Bridezilla: A Man’s Perspective

It’s safe to say, most weddings you’ve attended or will attend won’t be as lavish as next week’s royal wedding, where some estimates claim the price tag for Prince William and Catherine Middleton tying the knot could be as high as $64 million.

I don’t mind the rain

I realized something today that I think I’ve probably always known: I like rain.

No, I don’t like flooding or monsoon-type conditions. But a nice, cloudy day with hit or miss showers and some thunder and lightning really are nice.

There’s something about hearing the rain pelt off a roof or windowsill that allows me to be at peace and still accomplish the day’s tasks. That pitt-pitt-pitt noise of the drips coming from an overhang help me to imagine that I’m sitting on a wraparound porch on a wooden lounge chair (sometimes a swinging chair) with a nice, soft cushion as a light breeze dances through.

Off in the distance, I can see a large body of water (at times, it is Lake Erie, and other times, it is an ocean) with constant waves marching to the shore.

I’ve always wanted a patio with a protective cover. My family has a nice deck on the side of our house that is fantastic for the summer sun. But when it rains, we scatter indoors as a few of our neighbors remain outside watching the rain fall.

At an apartment I once lived in, there was a front porch area where I’d often sit and take in the views the rain offered.

Lightning and thunder add to the views, too. And, while I know it is dangerous to be outside in a storm, I still can escape an opportunity to sit outside in a thunderstorm.

Of course, the muddy yard is a less than desirable after effect of a rain fall, but that’s to be expected, I suppose. Puddles always are fun unless you’re standing at a street corner as a car whizzes by. That happened once to me — I was waiting to cross when a car’s tire hit a puddle. From the waist down, it looked as though I couldn’t wait to use the restroom.

Probably, the only time rain disgusts me is during a day at Kennywood Park. There’s nothing more upsetting than to be in line for the Thunderbolt or Jack Rabbit and hear the ride attendants talk about an impending storm.

I’ve waited out the rain a handful of times at Kennywood. Those were the times you filed into the Penny Arcade or the cafeteria. Of course, so did everybody else.

No matter how long the rain lasts, I know it won’t be around forever. It’s just part of the constantly changing weather. Besides, come August, we’ll be longing for a good, steady rainfall to help the plant life grow.

If for nothing else, I finally was able to use a Christmas gift my friend Jim Lokay gave me — an umbrella with a fun map of Pittsburgh on the underside. Kept looking up when I should have watched where I was going!

I’ll need a few more rain falls to look at what other landmarks the map offers.

There’s no place like Erie and there’s nothing like great friends

I had a chance to get to Erie this past weekend. For those who know me, you know that I love Erie and everything it has to offer. There is no better place in the world.

I always have fun in Erie, and this weekend was no exception. My 24-hour visit included a SeaWolves game, Sara’s, Wegmans and a friend’s baby’s first birthday party. There never is enough time to experience all of Erie.

I traveled with a good friend of mine who is, for the most part, unfamiliar with Erie. So it’s always great to introduce somebody else to all of what Erie has to offer. He had been with me and another friend in February when we went to an Otters game.

After living there for awhile and going there each summer as a child, I’ve grown to love and respect the lake town. I’ve always said that Erie has EVERYTHING a big city has, just on a smaller scale. I’ve never found a town with more things to do in all four seasons than I have in Erie.

The great thing about Erie — and probably why it continues to shine — is that the city and county don’t need anything big or sparkly or attractive or commercialized to get people to visit. The beaches, the great sports teams, the history, the food, the shopping, the wineries — what the heck else do you need to have a great time?

What I found most unexpected in this trip was the quality time my friend and I were able to spend together. The car ride to and from Erie offered a lot of time to talk about stuff we’ve never been able to for an extended period of time — or, for that matter, in person. And the hotel night also was fun as we watched TV until about 4 a.m.

While the SeaWolves game on Saturday was a bit chilly, it still was a good time. The SeaWolves lost to Altoona, though. But it still provided a great time filled with lots of entertainment. Summer games are better than early season games, but I can never get to enough SeaWolves games!

Seeing a few great friends of college helped to make the weekend even better. They’re two of my best pals from college and I rarely see them. It was fun to blend old and new friends.

Trips to Erie always are too short. After living there for a bit, I hate feeling like a visitor in a city I love so dearly.

One of these days, I’ll get there for an extended trip like I did a few summers ago. There’s so much to experience in Erie!

Keep drinkin’ that Kool-Aid

The front office staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates would like to thank the 39,000-plus fools who attended Thursday’s home opener. Your continued support will allow the Pirates to keep offering bad baseball in Pittsburgh.

Here we are, entering our 19th consecutive year of bad professional baseball on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

The embarrassing on-field performances shouldn’t solely be based on the players. The team members who have made up the roster over that time have done exactly what they’ve been hired to do — play baseball.

We’ve read the stories detailing profits made by front office staff at the Pirates. We’ve painstakingly watched 18 years of bad baseball.

And still, people continue to show up on opening day — and throughout the season. But why?

Many of the comments I heard today centered around this: “It was a great day spent with friends.”

Oh yeah? So you paid at least $20 to get into a ballpark, at least $7 for each beer and about $6 for nachos just to have a good time with friends? Call me crazy, but there are cheaper (and more entertaining ways) to spend time with friends.

But let’s look even deeper at this issue. Those who continue to be complacent are not able to see beyond their statement of it being a nice day with friends. They refuse to accept reality.

If these people truly enjoyed baseball the way they claim to, they’d divert their money and efforts to other forms of sporting entertainment. For instance, the Washington Wild Things have offered excellent, victorious seasons surpassing that of the Pirates. The Altoona Curve, Erie SeaWolves and Mahoning Valley Scrappers also offer great, competitive baseball — things you don’t get from the Pirates.

Yes, PNC Park offers a great view of the city, but think about how much more fun you’d be having if the team actually was good. Now THAT would be a lot of fun — to go to a game, cheer for a great team and leave knowing you saw a competitive team, to cheer for winners and get to see playoffs and experience that playoff atmosphere that you so often get with the Steelers and Penguins.

I love baseball. It was the only sport I truly enjoyed playing growing up. It is the only sport I truly enjoy watching in person in a stadium. Working for a baseball team was one of the most rewarding jobs I ever had. And I love the underdog — being from Pittsburgh makes me love underdogs.

But the Pirates are no underdogs. To be an underdog, you have to be competitive.

Supporting the Pirates is like supporting an alcoholic. You know it’s not going to end well, but you keep doing it.

There is a myriad of Pittsburghers, like myself, who love the Penguins, Steelers and Pirates. But as a Pittsburgher who loves sports and loves black and gold. Sometimes, the best love is tough love.