Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, & D.C.

This last weekend I returned from a two-and-a-half week long trip to the East coast to visit my good friends Jon and Tallia (and Co). During the course of the trip we spent Christmas in Brooklyn, explored DC, and rung in the New Year at their apartment in the heart of Pittsburgh. I even drove through Delaware proving that it actually does exist despite my long standing doubts. The trip was long and I probably should have made it into two posts but I didn't so I'm cutting out a bunch instead.

The first couple of days was in Pittsburgh and I was shown around the neighborhood and we went to the Carnagie Science museum. Besides taking a great thermal selfie, I did a great deal of flips. The woman running the stand noted that it was doubtful anyone would flip as much as I did that day. The price was a minor headache and nausea for the next several hours but it was worth it.

We left for New York after a couple days and on our way we stopped by Hershey, Pennsylvania. I honestly expected the city to smell like a Hershey's bar but it just smelled like a town. They had a ride where they explained the process of making chocolate. It was a free ride and at the end you got some chocolate so we went on it a couple times--quickly learning the cow song about Hershey's and then quickly forgetting it I suppose.

We arrived into Brooklyn late after some traffic but we found our apartment and got some great parking. The apartment was a fairly large two bedroom so I took my place on the couch. Our first day we explored Manhatten and within an hour of getting off the Subway we walked back Amanda Seyfried talking on her phone saying "thank you" to someone. It was rainy and cold but we still had fun.

I choose you pikachu!

If I look intense it's because that was the best hamburger I've had.

The following day we decided on a more kid friendly activity and went to the Brooklyn Children's Museum (which I'm told is one of the very first ones) where I got to drive a Vespa around with the kids.

I guess we had fun since following the museum I went back to the apartment and immediately fell asleep and took a three hour nap. It was still Christmas Eve though so Jon and I went on a mission to find a treat. We looked around a nearby Hasidic community for a bakery but had no luck, I was going to ask someone where they get their treats but apparently that's how you get murdered. Instead we found a small doughnut shop open so no one died.

Suddenly, it was Christmas.

Jon and Tallia were nice enough to fill my stocking. After a traditional breakfast we opened presents and I received some gloves from my parents, a Nintendo 64 game from my sister (retro!), a portrait of myself from Mirielle, and fancy salt from J&T. I can not dwell on any of these gifts as to avoid showing preference.

Christmas jaunt. The kids definitely were not crying.

The day was spent idly until we headed off to a friends' house to start preparing for Christmas dinner. The theme was "What Would Jesus Eat" and we pulled all the recipes from The Jerusalem Cookbook and it included rack of lamb, couscous, and a hazelnut-pomegranate-cauliflower salad. It was a delicious meal and it was a pleasure meeting the Knudesons.

As an act of providence, my sister happened to arrive in New York the same day we were leaving so we met briefly for brunch. I got to meet her suitor and it gave me an excuse to go on the Subway on my own and try my best to look like a local. My trick was to look uninterested and stare at the floor.

We added D.C. on to our agenda after Jon realized his Brother would be out of town so we could stay in his apartment. This drive was the moment I realized Delaware was a real place but also realized that this would be the only time I would ever have a reason to be excited about Delaware.

Playing ball at the Mall.

We headed back to Pittsburgh for my last few days and hit a few more places including a conservatory (with dinosaurs), REI (life changing), a dinosaur museum (with dinosaurs), and an art museum. The art museum and dinosaur museum were actually the same place but that doesn't make any sense. I finally saw a real Van Gough which made me happy.

ART

We had plans on going into the downtown area for New Years but it was entirely too cold and instead we stayed in and went to bed early because its not worth it to stay up. The weather got bad enough that my flight home was actually cancelled with 24-hour notice which meant we got to go sledding where it was so cold my mustache had ice on it LIKE A REAL MAN.

To close, here is Jon being a robot.