a city in the armpit of some mountains.

Pittsburgh was a weird city and yet, a fun trip. There's literally nothing leading up to getting to Pittsburgh. No buildup of suburbs, just boring highway dotted with signs for fireworks warehouses and then, BAM, there's a city.

Priceline landed us in a pretty swank hotel near the river and the convention center, right across from PNC Park.


We started out Saturday by visiting the Andy Warhol museum, across the river. The museum was about 50% Warhol, 40% Shepard Fairey and 10% pulpy old movie posters.

It was fantastic. I got to play with giant, floating, mylar pillows, stand next to a two-story Shepard Fairey paste-up, see 21 fading Elvises (Evli?) and brought home my first real Fairey print (and a sticker too).

After that we went to this crazy old record store. It was like walking into the pages of High Fidelity.


We refueled with a cookie and some mochas at a fun, lil' coffee shop near the record dungeon.


Then we drove through a mountain to go to Ikea.


While at the mall near the Ikea there were some baked goods shenanigans. I found a Christmas Cake Wreck: The Ass-Faced Santa.

And then there was a gingerbread metropolis!


Ikea Time Warp. We got a fold out loveseat (an orange one), new coffee table, end table and some other odds and ends. It's all there on the cart, oddly enough.


The next morning, we headed out in search of a delicious breakfast. We went to one of the incarnations of Pamela's, a Pittsburgh staple. The pancakes are so good, that when the President was on the campaign trail, he had some —then brought the staff in to cook a Memorial Day breakfast for a bunch of troops in DC. God damn, they were some of the best pancakes I've ever had in my entire life. I don't have a picture of the plate, because they put me into a good food coma.


After that, we stopped at Trader Joe's to stock up on TJ goodness before heading home. It's crazy. We bring coolers, cooler bags and seriously do a month or two of grocery shopping. Trader Joe's, Rochester is just as much of a stain on the Rustbelt as Pittsburgh. Please come save us.

what i did on my summer vacation.

The good news: I got a job. Starting Monday, I will be joining the team at Dixon Schwabl. I'm excited as my two-day test drive gave me a taste of what it's like to work there and I had a great time.

The bad news: this is my last week of what I've come to call my summer vacation. It's been great, I couldn't have been laid off at a better time of year. I had plenty of time to get things in order for the wedding and I also had some time to just unwind and enjoy my life.

While I still have my week in August with the family, it still feels like that final week before school resumed. So here's the rundown of what I did on my summer vacation.

• Just Married - This one deserves an entry of its own. I promise. One will come.
  

• Shenanigans with Laura - Partners in unemployment, Laura and I spent the first few weeks of vacation enjoying all that was denied to us in the working world. Matinee movies, long lunches and daytime television. In the ultimate shenanigan, we took a roadtrip to Boston when Laura got her new job. I rode shotgun while Laura looked at apartments and had a fun, whirlwind trip in Beantown.

• Puppy Time - One of the best things about being home during the day is spending time with the dogs. I don't know who will be more upset when I rejoin the workforce, me or Clark. Maggie, like always, is relatively indifferent to me being home. Activities like going to Ellison today while everyone else is in neckties and khakis have been some of my favorites. Also over the break, Clark graduated from sleeping in his kennel to earning his bedroom privileges.

• The Grass Is Always Greener - This is mundane, but it was a big deal to me. I repaired the dead spot in the lawn! This is my first house and therefore, my first time dealing with yard work. Leaves covered by snow all winter long had killed a spot in the yard and I nursed it back to life. I've also planted flowers, re-mulched the front garden and planned more green-thumb activities for the summer.

• A Rose By Any Other Name - With looking for work and dealing with a change of name I had to update not only my resume but EVERY PIECE OF PAPER OR PLASTIC with my name on it. Also, my website. It's weird to sign something new after the "Kara" bit, but I'm getting used to it.

• Created Life - NOT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING. I downloaded the Spore creature creator and have been creating critters with Anna.