franktuary fridays

i am trying to become a regular at the franktuary, a hot dog joint on the ground floor of trinity cathedral on oliver ave downtown (4 visits in so many weeks apparently isn't enough since the cashier still spells my name with a "k") and in order to facilitate this process my coworkers and i have instated Franktuary Fridays, which we've done for two weeks in a row. coincidentally franktuary was featured in the Post-Gazette this week (see Munch goes to Franktuary). i'm partial to the wurst combo with keilbasa (served on two buns) with a side of peirogies and today my drink was a tasty san pellegrino aranciata. the best, though, is the gummi hot dog which comes with the meal (see photo, left of fork).

be my valentine

people are finally starting to receive the valentines i mailed out last friday (here's randy with his!). this year's design was inspired by the unfamiliar and sometimes overwhelming emotions i've experienced in recent months, meeting amazing people, beginning to understand that pittsburgh could become more to me than a geographical location where i happen to live right now, rediscovering activities and passions that i had ignored for a while, trying new things i've always said i wanted to do... to the point where i just thought my heart might just explode at times (and still could!). for the most part i mean that in a good way, but there have also been moments when managing all of the love has been really difficult (sorry to those who've been subject to my outbursts!) and i've had to learn how to handle the tremendous ups and downs that accompany the intense feelings i've been having lately about the people and the world that surround me.
although we should all express our affection and appreciation to our friends and family all year round, i still think that vday is an awesome occasion to reflect on those who are important to me and to remind them of how their presence, near or far, touches my life in a meaningful way. happy (belated) valentine's day!

ten things i can't live without

at my office they've been selecting one employee a month to interview and post the ten things they can't live without so naturally i started to think of what i might say if they every picked me (pick me, choose me, love me!). here's what i came up with (in no particular order):

1. music: for some reason at some point i stopped listening to music as much as i used to, didn't by any cds or go to shows for over 2 years... but recently i discovered pandora and have re-awakened to all sorts of stuff i hadn't paid attention to in a while and began to hear amazing artists/songs i would never know how to find on my own. i feel like a part of me has been restored.
2. gmail: i'm on it all day long, it's my main means of communication and i just realized i could change the background so it reflects the weather outside, which is so cool.
3. my new yoga pants: i don't even *do* yoga and they're so comfortable that i want to wear them all the time.
4. dancing: as those who know me well are aware, i am never afraid to act the fool when i'm feeling the groove. i think dancing is sometimes better than therapy.
5. hugs and foot massages (okay that's two, but there's a reason they go together): having recently found a group of friends that is heavy on the touchy feely, it's amazing to realize how long i went without daily hugs (and how much that sucked!). plus it's certainly nothing to scoff at when one of said friends is a trained massage therapist and generous with those skills.
6. cheese: i had cheese for dinner last night... morbier, manchego, buche de chevre, gouda, you name it i love it... with bread, with jam, all alone with a little glass of red wine... i'm getting hungry just thinking about it!
7. public radio: my current pittsburgh stations are WDUQ and WYEP depending on whether i want an npr heavy broadcast or the morning traffic jam.
8. public transit: i've been lazy lately, driving to work more than i should for obvious reasons but also because i just *love* the bus... love reading, snoozing, people watching, or just zoning out to transition from home to work or vice versa. not to mention the great bus ride i had recently with friends heading to the southside to watch the super bowl!
9. my new roommate: she was the catalyst for some major healing i've done over the past few months, and i am extremely grateful for her presence in my life.
10. faraway friends and family: even though i've had trouble communicating a lot of what's going on with me lately to people who are not in pittsburgh, i miss them a lot and appreciate their support and interest. i also don't see my utterly adorable nephews nearly enough.

note: i reserve the right to add to this list... but right now i'm tired.