The journey was quite arduous but I am now back in the UK.
What happened in my absence? Break-ups, make-ups, and scandal beyond reason. I missed it all!
What else can I say about Pittsburgh? So much I hardly know how to provide a summary.
There were more excellent meals with Sallyann and Dan, a Valentine gift of time from Lli, hanging out with a wounded Opal, coffee with the irrepressible Kim and her adorable infant (and Lli, and Opal…).
During one brunch I met the Third Termite people for the first time and then realized every single person at the table was friends with Moe and Dwayne, setting off a wave of homesickness along with an unexpected jolt of infatuation for this new city.
It was delightful to be able to talk about the Chicken House and the old neighborhood with people who have walked down the same streets.
We went to Homestead, converted from steel mill to mall, and I muttered Curse the Pinkertons – though none of my charming companions wished to hear further history lectures.
We did as much Mister Rogers’ tourism as possible, including a visit to the Children’s Museum Land of Make-Believe, and drive-by glimpses of his old apartment, the seminary where he studied, and a convenience store where Sallyann once watched him buy cookies.
My kid sat on the same bench at the National Aviary where Mister Rogers’ learned about birds, then he fed the lories:
And I rode both of the funiculars to admire the views of a gorgeous postindustrial city:
