Pittsburgh is very into its sports, as I am sure I have mentioned before. We've certainly discussed the Steelers here, and Pittsburgh continues to trot out the Pirates for old times sake if not wins, and we also have the Penguins- our hockey team. Now, I may be a bit jaded, but I suspect that Steelers fans redirect their fanaticism at the Penguins to keep their crazy riled up in the off season.
A little background: The Penguins are a really good team, and they represent a lot of the cultural diversity we have in Pittsburgh (a lot of Borscht and potato eating people). Last year we had to face the Detroit Redwings in the Stanley Cup Finals, who soundly trounced us. This year, we had to face them again, and the people of Pittsburgh really wanted to come out on top today. My undergrad is a big hockey fan, and he was forever parading out all kinds of ridiculous statistics about how a team that are disadvantaged at the outset often win, or that teams with the average (young) age of our players often beat older teams (like the Redwings). And of course there was the whole debaucle with Hossa- the former Pens player who left our team last year to take a pay cut in Detroit because he thought his chances of winning were better. No love in this town for Hossa.
The Stanely Cup is decided in a best out of 7 series, and at the end of game 7, the Pens had pulled together a 2:1 lead. We watched the game at a friends house in Bloomfeild (Little Italy). As soon as the game clock finished we could hear people whooping it up in the street and cars honking. So we wandered down to the main drag to watch the parade of honking cheering fans give high fives to pedestrians, enjoy a couple illicit fireworks and try to touch the aluminum foil "cup" that was beeing passed around. The people I went with were not die hard fans- or even people who were universally watching the whole series, but at a time like this, Pittsburgh can be such fun. Everyone really rallies around just to celebrate. Unlike the riots in Oakland after the Superbowl, Bloomfeild generally just has crowds of people sharing high fives and singing songs and being blissfully happy about thier team. The overall demonstrations were less in volume and duration then for the Superbowl, but no less joyful.
Well, that is your cultural exchange update. In other news, Matt hasn't been working so much overtime the last couple weeks, so he has been at home in the evenings more even if I haven't. Ceramics is coming to an end soon, so I'll post some more pictures when my stuff gets back- I am thinking about taking the Wood Firing course next, if it is offered. I think it would be a great oppurtunity to do some new things. We've had some really cool results at work this week, which is exciting, but can also add a bit of pressure since my boss is suddenly very interested in what I am doing. I am jealous that everyone is taking really cool vacations this summer, so I might buy some tickets to somewhere wild from Kayak.com and do something awesome ($350 to Belize? why wait until Christmas?)- I'll keep you posted.
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2 comments:
Well, we have an idea about the fervor of your sports fans. Even the new Bishop managed to work in a reference to his sacrifice in a homily he was forced to give during the 2nd period of Game 2.
Do "cool results" open doors to dissertations or Nobel Prizes??
Does less overtime mean serious slowdown or just a return to a civilized pace? I keep looking over your shoulders at the cruelty of the Rust Belt slowdown in the industrial heartland again and worrying that its all going to be off-shored to Korea. I've been so grateful that Matt has good work to do do in a time and place where so many have been disenfranchised but I can't stop listening for a shoe to drop, so forgive my anxiety if its misplaced.
Don't forget our really cool trip to Pennsylvania in September. We'll sponser some local fun if nothing else...love, Dad Preecs
Less OT just means a brief period of civilized pace. Rumors are that the OT will pick back up in a couple months. Elliot Co is owned by the large Ebara Group, and they actually have offices in cool places around the world (Japan and Europe)- doesn't seem like these jobs will get shipped to Korea anytime soon.
Of course I haven't forgotten a cool visit from my parents (you are going to stay with us again, right?). But a visit from the parents isn't quite the same as a stamp on the passport.
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