The Happy Wanderer

Meet the Friendly Shadyside Rollerbladers

Sometimes I hear someone say, "I don't know where to meet people."  As I travel around, taking pictures and asking questions, one thing has become very clear to me: there are tons of friendly groups of people out there doing a million fun things.  All you have to do is show up and try the group on for size.

On June 25th, I stood in the Liberty School basketball court in Shadyside, Pittsburgh and met some really friendly rollerbladers.  The long time skaters are members of TRIC (Three Rivers In-line Club)  TRIC is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing fun and safe ways for people to skate together.

On most days from April to the end of September, there are TRIC members leading group skates around Pittsburgh.  You can find all the dates and information on their website, www.skatepittsburgh.com

TRIC is affiliated with a national organization of skaters called Skate Patrol. This means there are friendly rollerblading clubs all over the country.  One of the best things about the national connection is, when skaters go to different cities, they meet up with their neighboring rollerblading clubs.  What a great way to meet new people where ever you go.

Now, if you are new to the sport and you worry about rollerblading on city streets, TRIC has volunteer safety skaters, like the one to the left. They point out which way the group will skate next, help you if you fall, and keep everyone organized on one side of the street so no one's in danger from cars.

I really enjoyed my time with the sixteen skaters who answered all my questions, were passionate about their organization, and who greeted each other with humor and the affection of many nights spent seeing the city and having a good time together.  I was reluctant  to let them skate away.  I wanted to keep talking and laughing with them.

Here's a picture of them getting on the road.  Make sure you wave at these great athletes if you see them zipping through your neighborhood.  And no matter where you live, if you think it's hard to meet people, go find a group like TRIC.  They'll welcome you right in, and soon you'll be able to experience your own happy adventures.

ABAY - Ethiopian Restaurant Extraordinaire

It was a hot day on June 21st when the Travel Boyfriend and I walked to ABAY, Pittsburgh's Ethiopian restaurant.  Located at 130 S. Highland Ave in Pittsburgh, we didn't have to travel far to try something exciting.

I don't believe I had ever had any food from the African continent before.  So I was ready for an adventure.

We walked in, and were greeted by cool, refreshing air, a calm adobe brown interior, and soft, sedate music.  I instantly liked the mood, and any reservations I had about trying new food were gone.

Authentic Ethiopian tables and chairs line the front of the restaurant, so a customer has a choice.  Sit low to the floor and feel native, or retreat back to the spacious conventional dining room featuring dark wood tables and America style seats.

We chose the comfortable chairs in the back.  I'm all about adventure.  I'm less interested in my legs falling asleep.  Trust me, being able to relax took nothing away from the experience of the new food.

The ABAY menu has lots to choose from with meat courses, vegetarian selections, and American desserts.  I was informed that Ethiopian cuisine doesn't include things like cheesecake.  That was fine with me.  We were pleasantly stuffed when we finished our authentic  Ethiopian entrees.

Each item on the menu includes an Ethiopian name, a description in English, and little symbols to state whether the dish is spicy or of vegetarian fare.  The prices are reasonable, our entire lunch came out to $22, this included two exotic non-alcoholic drinks.  The Travel Boyfriend and I had the combo for two (shown to the left) which included four entrees and tons of the flat injera, or Ethiopian bread.

What a fun meal.  Silverware is available, but we ate by scooping up bits of food with torn off pieces of the injera.  Delicious.  The Alitcha Wat was my favorite.  It's a mild beef dish stewed to tenderness and seasoned with herbs.  We also had cabbage, chicken, chickpeas and a bit of a spicy kick to our meal.

My proclamation:  I LOVE Ethiopian food.  I told the waitress we're putting ABAY on our rotation of favorite restaurants.  It won't be many days before we head back to try some Doro Minchet Abish, or chicken in stew.  Mmmm.