Category: Thoughts

Today, I’m thankful for my grandmother.  Grannybird, if you will.

My whole life, Granny has been someone I could count on.  When I was young, I remember meeting her in a Friendly’s parking lot in Gettysburg.  It was the halfway point between home and Frederick, so it became the place that my mom or dad would drop Tyler and I off to go spend the weekend on the farm.  Every Christmas, she’d read me Mr. Willoby’s Christmas Tree.  As I grew older, her steadfastness never faltered.  She gave me my first glass of wine, and she taught me how to make homemade mashed potatoes.  (Although, we still disagree on how much butter is “too much” butter.)  For my 16th birthday, she strutted her stuff all over New York City.  A few months later, I was nervous to bring my first boyfriend over, but she didn’t hesitate to accept him with open arms.  (To this day, a picture of Nate Lebo in front of a closed bar in New Orleans remains stapled to the picture board in the kitchen.)  She made the drive to Carlisle for a picture or two before every dance during my high school years, and when graduation came around, she excitedly boarded a plane with me and we jet-setted to Paris.  With my first year of college came many transitions, and she helped me through every one.  She then supported me in my difficult decision to transfer to Pitt.  I have now lived in Pittsburgh for over four years, and she has physically helped me move twice, visited a large handful of times, stocked my kitchen with groceries, and listened to my tearful “What am I going to do with my life?” phone calls.  She drove through the awful winter weather to support me as I received my college diploma, and throughout my lifetime, she’s given me gifts that I’ll never be able to repay.

Today, she did it again.

Although I’ve never lived just down the road from her, she has always been such an important part of my life.  We have traditions and inside jokes and we know each other’s history.  She’s strong and steady, adventurous and a creature of habit, all at the same time.  I talk to her like she’s one of my best friends, and maybe that’s because she’s my grandmother, and she is.

I’m thankful every day for the things she’s taught me, the traits she’s passed on to me, and the opportunities she’s given me.

Thank you, Bird.  You’re my #1.

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As many of you know, I think October is the most wonderful month.  It’s a time of transition and change, and it always excites the what if and the why not within me.

Because October excites me in such an inexplicable way, it’s also one of my busiest months of the year.  I feel like the Energizer Bunny and I just go, go, go.

Relive my favorite moments as I recap my favorite month.

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October 1: My month started with two tickets to see the Pirates play the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card game at PNC Park. (Shout out to American Eagle for the sweet hook up.)  It had been 21 years since the Pirates played in the Playoffs, and this year’s fate rested on the game that night.  It was crisp, dark, and the energy in that stadium was unlike anything I had ever witnessed.  I was quite literally on the edge of my seat on more than one occasion.  The Pirates won 6-2 that night, spurring a city wide celebration.

October 3 – October 6: A few days later, I crossed the Mason Dixon to spend a wonderful weekend with my grandparents on their farm in Maryland.  Read all about my stay here.

October 11 – October 13:  The next weekend, I hopped back into my car and drove back to Maryland.  I had been anticipating this weekend for weeks.  See, my mom, aunt and grandma have forever been this adventurous and unstoppable foursome, but when I moved to Pittsburgh and Stella was added to the mix, I found myself appreciating our time together so much more.  Saturday night, we celebrated my birthday at Ayse Meze, a unique Eastern Mediterranean restaurant with food that is mouth-watering, finger-licking, order-seconds delicious.  (Also, for any wine connoisseurs out there: Yarden’s 2012 Syrah is impeccable.)  I sadly returned to Pittsburgh the next day, with a heart full of love and happiness from two wonderful weekends with my family.

October 16:  The most wonderful day of the month — my birthday!  (Just kidding.  Sort of.)  I spent my day at work, which I felt was a very adult thing to do.  In college, it was like a rule to not go to class on your birthday.  I knew someone had made plans for the night, but for once — and I say this with love — they were actually able to keep the secret from me!  I left work a little early to take a nap (true story), and was rudely woken up by Nate Williams, whose presence was my present.  We cracked a beer, and I started to get ready for our 8:30 reservation.  At 8:31, I arrived at Tamari, one of my very favorite restaurants in the city, with some of my closest friends.  The wine, champagne and food was flowing!  Among the several dishes we ordered, my favorite was bone marrow.  Plated with cauliflower, kabocha crème, pickled jalepeños and grilled bread, tissue has never tasted so good.

October 19 – October 20:  Our friends packed up a few belongings, and headed north to taste wines in Erie.  The day was a success, and I came home with 8 bottles of delicious wine.  Most other details are hazy.

October 23:  American Eagle put a ring on it.  (Metaphorically.)  I’ve been working at AEO’s corporate office for over a year, but I was cheating the system to do it.  Today, we made it officially official with a giant raise, benefits and a 401k.  I’m now a real adult.

October 24:  My first “official” day of work consisted of zipping around in a bright yellow convertible with 12 red balloons.  Not a bad “first day” at all.

October 27:  I walked out my front door Sunday night and quite literally ran into a couple on a tandem bike.  They looked a little lost, so I asked them if they needed any help.  Turns out, they had biked from Minnesota in 28 days, sleeping at hostels and YMCAs along the way.  When they arrived in Pittsburgh, they found that the hostel they had been searching for was now a Chinese restaurant and they were looking for a place to stay.  Long story short, we opened up our house to them and they spent the evening telling us stories of their past travels and future plans.  Carl said it best when he said that karma is a real thing, and I believe this couple (Lacey and Snot, by the way) will pay it forward when the time comes.

October 31:  Today has been pretty uneventful, besides the ounce of sadness that arises when I think about how my favorite month is coming to an end.  Maybe I’ll go out with a bang.  It’s Halloween and our last softball game of the season, so I’m sure I’ll have one heck of a story tomorrow.

On a happier note, Christmas is in 55 days!