wire on top. Home was a gas stove and a kitchen with windows that looked out into corn fields all around. Home was a donkey butt in my window. It was a small dorm room with twinkle lights and a ghetto air conditioner and friends in and out all the time. Now " home " is a city with lots of bridges and a third floor apartment in an old Victorian house with squeaky stairs and a stove from 1956.    Or is it? Because some how I am always feeling like I need to get back there or know where " home is". - Maybe this is because people love to ask.. where is HOME for you? ehhh errr PANIC. Emm umm. Sweaty palms.. uhh.. come up with an answer quick.. ahhhhh. Uhh. - Now, truth be told. This is what is going on inside my head. But it usually comes out as a composed vague answer that feels like a lie " Florida". ? " North Carolina"? ..... Or my new favorite answer " Well I moved here from...." <- Let me tell you people. That one is the winner!
   So on my drive I am eating a whole bag of ginger snaps, contemplating leaving my new home to travel to an old home and then all the sudden I was listening to this great Jon Foreman song that says " I'm not so sure that home is a place you can still get to by train". Mmm. and in my heart I know it to be true.
Because where is home?
  My true home is a place where tornadoes don't kill people. My real home is a place where fires don't burn down entire states. Home in my mind is a place that is free of young men killing each other with things made out of medal. 
It is the place where sickness and sorrow does not exist. Home is the place where hearts don't get broken and where people can't die. Home is the place where I will wake up and I will hear a strong and loving voice say to me, " the term is over, the holidays have begun. The dream is ended; THIS IS THE MORNING.".
And there will be light and good and love in every ounce of every day. And this is a place that I can't get to by train. 
  So until them my earthly home will be with these people I call family. With my generous and amazing husband who looks like Brad Pitt some times. And with the basil plant in my windowsill. And with all my girls. And His kingdom is coming. And all I can say is swing low.....

SPANDEX ONLY!

This is from Saturday. Please laugh at me.

So. Today I made a major decision. Like life altering. I am talking serious decisions. Like - stop picking my nose in public kind of serious.
This decision came when I realized it was hot outside today. So I went over to my dresser  and pulled out my favorite blue shorts from Ann Taylor Loft. I love my shorts. Well, I loved them until I put them on and I looked down and my legs looked like sausages encased in one hell of a bargain pair of shorts. So OF COURSE I took them off and threw them across the room and announced to the whole world. er. Steve... that i was NOT leaving the house under any condition.  " I have TS! AND FWS! I am never going into public again!" stomp stomp stomp. I hide in the bathroom. Steve burries his head in pillows.
" You have thunder thigh syndrome and.. what is FWS? " muffeled, confused and slightly worried Steve voice barely makes it to me in the bathroom.
" FAT WOMAN SYNDROM!  DUH!!" haha. I really said that. HAHAH!!
And then I am pretty sure that I rationalized the plan to gain more weight because HEY, if I am going to be at all fluffy, I might as well gain a little more weight so I can at least have bigger tata's!
   Well then I calmed down and put on a stretchy skirt and we went out on a breakfast date like we planned. To eat pancakes. Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure I was shouting about never eating pancakes and How can I eat them! It's like pouring gasoline on a forest fire in California!!...
    But my cool, calm and collected husband is rarely phased by my dramatic antics and he usually makes me laugh and tells me I can do it!
   So then we go down to the strip district and eat with the locals. I guess we are locals too. Or maybe we weren't until today! We ate pancakes under the warm sunshine and even sat next two two other couples who were totally great and they borrowed our ketchup! - I love it when people borrow my ketchup!
    So much love to all.
laugh laugh laugh! xo