Primanti Brothers maridel vs food

So after watching so many food shows on tv, here I was at the Primanti Brothers restaurant, filled to capacity due to the ballgame. No plates, just heavy duty wax paper for their 2nd most famous item on the menu (beer being number one), the heart attack cheese steak served on thick challah type bread with a vinegar based cole slaw and lots of fresh fries all piled up into the sandwich and a picture of the guy in Man vs Food hanging on the wall. Ok, so how does one eat this contraption? I ate the first half without a problem but tackling the second half was easier, took out the fries and the other half of the bread, there! But I was so stuffed that i was reeling...tums anyone?
I have to admit it was pretty good but......Chicago's Italian Beef still rocks, and maybe Max's of Chicago's gyros layered over cheese and burger on a giant bun still wins the award of heart attack burger.

ships passing in the night Baltimore-Washington DC

After a harrowing experience going through the GPS convoluted route of driving through
30th (kind of really notorious like Mission in LA) where gleeful son-in-law excitedly took cel photos of what the WIRE show features in their weekly grisly murder filled town, I finally bit the bullet for an acela two stop train as against a stop every stop local train. And there's this polite kid who also was a bit lost in his trying to get to the same place I was. And a lady who was traveling the same route so we tag teamed on the train. The kid is a Saudi high school senior taking advanced classes here to gear him towards what he may want to do for college. After making sure he got his return ticket at the amtrak counter, she and I ran for the blue line to transfer to the orange line, she to the Courthouse and me all the way to Vienna. And along the way she was excited to meet up with her cousin who finally,after two harrowing assignments to Afghanistan as press attache, they allowed him to come home and study some more and take the test to press attache in Milan, he deserves it after having to deal with the bind laden thingy. She trained in from Atlantic City. She and her hubby are celebrating 25 years this year but are hesitant to go to Europe because of anti american sentiments and I said, that will always be there, but the time is now to visit those places and hopefully cousin Rick will be in Milan, so remember to wear your Blahniks...or Ferragamos, so they won't know you're an ignorant American.hahahaha. And on that note we parted...another ship passing through the night and all they will remember is the Mrs. A part or cupcakes.

Ships passing in the night Pittsburgh

A comment made by daughter Bambi that I am so like my mom chatting up strangers....and so it is.
Dropped of the Bells on 6th and Pennsylvania as they walked their way across the bridge I decided not to drive off into the unknown and lose my way around the streets of Pittsburgh. So I parked and paid what $7???cheez, cheaper than Chicago. After randomly walking up and down the streets within the area in the steamy heat of a 99 degree summer afternoon, i decided to wait for a bus and do the GYN thing of getting on and letting the bus run to its end and come back hopefully on the same bus. But Pittsburgh and its many unknown to me bus lines and where they may lead made me wait for the casino bus after I realized that the couple I asked about the buses (who do not ride buses) had finished dining out and still saw me walking around stupidly. After an exchange of pleasantries, i waited and waited for the once an hour Saturday bus, looking at the Pittsburgh folks and telling myself they look the same as the Chicago folks, NOT, something about them told me there was a difference
So I finally got on the bus and asked for a round trip which the driver obliged giving me for 3.25 the little paper ticket. So off he drops me at the Rivers Casino. I got a free cup of coffee, scouted around for the food places, took a few pictures just so I can remember where I was. After losing ten bucks in the 25cent poker slots, i decided it was time to go. So i walked way out to the bus stop after chatting the security who told me many of their staff went to Chicago to open the new casino right by jaybee's. So I waited at this bus stop while listening to this man talking on the phone. So i asked when the bus was coming and he said they run every hour on a Saturday (oh great) but not to worry it it comes at 9:17 (ugh!!! until he said it was already 9:10, sigh) and I heard him say he was going to the Starbucks on 6th and Penn (yay, May I piggy back cuz that's where I have to meet my kids)...and then, you got a transfer? That doesn't work, it has to be used on another forward route but not on the same (oh no, another $3)oh well. So the bus comes and by this time, Gary has already told me about his collapsed veins on his legs and that he has had an operation putting a stent in and that his other leg was bloated (manas to us) and he was ready for another operation where he doesn't take days off because he has work in the casino as a walking supervisor...and that he was born and raised in Connecticut but has lived in Florida working casinos for the past 18 years. He had to come to Pittsburgh to care for a sick uncle who finally passed away and so he was giving himself a few more months before heading back to Florida. He missed being sent to Chicago for the new casino because he was only with the company 4 months and the requisite was 6 months. After fireworks and a bit more chitchat before Bambi, Sam and Daniel showed up, I bade Gary goodbye until the next time who knows when.

random thoughts travelling to DC

Sometimes I wish I weren't lazy and relying on fading memories and thoughts as i travel the countryside. So many rich and fertile thoughts run through my mind as i catch forests, hills and rivers richly abundantly lushly growing all around, mixed with thoughts of coconut trees and wafting breezes from salt sprayed beaches. I chose to be here, di ba? So from a flat landscape of the mid west, to the hilly ups and downs of Pennsylvania, I realize the scope of the thought...ang laki-laki ng Amerika, pare!r