Heatwave
Heatwave
On New Year’s Eve it is 1 degree with a wind chill of something like 80 below. My wife and I went into the city for First Night. After being outside for about two minutes, we were Numb Knights. It was so cold it hurt. It was the second week of January before one of my balls dropped.
This past week as we celebrated the 4th of July, the temperature was 94 with a heat index of 104. The heat index is the summer version of wind chill.
So, out of the two times of year, which would you think was more suited for groups of people to walk around in fur costumes? Of course, the cold weather would make the most sense. Hell, I would have dressed up in a lion’s costume to stay warm on New Year’s Eve. But, that’s not the right answer.
For whatever reason, the furries have their annual convention every year during the hottest days of summer. I don’t know what makes it better to be sweating profusely while you’re pretending to be a furry animal. Of course, I also don’t understand why you would have a litter box in a hotel room with a perfectly good toilet. I guess I’m kind of a prude.
Not A Great Visit
Not a Great Visit
After twenty years of losing and heartache, it’s fun to be paying attention to baseball in Pittsburgh as Labor Day approaches. During many of the lean years I lost interest before Memorial Day. Baseball was always my favorite sport growing up and it’s good to see the Pirates in the pennant race once again.
This past Tuesday would have been the great Roberto Clemente’s eighty-first birthday. He was my favorite player as a child. Yeah, I know, the fact I saw him play makes me really old. But with age comes wisdom…along with a lot of aches and pains and hair growing in places where it shouldn’t. I try to hang out with people that haven’t aged as gracefully as me. It makes me feel better about myself.
If you’re too young to have seen him play, the stories you hear are not exaggerations. He was that good. Other worldly would be the best way to describe him. He’s the best I’ve ever seen. There were no performance enhancing drugs back then. Sure, a lot of the players were wired on speed and Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter on acid, but no steroids.
Bet On It
Bet on It
On Thursday afternoon I drove over to the North Side…sorry, it’s now the “North Shore.” I can’t get used to it. You just don’t think of a river having a shore. Plus, if we’re having the “North Shore,” why isn’t Southside the “South Shore?” Maybe changing the name would cut down on public urination on weekends.
I was going down to the new “Burn” cigar lounge on North Shore Drive…again, can’t get used to it. When I arrived, there was a parking spot right in front. I was expecting to drive around for twenty minutes looking for a space and there it was right in front of where I me.
I couldn’t believe my luck, which immediately disappeared when I went to pay at the parking station. It was 3:30 and I was informed my car would be towed if it was there after 4. The reason was a special event was happening that night.
Do you know what the special event was? The Pirates game starting at 7. In case you don’t remember, the score was 8 to nothing Arizona in the third inning. What kind of special event is that? That’s like I come to your birthday party and spit in your face.
