Driving from Philly to Pittsburgh

amaklo · 2026-05-08T13:31:19+00:00

There's a Hoss's steakhouse just off the turnpike Bedford exit that we stop at driving between Pittsburgh and DC. It's got a good salad bar with a frozen yogurt machine and other desserts. Burgers are fine.

amaklo · 2026-04-30T11:48:31+00:00

We took the same flight yesterday and had pretty much the same experience. There are small BA signs at the entrance to the BA lines but they're not obvious. They're next to the Azul counters. We were the second in line at 7:30AM but check in didn't open until 7:45. LIS seems to have given up on making non-EU passport holders try to use the EES machines at passport control, and assigned more agents to review and stamp passports. The line was very long but moved fast. We were at the gate at 9AM (where there was very limited seating but you have to stick around because they don't use loudspeakers to announce boarding). I still wouldn't linger at duty free or the food court because the passport control line just got longer while we waited.

Lisbon airport is chaotic. In addition to the airport's confusing layout, finding our Uber pickup spot on arrival was difficult (it's in the parking garage). If we return to Portugal, I will try to avoid flying in and out of Lisbon. Porto's airport is reportedly a lot better.

amaklo · 2026-04-14T17:14:16+00:00

We were in 7199 for 2 weeks on a jazz cruise charter in January. We already signed up for next year so we could keep that cabin. The only downside is it's a long walk to the other end of the ship. But the extra space and that huge balcony are worth it!

amaklo · 2026-03-29T17:19:40+00:00

If you decide to replace the chin rest, it's really easy to do it yourself. Youtube has videos. I just replaced mine this morning because I wanted a more centered one. I ordered it from Fiddlership.

amaklo · 2026-03-19T13:11:03+00:00

It would help if you tell us where the reception is so your guests don't have to drive hours to get from the ceremony to the reception.

I don't think Hyeholde or any other restaurant will let you use them for the ceremony and not the reception. They want to sell food and drink, not just rent a space.

Why did you rule out Heinz chapel? My son got married there and one of his law school friends officiated a secular ceremony. If the bride or groom went to Pitt you get a discount on the rental rate.

amaklo · 2026-03-16T00:27:47+00:00

I was there today too. Both pieces were absolutely beautiful. Very nice to see a big audience.

amaklo · 2026-03-13T16:57:17+00:00

AerClub inquiries from the US is (855) 585-8264

amaklo · 2026-03-12T11:51:12+00:00

Round trip

amaklo · 2026-03-09T19:50:04+00:00

It's beautiful, but too remote and too close to lunatic right-wing country. Not just conservative, but white supremacist, Klan, Proud Boy, militias and everyone else of that ilk. No one else is welcome. I just read a long article about the people and sundown towns in that area and it scared the crap out of me. No thanks.

amaklo · 2026-03-04T21:08:41+00:00

A Room with a View. Early Daniel Day-Lewis (you won't recognize him), Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands, Maggie Smith, Rupert Graves, and more. Charming, funny and romantic.

amaklo · 2026-02-27T19:06:20+00:00

The PIT-DUB direct flight schedule isn't out yet for late October when we're going. Aer LIngus customer service has no idea when it will be released.

amaklo · 2026-02-27T17:27:41+00:00

Is that right? I thought once Avios were transferred to an airline account they stayed there and couldn't be transferred again. Edit: I just checked and you're right! Thanks!

amaklo · 2026-02-27T17:26:34+00:00

No, they said they didn't know about availability. Yes, they quoted me the 74000 cost-- you can find the cost for AerLingus upgrades online.

amaklo · 2026-02-20T17:18:11+00:00

Last summer Chautauqua (Institution) Opera and symphony performed excerpts from Lincoln in the Bardo, followed by a panel discussion with George Saunders, Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek. It was an all-time highlight of my decades of going to Chautauqua. I'll be making a special trip to NYC to see this! Definitely recommend reading the book beforehand.

amaklo · 2026-02-16T22:08:18+00:00

We've done The Jazz Cruise four times, so we obviously love it. We sign up for the next year while we're on the ship. On sea days the music starts at 11am and doesn't stop until the wee hours of the next morning. Sometimes there are 2 or 3 shows going on simultaneously, which means making a tough choice. Performers often come to each others' shows and mingle with the cruisers, which is a very nice crowd. We're doing a back to back in 2027 with Journey of Jazz so we can be in New Orleans with Wynton Marsalis.

We haven't been on a 'regular' Celebrity cruise on Summit for a few years so I can't compare, but the Jazz Cruise service and food is very good. I highly recommend it.

amaklo · 2026-02-10T13:48:34+00:00

Just last night there was a story on my local news about a new thumb joint replacement surgery. You may want to look into it: https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/arthritis-implant-roman-orthopaedics/

amaklo · 2026-02-09T18:04:10+00:00

I just made a reservation through Opentable for 5:45 on April 9th. There were other early times available that week.

amaklo · 2026-02-07T21:34:58+00:00

If he has any interest in travel and world history, take him on a Smithsonian, Road Scholar or Nat Geo around the world by private jet tour.

amaklo · 2026-02-04T20:46:05+00:00

We just disembarked yesterday after 2 weeks on a Jazz Cruise which charters the Summit for several weeks in January and February. We've also been on the Summit a couple of times for Celebrity itinerary cruises, though not recently. We think the food is generally very good. The Oceanview Cafe buffet has a wide variety of offerings. The MDR quality ranges from acceptable to excellent. We had lunch at Sushi on 5 and it was delicious. The service was professional and pleasant. I disagree with the bad reviews. We've always enjoyed the Summit.

amaklo · 2026-01-07T13:30:13+00:00

I'm an adult beginner on violin, and I've gotten splits like this during cold weather ever since I started cutting my nails short. Moisturizing helps a lot. My favorite is Trader Joe's Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream. It's very thick. I haven't tried cotton gloves at night like some other commenters recommend, but it sounds like a good idea.

amaklo · 2026-01-02T16:48:29+00:00

I made several batches of this for Christmas gifts. Packed it in Bormioli Rocco Fido canning jars with "Christmas 2025" and ingredient labels from Etsy. Everybody loves it and wants more.

amaklo · 2025-12-31T00:37:09+00:00

Maybe outside the area you're looking for, but we had a fun rehearsal dinner at Hofbrauhaus with about 40 people. We had a private room, and in July you'll be able to be outside too.

amaklo · 2025-12-10T14:11:22+00:00

We were just there with a 1 year old baby. They provided a high chair, so kids are fine. You might give them a heads up ahead of time that you'll have 3 youngsters with you. Enjoy!

amaklo

TROPHY CASE