Eric Idle and The Holy Grail

Come on everyone, sing along with me!

"Always look on the bright side of life...Always look on the light side of life...
If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing
And always look on the bright side of life..."

Thanks Eric Idle. I needed that.

So......I've been trying, really trying, to look on the bright side of life. It's been a rocky start to our stay here in the big city of Pittsburgh. Lots of little things that add up to one big annoyance for me. Call me prissy, call me demanding, I know what I like and I know what I can put up with. A 9 minute walk to my car in 42 degrees and rain is NOT something I want to put up with every day. Especially now that winter is fast approaching. Plus there is no way Lee can walk that far. Yep, we can't park on the Family House premises. Have to use one of the hospital parking decks. So I talked with one of the staff here, explained the issue, and she told me we can use one of the handicapped spaces out front( we have a placard for the car )but they could be taken. Basically, it's a crap shoot. fabulous.

This place we're residing is odd. I guess it's really a hospitality house for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or UPMC. There are 4 near the hospital and this one used to be racket ball courts and lockers. The showers are what you might find in a gym. We got the "suite" at this location. Two rooms with two bathrooms. The bedrooms are sparely decorated with furniture that screams the 1970's. Lots of faux wood. And the rooms are quite small. I can't imagine if we only had one room. I would hang myself...in one of the creepy bathrooms. Oh yeah, we sleep in twin beds with pillows as flat as pancakes. Or hotcakes as they call them here.

The lobby, the communal kitchen, the laundry room and the fitness room ( 1 treadmill and a stairmaster....more like a fitness closet ) are on the 8th floor. If you're like me and value privacy, then this is NOT the place to stay. The staff and volunteers are all very nice and helpful but some of the residents are dicks. Some are not.

The only things here that are free are coffee and tickets to a few museums. Otherwise, we're going out for lunch and dinner every day. I just don't feel like cooking in the communal kitchen. yet.

Did I mention that it's 75$ a night and not 60$ as was advertised on their website? More expensive than I thought.

Alright, alright. Enough bitching. Let me point out something good, actually something great. We're here so Lee can get new lungs, The Holy Grail. That's really all that's important. We can learn to live with these small annoyances, I hope.