Pittsburgh

I had a pretty good (though tiring) weekend, I went to a YSA conference in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is about 2 and a half hours away, so it's doable. Once again I was pretty much on my own since my galpals have flown the coop for BYU-I (they're each getting married, too, but that's a different story!) and a couple of people that I kindof knew from Erie left early. I'm proud of myself that I go to these things without moral support (aka, a friend) considering I used to not talk in high school. I've come a long way, baby!

Got stuck in construction traffic...took an hour instead of 15 min to get from this point to the church! Got there late and I was worried that no one would be at the church!

But I timed it just right...my housing person was still there AND I didn't have to play stupid get-to-know-you-games! I went with a group of local YSA's to a bar/restaurant in downtown Pitt and had a fab turkey sandwich!

I'm so ladylike, lol:

Made a new friend, Mary...we both enjoy art (and know who Banksy is!)

It was pretty funny having like 20 Mormons eating in the bar, but where else is open at midnight? There was this funny drunk guy who was talking to us and somehow remembered that it was Jewish New Year and kept wishing it to us! I'm such a heathen, I think this meal was the most fun I had at the conference, it was fun talking with everyone. And peoplewatching in the street was fun too!

We were at Primanti Brothers, apparently it's a local chain that's been an institution in the area forever. They do make good sandwiches!

Saturday we were up EARLY to eat breakfast and do some service at Hosanna House, a community outreach place. They help people find jobs, they have a food pantry, and do summer camps and activities for kids. They were cleaning up after the kid activities and getting ready for the winter, I helped wash white plastic chairs and tables and put them away:

Another group helped plant stuff:

My new friend Paige outside the front:

We also cleaned really grody locker rooms and bathrooms, I'll spare you those pics! After service, we had lunch and workshops. I went to one about improving relationships (my question: what do you do if the other person won't try? There's only so much you can do) which was a little tedious. I went to a pretty good one about traveling and another about money management (which I sorely needed!).

We got to watch a modern dance group perform several numbers, which was...not that interesting. I love dance, but they were too cliche, all running around and flailing about in black unitards.

There was also a dance that night, which was truly lame. Especially lame considering we are in Pittsburgh where there is enough YSA to have a great dance. We were out in the parking lot, which could be really fun. There was no dance space "defined", usually you string up lights. Most people were painting glow-in-the-dark T's to play in the park later. Only like 4 people were dancing, and I was one of them! The music was very lame. It's pretty bad when Auburn YSA dances back home were better! I'm sure the neighbors were laughing as they looked down on us!

I didn't play in the park, I was so tired (4 hours of sleep!) that I went back to where I was staying with one of the housemates who needed to study. I did get the best accomadations out of all the conferences I've been too, I must say! I got to watch "Toddlers and Tiaras" on TLC...once you start watching you can't stop because it is such a trainwreck! These mothers are insane!! One Utah mother pretty much had her 7 yr old daughter doing a striptease! Anyhow, back to the conf....

Sunday was nice, we got to hear from President Siebach, the Palmyra temple president. I wore my new fab very PINK (it's very bright, you'll never lose me!) jacket that I got on sale for $7! After the meeting, I mingled a bit, said my goodbyes and left for home. Pittsburgh is INSANE to drive around in, you need a GPS just to find a gas station! I was relying on printed directions, so I had a heart attack trying to find my way to the freeway and I did get a bit lost, I was so glad to find my way because I could have gotten VERY lost! Once I found the freeway I was fine.

I feel bad because there's no YW when I'm gone for the weekend...but the girls usually don't come anyhow on Sundays. I figure if the girls come when I'm not there that it wouldn't hurt them to be in RS and get to know the women and hear from someone besides me! The one girl who would have come was sick anyhow. I wish I had a councilor to take over on those days. I want to do my calling well, but I'm a YSA too...I hate these conflicts.

I have fun at these things and it's nice to meet new people (every conference bumps up my number of Facebook friends, haha) but is it worth it? I've been debating this lately. It's a tossup: I'm not going to find a man at these things but it is really good for my mental health to get out of the house and talk with people. And that's why I go. I made some new friends this weekend, it was nice. I've met other girls who really do go to these things just to get married, they kindof scare me!

And yes, there is always the weird guy in every ward and at every function, no matter where I am in the country....true story: there was a weird loner guy with manboobs almost as big as mine wearing an Empire Strikes Back T-shirt for nearly the entire conference! It was so stereotypical I had to laugh. I have to be really careful around what guys I let slip out that I have some Star Wars knowledge or they take that as a sign that we're meant to be or something!

Enough of my ramblings, I'll go for now. I really need to go have a tourist day in Pittsburgh, there's a lot to see and a lot of art museums and neat stuff.