Dancing through life

I'm about to quote a Wicked song for the second time on this blog, so non-Broadway geeks beware!

"Dancing through life Skimming the surface Gliding where turf is smooth For the brainless Why think too hard? When it's so soothing Dancing through life"

Did you notice the third line of that song excerpt? Gliding where turf is smooth. I think this line perfectly describes Pittsburgh's favorite Dancing with the Stars competitor, Steelers' wide receiver Hines Ward. Lately, #86 has been gliding on relatively smooth turf (aha, football reference!) while dancing through his life off the field. This season Hines has been more than just a participant on the long running reality show. He has consistently been one of the highest scoring competitors, and the only other celebrities left to compete against him are actresses Chelsea Kane and Kirstie Alley.
I'll be the first to admit that I have not been following Hines regularly during his run on DWTS. I had never been an avid fan of the show prior to his appearance, and I just couldn't find the time to watch one of my favorite Steelers shake his booty on the dance floor. Additionally, it seemed that every time I turned to the show some random celebrity that was not Hines was dancing. Frankly, I didn't care to see Kendra Wilkinson pathetically try to ballroom dance!
Now, before you navigate away from my blog because of my lack of loyalty to Hines, read this next sentence. Recently, I've been paying a lot more attention to Hines and his dancing escapades. I started tuning in once I discovered that his partner, professional dancer Kym Johnson, had been injured during practice. I wondered how the pair would come back from Johnson's potentially serious injury. (Hines practically dropped Kym on her head during rehearsal...ouch!) So, I tuned in, and I was not disappointed. I learned what many other Burghers had known for awhile: Hines was pretty darn good at this whole dancing thing. Heck, he could even try out for the part of Fiyero. (Virtual high five if you got that Wicked reference). Now that Hines is in the top three, I'm hooked. My competitive spirit that is so present during Steelers' season has returned with a vengeance. A loss by Hines is simply not an option. Tonight, I'll be waving my Terrible Towel at my TV, while hoping and praying that Hines comes out on top. What better way to cure my depression from the Steelers' Super loss than a wicked win by Hines?!

P.S. This Wicked themed post was inspired by my excitement over the musical's return to the Burgh! Galinda and Elphaba will land in the Steel City on September 7, and they won't fly back to Oz (actually, they'll fly to their next tour stop: Atlanta) until October 2. As you can probably tell, Wicked is my very favorite musical, and I am determined to find a way home from college to see the show. When I do see it for the second time (I saw it for the first time last year in New York), it will be one fine day! (aha, another reference!)

A Steeler worth rooting for:

I'm sure you have heard the uproar that Steelers' running back Rashard Mendenhall has created with his recent Tweets about Osama bin Laden's death. Unfortunately, "Rush hard" has done a pretty good job of making both himself and the Steelers organization look purty bad. He's certainly not the first Steeler to get himself on a prime spot on the "naughty" list (Ahem, Big Ben and Santonio Holmes). But, I'm here to assure you that the Steelers aren't full of silly gooses. Of course, we usually only hear about the silly gooses that make the headlines for their mistakes. Pittsburgh's favorite football team is full of great guys who truly make a difference in their community. Such as,
A.) The 'Burgh's favorite Dancing with the Stars contestant, Hines Ward. Pretty much everyone in Steeler Nation loves #86 and apparently so do the ballroom dancing star's judges.
B.) Head and Shoulders spokesman Troy Polamalu. Pittsburgher's love Troy's flowing locks and his humorous spots for the shampoo company.
But, now, I have another player to add to the Steelers' list of players on the "nice" list. During the recent NFL draft, the team selected former Texas Tech running back Baron Batch. I have to admit that I dislike the draft almost as much as I like the Steelers. I simply don't understand why it's made into such a huge media circus, and quite frankly, I pay very little attention to the whole thing. In fact, before reading a recent post on That's Church, I didn't even realize that the Steelers had drafted Batch. Although, even those diehard fans who watched every second of the draft might not have realized that Batch was drafted. The running back was selected in the seven round, and he will face a tough path the next few months to make it on the team. But this will certainly not be the first time Batch has faced tough circumstances. Simply take a glance at his blog to take a peek at his amazing and inspiring life story. I can almost guarantee that you'll stick around the blog for awhile. He's a phenomenal writer with a great, big heart, which is very evident through his posts. One thing is certain -- I'll be keeping up with his blog even if he doesn't make the team. In fact, I'm certain that even if he doesn't have a successful football career he will find something positive and inspiring to do with the rest of his life!
Go Baron! I mean, how can you not root for him?
(And you, go read his blog!)

Sunshine > Winning

Demolished.
That's a pretty good word to describe the result of the Pens' playoff game on Saturday. They were shut out for most of the game, but managed to score two measly goals by the final buzzer and lost 8-2 to Tampa. My co-worker and I had sneakily changed the radio station to 105.9 (the radio home of the Pens), but we reverted to our usual station once the enemies scored their fifth unanswered goal. We refused to suffer through any more of that nonsense! Of course, I was shocked and saddened by the result of the game. The Pens could have clinched the series with a win, despite the absence of the two-headed monster. Now, they will attempt to clinch tomorrow night back in sunny Florida.
After a few minutes of mourning, I quickly realized the reason behind my favorite team's lack of motivation: sunny Florida. Surely, the guys understood that a loss meant another trip to south Florida. They probably salivated at the thought of one more chance to soak up some rays in Tampa and look up at a sunny, blue sky. I can hardly blame them. At this point, I would do almost anything to get away from this gloomy excuse for "spring weather" (see below post). Given the chance, I think I would choose another day staring at the Florida sunshine over a few more days staring at the gray clouds here, too. So, if the Pens clinch the series tomorrow and stop the Lightning with some Flower power, I'll feel a little better about their Saturday suckitude. After all, I would probably choose sunshine and a Game 6 win over continued torture from Pittsburgh's weather gods.
Now, excuse me while I search for the next flight to the Sunshine State...

I love Pittsburgh, but...

...I can't take this crazy weather anymore!

Rain. Snow. Clouds. Hail. TORNADOES.

This is certainly not the weather I have been hoping and praying for months. According to the calendar, we're eight days into April and it's officially spring. By this time of year the sun should be shining and the temperatures should be steadily climbing. Instead, the sun seems to be hibernating and the temperatures seem to be dropping, not rising. Perhaps Western Pennsylvanians did something to offend Mother Nature? Mother Nature, I hope you read this blog, because I just wanted to tell you on behalf of all Pittsburghers that WE'RE SORRY. Now, can you please send some springy weather? Pretty please? With sugar on top and a cherry?

Because as much as I love Pittsburgh, I want nothing more than a plane ticket and hotel reservation in somewhere like this...

Hawaii

Turks and Caicos

Hmm, maybe my apology was accepted, because it seems that the weather will be getting a little brighter over the next few days.

Ok, well maybe just on Sunday. 80 degrees...woooohooo! Severe thunderstorms you say? But it will be warm! That's a step in the right direction! I do realize that April is a crazy month for weather and is known as the "rainy month," but come on! I think I can speak for all Western Pennsylvanians when I say BRING ON SPRING!

Please and thank you.

It's official!

Today, director Christopher Nolan officially announced that he will be filming part of the next installment in the Batman series in Pittsburgh! Rumors have been swirling about Batman in the 'Burgh for months, and I've even blogged about them myself. I was beyond thrilled to learn that the rumors have been confirmed! In case you haven't heard some of the upcoming movie's stars will be...

• Christian Bale


• Anne Hathaway


• Joseph Gordon-Levitt


• Marion Cotillard


• Tom Hardy

When you're in the city this summer, keep an eye out for the Batmobile flying down Fifth Avenue!

A bit of heaven in the 'Burgh

About 30 minutes east of downtown Pittsburgh there is a bakery that has been sent from above. Sweet is primarily known for its ice cream, but I recently discovered their cake balls. AKA pieces of heaven here on Earth. Imagine for a second...your favorite kind of cake mixed with icing, covered in chocolate. Is your mouth watering yet?

I chose the peanut butter (on right) and red velvet flavors. I would highly recommend both. Like I said, they're heaven on earth!

Even though I only recently tasted Sweet's delicious cake balls, I'm no stranger to the idea of them. I've been a longtime follower of the blog Bakerella, even though my attempts at creating the site's treats have always failed. The blogger always makes my mouth water with the pictures of her delicious desserts! While reading her blog one day I discovered her recipes for cake balls. I experimented with the recipe for red velvet cake balls, but it failed miserable. Let's just say that baking is not my forte. Anyways, Bakerella eventually came up with a recipe for cake pops that has become world famous. She wrote a book about them, and they are now sold in Starbucks cafes! I'm almost certain that Sweet got the idea for cake balls from Bakerella, and I'm so thrilled that I finally got to taste the delicousness I have been reading about for years!

So here I am recommending even more unhealthy food for you! But just like Pamela's pancakes, Sweet's cake balls are simply delectable. Go to sweet right now and taste one of the closest things to heaven on earth!

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!