Winding up with a wait
My sleep last night went surprisingly ok. Sixer the cat was perched on my chest as I was dozing off and I expected that to continue throughout the night. However for the most part I slept straight through from 11-6 , I can’t complain.
I was the first one up so I worked on repacking my bag. Luggage space has been at an absolute premium. I needed to ensure I stayed under 40 pounds so I brought one of our smaller bags. Unfortunately big and bulky winter clothes eat up a lot of space rather quickly. Dirty and clean clothing is neatly folded, comingled and compressed to the max so I could barely close the zipper. I had so much stuff that this morning we stopped at the post office to mail the DeWalt batteries and charger Todd bought me for my birthday. I just have no room for even another sock.
Patrick had taken all of the parts out of the box the 3D printer came in and had them laid out on a desk. Wow, it was a lot of parts. I have read that generally speaking, a 3D printer in kit form will take the greater part of a weekend to assemble. It would probably push the limits of my patience but I have no doubt Patrick will be able to buzz through the assembly without major issue.
I walked the dogs with dad to the nearby Unimart so he could grab a cup of coffee which apparently is a daily tradition when he is visiting Patrick. Clara took a dump by the sidewalk on the way. Dad conveniently didn’t bring any poop bags, he basically never cleans up after the dogs. However I anticipated this and had a couple in my pocket. I took care of Clara’s early Christmas gift so we could be responsible Troy Hill visitors.
Walking through the old hill top Pittsburgh suburb is truly stepping back in time a century or more which is the age of most of the buildings you pass. I find it sort of fascinating that these structures are for the most part still intact and used heavily. Coming from Naples, where the majority of the buildings were built in the last 10-20 years, seeing all of this old classic architecture up close is a pleasant change, although I can’t say I would ever look to live in such a building personally.
When we got back we got ready to go out to breakfast at Kelly-O, a place I ate with Patrick last year when I visited. All five of us jammed into the Subaru, I drove with dad and Patrick as my navigators. The breakfast just like last year was very good. I felt fortunate I ordered something that had a reasonable portion size. Everybody else’s plates had massive amounts of tasty goodness piled on.
After the breakfast we headed towards Patrick’s SECOND place, a building he bought over the summer. He has been working on the renovation and hopes to be moved in there early next year and then rent where he is living to someone else. Pat warned me ahead of time that the place needed a lot of work. He certainly was telling the truth. It was hard to turn anywhere in the end unit row home and not see something that needed to be fixed or done.
Patrick has already done a ton of work doing demo and first level repairs. He is about ready to start doing more building and less ripping out. When you look around the place you see potential everywhere. It is huge compared to his current place. I was truly amazed how much he has done so far and what he plans to yet accomplish. The degree and amount of work he is tackling is light years beyond anything I would consider taking on myself. The fact that he is willing to take this on does not surprise me though. Pat is one of the most determined people I have ever known. I look forward to seeing how the renovation matures. I have no doubt it will be amazing when completed.
After getting back from the house number two tour we loaded up the car with luggage, dogs, and stuff to get ready to push out. I said goodbye to Pat and Nico. It’s always good to see both of them. They are both such good people with good intentions. You just feel better about the world after being in their sphere of influence for a period of time.
I once again took the wheel for the drive to the airport. Despite not knowing the area we figured I would be better suited for the demands of city driving. Dad and Teresa directed us to the airport with no incident. I hugged them both and thanked them again for a GREAT weekend. I told dad I loved him but I think neglected to say it loud enough that he could hear me with his reduced hearing. It’s all good, both my dad and stepmom know I love them and appreciate everything they do to make their kids lives better.
So as I was pulling out my phone to pull up my electronic boarding pass I saw an email from Spirit notifying me of a nearly two hour delay. Bad timing for sure but if that is the worst part of this otherwise unforgettable long weekend I am ok with it. I am looking forward to rolling back into warmer temperatures and familiar surroundings. This really has been an early Christmas gift that I will be able to appreciate and cherish for many years to follow. See you all on the flip side.