Pittsburgh

This past weekend Maria and I headed out to Pittsburgh. It was Homecoming for Pitt, and we were playing Rutgers. I thought it would be a fine time for Maria to see her first American football game. Thankfully, we won, and I was in a decent mood for the rest of the week.

Friday we left mid-afternoon and met our friend Leslie for dinner in Lawrenceville at an Indian place. The lamb was a bit tough, but I decided it'd be fun to try it since I don't get it regularly anywhere else. After that, we called it a day since we were rather tired from the trip and fasting.

Ah, right, the fasting. Ramadan is underway now so we've been getting up early in the morning to binge. We have to stop eating a little after six a.m. and then get to eat (and drink) a little after 6 p.m. It's not that bad. However, keep in mind that the Islamic calendar is a lunar one. Therefore, Ramadan will slowly "move up" each year. Eventually, it'll be over July and August and the days will be long and so will the fasts.

Then again, after a while you do get used to it. I've been waking up at 5:30 every morning with an alarm and sometimes without.

Anyway, Saturday we headed down to the stadium to find $20 parking right near the Science Center. I thought we could do better and the $10 parking at a garage near the Warhol museum proved it. I was a bit hesitant to buy from a scalper, but when the ticket booth told us that the only tickets available were two-for-fifty, cash-only. And that was way up in the nosebleed section. After some walking around, we got seats near the endzone, near ground level, two-for-forty. Not too bad.

The game was fine, although the smell coming from the nearby grill was pretty rough. Afterward, we went with friends Shannon and Gus to Shadyside for some walking around and goofing off. We did the same in Oakland, where we ended up at Fuel and Fuddle (my favorite restaurant) right at sunset. Our food arrived within minutes and the nachos never tasted so good.

Saturday night we stopped by to see Jenn and Corey as they were hosting a party. We didn't stay for food, but I'm glad we could stop by. Afterward, we headed back to the hotel to relax (and watch Game 1 of the World Series). Sunday was rather low-key; we got up and headed out of town in the early afternoon.

On both days at the hotel we woke up really early, drove to the Exxon in Greentree to get some milk and whatever else we could find. And I found donuts. Not the good kind that come in a glass case, though. The disgusting kind that come in a box. Oy. But bingeing is bingeing.