Brisk

While I'm here, one more thing I love about Pittsburgh: people actually pull over to the side of the road when an emergency vehicle flips on its siren. Maybe this should go instead in the category of Things I Hate About Charlottesville.

I just got back from running a few errands. I had to go out to my car and fetch my coat (it's 19 degrees outside and windy), mail my rent, deposit some checks and pick up a few things at the grocery store. Doing all of these things took me maybe forty minutes, in the snow. This includes the time it took to get a price check on a can of sweetened condensed milk (who knew that stuff cost $3.19!) and to chat about the weather with the crossing guard at Murray and Beacon.

I may not ever want to move back to Squirrel Hill, but man, this place sure is efficiently laid out. And I love not having to get in my car for every little thing.

19 degrees is cold, though, when you're not used to it. I think I like it, though. I just have to get back in the rhythm of winter again.