Free Day at The Phipps (Strictly Eye Candy)

Though he looks skeptical (taking one for the team, wonderful husband that he is), he was actually pretty impressed.

Earlier in the week Kellie reminded me that, as part of a month of free events going on around Pittsburgh, today was free admission day at The Phipps Conservatory. Though she and the kids were unable to go, Rob, Olive and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity (after a much-needed morning of sleeping in till 9:45! Olive slept through the night, waking for a feeding at 6:30, then sleeping again for another three hours). We were so glad we knew about the free day at the Phipps; I'd never before been to a botanical garden, and even more exciting, had never seen the works of glass wonder artist Dale Chihuly in person. He has a permanent collection of work at the Phipps. Seriously, the guy is incredible, and to see his work up close was way cooler than seeing even the ceiling of Sistine Chapel (still dope to see, but Chihuly's spiraling, otherworldly, fruity-hued creations send my mind reeling. Maybe it's because I've worked in glass and can appreciate the intricacy of his pieces even more). It'd be cool to see him in the flesh one day...dig the eye patch!

Are you kidding me??? Glass? The yellow sculpture hangs from the ceiling of the atrium - truly a Chihuly sight to behold.

Other works are strategically interspersed throughout the gardens, fusing with the lush greenery.

We wound through the conservatory, room through room, marveling at the flora. My favorite room was the orchid room, with each variety of flower so perfect and complex. I took lots of pictures - I couldn't help myself. It was certainly time well spent.

The Great Race

Soon after this was taken, Buggy was given a free race shirt because the man thought she looked cold. Reminds me of a site my friend Sam showed me: www.thatbabylookscold.com

I'm not exactly sure how the race got its name. Kellie and I ran today in the Great Race 10K this morning and, aside from it being a breezy 6.2 miles of mostly downhill running, I could've lived without it. I'm saying this probably because Rob took the morning off from the zoo and got to see none of the race. Before the start, he took a very hungry mumpo Olive back to the car to meet up with Mike and the kids, whom he was going to follow to the finish so they could park and wait for us. Kellie and I met up just before the race began, and we struggled to run through to swarm of other runners (and walkers). The crowd never really dispersed as I was used to it doing in the marathons I've run; we spent the race dodging and weaving in and out of the way of other runners, and I feel like much of the scenery was lost to the careful maneuvering that had to be done. When the final mile was called, I picked up my pace (I'd long since separated from Kellie, who's always kept a faster pace than me), knowing I'd soon get to see Rob and Buggy at the finish line. When I rounded the corner and crossed the line, I scanned the spectators that lined the track, looking for them. Neither were to be found, and nor were Kellie, Mike, or their kids. I squinted around for them for nearly thirty minutes, feeling like a lost toddler in a department store, until my eyes finally lit upon Mike - an angel from above! Other than that time he showed up to marry my sister, I'd never been happier to see him.  He told me that Kellie was circling around looking for me (she'd finished about ten minutes before me, at just under 51 minutes), and that Rob was still probably circling the downtown area looking for parking, having refused to follow him into the paid parking garage. I called Rob to tell him to sit tight (easy, as he was sitting in stopped race-related traffic) and that I'd meet him at the car. I felt badly for having him cancel an eventful morning at the zoo to drive around Pittsburgh for several hours, missing my race entirely. It seemed a waste, but his attitude about it was characteristically optimistic. Maybe they call it the Great Race because of the sheer number of participants it attracts.

To harken back to a previous post, I wanted to share some imagery of the new additions to Olive's little mouth. Please forgive the garish flash; it was necessary to clearly capture what was happening amidst the wriggling.

7 Months

Yesterday, the first day of autumn, was Olive's 7 month day (I can't call it birthday, or even half birthday, yet each month at this age is such a milestone I have to recognize it!). She's had many achievements to date, namely her three teeth (which are all barely visible, but have broken through, nonetheless; two on the top and one on the bottom), her crawling, and her solid food consumption. Until this week, she'd shown only minor interest in the things we'd given her, but when I came home last night with some jarred food (we'd planned - and still plan - on making her own food with a food mill we got for that purpose, but it's in our storage unit in Maine), she was all over it. Last night she downed a few ounces of sweet potato, and today while I was nannying at the Khoreys, Rob reported that she loved her apples and blueberries. Another new food she tried this week: Cheerios; like me, she's a huge fan.

The downside to all of this is that these bottom teeth seem to be giving her a lot more grief than the top; the past two nights have been tortuous for her and me (Rob is, fortunately, a heavier sleeper, so she disturbs him much less). Last night she awoke with piercing cries seven times before I actually fell asleep, and many more times afterwards. We were supposed to be going to a Ted Leo & the Pharmacists show tonight, as my dear friend, Krysta's roommate's band, Heavy Cream, was the opening act and had gotten our fam on the guest list, but I was too zonked to even think about going. We spent the morning at the zoo; it was Rob's day off but yesterday he'd made a scarecrow for the gorillas that was put out this morning while a film crew got footage to hopefully use for a Halloween commercial. Goodies were stuffed in the scarecrow's head and body, which delighted them greatly, and all who were watching. Today was the fifth day in a row we went to the zoo, as we've made a routine out of brining Rob lunch and dining with him during his break, then we spend the rest of the hour observing - and dodging hurled objects from - the gorillas.

Oh, and my second new job as nanny is going really, really well! All three kids are pretty great - Noah's an incredible pianist and drummer, and is surprisingly (given my history with boys his age) well-mannered and mature; Nina is a very talented writer (I'm not even halfway finished reading a story she began writing last year - as a fifth grader), and a pretty great conversationalist (I feel like I'm talking to someone at least five years older; again, not what I'm used to from someone her age). Alex is very curious and also quite precocious, always asking questions about Olive, Rob, and me. He also got his sister to rub Aquafresh toothpaste on his sore foot yesterday, which was pretty funny for me to witness. Today was the first day Olive wasn't in tow, and we all missed her, but it gave me a little more time to focus on reading Nina's story. I still can't believe I'm getting paid to do this, though. Tomorrow I'm working both places - 8-1 at Cosimano e Ferrari, then 4-whenever at the Khoreys'. Things have gotten a little more exhausting, but I think it's just because I've been used to not going in to a job for so long, so it'll take a little more adjustment on my part. If only Olive would permit me to get a few more winks, then I'd be all set...

Things Are Looking Up

Not that things were ever looking too down, but it's nice to know that money will be coming in soon.  Yesterday was my first day with the Khorey kids, and it went really well.  I was able to bring our laundry to do (my biggest complaint with laundering in the bathtub is that wringing the water out of everything blisters my hands) while I waited for the kids to get home.  Olive buzzed around on the living room floor (she just began crawling a few days ago, and not just the creeping she'd been doing before; she's figured out the hand-knee coordination for forward motion and is on the move) and enjoyed the company of Nina.  I fixed the kids some of the chicken noodle soup that was in the fridge, and their dad, Doug, got home a little after six.  My laundry was still drying by that time, so we hung out with the kids, Doug, and Doug's dad - a delightfully cheerful man who had Olive's attention the entire time we were around him.  I needed to stop by Trader Joe's for a few things before heading home, so Nina accompanied a sleepy Olive and me, we dropped her off, collected our laundry, then joined Rob at home.

Oh, and I got a call from the co-op yesterday, just as I was leaving for the Khoreys' house; they offered me a full-time position, which I just turned down.  A little too late, I told them.  Plus, the pay wasn't going to be as good, nor was I going to be able to keep Olive with me, so it was an easy decision.  

She just went down for a nap, and when she wakes up we're going for our thrice-weekly lunch at the zoo with Rob.  I'm really enjoying our visits with him and the gorillas; they're constant entertainment, and I'm getting to know each of their personalities.  Rob's pretty lucky to get to work with them, and we're hoping that this internship leads to a job working primarily with these fascinating primates.

Working Girl

Day Two of my new position at the Cosimano e Ferrari Olive Oil Company.  I love it.  It's busy, the customers are really nice (and provide a great people-watching experience), the bosses, Larry and Kim, are great, the environment is vivacious and bustling, and the products I'm hawking are seriously good - we're talking stuff like basil-infused olive oil mixed with a peach balsamic vinegar (that won a Sofi Award - the gourmet foods industry's equivalent of an Oscar).  I get to spend hours mixing up concoctions like red apple balsamic-and-garlic olive oil, wild cherry balsamic-and-lemon olive oil, blueberry balsamic-and-mandarin olive oil... and on and on.  Then I get other people to try it and the stuff flies off the shelves.  Fun.  Needless to say, I think this job's going to work out.

After work today I went to interview for an after school child care position in my neighborhood.  It's sort of like a mother's helper job, in that I'll also be doing shopping, laundry, and other odds and ends for the family.  What's really great about this job is that it will allow Olive to be with me, which is huge.  The family seems really sensible and they share similar values with me.  I start the job on Monday at 4; Alex, their youngest at seven, gets home first, then Nina, eleven, then Noah, thirteen.  They want me to help them with homework, piano (which Rob needs to tune), french, prepare snacks, and occasionally take them to school or sporting events.  This all sounds like a blast to me and I can't wait to start.  For my first jobs post-Olive, I think I've scored myself some pretty sweet gigs!

First Teef

This evening, while probing Olive's mouth with my finger, I discovered two teeth poking through the upper gumline!  Since she'd been drooling and sticking her fist in her mouth for months, I kind of abandoned the idea of teeth appearing, and now here they are!  I'd imagined the breaking-though period to be somewhat less pleasant for all of us, but she weathered the discomfort like a champ.  I realize that there are varying degrees with which babies experience teething pain, but I was preparing for the worst.  We'd gone through the bottle of Hyland's homeopathic teething tablets a few weeks ago; I'd taken to using them to calm any fussiness, particularly before bedtime, and had been meaning to get more, but she seems content without them.  There had been a good bit of telltale ear-tugging going on, but she seemed unfazed biy it, otherwise.  I just find it interesting that her first pearlies appeared on the top, as I've read that most first teeth come in on the bottom.  This is an exciting time for me, but it also makes me a little bit sad; I'm not all that ready to let go of that toothless, gummy grin I so love.  It's what makes babies look even more like babies.  Rob has reminded me, though, that these are baby teeth that will fall out in six or so years, giving way to another endearing look: the snaggletooth.  

Also, we just watched the Focus Features documentary, Babies, the other night.  The verdict: I loved it.  It was so well-done, and really shed good light on the difference between babies across different cultures.  Particularly interesting was the back-t0-back footage of the Namibian and San Franciscan babies; one shot would show the African boy face down in the dirt, gnawing on a bone, followed by a scene of a parent vacuuming the floor around the American baby.  Kind of makes me less paranoid about germs.  I highly recommend this sweet film, especially to parents.  

Oh, and I had a second interview at the co-op yesterday.  I wonder if they put all of their employees through such a thorough pre-hire process.  I heard from my old buddy, Chris Ordaz, who said they'd contacted him for a reference (he and I met over eleven years ago when I started working at the Common Market, the co-op in Frederick, MD, where he was a volunteer), and he said they'd be making me an offer soon.  Whew.  I'd interview yesterday, just before I went to the co-op, at an art supply store, but the starting wage was piddly.  I start tomorrow at the olive oil company, and I'm kind of looking forward to it.  It will be my first day of work in over seven months, and knowing that Olive will be at home with Rob makes me less fretful about leaving to work for eight hours.  I hope I like it!

Meant to Be

Yesterday we made our way down to the Strip District for some teas (Sleep Tight for restful nights and chamomile for Olive's wipes), produce for a large soup I'll probably make later today, and to inquire about a job with the Cosimano e Ferrari Olive Oil Company.  I'd seen a post on craigslist and e-mailed to express my interest and got an e-mail back letting folks know that they could come by anytime Saturday between 9 and 5 to interview.  While Rob and Olive found a seat and waited, I strolled over to the booth and sampled some olive oil with a splash of red apple balsamic vinegar, then told the man I was interested in a job.  He brought me over to be interviewed by his wife, Kim, who was eating sushi, clearly on a break.  I described for her the e-mail that I'd sent so she could identify me, and when I mentioned that I had a young daughter, she said, "Olive?"  I added this bit of information in the e-mail because I figured it would only help my case, and it turns out I was right.  She told me she felt like it was "meant to be" when she read that, I was given a t-shirt and hat, and I start at 8 am on Friday.  Given the ease with which I was hired for the job, I have a good feeling about it.  Kim and Larry, her husband, were both very friendly and down to earth, and were very kind to Rob and Olive when I brought them around to meet them.  I'll only be working Fridays and Saturdays, but the hours are longer - 8-7 - so that will help.  Plus, it's in a bikeable location, just over four miles away.  I still have an interview with a mother in my neighborhood on Tuesday for an after school child care position, so things are looking more up than they were a week ago, for sure.  

Coming Back to Cloth

It seems like we've been using disposable diapers 4-eva, as they were most convenient when traveling to Alaska, then to Maine, then to Pittsburgh, where we were (and still are) without laundry in our building.  Our house's washer and dryer were delivered on Wednesday or Thursday, yet they still sit, unhooked-up, in the basement.  I also don't like the looks of the coin slots, but Rob reminded me that that doesn't mean they're necessarily coin-operated.  True enough.  Olive and I have gone over to the Ryan's house twice to use their washer and dryer, but I certainly don't want to take advantage of this, especially since we want to get back to using cloth diapers for the obvious reasons (to cut costs and waste, not to mention that it's much healthier for Olive).  I decided that we were not above hand washing our dear one's nappies, so I looked into the process, and we're going to get started on it today.  For those interested, I found this site encouraging and helpful.  All we need is to get back to Prestogeorge's for some bulk chamomile tea to brew up our wipe solution we love so much.  And some rubber gloves to make the job less yuck.  How glad we'll be to get Buggy back into the cotton prefolds; I'd about had it with the disposable diapers and wipes...so much trash!

Bartering Success!

Despite the absence of calls offering me $50 an hour to work for great companies, today was still a pretty productive day.  I posted an ad on Craigslist a couple of days ago inquiring about a U-lock and bike tire pump since we're really making use of our bicycle (and since we can never go out at the same time because of Olive, one bike is sufficient for both of us).  Last week Rob found the front tire flat right before he had to leave for a day at the zoo, so I went and got a new inner tube put on at the local Trek shop (side note: Pittsburghers seem to be having a love affair with Trek bicycles.  Not that I can blame them, but those things are everywhere.  Sort of like pigeons or sea gulls.).  I plan to take good care of my new Trek, and I'd be a negligent bike owner if I didn't invest in a U-lock, but those things aren't the cheapest, so I figured I'd put out the call.  Also, the dude at the Trek shop told me that I ought to be putting air in the tires about every three days, which was advice worth heeding, since I have always left it up to my dad to fill the tires, and wouldn't have happened anytime soon, otherwise.  I got two responses to my ad: one for a pump (that was stolen from the back of the guy's truck yesterday, as bad luck would have it), and one for the lock.  Perfect.  Lock guy Adam, a self-proclaimed supporter of the arts, told me to produce whatever I wanted; he'd be cool with it.  I quickly cranked out a little pear-in-bowl still life this afternoon and zipped over to Trader Joe's where we'd arranged to make the transaction, and BAM - just like that - I had earned myself a new-to-me U-lock that should keep the family Trek right where it needs to be and out of the pawn shops.

Tonight, Rob, Olive and I walked over to the Spinning Plates Gallery to attend the art opening of a friend of Kellie's fiancee's glass work.  Interesting stuff with a nice marriage of trees and modern glass.  Having worked in glass, myself, I really appreciated the work.  Olive appreciated the complimentary strawberries and cantaloupe.  We'd hoped to meet up with Kellie and Iris at the show, and while we waited for them to arrive, we walked the block to Whole Foods where we sampled some of the artisan cheeses.  Kellie had come and gone from the gallery by the time we left Whole Foods, but we caught up with her and she gave us all a lift home.  Iris was uncomfortable away from her home turf at such a late hour for her, so their first visit to our home was brief.  We'd love to have all of the Ryan kids over soon; Jack and Gail would be enthralled with the cats, Che and The Gray (Wendell's alias).  

Happy Birthday, Bruce Bradbury

Today marks the birthday of one of the greatest people I have been blessed to know: Bruce Bradbury. Two years ago, I wisely enrolled in a Beatles history course at the University of Maine at Machias, and that's where I met Bruce. The habitual seating arrangement into which the class fell had Bruce usually sitting right behind me, and we first struck up conversation when he had noticed some of my sketches that encroached on my notes; he asked if I was a "professional artist". Funny Bruce. Later, he impressed me with his songwriting abilities when he performed, accompanied by his ukulele, his original rendition of "The Arctic Riviera", a comical and endearing ode to Downeast Maine, during a final recital held in the Performing Arts Center for all of the students taking music performance classes that semester (I was there playing with the UMM Jazz Combo). Shortly before Christmas break, I knew I was going to have to forge a friendship with this kindly, bearded man with the wide and sparkling blue eyes, so I got resourceful and looked up his e-mail address in the online Beatles class directory. He responded, and soon we'd scheduled the first of many, many lunches that happened over the next year before he went back to Napa, California to continue his music education.

Bruce is easily one of the dearest friends I have; certainly (besides Rob) my closest companion during my sojourn in the Pine Tree State, always brightening my day (and still continues to do so with weekly phone calls and e-mailed pictures of the gorgeous scenery that he sees in Napa). I miss you, Bruce, and am eagerly awaiting the day that we're on the same coast again! I hope you have a terrific birthday, and enjoy great music, amazing food, and your friends! From all of us Cramers, we love you...and I think I'll be humming Pasadena all day, laughing as I always do.

The Saga Continues

If it weren't for my wonderful little family, I think I'd be at my wits' end right now, having still not landed a job.  As it is, things are pretty great, and I'm grateful for every extra day I get to spend with Rob and Olive without work getting in the way, so there's definitely an upside to this unemployment plague.  My interviewers yesterday had assured me of a callback today for a second interview, but no call ever came.  In fact, Rob intercepted my only call today: a telemarketer from Viking Magazine, who he deftly shut down by telling him that "no one by that name lives here," and the woman made a note to take my name off of their list.  Nicely done.  Feeling a little bit discouraged, I set out on bicycle to Shadyside, the quaint neighborhood with several blocks of higher-end shops and restaurants, to enquire - in person - about employment.  I went into at least ten establishments and completed nearly as many applications, and even found myself inquiring about an apprenticeship at a jeweler named Cesar's shop ("Yes and no," he told me, asking me to come see him tomorrow.  We'll see.)  What I appreciated most about this humbling series of errands was that no one made me feel like an idiot or treated me with condescending sympathy; all of the shop-folk with whom I dealt today were really very nice, making my quest almost enjoyable.  I won't go into the details of where I applied, for fear that this kind of exposure may jinx my possibilities of timely employment, so for now I'll hold off until I've been promised a position.  And don't think for one second that Rob has been exempt from the job hunt; he's also been scouring Craigslist for fork lift and crane-operator jobs and submitting his resume.  Having an income again will be nice - helpful, certainly - but I do quite like the way things have been for so long, both of us being home together with Olive (with the exception of the summer).  Moral of the story: Jobs are good, but family is great.

Oops, I Did It Again...

A few years ago (four, I think), I said I'd never work in a health food store again.  Remembering back, I don't recall there being a big factor in my deciding this; it was probably just out of realizing that those tend to be dead-end jobs that anyone could do, so there was no challenge and I was more up for challenges at the time.  Now, though, challenge isn't really the name of the game.  We're playing a new game called, "Keep Food in the Cupboard," so it was with great enthusiasm that I took an interview with the East End Food Co-Op.  It should be noted that a job at the EEFC was my first choice, even when we decided that we'd like to shoot for a move to Pittsburgh a year ago, so this isn't me lowering my standards like applying for a telemarketing job would be (this particular avenue was one of the many that I'd investigated, to no avail; the job market in Pittsburgh must be reserved for the university students who can be easily employed for a lower rate of pay, presumably).  I put in my application at the EEFC two weeks ago after I learned they were hiring.  I got discouraged when nearly two weeks had passed, and began advertising my services: art, piano, and guitar lessons, house-sitting, even dog-walking for $5/half hour outing.  I've never had such a hard time finding a job, but I think the root of my problem lies in the timing of our move, which coincided with college students' move-in dates, and they're all looking for jobs, too (and one of them probably got that gig at the Ethiopian restaurant).

So, just as I was about to send in head shots of Olive to Parents or Gerber and launch ourselves into the JonBenet Ramsey pageantry circuit, I got a call from the EEFC.  The interview went well, but I'll have to go in for a second one tomorrow, when the front end manager will be present.  It's bad that I can't remember the names of the two men who interviewed me; I used to be so good with names (though I'm sure if they'd told me, I'd still remember their birthdays), but I think they liked me.  They were at least impressed with my application and resume; I'm no health food store novice, that's for sure.  Plus, I got a free 16-ounce tea while I interviewed.  It seems like a really great place to work, I'd get a discount on food, and it's a 10-15-minute bikeride from our apartment.  Hopefully by the end of the week I'll know whether or not I'll be employed at the East End Food Co-Op, or if I'll go the Exploit-Your-Daughter route...let's hope not.

Ben Weekend, Bon Weekend!

It's Labor Day, and Olive and I are home alone with Rob happily at the zoo, and I'm reflecting on the great weekend we spent with our friend, Ben. On Friday afternoon, he navigated us over to the Strip District, a few blocks resembling (to me) the bustling markets of New York City: crowded, dirty, and a little bit trashy (in our case, vendors hawking Steelers memorabilia), with the exception of Prestogeorge, a little oasis in the midst of all the hubbub. Ben had told me about this place before, as it had served as the inspiration for his wedding gift to us: a handbuilt crate of an assortment of jarred, loose teas that he'd selected from this shop. Inside, the walls were hidden behind shelves and racks of glass jars filled with a dizzying variety of loose teas and coffees. Customers were invited to open and sniff the teas, but it was the job of a wiry, big-haired and mustachioed man to pour out the teas of our choice into white paper bags and weigh out the contents. We left with bags of lychee, green tangerine, yerba mate, darjeeling, sleep tight (a blend of chamomile, lemon balm, lavender, and valerian), and pink champagne white tea, eagerly anticipating a late night of tea consumption.

For dinner, Ben delivered on his promise to take us to Nicky's Thai Kitchen, a little gem across the Allegheny River in the suburb of Verona. Rob and Ben both got the pad thai, while I tried the pumpkin curry, which was spicy, full of asian pumpkin chunks, and delicious. We returned home, tucked Olive into bed, and descended upon the teas. We sampled all of them, and it was an unwise move, indeed, for me to drink the lychee tea, a black variety. Despite ending with a glass of the sleep tight, the potency of the first cup of black tea had me awake, my heart racing like a mouse's, for many hours after we went to bed. I was still awake when the first light of dawn began to tint the sky, which, I learned this morning when Olive first awoke (after a nine-hour stretch, I might add), is around six o'clock. Yikes. Needless to say, I've maintained a safe distance from the offending tea, fearing that even a morning cup will stand between me and my precious sleep at night. Ben left with his sleep tight, so Olive and I may be making a trip back to the Strip District for a bag of our own.

On Saturday, Ben and I left a sleeping Rob and Olive to grab breakfast foods at the farmers' market and Trader Joe's. While we prepared our meal, a Verizon worker busied himself installing our internet and phone service. Later, Ben showed us around Schenley Park, near Carnegie Mellon University where Kellie and her husband, Mike, went. It was a brisk, windy afternoon, a display of flirtation from autumn, my favorite season of all.

That evening, we went to Mt. Washington, the little hilltop village that overlooks downtown Pittsburgh. It really is a very pretty city, beautiful architecture on many of the skyscrapers, bridges over the three rivers as far as the eye can see, and trees everywhere. We watched the sun set, then headed back home because we'd exceeded Olive's bedtime and our tea beckoned.

On Sunday morning, Rob had to rise early for his internship, and he was missed during brunch when Ben, Olive and I met up with Ben's friends, Lacey and Brad, at a nearby cafe, Quiet Storm. The menu was one of the most appealing I'd ever seen, everything tempting. Ben got the Low Country Grits while I, though oatmeal is a breakfast staple of mine always, got the muesli - cold oats soaked in almond milk and filled with sliced bananas, pineapple, chopped pecans and soy yogurt. Olive enjoyed the attention she got from Brad, who seemed to be contemplating making off with her when he had to leave early for work. Soon afterwards, Ben had to depart, as well, but not before we went to Razzy Fresh, a new frozen yogurt joint in Squirrel Hill. The plain yogurt was just like it should be - tart - and even more delicious when fresh fruit was added. Kind of bummed that we won't see him for over a month. That's rotten business when we'd grown accustomed to seeing him at least once a week. We certainly got a good tour of the city while he was here, though, and now we know just where to go to satisfy our tea, Thai, yogurt, park, and brunch needs.

Our Zoo Visit

It’s 12 o’clock noon and Verizon didn’t make their scheduled 8-12 arrival time; who knows how much longer we’ll have to wait until we have the services for which we’ve signed up.  

On a brighter note, Rob, Olive and I went to the zoo yesterday.  We decided to invest in an $80 membership which would allow Olive and me to enter for free anytime thereafter.  We didn’t want to assume that all of us - even Rob - could get in for free as a perk of his internship, so got the membership.  Once we got to the gorilla area, Jon, one of Rob’s co-workers, asked if we paid to get in.  We told him yes, that we got a membership, and he told us that it was unnecesary.  I felt sick, knowing that we’d just dropped $80 that we didn’t have to, but Rob went back to the cashier and explained to her the situation and was able to get a refund.  We got to go around to the Employees Only area of the gorilla outdoor enclousure for a closer look at Rob’s seven funny charges.  It was amazing to see the way some of them ran - a frighteningly swift sideways gallop, knuckles bouncing off the ground.  One of them, a sassy female named Ibo, tore up a patch of sod and hurled it our way, just barely missing her target.

In the evening I went for a run and explored more of our Highland Park neighborhood.  A large reservoir sits atop a hill overlooking a well-groomed and landscaped park with a fountain.  I ran around the reservoir once, then down the steps on the other side where a network of narrow trails cut through the woods.  I found a wider gravel path and followed it down to a community park with a public swimming pool, volleyball courts, duck pond and picnic pavillions.  Another road, Lake Drive, suggested a lake nearby, but I decided to save it for another run since it was hot and I was growing weary.  

Today is a big day for two reasons: I have a job interview at Abay, an Ethiopian restaurant in East Liberty, a short walk away.  Kellie had her bridal shower dinner at Abay over four years ago, so my memories of it are fond.  Let’s hope I get the job, because it’ll pay the bills better than the combination of Rob’s stipend-free internship and being a stay-at-home mom (as much as I love it).  I’ll only work on the days that Rob isn’t at the zoo, so I’ll be comfortable leaving Olive with him, though I’ll miss her.  She’s been extra fun lately, her silly personality becoming more apparent each day.  She’s incredibly active, scooting her way across greater distances, so we’re really having to keep a closer eye on her to make sure she stays out of harm and mischief’s way.  She’s also been sampling more fruit - mainly banana, which I’m starting to give her each day to let her grow more accustomed to the new textures and flavors, not to mention giving her practice at chewing and swallowing.  Still no sign of any teeth, by the way.

Second reason for my excitement today:  A visit from Ben!  Our buddy is coming for the weekend, and we’ve been seduced by his tales of Nicki’s Thai Kitchen, where we’ll hopefully be dining this evening.  To whet our palates for southeast Asian cuisine, Rob and I stopped by Smiling Banana Leaf, the Thai cafe in our neighborhood, the other night while on a walk.  We were thirsty, and Rob was requiring some iced tea.  I’d remembered hearing something about Thai iced tea that didn’t work in my favor, so I opted for a cup of coconut juice, what I presumed to be coconut water.  It seemed like a sweetened version, though was still good and tasted strongly of young coconut, with thin slices of the flesh stacked on the bottom under the ice cubes.  Rob - not a sweets-lover, was less than impressed with his iced tea.  He offered me a sip, and I admire him for finishing it.  It was a pinkish milky liquid that bore little resemblance to the iced tea he’d been craving, and was far sweeter than my coconut juice.  Lesson learned.    At any rate, we’re all looking forward to seeing Ben, who was a fixture in our lives this summer.  I just hope that it cools down by tonight, as the last three - particularly the first two - were the hottest I’d ever spent.  A fan would be most helpful, but that seems a luxury too extravagant for our budget right now.  The newspaper reported that tonight and this weekend we could enjoy much lower temperatures, getting down to 50 on Saturday night.  SO looking forward to autumn in this beautiful, tree-filled city!   

Week One in Pittsburgh

  Monday was Rob’s first day interning at the zoo.  Sleepy as Olive and I were, we rose with him to accompany him on the 1.3-mile walk to his entrance gate at 8:45.  Then we gathered our laundry to take to Kellie’s, as the washing machine and dryer are not yet installed in our basement and we were due for some clean clothes.  I made it across town without the aide of written directions; nearly everywhere we’ve gone in the last week has required Google’s help, but I’m trying to start relying on my sense of direction and foggy knowledge of the layout of the neighborhoods.  We spent a pleasant afternoon with Kellie, Jack, Gail, and Iris.  Gail requested that I feed her her penne pasta, and both she and Jack wanted me sitting beside them.  Later, Gail and Olive entertained one another.  Olive is particularly fascinated with her 2 year-old cousin, as she’s closer to her size than 3 month-old Iris, and Gail is slightly more interactive.  Gail is very sweet and protective of O; when she was scooting and rolling closer to a wooden chest, Gail gently tugged Olive’s onesie to drag her out of harm’s way.  The Ryan kids all went down for a nap, and I’d hoped that Olive would follow suit, but her post-feeding nap on my chest was short-lived, and she was content to roll about and explore the trove of goodies that littered their living room floor.  

We got back home in time to pick up Rob from the zoo.  I figured that after a long, hot, dirty day of cleaning the gorillas’ quarters he’d appreciate a ride home in the car.  Just after 6, he came to the gate, visibly excited about his day.  I’m thrilled that his first day went so well; he’s learned a lot already, and is studying the names of his gorilla charges so that he can have all of them memorized by next week.   Check out his new blog: www.notesfromabiophile.blogspot.com to stay fully updated and thoroughly entertained.

And yesterday we finally got hot water!  When Olive and I returned from a 6-mile jaunt to the East-End Co-Op, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and a look around Anthropologie (I still can't believe that I can walk to all these places!), the kitchen light was on - definitely not my doing.  I entered to find several signs placed about letting us know that the hot water was on, and the first thing I did was give Olive a bath.  Tomorrow we'll supposedly have a landline and internet set up, but we're not holding our breaths.

Today we'd had plans to visit the zoo with Kellie and the kids, but Olive and I both had a rough night; Olive was awake for most of it, cranking out diapers for me to take care of, but it was too hot for me to sleep well, anyway.  When Kellie called at 8:30 to say that they were going to have to cancel because of what sounds like an even worse night with Jack, who's been plagued lately by a monster in the guise of a bunny that visits him in the night.  Poor thing.  Maybe next week.