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We had a fabulous trip. The good news is that the crowd was not rowdy. In fact, as FireDad and I were discussing it, in our four years of attending the St. Patrick’s Day weekend festivities in Pittsburgh, we’ve only witnessed one fight. Pittsburgh news stations are also reporting that there were less arrests and citations this year: 6 physical arrests and 67 citations, down from 100 in 2008. Stay classy, Pittsburgh. (There was, however, a fatal shooting that looks like it will be under investigation for some time. But we never made it to the South Side.)
Personally, we saw some violations ourselves like the older gentleman that walked by with a glass of what I assume was gin and tonic. In a glass from the bar he had probably just left. So, a little theft and open container violation going on with that one. A short time later, a group walked by, pouring drinks into each other’s cups. Also, I can’t say if anyone I saw was actually underage but, well, they all made me feel old. That is all.
The band we saw at the Red Star Tavern was pretty darn awesome. They played music from the 80′s, 90′s and whatever you want to call this decade. I sang and danced and had a few beers (none of the green variety). We had a late, light supper. All in all, we had a great time. Kind of bummed that we missed the parade due to my practice but I think we’ll live.
We have a few pictures to share. This one is for Julie Gong.
We found that plastered to the bricks in Market Square while walking around on Sunday morning. We were amused. Apparently Mayor Luke felt a little vain this St. Patrick’s Day?
And a nice macro of my Primanti Brothers sammich, consumed on Sunday for lunch.
And a nice picture of us with bellies full of Primanti Brothers sammiches.
All in all, it was a great time. We slept wonderfully in the swanky bed in our swanky hotel room. We took our time driving back home. And we felt happy as pie when we picked up the boys. We’re lucky we felt refreshed because last night wasn’t a night that involved a lot of sleep thanks to leftover teething issues, a possible eye infection and a possible ear infection. But a weekend away like this always reminds us that we’re lucky to have the family that we do.
Now when is our family vacation? (Answer: camping in July, beach in August. All seem far away.)
It is finally upon us: the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day. FireDad and I look forward to this weekend all year long. While the rest of the world plays into the commercialization of Valentine’s Day, we merely send each other an e-card and save our dollars for this weekend. Maybe we just prefer the color green to red. Who knows. Anyway, where are we going?
Pittsburgh! Home of the 5th largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country. Sadly, we will be missing the parade this year (did you know it is the 5th largest in the country?). And the after-party in Market Square. Why? Well, I have four hours of choreography for our Spring Show on Saturday morning. We won’t hit the road until shortly after 1:00pm. The parade is at 10:00am (and lasts for 3.5 hours) and the last call for the party in Market Square is at 3:30pm. (Of note: there is now a one-dollar fee to get into Market Square this year. Wrist-bands will be given to those over 21. Hopefully this keeps things a bit more… legal.) We’ll likely just head straight to our swanky hotel, enjoy some of the food at the tavern and get ready for our evening out.
While the economic slump may have a large number of people seeing less green, FireDad and I did notice something different this year while shopping for our St. Patrick’s Day wear: more green clothing. When we started this tradition (in 2006), it was almost impossible to find anything green. 2007 and 2008 brought a few more things but only because I was diligent to look for green for months before the big day. This year? Green must be the “it” color. I can’t say that I’m complaining as it is my favorite color. But it really is everywhere. We still went with some internet deals for some of our clothing.
FireDad will be sporting this Lucky Firefighter shirt from Black Helmet (more on them in the near future). On Sunday, he’ll be wearing a mid-sleeve-length raglan t-shirt with green sleeves that he got at That Store That Has Everything from Shirts to Fish that Die Quickly. I have quite a few options. I’ll be hitting the city in my fleece pants and a hoodie tee, both from Victoria’s Secret and both in “kelly” green. (Of note: I got both of those on super sale, not for the prices they are currently listed.) In the evening, I’ll be changing into my new favorite green turleneck, also of the kelly/grass green variety, with some nice pants and probably these socks from last year. I also got some shoes with green on them… because I’m nothing if not thorough. On Sunday, I’ll be wearing a green sweater that I got on clearance ($14!) at Victoria’s Secret, no longer listed on site. We had a great time shopping for our clothing picks this year (and, in fact, bought some of them on Valentine’s Day… we’re awesome). What have we worn in years past? (I have no pictures of “us” in 2006. Fail.)
Ignore FireDad’s face. He thinks he is funny.
The best news is that, as of right now, they’re still predicting a balmy 51 degrees for tomorrow. In years past, it’s been… ridiculously cold. We’re normally bundled up pretty well to head outside. Perhaps we won’t need to wear umpteen layers. Then again, it’s Pittsburgh. A random snow storm could blow through and dump eighteen inches on our unsuspecting green heads. Perhaps we’ll also be able to visit more than one restaurant/bar in the evening instead of deciding it is too cold to head back out and find a new place. Then again, if you can find somewhere to sit, leaving for another place is a bad idea.
Notice I have said nothing about the children. That’s right. This is an adult weekend. We don’t drag our stroller into Market Square where fights break out and beer is spilled. No. The boys will be spending the weekend with their Nana and Aunt Nettie. They will have a great time (also dressed in green shirts, mind you). And we, as parents, will return refreshed and ready to tackle teething (sigh) and BigBrother’s frustration with not being able to read by himself (help!). It’s a win for everyone.
Especially since FireDad and I will get to eat some Primanti’s on Sunday afternoon before heading back to Ohio. Win indeed.
Any other bloggers going to be descending on the city? Ahem, Julie Gong or Burgh Baby’s Mama?
Edited to add thanks to the Today Show: I just downloaded an album by Celtic Woman for the drive. Amazing.
