Pittsburgh fun...

Hi Stephen,

Soooo, somebody on Twitter mentioned that you were in New York?  Or was that July 2nd...I don't really know, actually, but you apparently stopped by to say hi to someone there, who mentioned it.  If you're in NY, you're only about 5 hours away from me, ya poop.  Stop by and say hi to ME, will ya?!!

Anyway, I had a fun day taking my uncle and his girlfriend, and my mom to the Duquesne Incline.  If you have no clue what that is, I'll tell ya.  It's a trolley that goes up the side of the mountain surrounding Pittsburgh, where the steel mill workers used to write to and from work, since 1877 when it was built. The view from up there is amazing. A museum about the history of Pittsburgh is also at the top.  But before I get to the photos of that.....here's one that had me laughing hysterically earlier this evening....

All I could hear in my mind was a little dog-voice, screaming ERMAHGERD, and it made me laugh and laugh and laugh...it just killed me...I've never heard "Oh my God" pronounced like that before, and along with the photo of the freaked out dog getting sprayed with water, I just lost it.  Even my mom laughed when I showed it to her.  I'm ruined.  Now, instead of saying it like, "Uh Mah GAWD," I'll be saying it like ERMAHGERD from this day forward.  It's just too funny NOT to say it like that!!

Okay, ahem, I guess you hadda be there.

Here are the photos of the Duquesne Incline ride today...

We made it to the top, and I stood out on the overlook area to take a self-portrait.  I've got a city on my head, but what the hell.  Kindly ignore the bad hair day, it was just too damned hot to deal with.  (The bridge on the right of my hair kinda looks like a hair barrette of some kind). hehehe

So as you walk from the bottom to the stairs that lead over the busy road, to get inside the base of the trolley area, you're greeted by this....which, architecturally, if you look at it, looks just like the actual incline itself.  You'll see what I mean.  *The stairs here look like the railroad tracks going uphill.

Here's the building that the trolley is housed in. Apparently they are tearing down the building next to it, which you can see in the background.  So you go in here, pay your $2.50 one-way fare, and get on the trolley to go 800 feet up to the top of the mountain.

And before you get moving on the trolley, you look out the window, and you see this view of the tracks in front of you.  I think the trolley goes about 1 mile an hour, it's a bit slow, but it's only about a 2 minute ride to the top.  Looks rather daunting, though, doesn't it?  And do you see what I mean about the architectural "foreshadowing" of the stairs above?  I like that kinda architectural stuff.

And then you get to the top, and look down at the tracks below..."from whence you came." You can also see across the river, where the Heinz Stadium is located....the home of the Steelers.  (Insert insane crowd cheering noises here)....and then RUN if you don't have a jersey on, cuz they're all CRAZY.

And here's the view of the city from up there at the top.  You can see the point, which is where the Monogahela and Allegheny rivers converge together into the Ohio River, and Fort Pitt was once located here, to protect its citizens from indians attacking.  I haven't been to the new Fort Pitt Museum there, yet, but I intend to start going to these places I haven't seen yet, on my own during the daytime while Pete is at work.

And sadly, I didn't take a photo of the actual trolley itself, but it's red and it sits on this platform that keeps it sitting horizontally as it goes uphill vertically, so it's not like you're in this roller coaster type of thing, looking upward and leaning back.  You're just sitting in it like you would sit on a stair lift chair.

Anyway, there ya go, that's the big thrill of the Duquesne Incline.  The museum at the top is rather sad, actually.  I could create a better exhibition in my own HOUSE than that, but okay, it's old and run down, and really doesn't flow chronologically or anything, it's really just a bunch of newspaper clippings behind glass.  Kinda lame.  They sell postcards and ice cream and soda, and ornaments, magnets, t-shirts, and shot glasses, along with mugs, thimbles, spoons, and other collectible souvenir crap.  It's a non-profit thing, too, which is why it's not very updated.

So if you ever get into a mood to come to Pittsburgh---and I KNOW that's something I shouldn't hold my breath for, because really, who the hell EVER gets into that mood???---I'll take you there.  Seeing photos of it really doesn't do it justice.  Much better to see it for yourself.

Swimming in the community pool was the other activity of the day, and then we were all rather tired, so we just relaxed at home watching the deer in the backyard.  We get lots of deer back there all the time, and we feed them sometimes, with vegetable scraps or the tops of strawberries, or clementines, or apples.  I have a salt lick on a platform back there too.  I love watching them.  They are so peaceful.

Well, I'm off to bed, but I hope you have had a nice week so far, whatever you're doing, and wherever you are.  I hope you know, also, that you are loved.  Not just by me, but by a whole lotta people.  And I mean, really and truly loved.  Not just admired, or idolized, but honestly loved.

You're a good man, Mr. Stephen Ray Perry.  Don't ever forget that.  You're not perfect, but you're a good man with a good heart, and everybody who has loved you for many years knows that.

And if you ever show up unannounced on my doorstep, I'll be sure to crack you up by yelling,

ERMAHGERD!!!  IT'S STURV PURRY!!!  hehehehehe  SMOOCH!!  Bye for now.

Love, Rebecca