February Blues

So the Steelers lost. It's gloomy and gray, and it's still frickin' cold outside. Work is crazy. The kids have a bad case of cabin fever. It's months like this where I wonder why I ever chose to settle in Pittsburgh. I mean, Florida sounds so much better right now. Heck, cleaning hotel room toilets in the islands somewhere sounds better. And there's just not much to be happy about.

But I'll try to be happy because, dammit, Punxatawney Phil was positive last week and has predicted an early Spring. Yeah Phil! (PS: I hope you're right or else I have a feeling you'll be roadkill.)

But 2011 has been going well so far, for the most part. Conall took his first steps just 1 week shy of 10 months old, my little overachiever. On the flipside, this just means my devil angel child gets into EVERYTHING. And dang he's quick. My poor coffee mug, and the hardwood floor, didn't stand a chance against him a couple of weeks ago. He is so different from his older brother. You could yell, "No" once to Gavin, and you wouldn't catch him doing it again. Conall, on the other hand, melts to the floor, bending down with more flexibility than Mary Lou Retton to touch his head to the floor, crying like you just told him there was no more milk in the world. REAL tears pour from his pathetic little eyes.

And then he does it again an hour later. The bugger.

Conall has also become very adept at putting his diapers in the garbage pail. However, this has led to garbage picking, including the phone and remote controls being thrown away, and icky germy hands. Child labor "Neat Kid Trick" #1 FAIL.

Gavin is continuing to amaze us everyday with what he learns: counting in Spanish, picking up swear words, and recognizing letters and numbers. He even attempts to write "G," albeit it's usually upside down. He's a funny kid, too, who loves to tell stories to anyone who will listen.

Work is plugging along for both of the adult entities in the house. I've been able to continue to build my freelance writing business, too. Ideally, I'd love to be able to do it part-time, from home, as to give myself a nice mix of the Corporate world and a couple of days off from driving into the City and all of that hassle. What freedom would that be!

I have a lot to look forward to in the next few months, personal growth wise, so hurry up Spring!

Football Friday in Stiller Country

And this one, my folks, is for all the marbles Vince Lomabardi trophy (aka: big shiny award given out at the end of the Super Bowl).

It's Super Bowl XLV, or "45" for those who never understood the Romans. And unless you live in a cave, you'd know that the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing the Green Bay Packers.

If you live IN Pittsburgh, you'd know that black-and-gold is the new black. It's the "in" thing. The cat's meow. If you don't wear black-and-gold, you're shunned. You're harassed on the streets and called a traitor. The coppers will pick you up and throw you in jail, where you'll undergo forms of torture that include 24 hrs of non-stop music, including Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" and Renegade. They torture you until your blood runs black and gold.

Ok, not really but, if you know what's good for you, you'd better find something gold (or yellow) and pair it with black. C'mon - even 'Burgh babies are doing it. Pittsburgh's newborn babies are black-and-gold in the womb.

I only moved to Pittsburgh in 1996...a naieve smart, young thing just trying to finish my college degree (on the *ahem* 6-year plan). I thought I would stay for a couple of years, get that degree and move on to something bigger and better!

Then I got a job. Got my Masters. Had a boyfriend, who kept me planted here. Moved on from said cheater boyfriend, found another and got married. Bought a house. Had some babies.

Now I'm here for the long haul. For better or for worse. I might as well embrace it, right? So now I own a Steelers shirt and a Steelers jersey (granted, the only player jersey I ever plan to own: The Bus - Jerome Bettis - Go Irish!).

I know the Steelers chant. I know the players (which is more than my toddler can say - he thinks Sydney Crosby plays for the Steelers!). I even know how to pronouce "Polamalu" and I plan to attend their victory parade next week (but, you know, only because I work downtown and it's convenient...)

I think I can officially say that I'm a "Yinzer."

Gah - that word still makes my skin crawl all of these years later.

Here we go Steelers, here we go!