Penguins & Cheescake

The weekend is almost upon us, and I can't wait for it to begin!

I have a very busy and exciting weekend ahead of me, including an entire day spent downtown on Sunday. My dad and I have tickets to the Penguins game, and afterwards, we'll be eating dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in the South Side Works (pictured at left). Mmm, hockey and cheesecake. Two of my absolute favorite things!

I love watching hockey games at the Consol Energy Center and chowing down on delicious cuisine, but I also love simply being downtown. It's no secret that I love the 'Burgh, and I truly enjoy every opportunity I get to hang out in the city. I love watching all the fans walk towards the arena on a "hockey afternoon in Pittsburgh." While the sports are certainly one of the best things about the 'Burgh (besides the baseball team that shall not be named), I think the unity the teams cause is even better. Thousands of people joining together and cheering for their favorite team in a beautiful new rink is an amazing thing to see. Sure, sports teams in all cities bring fans together, but the unity of fans is even more apparent in the 'Burgh.

Meanwhile, the Cheesecake Factory brings people for different reasons, such as hungry tummies and chocolate cravings. My mouth starts watering simply thinking about their food, but I also look forward to walking around the South Side Works. All of the shops are unique and interesting, and they provide a great distraction while waiting for a table at the restaurant. Additionally, the views of the skyline from across the river are some of the best in the 'Burgh!

I'll be posting some pictures from my Sunday in the city next week, so stay tuned!

Don't you want a blog post?

Hello, Internet. It's been awhile!

When I realized that it's been a week since my last blog post, I knew that I had to post immediately! Not much has happened in the 'Burgh in the last week, and lately I've had a minor case of writer's block. So here's some randomness from the City of Champions...

*Wait, did I just type that "not much has happened in the 'Burgh in the last week"?! Oops! FAIL. Unless you have been living under a rock somewhere in Boyce Park the last seven days, you know that the Penguins made some blockbuster moves. A) Defenseman Alex Goligoski was booted to Dallas in exchange for left winger James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. B) Alex Kovalev is headed back to the 'Burgh after he was acquired from the Senators for a conditional 2011 7th round draft pick. Woot, woot! If only Siddo and Geno were healthy...
But wait! Because the Pens don't have enough star players on the injured reserve list (yep, that's Internet sarcasm), defenseman Brooks Orpik will now be out four weeks with a broken finger. First my Sidney, now my Brooksy! Oh my, being a Pens fan is truly an exciting, yet stressful time right now! Because we can't seem to remember how to win either.

Anyways...

*Looks like that whole "new Batman movie filming in the 'Burgh" thing is pretty legit. One of the recent posts on That's Church posted a picture of Dark Knight producer Christopher Nolan chilling on Smithfield Street. Not a big deal. (Again with the Internet sarcasm) Now, with all the current drama with the Pittsburgh film office, this whole thing has still not been confirmed. But the director's chilling in the 'Burgh which sure seems like a good sign. Cue the Batmobile!

And that is all. Hope your Over the Hills fix has been satisfied!

P.S. Yes, this post's title was inspired by this week's episode of Glee. Lea Michele and Darren Criss sang an awesome version of "Don't You Want Me." Oh, to sing as well as those two can...
Check the full scene out below:



...And that's really all!

Concussed

See this guy on the left? You might recognize him. His name is Sidney Crosby. He plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but for the last month he's been M.I.A. When I first heard that Sidney had a concussion way back in January, I thought he'd be back in a few days or weeks. Oh, how wrong I was. He has now missed 15 games, and his return isn't in sight. In a press conference yesterday, he announced that he is unsure if he will even play again this season.

Let's go wayyy back to January 6. You'll recall that on that day Sidney was diagnosed with a mild concussion and was projected to be out for about a week. Apparently, that projection was wrong.

At first, I was upset about his prolonged absence. Even though we have been playing relatively well without him, it's never good to have your captain and star player out of the lineup. However, I realized that this was not just any old injury. It was a brain injury. Rumor has it that Sidney suffered two brain injuries in consecutive games against the Capitals and Lightning. Brain injuries are serious business, and you don't need to be a neurosurgeon to figure that out. To learn more about Sidney's injury, I headed to WebMD and read their article on concussions. The article says "Some symptoms last for just seconds; others may linger." Obviously, in Sid's case the symptoms have lasted a lot longer than a few seconds.

I'm a hockey fan, but I'm also a caring and compassionate person. I want Sid to come back for the good of the team, but I realize that his health is much more important than winning or losing. After all, losing a few games is a lot better than losing a great player like #87 forever. So, get well soon Sidney, and don't come back to the ice before your noggin is ready! :)

TK & the Terrible Towel

#Pens Kennedy with the Terrible Towel during an intermission ... on Twitpic

TK cheering on the Steelers! Here we go!!!