Last weekend Jacob and I went to Pittsburgh for his second basketball tournament of the year. The previous weekend Craig was on the hook for Boston and Carter and I stayed behind because of baseball (and that they needed to leave Thursday so it would have meant two days out of school). This time, Craig had the Knighthawks' final home game, and Carter had another baseball scrimmage, so it was my turn. Of course, we really love Pittsburgh, so this wasn't a bad trip to get "stuck" with! But tournaments don't always allow for much exploration, so we weren't entirely sure how this would go.
Spring really started to do its thing over the course of the week before we left. Bulbs were coming up, including my gorgeous hyacinths, which both came as potted gifts in prior years and transplanted nicely. Too bad the deer ate the tulips I received last spring (along with the first peeks of some of my hostas and sedums...grrrrr).
It was so nice last Wednesday that I needed to take a walk outside at lunch. There were lots of signs of spring there--including a groundhog hanging out near the pigeon coop (which lives on our property for research purposes). He was so still I wasn't sure he was real. But groundhogs are a secondary mascot at the University (nicknamed Groundboi), so it's always fun to see one.
I haven't seen our yard one yet, but Craig has. Hopefully babies are coming! We did have fox babies next door, so that was cool.
The trees were gorgeous at my office, too.
The nice weather was such a welcome relief from stubborn cool temperatures and lots of rain previously. Thankfully, the day we left it was starting to get even warmer, although it wasn't going to last long. But between home and Pittsburgh, I think the temperature jumped close to 20 degrees (although it got nicer later at home), and it was like a lovely summer day when we finally emerged from the car! Just like our midwest trips three years ago, an extra, early shot of summer was such a nice mental boost!
We got a bit of a later start than planned on Friday, as Jacob was a bit pokey to get moving and I had a work meeting that ran long (even though I took the day off). Then we had to pack up all the last-minute stuff, and I think it was around 11:30 when we got on the road. Unfortunately, we ran into some pretty significant traffic due to construction on the Thruway, which set us back a bit and made lunch a bit more tricky. Jacob has always been tough to travel with because of his Celiac Disease, but in the past six months or so he's gotten even pickier because he began to suspect he was getting glutened from some places, due to some oddly timed GI issues. I'm not sure that was the case, but good luck convincing him of that. So standbys like Chick-fil-A, Jersey Mike's, or Chipotle, which were staples previously, are all off the table now. He mostly goes with places that have strong reviews in the gluten-free app, and he brings lots of snacks to fill in the blanks. Since we didn't have time to stop at a sit-down place, he ended up just eating snacks for this round while I stopped at Chick-fil-A in Erie for a bathroom break and food to go.
And of course, off in the distance was our ultimate target for the end of the weekend - PNC Park! As Jacob is a big Pittsburgh Pirates fan, of course we wanted to try to fit in a game, but tournament schedules are unpredictable and typically a bit illogical and spread out, so we weren't sure it would be possible. But oh, did I look at it longingly all weekend from this spot!
We honestly weren't sure how much Jacob would play. He didn't play a lot the previous weekend because he had not practiced with the team prior. He had actually been with the younger team to start the practice season, but because of his post-viral fatigue, he hadn't been able to participate and that coach felt he needed to get a more reliable player. If I'm honest, that was probably a mistake as that team doesn't have a shooter and didn't do well the first weekend. Alas, Jacob ended up on the 17U team, which is maybe where he should have been anyway since it's the coach he'll likely have for school next year. But that team is pretty strong and maybe didn't need him as much. He did get assurance he would get more of a chance this time. Oddly, the 16U team actually didn't end up making this trip because the tournament had a bunch of teams drop out and the late schedule changes left the 16U team playing earlier Friday. The parents balked at having to get there so early on such short notice, so they canceled out. So I guess it was good he wasn't playing on that team if he wanted a shot at a Pirates game!
After much angst and arguing, we eventually settled on a place outside of downtown called Mandy's, and it was a typical hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Only two tables in the place, and you had to go through a storage room to get to the bathroom. But the food was SO good. Jacob's pizza actually had a decent crust, and my chicken finger sub was on par with anything you might get in Buffalo. We will definitely be remembering that place next time we're in town.
The food was really good! We both enjoyed our tacos, chips, and queso, and that will be going on the return list for the future, too. Even better, it's a chain, so we may run into other cities with them as well. As we sat there, we saw a big group come in, wet and dressed in matching baseball shirts, most bearing Paul Skenes bobbleheads and Pirates beer swords, presumably having given up on the game. They all had the same shirt featuring a "holy cow" playing baseball, but then one guy came in with a jersey that helped me solve the puzzle--they were apparently fans of the Danville Dairy Daddies, a very low minor league team from Virginia.
By this point we were also clear on our schedule for Sunday and it looked like we would be able to make the Pirates game after all!
With that, it was time to turn our attention to the baseball portion of our weekend! But that's a story for another day!
The trip was otherwise pretty uneventful until we got into the city. There was a backup near the convention center where the tournament was being held, and we were stuck in that for a bit--only to pop out on the other side and find out that the parking ramp we needed was full! Time was short before our arrival deadline, so it was a little nervewracking trying to find another spot. We ventured around the area and finally found one within walking distance. The walk to the convention center was pleasant despite being a slightly sketchy area, as there were so many gorgeous old buildings with elaborate stone-carved adornments. Jacob was dispatched to the player entrance while I paid my exorbitant fee for weekend admission, and headed in. I had over an hour to kill, much of which was spent on this balcony adjacent to the upstairs lobby outside the exhibition spaces. The view over the river was stunning!
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| My panoramic view |
And of course, off in the distance was our ultimate target for the end of the weekend - PNC Park! As Jacob is a big Pittsburgh Pirates fan, of course we wanted to try to fit in a game, but tournament schedules are unpredictable and typically a bit illogical and spread out, so we weren't sure it would be possible. But oh, did I look at it longingly all weekend from this spot!
We honestly weren't sure how much Jacob would play. He didn't play a lot the previous weekend because he had not practiced with the team prior. He had actually been with the younger team to start the practice season, but because of his post-viral fatigue, he hadn't been able to participate and that coach felt he needed to get a more reliable player. If I'm honest, that was probably a mistake as that team doesn't have a shooter and didn't do well the first weekend. Alas, Jacob ended up on the 17U team, which is maybe where he should have been anyway since it's the coach he'll likely have for school next year. But that team is pretty strong and maybe didn't need him as much. He did get assurance he would get more of a chance this time. Oddly, the 16U team actually didn't end up making this trip because the tournament had a bunch of teams drop out and the late schedule changes left the 16U team playing earlier Friday. The parents balked at having to get there so early on such short notice, so they canceled out. So I guess it was good he wasn't playing on that team if he wanted a shot at a Pirates game!
He did get into the first game and even hit a three early. I swear, he didn't shove that kid over--he tripped!
But unfortunately, when he went back out later in the game, he jumped to block a shot and got his feet swept out from under him, leaving him to fall helplessly to the floor. He landed hard on his butt and side, and was writhing around in pain. I was having flashbacks to three years ago when he got hurt in the first game in Missouri, only worse now because of everything he's been through in the interim. I just could not fathom him going through another lengthy injury.
He was definitely in a lot of discomfort as he came off the floor, but shook me off a few minutes later when I tried to check on him. Most movements left him in a lot of pain, so it was pretty clear he wouldn't be playing anymore for the rest of the weekend. That was a bummer, but later I saw a kid walking through the crowd being held up by two people and holding a very limp wrist, and then a kid on the other team twisted his ankle, and I was reminded that it could be so much worse. He went over to the athletic trainers after the game, and they weren't concerned. It wasn't his spine or his tailbone (even though it very much reminded me of how my back acted), so in the end it appears it's just some sort of deep bruise. He's functional, but certain movements make it flare up. He should be able to play by the next tournament, which is now a week later than it was supposed to be. Good news/bad news--it was going to be in Atlantic City, which is a super expensive and somewhat challenging tournament setup to navigate, but also, we love the Jersey Shore and it would have been a lovely time to go there. Not that Carter and I could have gone because of his baseball schedule, but the thought was nice!
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| Accidental pic, but glad I got it while I could! |
He was definitely in a lot of discomfort as he came off the floor, but shook me off a few minutes later when I tried to check on him. Most movements left him in a lot of pain, so it was pretty clear he wouldn't be playing anymore for the rest of the weekend. That was a bummer, but later I saw a kid walking through the crowd being held up by two people and holding a very limp wrist, and then a kid on the other team twisted his ankle, and I was reminded that it could be so much worse. He went over to the athletic trainers after the game, and they weren't concerned. It wasn't his spine or his tailbone (even though it very much reminded me of how my back acted), so in the end it appears it's just some sort of deep bruise. He's functional, but certain movements make it flare up. He should be able to play by the next tournament, which is now a week later than it was supposed to be. Good news/bad news--it was going to be in Atlantic City, which is a super expensive and somewhat challenging tournament setup to navigate, but also, we love the Jersey Shore and it would have been a lovely time to go there. Not that Carter and I could have gone because of his baseball schedule, but the thought was nice!
Anyway, Jacob's team lost that first game, which stunk because it immediately put them into a consolation bracket and made our schedule less favorable for Sunday baseball. Had we won, we would have played again at 9:40 that night, so honestly, I was relieved to have the rest of the night to figure things out, between the injury, getting to the hotel, and finding dinner. He managed the walk to the parking ramp, during which we saw an arrest happening (as I said, sketchy), and headed to the hotel. We got settled in and Jacob showered, and then we headed down the road to Burgatory for dinner. We'd eaten at the downtown location a couple years ago and Jacob liked it, and it was nice to have it so convenient to our hotel. He did have team meetings later that night, so we had to sort of rush through dinner. But we got to watch the Pirates game on TV and the food was great, so we'll call it a win.
Jacob woke up on Saturday having miraculously slept well, but feeling as sore if not worse. We had a game mid-morning, so we had to get up relatively early and grab some breakfast before heading into the city. This time we got in the good parking garage. Jacob's team won pretty handily, and their next game wasn't until 4:30, so we had time to kill. We first went to the Pirates store (yay for quick, cheap on-street parking) since it wouldn't be an option to go on Sunday on our way out of town if the game was still in progress. After that, we ended up killing a bit more time than planned while trying to find a lunch spot. Jacob picked one restaurant out of the gluten-free app that wasn't far away, but we could not find any convenient parking nearby. Normally I'd just find something and walk, but with his back injury, that wasn't ideal. So we moved on to another one over by Duquesne University, but we struggled on parking there, too. We did get to see the Penguins arena, all ready for that night's opening playoff game.
After much angst and arguing, we eventually settled on a place outside of downtown called Mandy's, and it was a typical hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Only two tables in the place, and you had to go through a storage room to get to the bathroom. But the food was SO good. Jacob's pizza actually had a decent crust, and my chicken finger sub was on par with anything you might get in Buffalo. We will definitely be remembering that place next time we're in town.
Also, somewhere in our wanderings and wrong turns, we ended up with a quick but fantastic view of the setup for the upcoming NFL draft! The draft was the following weekend, which was a great relief when I was hearing about it and panic-checked the dates to make sure we weren't going to be stuck in that mess. The preparations there were crazy--so many closed streets even a week ahead of time, plus a ginormous stage with massive video screens in front of the football stadium. It was really cool to see.
We ended up stopping back at the hotel for a bit after lunch to regroup ahead of the afternoon game, and then it was back into the city--unfortunately with Pirates traffic this time. I had to drop Jacob off and once again search for a parking ramp that wasn't full. The convention center was, as was the one we parked in the previous day. Thankfully, I remembered a sign indicating there was one in the opposite direction, and it turned out to be a good one--close and not expensive. I never quite imagined parking would be such a big part of our weekend.
As the afternoon went on, the clouds rolled in as forecasted. The Pirates were playing at 4pm (which later got changed to 3:30 because of the approaching weather), so that game was out of the question for us. And honestly, thank goodness. I took this picture around 4pm and you can see that the sky was getting dark. Moments later the rain started, and it didn't stop for at least a couple hours.
In fact, it was still raining after Jacob's team won. The rain made dinner a bit more complicated, but fortunately, that ended up easier than anticipated. When I was walking to the convention center from the parking ramp, I noticed a restaurant less than a block away whose name I recognized as being the top listing in the gluten-free app. It was a taco place called Condado Tacos, and the reviews were good, so I figured that would be a perfect option if Jacob was up for it. We could easily walk there and not have to worry about parking yet again. Sure enough, tacos sounded great to him, so we just had a quick walk through the rain. It was pretty busy since Penguins traffic had started to roll in, but we got seated right away. We had a nice view of the historic Gulf Tower and UPMC, and a helpful bird's eye view to monitor the rain.
In fact, it was still raining after Jacob's team won. The rain made dinner a bit more complicated, but fortunately, that ended up easier than anticipated. When I was walking to the convention center from the parking ramp, I noticed a restaurant less than a block away whose name I recognized as being the top listing in the gluten-free app. It was a taco place called Condado Tacos, and the reviews were good, so I figured that would be a perfect option if Jacob was up for it. We could easily walk there and not have to worry about parking yet again. Sure enough, tacos sounded great to him, so we just had a quick walk through the rain. It was pretty busy since Penguins traffic had started to roll in, but we got seated right away. We had a nice view of the historic Gulf Tower and UPMC, and a helpful bird's eye view to monitor the rain.
The food was really good! We both enjoyed our tacos, chips, and queso, and that will be going on the return list for the future, too. Even better, it's a chain, so we may run into other cities with them as well. As we sat there, we saw a big group come in, wet and dressed in matching baseball shirts, most bearing Paul Skenes bobbleheads and Pirates beer swords, presumably having given up on the game. They all had the same shirt featuring a "holy cow" playing baseball, but then one guy came in with a jersey that helped me solve the puzzle--they were apparently fans of the Danville Dairy Daddies, a very low minor league team from Virginia.
Stuffed to the gills, we headed out. The walk back to the car wasn't bad as the rain was finally starting to slow. I'm not even sure when the Pirates started playing again, but not only did the game resume, it went into extra innings and didn't end until sometime after 10pm. That was my nightmare as a baseball intern, by the way--long rain delay plus extra innings? Ugh, that was like seven hours. And they lost, too. I'm so glad we didn't try to go to that one because it would have been exhausting to try to stay through all of that.
The evening ended with this lovely sunset as the rain cleared, and Jacob went off to another round of team meetings. For the second night in a row, I hung out in bed, watched TV, read my e-book, and tried to stay awake until he got back so I could let him in (he didn't take a key because he didn't have pockets).
By this point we were also clear on our schedule for Sunday and it looked like we would be able to make the Pirates game after all!
On Sunday morning, we slept in a little and then started getting ready and packing up. As we drove into the city (much more easily this time), I asked Jacob to take a picture of the city as we popped out of the Fort Pitt tunnel, as it's such a striking view. Well, I should have guessed it would turn into this...
This is what my camera roll looked like...Jacob, then attempts at what I wanted, then pictures of me, each on repeat. Oy. Teenagers, amirite?
In the end, he didn't get exactly the panoramic view I wanted, but this was close.
We had our last game, another win--a much tougher one this time--and wrapped things up for the weekend. I have to say, it's one of the prettier venues that Jacob has ever played in.
This is what it looks like from the outside, as seen from the Heinz Museum a couple years ago.
This is what my camera roll looked like...Jacob, then attempts at what I wanted, then pictures of me, each on repeat. Oy. Teenagers, amirite?
In the end, he didn't get exactly the panoramic view I wanted, but this was close.
We had our last game, another win--a much tougher one this time--and wrapped things up for the weekend. I have to say, it's one of the prettier venues that Jacob has ever played in.
This is what it looks like from the outside, as seen from the Heinz Museum a couple years ago.
With that, it was time to turn our attention to the baseball portion of our weekend! But that's a story for another day!
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