May 24 Run/Walk: Meet at Biddle's Escape, 401 Biddle Ave., Wilkinsburg

Besides the Run and the Walk, there is also the Bike, so we cheer for our 2-wheeled sisters on their trek starting Sunday to parts known and unknown.  We await your report!  For the rest of us, we'll meet at Biddle's, 7 a.m., maybe bring an umbrella.

Last week in our maiden voyage to West View, apparently once the site of an amusement park that rivalled Kennywood, we saw a Lithuanian cemetery, a range of City Steps, and Gretchen's childhood home.  Coffee at West View Brew was adorable, featuring a uniquely toothsome blueberry scone-muffin. In other news:

• Save the date!  Buffalo Rose at the Arts Festival, Thursday June 11 at 7:30 at the new Arts Landing downtown.  Let's make it an RG tradition - 
• It's rhubarb time, so head on down to the Rhubarb Festival in Intercourse PA! Oops, we missed it, (May 15) - let's try to get there next year.  But there's still lots more to do in Intercourse. 
  
• Watch the terrific schmaltzy escape film Remarkably Bright Creatures.
• Bobbi's church, the Unity Center of Pittsburgh, sounds like a balm for the soul in these times.
• Usually like-minded, we differ strongly on self check-out.  (The one in supermarkets).

May 17 Walk/Run: Meet at West View Brew, 442 Perry Hwy, West View, PA 15229

 West View Brew is our meeting place for May 17.

Last week, before meeting at the Parisi Cafe, we wandered over to the parkway construction site at the bottom of Commercial Street and tried to imagine the existing bridge being imploded and the new deck structure slid into place.  If someone gets to see this, please post photos and share your report.

Meanwhile, blog keeper (RG-BK) assumes everyone knows there will be a full closure of 376 East from July 10 to August 4.

More important matters were discussed over coffee:  For instance: should we celebrate Sketchers, or do they make us look old? 

Janet, our resident expert in many things, informed us of the coronary calcium scan that measures whether there is calcified plaque in the heart arteries and can estimate the future risk of a heart attack.  It's a short, simple CT scan.

She also answered the question:  What is a lipidologist?  Answer: a healthcare professional who diagnoses and treats lipid disorders, such as high cholesterol and triglycerides.

But the more crucial question remains: do Sketchers make us look old?

We moved conversationally from the heart to the body and then to the stuff we accumulate in old age, and someone mentioned "Super Cooper," and the aged RG-BK, intending to inform, looked up "Super Cooper" and found:

Super Cooper Sunday, a YouTube series about golden retrievers

Super Cooper, the mentalist from West Bloomfield, MI

A restorer of Mini Coopers

A media company in St. CLoud, MN

etc.

recommendations:

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning - by Margareta Magnusson

Washage rugs

Facebook Marketplace

To stream:

Call the Midwife

Beef

Happy almost birthday, Linda!

May 10 Walk/Run: Meet at Parisi Cafe, 7107 Harrison Ave, Swissvale 15218

Officially our meeting place is Parisi Cafe and Italian Market, 7107 Harrison Ave, Swissvale.  

Marathon Sunday was cold and sunny and those of us who weren't hemmed in by road closures met at Fifth and Beechwood and continued to the Panera at Bakery Square, where, as always we shared verifiable information, conjecture, and good stories.  

We didn't talk turkey* on Sunday.  Instead we talked chicken, or rather listened, rapt, to Bobbi's tales of her chickens, including Dominique, who was raised by hand, and Bean, a hybrid chicken.  

*The origin of "talk turkey" allegedly comes from colonial times when colonists and Indians bartered over wild turkeys.   Folklore tells of a particular encounter, but it's possible the stories arose from an article in the  Niles' Weekly Register from 1837.

What's true is this:  The Post-Gazette is now owned by the Baltimore-based Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism and will be run as a nonprofit.  40% of the staff was cut, and there will be no arts coverage or editorial page.  But according to V.L., our reliable source, we should give them a chance.  

Pittsburgh City Paper, also acquired from Block Communications, was rebooted by LocalMatters, another nonprofit.  So give them a chance, too.

Bad news:  Ice is out and about, picking up individuals instead of groups, and thus attracting less attention.

Not exactly an answer to the question:  "How Trumpy is Lowe's?"  Both Home Depot and Lowe's contribute to political campaigns, but Home Depot's co-founder Bernie Marcus has been a major donor to Trump.  So maybe the answer to the question about Lowe's is "less Trumpy."

Up for debate:  Everything is better in Canada.

How to save money streaming films?  A Pitt or CMU ID card will get you access to the university libraries and to Kanopy with its vast collection of films.

Endorsements: 

Hana Lee Goldin's Substack that teachs you how to think like a librarian in the Age of AI. Card Catalogue for Life

For elevated garden beds, go to Costco or Gardener's Supply Company

The best basil plants for planting in your garden come from Trader Joe's.

Shocking Update on Outlander:  Aimee is two seasons behind.