Stephanie's Birthday Funday

Pittsburgh

 Our trip to Pittsburgh was great! Of course the funeral was sad, but Antonio was able to catch up with family he hasn't seen in years and I was able to finally meet everyone. 

Chili's in the Minneapolis airport that gave us food poisoning

Obligatory plane photos

Antonio's grandparents owned a bar in Tarentum, PA, and lived above the bar for something like 45 years. His dad, aunt, and uncles were raised there, so we had to go check out the bar. Luckily, Antonio's family knows the current bar owner, so she let us go check out the apartment above.

The original bathtub

Antonio and his cousin Lauren on the couch that has been there at least 20 years

Crazy, winding road somewhere in Pitt

Cute street where we found an amazing Thai place

I was really expecting Pittsburgh to be completely dirty and Steamtown-y, but it was absolutely beautiful and charming. After the funeral was over, we went out exploring in Pittsburgh and found some amazing authentic Irish and German pubs.

Crazy interior of the Claddagh Pub

Hofbrauhaus

Overlooking the Allegheny from Hofbrauhaus 

The vats of beer brewing equipment outside

It was a great trip, but we are both so happy to be back home. Antonio keeps saying he never wants to leave the house ever again, and I very much agree! :)

Monday Funday in San Antonio

Today was Monday Funday in San Antonio. Me, Mom, and Steph went to La Villita which is an historic village in downtown San Antonio that's now a cool little artsy fartsy place with some nifty shops and restaraunts. We already had lunch at Jason's Deli ... (where I might've missed out on meeting my future ex-husband because his hotness was so overwhelming that I couldn't make eye contact for fear of being incinerated by his piercing and soulful Opie-like gaze. That's the Sons of Anarchy Opie, not the Lil Rascals Opie. Lil Rascals Opie is just goofy. All I could do was draw attention to myself by laughsnorting LOUDLY and being creepy) ... anyway we already ate so we didn't sample the 'Bangin Brisket Nachos' from Cafe Villita, much to Stephanie's sadness. The Bonsai Tree Arbor had a sign on the door that said 'At the Cantina, be back later' which I was SUPER sad about. Steph volunteered to go to the Cantina to find the lady and escort her back so I could get a Bonsai tree, but mostly I think Steph just wanted a beer. Who DOESN'T want a beer at 1:30 on a Monday afternoon? Some photographic highlights of La Villita:

We LOVE a gigantic chicken for some reason. We never pass up a photo-op.

 

 

        

Brandi's birthday lunch at Logan's Roadhouse.

A great day with Brandi and Stephanie!  A lot of running around in San Antonio, Old Time Photos on the River Walk, lunch at Logan's Road House, Best Buy, Goodwill and of course, several stops at Starbuck's. 

Following A Wandering Star

Mom,
When I asked you what you wanted for Christmas, you told me that you wanted me and Jamie to make a memory book with our thoughts and pictures for the year. You said the things you miss the most are the day to day parts of our lives, and you'd like to have a book of memories so that you don't miss anything. It was a great idea, except for the part when you told me what you wanted two days before Christmas. I thought I'd just give you one for Christmas next year, but we are an instant gratification people, and in a few months we will all be scattered to the wind so maybe an instant digital memory book is the way to go. I can't promise to update this daily, and I can't promise to always have something interesting or profound to say, but whatever we post will likely be entertaining just for the crazy factor.

As our lives take us different directions, I carry you both with me and think of you every day. I hope that y'all are having grand adventures, and mostly I hope that wherever you are today you are laughing and smiling and happy.

Love,
Me