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Sunday, February 1, 2009

Go Steelers!!

Girls, today is the perfect day to tell you about where I grew up.  Pennsylvania!  Today is SuperBowl Sunday & the Steelers are playing the Cardinals.  The Half-Time show is playing with Bruce Springsteen singing the hits that we can all sing along to.  The Steelers are leading & it is an exciting game.  And I would bet all 5 of you girls that Pap is watching the game right now.

Pap & Grammy are both from Pennsylvania - outside of Pittsburgh.
Pap went to Temple University in Philadelphia, and Tia Kelly and I both were born there.  I remember going back there in high school, and Grammy showed me where her and Pap had lived. Talk about a rough neighborhood - their apartment looked like a crack house. 
We lived about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a beautiful city.  I have memories of Three Rivers Stadium, Carnegie Museum, & lots of snow.  Grammy took Kelly and I on the train to go downtown, and I bought my first cassette - The Go-Go's.  Until this point Kelly and I only had records (Michael Jackson's Thriller, Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers, Pink Floyd & others- holy cow this is the most random selection of music now that I think of it).  I think I can still sing all of the Go-Go's songs, and dance away to We Got The Beat!  Good stuff.
Now that I'm sitting down & writing - a FLOOD of memories is hitting me. So here are some highlights:
-  Living within 1/2 hour of grandparents, uncles & aunts
-  Spending every holiday, b-day, & event with extended family
-  Building a fort under the neighbors tree.  We 'borrowed' Pap's tools & cut a bunch of the branches so that we could play & hide under the tree.  Pap was not happy we forgot to return his tools, and our neighbor was not happy we hacked up her tree.  But boy did Kelly & I have fun!
-  We had an above ground pool that we swam in a TON.  I don't think Kelly and I had cold nerve sensors back then - yowsers - I would NOT be getting in that pool as early as we did as kids.
-  We took many trips with family to Atlantic City in the summer.  I loved the beach, and Nanny loved the Casinos.  Good combo.
-  Kelly and I walked through the woods to the local park for our softball games & practices.  I would NEVER let you do this now.  It is crazy to think of how we 'roamed' at a younger age.  It is slightly sad to think that it is just not safe like that anymore.
-  During softball games when it was Grammy's turn to man the refreshment stand - I ate a pound of shoe string licorice & swedish fish (and I wonder why I have cavities).
- Pap was a football coach & we would go to all of his games.  In the winter Grammy would pack hot chocolate & hot dogs & blankets.
-  We would go to Round Hill Park in the summer to feed the ducks & see the animals.
-  We would go to Round Hill Park in the winter to go sled riding on big inter-tubes.
-  Running behind the neighbor's houses in a few feet of snow to catch the bus.  I was a little late & ran up the road after the bus.  It stopped, and as I climbed the steps I realized that it was the bus for the high school.  The buses were behind schedule b/c of the snow.  How embarrassing!

wow - girls - I have so many more things to share & you guys keep coming out of your room.  You are supposed to be sleeping. ugh.  I will continue a post of PA later - I hope.
Til then:
GO STEELERS!!!!

5 comments:

I am Arizona; a person, not a place. said...

I'm rooting for Arizona...you can guess why! :)

Aubrey said...

How about that game?!?! It was so good. Yay Steelers!

Those are some great memories! Speaking of which, you have an awesome MEMORY! Wow!

Laurie said...

Well I am sure that you are happy with the outcome of the game. The last 5 minutes were very exciting. I live near Cleveland and I am sure you know all about the rivalry between the Steelers and the Browns... therefore growing up we were taught by my dad that you don't root for the "rival team" EVER. Be it the Steelers or Michigan, or the Yankees. So I hate to say it to you, but we were all rooting for AZ.
I am glad you got the outcome you wanted. Great post and some wonderful memories for your girls to cherish.

Jocasta said...

I've updated my blog address it's now http://kiwijocasta.blogspot.com/

Kim said...

My good friend lives near Round Hill Park. I am behind on my posts, but what a great list of memories. It was a great game too!