Mustache (mug) Rides, Five Cents

Mustaches. They are enchanting things. A well groomed mustache is not only pleasing to the eye, it sends a message. It says hey, I can grow hair on my upper lip and posses the fortitude and commitment necessary to maintain and display it for the world to see. I've been a huge fan of the mustache for many years now. I'm devoted to handlebars and have a certain fondness for Dali.

My affinity extends to the venerable mustache organizations like The Handlebar Club - raising the (handle)bar since 1947 - and the Svenska Mustaschklubben in Malmo. Through their information I have learned about the wonderful world of mustache accessories such as mustache snoods, curlers, wax and cups.

The mustache cup was invented in 1830 by Harvey Adams, a genius in his own right. The cup features a mustache guard, a ledge, shielding the delicate and pampered mustache from liquid. Genius! Ingenious! Since that time the mustache cup has had many incarnations, the latest being a modern mug. We had little need for the carefully crafted and elaborately decorated cups of old, but the mug is perfect for the gentleman on the go. I recently purchased one at the East Ohio St. Goodwill, and knew exactly who needed it.

I am, by nature, a giving person, and so I presented the mug to a neighbor named Colin. I can almost always find him at Buena Vista Coffee in the War Streets. He was delighted to recieve the mug, and I was happy to give it to him...but I was a bit saddened. I will never need a mustache mug, snood, curler or wax, because I will never have a mustache. It is perhaps the great tragedy of my life.

I said goodbye to the mug and drank my own coffee from a plain old cup, sitting outside the cafe and enjoying the weather. I have no mustache. I never will. But I have a great coffeeshop withing walking distance, strange and lovely neighbors, and a Goodwill that never fails to surprise me. For these things I am grateful.

Declaration.

It's time I finally came out with it and told you all the truth. I am in love. Yes, I am deeply, passionately, undeniably in love. The affair of a lifetime, the stuff films and books are made of. Naturally I want nothing more than to share this love, to shout it from the rooftops - I am in love with Pittsburgh!

We've been together for some time now, Pittsburgh and I. I'm not saying it has been easy - it hasn't. Oh, we've had rough patches like everyone else. At times I didn't think we would pull through, but here we are. Because every time things get stale or monotonous, something wonderful happens and I fall in love all over again.

And so, in celebration of my love for the beautiful city of champions, I will plaster these messages all over the internets in the hope that somewhere out there someone is reading them and loving Pittsburgh as much as I do.

Internet vs Real Life.

Hey internets! I know you don't read me or anything but I thought I would let you know I'm still alive. I kinda validate my life though technology anymore.

This is mostly because of FACEBOOK. Facebook drives me to distraction simply by being distracting. I can spend hours per day glued to the screen, incredibly focused on ongoing wall conversations and Poking wars. Actually, that's not true - I detest poking wars. The quickest way to spark my true temper is by engaging me in a facebook poking war. Really, any kind of poking war. I think there are probably three kinds. Two of them have to happen in real life.

As I increasingly communicate via facebook I realize I must supplement that with other forms of contact. Maybe calling or *gasp* actually seeing people in person. Oh my god, how will I have the time to see people face to face? I'm too busy commenting on their status!

In other news, Pittsburgh has been pretty quiet since June, although last night Vice President Joe Biden was in town for some fundraiser. Honestly, I didn't even notice till this morning.

So WHY was June so fantastic in the Burgh? WELL, the Three Rivers Arts Fest was in full swing at and around the recently re-opened Point State Park (which doesn't look so damn different considering it took, umm, THREE FUCKING YEARS to fix it!) to the delight of Art & Fried Food lovers the city over. I had a corndog. Me loves corndogs. But I digress.

June also marked Pittsburgh's annual Pride Parade and Pride in the Streets party/concert. It was unquestionably the best Pittsburgh Pride to date, with tony winner Jennifer Holliday as the concert headliner and the fabulous God-Dess and She. I love Pride. It's wild and fearless and fun - it's just the warmest feeling the LGBT community can have. This might be because of all the spandex-clad thighs generating friction, but there is love and acceptance in the air as well. And can we talk about Liberty Avenue in all of its homosexual glory - that is the longest single stretch of gay bars in the 'burgh with five, count 'em, five bars in two blocks, and serves as gay pride headquarters each year. Some FAAABULOUS pictures of the evening's festivities...

And before I sign off, a little musical recommendation: Action Camp. They're a local act and I saw them a few weeks ago at Gooskis and was totally enchanted. Check 'em out.