Filed under: Everyday Life | Tags: Florida Keys, Key West, Pittsburgh, vacation
There’s nothing you can do. It’s a physical law. Take an average happy guy who just spent a week in the Florida Keys, dip him in turquoise water at 75 degrees, let him brown a few hours on the hot sand in the morning sun, then throw him in a plane at lunch with no service on board, and take him back in the evening on the snowbound parking lot of the Pittsburgh airport during a snow storm: inevitably, the guy turns in a bad mood. And it’s even worse when, having prepared well in advance, the guy takes care of wearing only a light jacket so he can send his wife – much better equiped – find his car lost under the snow: the mood of the wife also turns ugly … and two individuals spend a very bad evening.
Aside from the trip back, Florida is beautiful in February! Too bad all the bridges between two keys are not cut. You’d love to be stuck there.
Next time: remember to take the dynamite.
Filed under: Everyday Life | Tags: Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl, Yeah!
My Super Bowl, in short and in live:
——————————————
16:30 – Ben the Snowman
18:00 – NBC HD. Waow. Good picture!
18:30 – National anthem and chicken wings. Did I really become American?
19:00 – The kids are yelling “Boo Cardinals, Go Steelers!”. Should I worry?
20:00 – Harrison. Eighteen seconds, 100 yards!!! The longest play in Super Bowl history. The Steelers are leading 17 to 7.
Half – One second: “Miller” plays the shortest commercial in Super Bowl history.
Show- Bruce Springsteen. Doesn’t make us any yonger.
21:17 – The Coke commercial with Polamalu. Much ado about nothing.
21:26 – Fitzgerald. We knew it. Here he comes and … touchdown. The Cardinals are catching up. 20-14. Some excitment. Finally!
21:41 – Not sure exactly what happened, but it looks tense.
Saftey! The Cardinals get 2 points. 20-16
21:48 – F**. Fitzgerald again. Pittsbugh’s behind 20-23. Only 2mn left ! It’s horrible. I feel like I’ll have an awful Monday.
21:58 – 49 seconds to win. Holmes misses. Damn it.
21:59 – 35 SECONDS – Holmes at the limit ! STEELERS SCORE! 27-23
I need a glas.
22:08 – YEEAAAHHHH!
Steelers are the first team in history to win 6 Super Bowls!
… and I really cannot believe I got so excited!
Filed under: Everyday Life, Fun stuff | Tags: Obama backs the Steelers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl 2009
This blog’s officially turning black and gold. I did not write a lot about the Steelers over the past two years, but I can’t find anything else to write about for two weeks. It’s like a lancinating song that you can’t get off your mind. Everywhere I go: Steelers. Whatever I buy for lunch: Steelers. Chatting with neighbors: Steelers. Friday dress-down at the office tomorrow: Steelers. Watching the news: Steelers. Obama’s first week in office: Steelers!!!
Steelers, Steelers, Steelers! May the gods of football take pity on my sick mind and let us have some other thoughts after next Sunday. Steelers’ fans are crazy. And it’s contagious.
In the meantime … here we go!
Filed under: Everyday Life | Tags: AFC Championship, Pittsburgh, Ravens, Steelers, Super Bowl
I realize that I’m blogging from Pittsburgh for more than 2 years and never posted anything about the city’s most iconic asset: the Steelers. Let me correct this today as a victory of the Steelers tonight against the Baltimore Ravens would put them in a seventh Super Bowl (more than anyone except the Dallas Cowboys). I’m usually not a Steelers fan and hardly get what’s going on between two commercial breaks, but as the Super Bowl comes closer – and the whole city turns black and gold – it’s hard to get over it. The Steelers’ nation is gathering tonight at Heinz Field, despite the freezing cold and snow. It’s hard to explain to Europeans how big that “nation” might be. I can’t think of something comparable in Europe. To give them an idea, let’s just say that belonging to the Steelers’ nation is the “force” that drives you all the way from sunny South California this week-end to sit in a freezing Pittsburgh stadium for a couple of hours – as my landlord just did. I’m not a Steelers fan, but I’m definitely a fan of the fans! They know how to cheer up their team and never fail, no matter what, no matter where. So to the Steelers’ fans: Go Steelers, Go!
Filed under: Everyday Life | Tags: Appalachian mountains, Pittsburgh, Ski USA, Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia
There’s nothing like a ski weekend to pump you up for the new year. And for once all conditions were met for maximum fun: nice temperature and bue sky. Usually we have one or the other but rarely both. So no hesitation this time: heading South from Pittsburgh to the “mountains” of West Virginia, we’re at the “Snowshoe” in no time – well, 3 hours and a half to be precise -. I put “mountains” in quotes because obviously, the vertical drop of the Snowshoe hills doesn’t really blow your mind. Although it is located at the respectable elevation of 4,800 feet, the resort offers essentially gentle green slopes for beginners. So much for the rodeo. However, the resort’s reputation appears to extend in inverse proportion to the incline of its hills. From Florida to New Jersey, I can tell from my lift-chats that people are coming to these Appalachian hills fom all over the eastern United States. Colorado ’s too far, and probably also too expensive. From the top of these mountains, I measured the best the amazing geographical capital that the French are enjoying. On a territory roughly 100 times smaller, the French Alps certainly offer more miles of ski trails that all of North America … And I barely exaggerate. Happy French skiers! … Well, I’m talking about those whose cars have not been torched on January 1st, of course 
Filed under: Culture Shock, Everyday Life, Fun stuff | Tags: Baldwin, Christmas in Pittsburgh, Christmas lights, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Robert Cox
We are celebrating our third Christmas in Pittsburgh this year. With the experience of the past years, we did a much better job decorating the house from the inside out and I can’t think of one thing that we could have done better. Even the kids find it great and are not as embarrassed by our “minimalist design” as they were last year (Dad, why don’t we have as much fairy lights as the neighbors?). Sure, we are still one step behind our neighbors’ impressive light display, but the patio string lights are looking “ok” now. At least it’s enough to bring some Christmas spirit to our house, while complying with our neighborhood’s lightening standards.
However, looking at some of the Christmas extravaganza around, I realize how lucky I am to live in a neighborhood that is quite below standards regarding outdoor lightening. The Post-Gazette today reports the story of Robert Cox from Baldwin – a borough near Pittsburgh – who put 75,000 flashing lights in his yard along with 68 giant candy canes and 13 inflatables to get a “wow whee” from his daughter. And of course, there’s also a sound system to bring the show live each evening!
Watch the result and you’ll understand why I love MY neighbors so much (and you may love yours even more 
The 4 seasons in Pittsburgh are winter, winter, still winter, and roadwork. We had a pretty good and long roadwork season this year, but winter has been short and it looks like we are already entering winter now. Snow early December is not as usual. For the past two years, it started in January (it’s not that December is not cold, but it’s usually limited to ice rain). So here we go: it’s snowing again … and we shall not see the end of it before next spring winter.
I like winter. Having a white Christmas is beautiful and as the potholes of the awful Pennsylvanian roads are filled with snow, it’s actually much more pleasant to drive. But one winter would be enough! Now that I know that one more is coming, I feel depressed already. Another evidence that experience and consciousness do not make people happy
Filed under: Culture Shock, Everyday Life | Tags: American traditions, deer hunting, hunting season opening day, PA hunters, PA state population, Pennsylvania
The deer hunting season opened today in Pennsylvania. Between 850,000 and 900,000 men, women and children ages 12 years and older were expected to take part in the first day of the two-week firearms deer season. That’s about 7% the State population. Not a good day for the remaining 93% to take a safe walk outside…
About 350,000 deers are projected to be taken by hunters. I finally understand what all these trucks are for!
I can’t help but post something today. The date is historic. But as I write these lines and some citizens are still casting their vote, it is quite early to comment on the event. And when all will have voted, and all TVs, radios and blogs will have anticipated a result, it’s going to be be quite late for MY timely comment. So this will be a post without comment, but a picture. And what other picture could I choose! Especially since the only winner that I am able to project already is Marketing ($ 5.3 billion spent! Respect!).
