This coming weekend in Pittsburgh

[Don Morrison]

Five things. Please at least scan all five to determine whether or not they are relevant to you.

1) The Powers That Be seem to have decided to make it as difficult as possible to get between downtown Pittsburgh and the South Hills (which latter includes Mt Lebanon) this summer. The worst of it is work on the trolley lines, though I don't think that will affect any of our visitors (though it sure makes my own commute to and from work a misery :-). However, it also affects driving. In particular there is construction on the Liberty Bridge, reducing the number of lanes open. If you are driving to Pittsburgh and can avoid coming through downtown, you would be wise to do so. Here are suggested alternatives:

If arriving from the North, do not get on I-279, but rather stay on I-79. You can either get on I-376 East, and take it to the Carnegie exit, then serpentine up Chestnut Street, Forsythe Road, Greentree Road and Cochran Road to Mt Lebanon; or carry on on I-79 South past the I-376 exit two more exits to exit number 55, for Collier. Take this, make a right after the long, winding ramp, and make an immediate left onto Venadium Road. It will eventually come to Bower Hill Road, where you should make another left, and carry on up into Mt Lebanon. In either case a GPS receiver will be most helpful; if you're doing it GPSless feel free to ask for more detailed advice. Were I making the trip, I'd use the latter route, on Vanadium Road, but YMMV.

If arriving from the West, be sure to get off of I-376 relatively early, either onto I-79 South for two exits, doing the Vanadium Road thing described above, or carrying on the Carnegie exit off of I-376, also described above.

I don't think anyone will be driving from the South or East, but if you are, feel free to ask for advice.

2) Practice on Thursday night will start at 7:00, a half-hour earlier than our usual time, since we're delighted to have so many visitors! My understanding is that the following folks from out of town expect to be at our Thursday practice: Amy Bishoff, Ted Clark, David Hawkins, Peter Lagrone, Susan Lagrone and Thomas Lagrone.

3) In past years we've usually gone to a bar after ringing Thursday and Friday nights. However, two or three of our number this year are not yet of legal drinking age, and several others do not drink, so it will be more fun for us to go someplace more restaurant-like and less bar-like. I propose Totopo Mexican Restaurant (http://totopomex.com/) on Thursday; if this doesn't suit folks we can always change our plans when the time comes. We can discuss further in person where to go Friday.

4) We appear to have a goodly crop of folks arriving early-ish Friday. Many of them are handbell ringers, of varying levels of experience. So we're tentatively planning to ring handbells at Southminster from 4:00 to 6:00 on Friday. This can all be made a disaster of by airline delays and so on, but I'm hoping we pull it off successfully. Please plan to join us if you're interested.

5) And don't forget that the schedule for the weekend, and other useful information, is at http://tinyurl.com/z6bpgyw

-- 

Don Morrison <d...@ringing.org>

"What is essential to human life and to its continuance remains a

love of nature and enthusiasm for justice, a readiness of good

humor, a spontaneous susceptibility to beauty and joy, an interest

in our past, a hope for our future, and, above all, a desire that

others should have the opportunity and encouragement to share these

qualities."                 -- Timothy Steel, _Missing Measures_