A Day Trip To Pittsburgh

Ken And Marjorie, Great Friends

8:29

It's just 7:00 and darkness is beginning to ebb because I can see the shoreline and lake. It's 44º, overcast of course but no rain is predicted for the day. Drizzle, however, followed me during this morning's forty-minute paddle on a perfectly calm lake and overcast skies. 

Kayak Morning

Victoria/Woodlawn

Yesterday was a long day as we drove to Pittsburgh to a visitation for neighbor and good friend Ken's wife Marjorie's funeral who passed away this past weekend. We didn't leave for Pittsburgh until 12;30 so our morning was typical, with a half hour of kayaking, breakfast, blogging and then getting a few things done before showering and putting on a coat and tie, and dress shoes for the first time in ages.

Our drive was close to three hours, via Erie and then #79 to Pittsburgh. It started out with drizzle for the first hour, then would clear up briefly, the sun would come out and then it would cloud up again and drizzle much of the way. It was an easy often spectacular fall drive until we got to the city and left #79 as we wended our way through back streets and neighborhoods to the funeral home in Aspinwall, a suburb of Pittsburgh. We waited in line at the funeral home for twenty minutes, chatting with a friend, Charley T, and Ken's teaching friends. Ken and his family seemed to be doing well despite their loss. Marjorie had been suffering from Alzheimer's for four or five years so her passing was not unexpected but sad nonetheless.   On our way home we reminisced about all the dinners we had shared, at each other homes, and off to restaurants like the Nic-l-Inn.   Marjorie's sweetness, sense of humor, and optimistic outlook made her a pleasure to be with in sickness and health.

Pennsylvania Colors

Road Trip

We left for home by 5:00 and fortunately, our drive out of Pittsburgh to #79 was easy. On our way home, I promised Evie a Whopper at Burger King. Both of us have discovered it recently and have decided it's the best fast food burger. So we drove for a couple of hours, once again through clouds and sunshine, to Burger King on Peach Street in Erie. We walked in and Evie ordered but their grill caught on fire earlier and they were unable to make burgers, just chicken. What a riot! 

Darkness In The Afternoon

We left laughing and drove to Findlay Lake, to Alexanders, where we also like their burgers. The bar was practically empty so we easily found a seat, ordered a beer and a burger and fries, and loved them. The fries are the best around or so my fries connoisseur Evie thought. And the burgers were great, not a Whopper but still good. 

We drove home then in the fog, taking our time, and pulled into our parking area around 8:15, in time to watch a little TV before going up to bed.