Week 28: Pittsburgh, PA

Another week out of the hotel! Turns out I know quite a few people in Pittsburgh... I stayed with my old family friend Jessica, who is now married to a lovely guy named Chris. They are both in the first year of medical residency at two different hospitals in the city. I also saw two different childhood friends, Chad from church, and Sam from middle school. What a small world! I'm realizing now I failed to take pictures with all four of them...fail. They all came to the show and loved it too. Nice to have kind friends :)

Jess and Chris' apartment building is an old converted school. Such a cool lobby!

Their puppies, Benny and Sarge. They were so much fun to play with all week. I'd love a mini-daschund so it was like a little taste of wiener dog heaven. 

Puppy pile, watching TV. Sarge is a total love bug, always needs to be in your lap.

Primanti's Brothers is a famous sandwich place where they put coleslaw and french fries INSIDE your sandwich. Can't say I was disappointed...

Pennsylvania Macaroni Company is an awesome Italian grocery store in the Strip District. They had quite the cheese selection.

Beautiful church in the Strip district just a few blocks from Jess' place.

When I have a kitchen I get really excited about food. Funny what tour teaches you about your priorities...picked up the veggies, tabbouleh, and goat cheese at the Greek and Italian grocers.

My sweet friend Matt happened to be passing through Pittsburgh and came to see the show!! Funny, he knows three people in Beauty from separate shows, what a small community! It was so nice to see him again and catch up, ever so briefly. 

My sweet Easter basket from Jess and Chris!! Full of yummy chocolate. Pretty funny, our mothers sent a picture text of them in the church choir from that morning- alto's rock ;)...we were on the couch in our pjs. 

"Supermole Sunday" is our weekly ritual, but for Easter Jen (the wardrobe) got creative and drew a teeny tiny bunny. She's so good. 

Beautiful puppies at Easter dinner with friends of Jess and Chris. That's three sets of dogs for me! Spoiled :) I loved the one of the right, so beautiful and playful.

Unbelievable toasted almond cake from a local bakery in Pittsburgh. Whenever I make a return trip this will be my first stop on the culinary adventures lists. Our hosts were so gracious to have me at their family event, a complete stranger in stage makeup no less. It was nice to be at a big party, felt like home to me.

Wonderful and relaxing week all in all. It makes such a difference, staying in homes. While I did start to feel separated from the cast, the privacy and little luxuries it affords are completely worth it. I was excited to go to work, to see how people spent their day, and go back again to a sense of 'normalcy'. I imagine if the show were only running in any given city- New York, Chicago, Minnesota, LA- I'd be in heaven.

Next up: two weeks in Detroit, MI. Thank goodness for sit downs!!