A Baby Shower, Super Mario Galaxy and a Sleep Study!

Today’s blog post opens up a six pack on the things that made my April enjoyable. Also, I’ve been enjoying The Pitt and I’ll share some of my favorite moments from season one. Finally, while I don’t always get a week with two days off in a row, the universe will sometimes work in my favor. Which week was my favorite?

The top three events that topped April for me were: going to my friend’s baby shower, visiting the Beaver Club, and taking part in the sleep study at the Greensburg Sleep Center.

I enjoyed celebrating the parents-to-be at the Westmoreland Country Club. It’s the same place they got married at five years ago and I was there then as well. Chloe got many great gifts and so did the new parents. I’m looking forward to meeting her when makes her entrance next month.

Well, my visit to the Beaver Club finally happened. The experience is worth the hype and I was even able to get in the group picture at the end of the meeting. The club meets the same night as Greensburg and between my meeting and work, it’s damn near impossible for me to attend. But everything worked in my favor and I had a good time. I even gave an ice breaker speech. It was a little out of order in my Pathways journey but it was a good way for the club to get to know me.

Last Thursday’s visit to the Sleep Center was a success. The study itself was effective and the nurse was able to monitor my sleep. I don’t know if one can call this a success if the patient has sleep apnea, but I do. When I return next Thursday, I’ll be trying on CPAP masks. Thus, a new era for me could be starting soon.

The visit and the study did encourage me to change some of my sleeping habits, however.

Getting honorable mention this month would include my lunch at Brady’s in Acme. It was just nice to get together with Mom and Aunt Sue and enjoy a quiet lunch. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect either. I’m hoping to make a return trip there for a weekend breakfast sometime this summer. Seeing the Super Mario Galaxy movie was fun too. Is it better than the original? Both films are great and we’ll enjoy watching the sequel again when it streams on Peacock (most likely in the Summer)

Last but not least, coffee visits always make my day. Cutie’s and Caleese always impress. I’ll end the month with a stop at Cutie’s like I’ll begin the next month. 

Upon finishing Queer Eye at the end of February, my next watch project would be the popular medical drama The Pitt. The show airs on HBO Max and is led by Noah Wyle, who starred in NBC’s ER. There was some heat when the estate of Michael Crichton filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. It alleged that the show was an unauthorized reboot of ER. 

Aside from that, the show represents Pittsburgh very well, even if the accents aren’t perfect but who’s keeping score. From watching the first season, I got to witness some memorable storylines. The mass shooting was intense but it brought out the best in the Pitt doctors. Dr. King and Dr. Whitaker are my two favorites so far. Not trailing far behind are Dr. Robby and Dr. Evans. Taylor Dearden, who portrays Dr. King, is the daughter of Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle star Bryan Cranston.  The Pitt represents the city well, and does the same portraying an urban hospital and the struggles that it faces. 

I’ve had a few weeks in April where I’ve been off two days in a row. At WIS that was common. At Giant Eagle, not so much. But I try to make the most of them when I can. Five years in, I’ve established myself. This has given me the opportunity to attend events; however, it also gave me time to reflect. I had one week where I didn’t have my car for a couple of days, so I stayed home and relaxed. My mom and I enjoyed a nice lunch in the foothills of the Laurel Highlands with my aunt. It was a perfect day that stretched into the early afternoon and we got to see some sights along the way. Plus, I gave Brady’s a nice review and hope to be back on a weekend for the breakfast buffet. 

My next stretch of consecutive days off isn’t far away though, as two weeks from now I’ll be at the Spring Conference. Vacation won’t be far off either as it will be a few weeks later.

My Experience at the Greensburg Sleep Center!

Patient in sleep lab bed with electrodes attached and vital signs on monitor
A patient undergoing a sleep study with EEG and ECG monitoring

On Thursday morning, I drove to Greensburg Sleep Center to take part in a sleep study that I was scheduled for. The study would get me tested for sleep apnea. Most of the studies are done overnight and I originally scheduled it for 8:30pm. Thinking it would be easier to do it during the day, we were able to agree on rescheduling it for the morning. This was due to my late hours at Giant Eagle. The lady who ran my study was very professional and had a good bedside manner.

I changed into my pajamas and got ready for bed. Afterwards, my nurse who was in charge of the study hooked me up with wires and put a belt around me. This took a few minutes to get all put together. However, this also puts things into perspective for me on how I get ready to settle down at home. It was required that I wear sleepwear that was two piece plus it helped if I brought my own pillows. Two was plenty as three would alter the study.

She explained everything to me including how to page her if I needed anything. I would have to do it if I needed to use the bathroom since I was hooked up with all the wires. For this study, I had to sleep on my back. This also put things into perspective as I’ve always slept on my side or my stomach.

I did some exercises in bed before I would go to sleep. The nurse had me look in every direction using my head, blink five times, and breathe via my nose and mouth. I concluded by taking a deep breath and holding it. I only paged a couple of times so the intercom definitely worked. The test was a success and the results were in.

I definitely had sleep apnea.

I’m smelling a speech topic for my next project, “Prepare to Speak Professionally”. Can I get 15 minutes out of this topic? I’m pretty confident.

As for my follow-up sleep study, it will be on May 7. Everything will stay the same from the first study with one exception. Instead of the nose plugs, I’ll be trying on CPAP masks. I was fortunate to have an early morning sleep study and a friendly nurse to guide me through it. The room I slept in was nice as well. No windows, which kept the brightness out. In two weeks, I’ll be right back there.

Because of the study, Mr. Clougherty wasn’t sure if I’d be up for dinner Thursday night. We kept the offer on the table and I’m glad I didn’t cancel it. He was flexible to meet next Thursday but I stuck with the original plan. Instead of meeting close to the mall, we met at Chili’s. The main subject was my sleep study (and Sara’s baby shower). That was fine with me. Politics and the high school construction are so played out by this point.

Mr. Clougherty will be retiring at the end of the school year. His teaching days may be over, but he’s still going to coach.

As I left the Sleep Center, I got into my car and checked the clock on my dash. It read 2:15; thus, the study was a success. How I sleep will definitely be changing as well. 

Dinner with Kevin was worthwhile and I’m glad I decided to go. But first, the “oh crap” moment. He left his wallet at the pool and thought he’d be out of luck. Being helpful, I showed Mr. Clougherty how to pay with his phone. That saved us some time and saved him a drive back to the school. 

We hadn’t met at Chili’s for dinner for quite some time. It had been a couple of years for me, at least. We got good seating, and our server was patient with us as we took our time ordering. I couldn’t decide whether or not I wanted a fajita or pasta. I actually ordered something healthy, and that was the Ancho Salmon. I’m glad I did as it was very good. The pesto and cilantro really gave the salmon some flavor. I even dipped my broccoli in the sauce. Kevin got the Santa Fe Burger, and he enjoyed it as well. Fives across the board for food, service, and atmosphere. 

You could definitely tell that everyone was excited for the NFL draft Thursday night.

You Can’t Do Everything!

In the last few months, I’ve been able to put together a consistent exercise routine. I’ve been able to weather the storms of January when we had extreme cold. In addition, I have also broken the curse of the New Year’s Resolution. In fact, my visits to the gym have either increased or have stayed steady since February. Of course, life does get in the way sometimes. I had to miss a few days this month as my car needed new front brakes and was in the shop. Warmer weather has also given me opportunities to go outside and take walks. I’ve been enjoying hitting up some of the local parks in the area. 

Monday could have been the fifth consecutive day that I was going to get out. However, I took a break to work on a blog post. Sometimes it’s OK to give yourself the option to stay home and catch up on things. I hadn’t written in a few days and felt that it needed attention. I discussed my reading journey and where I’m heading with it. Friday wraps up “On Air”, but I’ll read some of Josh Shapiro’s memoir as well. 

Sometimes I do too much and I need to face facts. I’m just not able to do everything that I want to do. But here are some of the local parks that I like to walk at when the weather is nice. I’ve been to Hempfield Park a few times and this past week I’ve visited Penn Township Municipal Park. I’ve also walked around downtown Greensburg a few times. It’s nice when I don’t have to feed the meter. 

When I have a free night, I’d like to order some food and go to Twin Lakes or Mammoth Park. I’ve also wanted to check out Duff Park and walk over to the new Groove Coffee Co, as well as the trail down in Export. 

This week, I struck while the iron was hot and got out when I could. Sunday and Wednesday I went to the gym and made the most of my time there. You have to know when to pick your battles. The weather couldn’t have been anymore perfect than it was on Tuesday with sunshine and 65 degrees. Perfect for April 21. 

Time to close off the blog. This week at work and while out on my walks (both at Penn Township Park), I enjoyed some praise and worship music. Cutie’s is starting up their bible study in a week and a half. Weather permitting, I’ll be there. First night is May 4.  

This year, I’m also hoping to get back to church as well. Neither work nor Toastmasters has kept me from going. You can place the blame mostly on trauma from my past as well as just needing to take a break. I’ve gone back a few times since I stopped going regularly in 2021. 

As for the music, I listened to a lot of Michael W. Smith, as well as a little For King and Country. Other artists I also enjoy are Matthew West, Mandisa (RIP), and Big Daddy Weave, to name a few. I’ve been channeling my past this week and thinking about my college days as well, when I enjoyed some of those tunes.

How I Spent my Midweek Vacation!

Wednesday night’s visit to the Beaver Toastmasters Club was a lot of fun. To reiterate, it was a well-run meeting from the speeches and introductions to the fun Table Topics session. Members explain their meeting roles and everyone tells us their “why” they’re here. It’s a very close-knit family atmosphere with the group picture at the end being the cherry on top. Members and guests come from Cranberry, Butler, and even Columbiana County, Ohio, to attend.

In addition to the club, the town of Beaver itself is a gem. The local park in town has a lot to offer as well. Irvine Park is located across from the courthouse, and gives off those vibes that remind me why I love Ligonier’s Diamond. Beaver, like Canonsburg and Indiana, becomes its own little Hallmark Christmas town. The Beaver Toastmasters Club held a “Speakers in the Park” event in April 2024. 

I made my way up the stairs to the Courthouse. It felt like I was walking to the north end of Slippery Rock University heading to a night class. The little stroll reminded me how simple life was a little over 20 years ago. 

Coming home that night from the meeting, I drove down I-376 and eventually through Pittsburgh. Getting onto the Parkway from the Beaver exit, I saw the cracker plant all lit up and it looked like a little city skyline. Sights along my journey home included the hotel where we will be having our Fall conference in just under a month. How can I forget the Pittsburgh skyline as I came out of the Fort Pitt Tunnel, making my way towards Forest Hills? As I pulled in sometime after ten, reality struck. I soon discovered that these long trips (while fun) don’t come aren’t as easy for me as they used to be.

Thursday was my second day off in a row, and I started off the day by going to the gym. Afterwards, I stopped at West Point and enjoyed a latte at Caleese.

Annabelle had a band concert in the evening. Meanwhile, I went to the AMC theatre behind Westmoreland Mall and enjoyed the Super Mario Galaxy movie. This is the sequel to the first one and while different than the original, it’s still a good film. The original movie dealt with the early days of Mario and Luigi and included characters from Donkey Kong. The sequel had Rosalina, Bowser Jr., and Yoshi. But nothing can top “Peaches” as sung by Jack Black who did the voice of Bowser. 

Both movies are good and each have their special charm.

A Look Ahead to Summer Reading!

Today’s blog will be taking a look ahead at some of the books I am planning to read for the Summer. It’s only two months away, even though this morning and tomorrow suggest otherwise. I have some good world culture and music-themed reads coming up, as well as a romance novel for late summer. For now, let’s look at what I’m finishing up this month. 

This week wraps up “On Air”, which is a look at the comprehensive history of National Public Radio (NPR)  and all of its triumphs and tumult. I bought this book at Barnes and Noble during my summer vacation last year (along with Matriarch). This is my third read centered around NPR, after “This is NPR” and another book from Terri Gross about her show Fresh Air. The latter was about some of the interviews the host conducted over the years. “On Air” came out in March 2025. 

The final chapter goes into detail on “This American Life” host Ira Glass. I’ll complete the book Friday morning. 

Currently, I’m in “Where We Keep The Light”, which is the new memoir from Governor Josh Shapiro. I’m not too far into the book, having devoted more time to On Air. I’ll be picking up on this one next week as I complete the current book I’m reading. “Where We Keep The Light” talks about the governor’s years in public service, as well as his faith and family (just to name a few). The first chapter highlights the arson attack on his home. I look forward to reading about his time as attorney general. 

At work, I don’t usually bring books centered on politics out of respect for people’s opinions. . I will be doing some inspirational reading overnight when I’m not writing or playing Switch. 

Briefly changing the subject, Bible Study is back at Cutie’s on May 4. It will run every other week afterwards, weather permitting. I’m looking forward to getting together once again. I eventually want to get back to church and, spoiler alert, it’s not my job or Toastmasters that keep me from going. 

It’s going to be an active next few weeks leading up to the Spring Conference in the middle of May. New reading will begin after the conference is done. As I read through the governor’s memoir and prepare speeches, I’ll be starting “The Jazzmen” by Larry Tye. It’s a biography that explores the lives and impact of jazz legends Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie.  The book focuses on how they overcame racial barriers to become global superstars and write the soundtrack for the Civil Rights Movement. 

I’ll wrap up season one of The Pitt on April 30 and begin season two on May 21. I think that’s a good starting point for reading “The Jazzmen”. I’m not a binge-watcher, and for the second season I will watch one episode a week to carry myself through Summer. Thus, I’ll wrap up the show around the end of August/early September. 

Other summer reading projects include “Three Shades of Blue” by James Kaplan, and “Jane Austen’s Bookshelf” by Rebecca Romney. I was interested in the latter book after viewing the Gilmore book club Instagram page. That’s how I got interested in reading “Meet Me at Luke’s” last Fall and in the early days of Winter. 

“Three Shades of Blue” explores the lives of jazz legends Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans. It uses their collaboration on the iconic album Kind of Blue as a central theme to examine the peak of jazz in 1959. A couple of things discussed in the book are:  the evolution of jazz from bebop to fusion, and the “lost empire of cool” that emerged from this era. 

“Jane Austen’s Bookshelf” is a non-fiction book that follows Romney, a rare book dealer (she was also on Pawn Stars). She seeks to find and collect the works of the female writers who influenced Jane Austen. Thus, making a case that they were unjustly erased from the literary canon. 

Perhaps a trip to Settlers Ridge post-conference is in the works. That and breakfast at the Central Diner to mark the end of an era in Toastmasters. n

Late this Summer marks the release of “Love Never Felt Like This” by author Julie Olivia. I loved her Fall romance novel “If It Makes You Happy” last year. Therefore, I’m looking forward to this new read coming out just in time for the leaves to change.

sunglasses on a novel in the dune

Tale of Two Toastmasters Meetings!

This week saw me playing a Toastmasters Doubleheader. Why do I say that? Because of the way that the calendar fell, my Toastmasters clubs would meet back to back. However, I did not attend Greensburg’s meeting as I planned to make a special trip. It was a long-awaited visit to another club that met on the same night as Greensburg. 

On Tuesday, I arrived in Connellsville for my Laurel Highlands meeting around 5:30pm. I walked in the door and made that trip down the long hallway to our meeting room. Thinking nothing of it, I went to the door and it was locked. At first, I assumed that our President was running late and so I went back outside to wait for him. Nick, our other member who was meeting in person, arrived around the start of our meeting. He saw me out there and we walked in together. We go to the meeting room and I realize that I went to the wrong door. I made a faux pas and committed one of the biggest brain farts of my life. 

We’ve only been meeting here for four years. How in the hell did I get this one wrong? I brushed this one off soon enough as I had some other things on my mind. 

Preparing a speech that I was giving at tomorrow’s meeting, and lamenting the loss of another team member who quit. 

Our theme for the meeting was “Stay Happy, Stay Healthy”. Our president addressed the importance of a healthy Toastmasters club. We want to be at 20 to qualify for President’s Distinguished, have three project speeches at every meeting, and encourage our members to get the word out. 

We run our meetings well and we work on our projects. However we need to work on our membership.

Both our President and Program Quality Director gave excellent speeches on Mentoring and the importance of Gratitude, respectively. I took many points from both speakers. Table Topics stayed with the Happy/Healthy theme. Our Table Topics Master brought some amazing questions to the table, even including one about fruits. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is most definitely, a healthy way to live. 

We wrapped up the meeting on time, and are trying to agree on a time to meet up on WhatsApp to discuss some key topics. Our next two meetings are April 28 and May 12. The conference follows soon after that second meeting on May 15 and 16.

Now, let’s go to Beaver where Stylish made a special visit to their Toastmasters club.

Wednesday night, I made that long awaited trip to Beaver to visit the Beaver Toastmasters Club #85. The club chartered on October 1, 1996, and meets at the Beaver County Courthouse. All four of the speakers gave projects of the 5-7 or 4-6 minute variety. Two were ice breakers, one helped us connect with our audience, and another was an introduction to mentoring. Tenacity was the word of the day, but I think improvise could also be worthy of that title. In Toastmasters, sometimes we have to double or triple up the roles if we need to fill positions. We’re always happy to help where needed. 

I arrived a little bit after 6:00pm, checked in at security, and was greeted warmly by Bob and Kristin. Other members and guests made their way in before the meeting began at 6:45pm. At the beginning of the meeting, guests and members shared with us, “Why they’re here at Beaver Toastmasters.” Beaver is not a hybrid club and, thus, is 100% in person. The meetings are videotaped so that members in attendance can listen to themselves and see how they did on their projects. 

Just like at Laurel Highlands where our contestant was taking on evaluator roles to practice for the divisional round, Sarah did the same visiting the Beaver club. She evaluated two of the speeches, including mine. She is competing at the District Level on May 16 and every little bit helps. Tamika held a small round robin evaluation for Sarah where three of the members gave their feedback as well. 

The guests all gave their feedback at the end, and we had a group picture taken in front of the banner. This is a weekly tradition at the club and every picture I see on Facebook shows that this club knows how to have fun. One thing I learned from Bob is that the club plans meetings three months in advance. With a bigger club, that’s not a bad idea to schedule roles like that. For example, the end of November is the perfect time to ask for roles going through the winter months. That also gives people an opportunity to talk about what they’re going to bring to the Christmas Party. In May, you’ll definitely want to look ahead in order to plan around vacations that take place in the summer months.

Taking the Scenic Route!

This blog post is a follow-up to yesterday’s lunch date at Brady’s Restaurant in Acme.

Pennsylvania Route 31 has many attractions to offer, as does Westmoreland County if you look hard enough. Anytime that my family and I venture out to the Laurel Highlands, we get there by way of PA 31. Occasionally, when we go to Somerset, we’ll take US 30 past Ligonier and up the mountain to Jennerstown. Weather permitting, it’s a nicer drive than taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike. You can find many wonderful roadside attractions and places to eat when you take the scenic route.

The scenic route we took made me appreciate these moments that I have with my family. I was grateful for the opportunity to have lunch at Brady’s and catch up with my Somerset family. We thought about one of our loved ones on my Gramma’s side of the family who just passed away last week.

After lunch, we had some extra time on our hands and my mom drove through the foothills of the Laurel Highlands. We passed through the communities that make up Mount Pleasant Township. This little detour was nice and I enjoyed the time in the car spent with Mom.

Lesson learned: Cherish the moments you have with your family.

We passed by the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds, thinking about summertime and the county fair as well as the Christmas lights at Overly’s. We saw the beautiful Pitt-Greensburg campus and prefer that campus over the busier main campus in Oakland. Greensburg has some nice colleges and the coffee shops get great business from the students. We came through Southwest Greensburg and then made our way home. I took advantage of the afternoon to take a rest after that time well spent.

I spotted some nice attractions along that scenic ride home. Highlighted in the blog are three of them plus a few additional places.

Donegal Highlands

This wonderful course is set in the foothills of the Laurel Highlands and is not far from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In fact we were three minutes from the Donegal interchange on Friday. This course has two nines which are different from one another. The front nine is links-style and the second being more parkland-style. Because it’s lower level, the course is prone to flooding and poor drainage following a major rain event. But, it has a relaxed atmosphere and is very scenic.

Copperheads Restaurant and Pub

Copperheads is a popular stop for those visiting the mountains or looking for a night out. Open until late, they serve standard pub fare in a casual setting.

Stone Villa Wine Cellars

This is a picturesque winery set on 150 acres in the foothills of the Laurel Highlands. The main highlight is the outdoor space which is perfect for those who love live music or who have a free weekend afternoon. I witnessed the large pond as we traveled home yesterday through the small towns. My mind was blown at how nice this place was. The wine selection includes a lot of sweeter, fruit-based varities. They also have a lot of reds and whites, as well as Chardonnay and Cabernet.

This was before we drove through Kecksburg and other non-incorporated communities.

Other attractions include the Norvelt Golf Club, Hillbilly’s (located in Donegal), and Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier (which has hosted major golf tournaments in the past).

My Plans Were Altered This Week!

This week brought with it a change of plans from what I wanted to accomplish. Sure, the day after Easter was good. A little chilly after that warm Saturday when I was sweating it out at the country club during the baby shower. Some of us saw snowflakes Monday and even into Tuesday (well away from the city). 

It was simple. The gym was on my radar three or four days out of the week with a day or two set aside to take a long walk outside at one or two of the county parks. I was also planning to go see the new Super Mario Galaxy movie at the Westmoreland Mall annex cinema. 

But, a wrench was thrown into those plans this week. 

My car was having issues with the brakes and rotors as they were making noise. With a couple of days off in a row coming up, it was best to nip this in the bud. I didn’t want to hold out too long and risk further damage to my vehicle, or even miss the upcoming conference in May. 

Thus, there were missed opportunities this week as I wasn’t able to entertain myself or meet my physical fitness goals. In spite of it all, I managed to have a good week. With next Wednesday and Thursday free in the week ahead, the plan is to go see Super Mario Galaxy on the latter day. I’ll visit the Beaver Area Toastmasters meeting on Wednesday night.  It’s back to the gym Sunday and Monday before Laurel Highlands Toastmasters on Tuesday night. We’ll see what later next week holds for a coffee visit. 

Five years ago, I received a wake-up call that had changed my life. I wound up in the hospital the week before Easter and learned that I needed to take better care of my health. With blood pressure levels off the charts, I was at risk for a serious heart attack or stroke. Fortunately, I’ve addressed that concern with medication and better mental health. I’m working on the diet and exercise part. In 2026, I’m waking up about planning for my financial future. For this former accounting and finance student and Slippery Rock grad, that should be a breeze, right? Eh, not so much. 

Fortunately, I was able to talk to a financial advisor with my mom there to assist me. This is a guy she works with and he was able to help me too. I have CDs and that includes retirement CDs; however, I needed to get something that would garner a little extra money. Those financial instruments I have are making peanuts; thus, I needed something with a better rate of return. I was at the bank a few weeks ago. Thankfully, that visit a few weeks ago gave me some time to sleep on it. That way I could see how I wanted to draw up a plan to build my future wealth. 

I’m grateful to be at a job that takes good care of me in terms of benefits (excellent medical, paid vacation, and close to home). My hours are consistent and my mental health has improved (some days that’s debatable). But I haven’t let myself get discouraged as I had in the past at my former jobs.

Making money moves to plan for my retirement also takes me back to my college days. As I stated earlier, I majored in Accounting at Penn Highlands Community College. Initially at Slippery Rock, I started out in that major before switching to Finance. 

Despite the degrees, I’m happy being at Giant Eagle and am enjoying my hobbies. That includes my writing and any other interests I may want to pursue.  

To make up for my car being worked on, Mom and I made plans to have lunch out. We met my Somerset aunt for lunch at Brady’s Restaurant in Acme. This was a nice little trip on a beautiful early Spring afternoon. Also, it shows me that you can find some nice little stops in the most rural areas. 

Brady’s is a rustic family restaurant that opened for business in the 1960’s. It’s just a few miles from the Pennsylvania Turnpike and they had a lot of nostalgia and decor that helped it stand out. Check out this old cash register as we walked into the restaurant. 

We knew what we wanted. Two salads and a reuben sandwich made for a nice Friday afternoon lunch. Afterwards, I was able to get a picture of the pond. It’s not too loud so you are able to hear yourself talk. The pie case is tempting because you know you’ll want to try a slice before you pay the check and are on your way. After this past week, I was a little bit pie’d out. 

Overall I give it a 5 out of 5 and will be back in the future to try the weekend breakfast buffet.  

Mom and I had some time to kill and we took the scenic route home past the fairgrounds. I discovered some other gems that I’ll discuss in the next blog.

Three Coffee Shops I’d Love to Visit!

Easter Sunday went well for us! I took some time to rest early in the afternoon so I could have time to enjoy our company. We had an amazing spread with ham, potatoes, vegetable casserole, and rolls. Afterwards, there was plenty of dessert to go around. We had two of my grandparents’ Easter desserts, heavenly hash and coconut cake. In addition, there was also lemon meringue and cookies and creme pies. 

Later, we all gathered in the living room and watched Toy Story 2 on Disney+. Even though it may have felt random, it was a nice way to unwind after the big meal and we had just eaten. It was the cherry on top for the nice weekend that I had that started with the baby shower on Saturday. While eating our dinner, we enjoyed ourselves as we talked about The Pitt, which is my new favorite on HBO Max. My cousin hasn’t seen the show; therefore, she was able to get a little rundown of it, plus who our favorite doctors are on the show. For me it’s Robby, Evans, King, and Whittaker. 

Fun fact: The actress who portrays Dr. King is Bryan Cranston’s daughter. Speaking of Cranston, the new Malcolm in the Middle miniseries debuts on Hulu and Disney+ this Friday. Directing the miniseries is Ken Kwapis, who has ties to The Office. 

Everyone cleared out by 7:30pm. I say this even though it was a small gathering with nine total. Still, it was a great Easter. 

So far, in 2026, my coffee visits have consisted of those mostly around Greensburg. I’ve visited White Rabbit and Steep Mountain a few times, and once I traveled out to Ligonier where I met my cousin at Abigail’s. It was during that week of extreme cold after that big snowstorm in late January. Mainly, I’ve visited Cutie’s and the “Cutie Count” is now at nine for the year. Caleese Coffee in West Point has come in as my new favorite and so far, three visits have been made there. I’ll count my late December visit as a 2026 stop. 

The three new cafes I’ve had my mind on are in the Pittsburgh area. I’ve given them a follow and an occasional like on Instagram. These have been on my radar since 2024 (I’ve been trying to keep up with other Pittsburgh food influencers). 

The first is Groove Coffee, which is located in Murrysville. This is one that used to operate out of a camper and it was on the westbound side of US 22 in Delmont next to Donut Chef. Their present location is accessible to Duff Park and the PA Heritage Trail and is easily accessible by foot. I’m thinking about taking a morning walk out there and checking them out. Groove just opened its brick and mortar location last week. 

Number two is Latte Lane, which is in Cheswick. It’s not far from New Kensington and this one was a suggestion from a link to an article my cousin shared with me. Latte Lane opened in June of 2024 in the Cheswick Shopping Center. From the pictures I’ve seen on Instagram, there’s some nice artwork on the walls as well. This business used to be located in Harmarville, in a camper. It was near a building that used to be the Ponderosa. 

When I take my vacation in June, I might make this a stop en route to Cranberry on a Monday. 

Lastly, is the Roaming Bean. My introduction to the Roaming Bean came when I was at the Greensburg Night Market one Summer night in 2024. They recently opened a cafe in the Strip District not too long ago, located in the Strip District terminal. The Strip is on my radar for my June vacation and I’d like to include this jewel in my adventures. 

My outfit of the day for Easter Sunday. I didn’t wow like I did Saturday with that cheetah top. However, what I wore is my usual staple for holiday gatherings. A green sweater tank and a striped cardigan (with flare jeans). OK, I wowed myself. 

Finally, I enjoyed myself at the baby shower on Saturday! But there’s one thing I forgot to show off. I had a purse within a purse as I made my way out on Saturday. It was my big Michael Kors bag but inside was a smaller MK purse. I bought these as a set of three on my summer vacation in 2024. Both a cute pop of pink.

Cutie’s was my pre-shower stop and it was hoppin’ at 10am. This is where the smaller purse came in handy. It was busy as everyone came out on this warm Saturday morning before Easter. I got the Cadbury Egg Latte which I took with me to the shower. In addition, I also got a donut from the Mutiny Donuts food truck next door. I got a few compliments on the bag, but it would have been way cooler to show off the small purse within my big purse.

Celebrating the Parents to Be!

I was lucky enough to get Good Friday (and the following Saturday) off so I could have the opportunity to attend a baby shower for my “fashionable” sister and brother in law. Baby Chloe is set to make her arrival later this Spring and I can’t wait to meet my future niece. We arrived just before 11am at the Westmoreland Country Club armed with our gifts for Chloe as well as plenty of diapers. When I walked into the building, my adopted mom Paula was very happy to see me. 

For some of us, it was a nice memory to be back at the country club where we celebrated the wedding of Rob and Sara five years ago. The weather cooperated on that day. Major changes were beginning to take place in my personal and professional life and the buzzing only got louder as 2021 rolled on. I bought a big pack of diapers on my Target run on Thursday. As I arrived, I also entered my name in the drawing to win a prize. I also took a guess on how many Teddy Grahams were in the jar. We ate just before Noon. The spread was a breakfast buffet. This looked very similar to what I’ve had at Toastmaster conferences. That event is coming up soon and will be here before I know it too. 

I sat at the back table in the room, and got to meet some of the people from Sara’s workplace. She is an audiologist at HearingLife. I also reconnected with some of her other friends. There were people I celebrated Friendsgiving with as well as attended church with in the past. 

Before the shower, I made a stop at Cutie’s to enjoy a latte. The Mutiny Donuts food truck was parked next door and I was curious to try one of their donuts. Thus, I was well fed as I made my way to the country club. I got an Oreo donut from the food truck and it was very good. I enjoyed the donut with my Cadbury Egg Latte. I continued to drink the cute coffee drink when I was at the shower. Cutie’s Coffee also came with me to Blairsville as I drank my Bananas Foster Latte en route to the speech contest. 

We gathered around the balloon display to watch the parents-to-be as they opened their gifts that Chloe will love. I had sent mine to their place early in the week (they received it Thursday). It was a Winnie the Pooh pillow. That went great with the lamp that Mom sent them. The baby got lots of cute clothes and toys that she’ll love playing with. 

We played some games, including Bingo where we wrote the gifts that the baby got. There was a word scramble, and I got all but two right, plus Baby Price is Right. In the latter game, we guessed the prices of some of the baby clothes and accessories. The catch was that the prices were based on what they cost at Target, where the parents to be were registered. In the Bingo game, I wrote ‘diaper genie’ in one of the spaces. That’s the gift I got my sister when she was expecting Annabelle. 

My presence at the baby shower, and my outfit of the day, made Sara’s day. The outfit of the day was a pastel green blazer (which screams Easter) with a cheetah top. Wide leg jeans and Skechers completed the cute ‘fit that I was happy to put together for this wonderful event. 

On my way home, I took a side trip to Murrysville. The reason being was that I wanted to find this coffee place I’m interested in visiting sometime. I followed Groove Coffee for sometime on Instagram and Facebook and have always wanted to give them a try. They’ve operated as a trailer but have recently opened a cafe. Groove is on the eastbound side of US 22 and I’ll talk about them more in an upcoming blog (likely my next post). 

There are other coffee shops I’m interested in checking out in the future, and you’ll hear about them coming up this week.