Doubling up on (e:paul)'s post. I don't like ad like posts, but I liked it enough and I want them to stick around, so I think it should get two posts.



On the way home from the bike ride, I noticed a new store opened in the old Code Blu Juice bar, at North Pearl and Allen Street. It was called "Caféology" and it was amazing. They have a website but it looks unfinished, it does have the menu though.



The inside of the cafe was very new - and extremely hot temeprature wise. I was sweating but I still ordered a turkish coffee. (e:paul) got a cappucino, and (e:terry) got a frozen coffee drink. All of them were amazing taste wise. I have never had a Turkish coffee before but it's even more intense than an Italian coffee, and thick with the coffee grounds. I may be having a heart attack from it right now.





The women working said it will be open until 10 pm, which is awesome. I think this would be a nice place to do work at if they have WiFi. I always thought there should be a coffee shop opened late but the only option around here is a Tim Horton's or Spot.

Menu

It was so nice out we went to ride bikes. Originally we were going to ride out to East Aurora, but decided it might be too long to do starting at 1pm. So we headed down to hike at Tifft. It was basically summer.

A concrete carrying French Canadian ship!


Herrlicher tag - here is a beaver dam, the OG engineers



We walked up around the southernmost path to the railroad tracks.


A lot of the park is overrun with knotweed. Blech.








While we were back there, (e:terry) and I snuck through the bushes to the foundation of some old building. (e:paul) thinks it used to be used for raves, called "The Metal Pit". The building is gone now, and all around the edges were these tunnels that were half filled in - possibly to an old basement? I went in one but you couldn't go very far.



On the way back we took a really overgrown-not-really-a-path. I think it was made by the deer because we saw one bouncing away on it.



In the nature center there were a few interesting books. A book on hallucinogenic plants, and the most obsessive book I've ever seen on warblers. The warblers book catalogued every type of North American warbler species, their range, behavior, song - everything about them. It's one of the few times I feel like I've found a book that I couldn't find all the information online - at least in one place.



The ride home was nice. We went down Allen and passed a new coffee shop at North Pearl. We also see this stupid fucking parking lot where the old Artvoice building was. If the preservation board allows this and not three freaking solar panels, what are they good for?


Post bike refueling done by (e:terry)'s vegetarian chili.

I went to go walk my dog Midnight for my dad while the rest of my family was out of town. He finally conquered his years long fear of this giant blow up Halloween cat - I think it was the pouncing position that scared him.

On the way back I went to the new taco place in Kenmore to get some for (e:terry) to try. It's called La Divina. They were very cheap and fast, but unfortunately no vegetarian options. Terry seemed to enjoy them at least. The store itself was not much to see - almost all candy, fried snacks, and Jesus-y candles.

On the block over, there is now a Vasilli's. This block is almost looking like something you'd find in Elmwood now - I always wondered if Delaware Avenue was going to turn into something like that.

I have Fridays off again! Thanks to my new job on the Web Marketing team, I now can do four day weeks and take off Friday. I like this a lot more because I can choose whether I want to work, or do something else. Instead of my old position, where I would end up working extra time because I have to be in the office 5 days a week for no real reason.

We went to Grindhaus cafe for lunch with (e:xandra). I got a tofu caprese sandwich and a Lebanese mujaddara bowl with rice, lentils and cucumber. We all got the chia pudding which is definitely the best thing there.




On the way home (e:paul) and I noticed the Hill Hotel neighbor added a "mission statement" sign. Seriously Sinatra www.sinatraandcompany.com ? How is boarding up a house, paving the front yard, and leaving it to rot making a "positive impact in our community"? So lame.



Friday night was bike party. The ride was just alright, due to an influx of slow rollers and confusion in directions cutting it short. But the end party at Hot Mama's was fun. Lots of fried food and beer.


Saturday was spent doing some errands, a lot of bouncing around the house. (e:paul,60267) and I went to the Clinton Bailey market, and got a bunch of food, including the apples. (e:terry) made a chili with the peppers and tomatoes we got.

We also dropped off a bunch of my old clothes to Goodwill. I'm anti-hoarder as it gets, and most of them I never wore anymore - but even I was a little nostalgic about shirts I used to wear the fuck out of. Mostly free college ones and all the fraternity things.


Later we all rode over to Guercio's to get a few baking goods like olive oil and baking soda. I kind of want to know who is buying these giant chocolate bars.



On the way back we stopped at (e:mike) and (e:libertad)'s.



Later that night, (e:terry) and I went out to (e:keith)'s house for a party. (e:paul) was home sick ;(. Their attic is awesome. It has a ton of seating, a loft sitting area, a dance floor, and this time, a giant inflatable dragon.


The house is also full of weird things such as this dog painting.


Here is (e:terry) talking to this girl named Felicity and her friend Ana. Felicity was running around speaking a few German words. We tried to practice but one or more of us was too drunk to keep it up too long.

(e:flacidness) - realness

I want to move here. It's a million times cooler and put together than Buffalo.

ON the way out (e:Paul) bought his fancy almond cakes. You know they're bougie because they're on the same block as an Apple store.

On Friday we walked around and checked out the Pittsburgh downtown. The weather was pretty good. We ended up at Fort Pitt state park, which is a huge park right downtown where the Ohio starts from the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers. It was a French, then British fort. You can still walk into a blockhouse where they shot from.


An old pay phone booth gives no information


The bridge between downtown and the park. A highway runs on top, but you would barely know it.



A detailed map of old Fort Duquesne. They helpfully labeled the toilets, where the sewage ran into the river, and the music chamber. Not the same rooms btw.


Cute boys.

Across the river is the Duquesne incline. It's an old rail car that goes up and down the hill - the view of downtown is amazing at the top. Sadly we didn't get to go ride it.





The historical flood levels inside the blockhouse. I can't image how downtown wasn't submerged from these.

I booked an Airbnb for our trip since hotels were ridiculous. We were able to get a whole apartment nesr downtown for less than a fifth per night than a downtown hotel.

Unfortunately (e:Paul) was allergic to some mold there. So he called the next morning and had the money refunded. It turns out the next night, a cancellation happened at the super fancy omni hotel we booked before (Pittsburgh's former Statler). With Priceline we were able to book it for almost the exact price of the Airbnb. Look at Paul in all his bougie comfort.

Despite the mold I would still book an apartment rental again. In Germany you can book new apartments in the city centers for almost $30 a night. Its insane.