Today was not a good day. Among other things, I waited over an half and hour in the cold for the bus which, by the time it arrived, was packed with enough people to fill the three buses that were scheduled to come along by that point. Then, after several incident free days, Marcus decided to eat our kitchen. To top it off, Lauren took a temper tantrum during dinner and pulled out the old trick of working herself into such a frenzy that she spit up.
But let's think back to happier times, shall we (See, look how happy I used to be)? So last Saturday, we picked up Nick and Noreen and headed out to breakfast at Pamela's in Shadyside. Pamela's is a local chain that is famous for their breakfast. They are so good, that President Obama invited the owners to the White House to make pancakes for him.
As expected, there was a bit of a wait, about fifteen minutes or so. However, after about a half and hour went by, we became a little concerned. Apparently they skipped over us. While we waited in line, Nick amused us by asking anyone wearing Penguins gear, "How about those Red Wings?" I think the hostess must have overhead him and "accidently" crossed off our name. ;) In spite of the wait, the food was served fast and delicious, and we were quickly on our way.
Our first stop was the University of Pittsburgh campus, also known as Oakland. Mark and I are both alums of Pitt, and it's also Mark and my father's current employer. The Cathedral of Learning, shown above, is center of the campus. And yes, it really does look like a Cathedral inside.
This is the Commons Room. Students can sit and hang out in the wooden chairs, which are spread around various nooks in the room. It was my favorite place to study. Oddly enough, when I went to school there in the early nineties, there used to be a Roy Rogers restaurant in the basement. That place was largely responsible for my Freshman Fifteen. That and the truck parked outside Hillman Library that sold fried rice.
The big wooden thrones in the Commons Room are roomy enough for two.
The Cathedral is also famous for it's Nationality Rooms. These are actual functioning classrooms designed around the traditions of various countries. Lauren got a kick out of playing school in each one.
Here's Lauren and Noreen pretending to listen to a lecture in the Indian Room.
My favorite was the Austrian Room. Check out that chandelier and gorgeous mural on the ceiling!
Everyone liked sitting at the long table.
Especially Lauren.
After our tour of the Nationality Rooms, we headed back outside. Before we moved along, Lauren insisted on performing a pointy pose.
Our next stop was Heinz Chapel, which hosts weddings for Pitt alums. Being that it was Saturday, there was a wedding in progress, so we didn't get to tour the inside.
But we did get to enjoy the view from the Chapels big red doors.
The last installment of our adventures with Nick and Noreen to come tomorrow. I noticed that this post will be #78, which means there are 22 to go before the blog hits 100 posts for the year. I feel that 100 posts would be a somewhat respectable showing for the year, but can I really post an all time record of 22 times during the busy month of the year?
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