The one sibling who wouldn't be able to come to Pittsburgh while we were here was David. He's always needed in Harrisburg whene he manages 5 McDonald's, but usually they come the weekend afterwards. However, their daughter, grandchild #14, is in a dance competition this weekend. Therefore, Mohammed went to the mountain.

We started by thawing out the car. There was a light frost. I also discovered that we get a 10% discount on Denny's meals with our room key. Good timing on this, with a week left! We stopped by the house, but Ed had decided not to go with us.

The round trip is a bit over 225 miles. On the way, Rich and I went through a series of tunnels: Fort Pitt, Squirrel Hill, Allegheny Mountain, Tuscarora Mtn, and Kittatinny Mtn followed closely by Blue Mountain. En route, we listened to a polka program. This is a nostalgia trip. Me, I had no idea there still WERE polka programs! I was especially amazed by the religious one.

One passenger in a passing car had a stuffed jackalope! I wonder how many other people on the turnpike recognized it! I talked to some people from a tour bus. They were on their way home to Dover, Delaware, from the Festival of Lights in Wheeling West Virginia. (Which looks like the one we saw last year. I seem to have flushed the picture.)

We discussed going to look at the Capitol, but in the end, Rich wanted to be sure to make it before the Steelers game. Our first greeting was by their Golden Retriever, Ginger. who was thrilled to see us. Grandchild #15 wanted me to check out his Lego village. It's huge! D. is an expert on Legos and has almost every set ever made, though he doesn't have the Hallowe'en set I just got. He was also eager to show the school project I had helped with a couple of years ago. He had a book that got sent out, and we were to write a page about where we lived, and put in a picture, and send a postcard before sending the book on. I had put in a picture of Rich trimming a palm tree, and sent a picture of the Sacramento Capitol. I sent it on to Monica, who put in a picture of her wedding with the Mission in the background. She sent it to her former roommate in Jamaica, and from there it went to Chuk, Guam, Sweden and Finland. Pretty exciting!

K. had her dance books to show me, and also I was enjoying getting to know my sister-in-law. I'd only met her once, at my Father-in-Law's funeral, when K's arrival in 7 months was just being announced. Debbie is from the Harrisburg area, and works in the school district. Once dinner was over and the dishes were being washed, we left the men to the game and went out to get a better look at their neighbor, Three Mile Island.

I was so GOOD about not sitting at the computer. I deserve a medal. Once Debbie and I got back, the game was over, and we left. We stopped on the way back for some Hershey's Ice Cream. Yumm.