Tips to Beat the Heat in Pittsburgh This Weekend

The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch for the Pittsburgh region from Friday afternoon through Saturday. Temps in the 90s combined with the dewpoint are expected to generate Heat Index Values close to 105. Three days in Pittsburgh’s recorded history have hit 103 degrees. That temperature was recorded in July of 1881, […]

Update on Highland Park Reservoir Ducklings – Why Is The Water Level So Low?

Last week, I blogged about a situation in the Highland Park Reservoir – ducklings were dying and their bodies left floating in the water. We have a positive update, but lots of questions. First, the good news. Another set of hatchlings (5 in total) seem to be doing well so far. Mama duck is scooting […]

The Tragedy of Dakota James and Overlooking Other Violent Epidemics

This post began as a Facebook post as I reflected on the outpouring of skepticism around the autopsy findings in the death of Dakota James. The autopsy declared his death an accidental drowning, suggesting he fell into the water on his own. His family rejects that finding and insists that there must be more of an […]

#PghWaterCrisis – How You Can Help East End Neighbors (& Where To Donate Water)

As you may have heard by now, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has issued a ‘water boil advisory’ for 100,000 residents in eastern Pittsburgh neighborhoods in response to a concern about giardia contamination. Read more here.  The advisory is expected to last at least 3 days while PWSA addresses the problem. This boil advisory […]

A Tall Drink of Water To Help My Mental Health #NaBloPoMo

It is NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) and I am going to participate by blogging every day of November in response to the official prompts. It is more of a blogging exercise for me than anything else, but please read away … When you’re having a bad day with your mental health, what do you […]

My Signature Beverage(s)

water coffee

Captain Picard was into Earl Grey tea; mention the Dude and we think: White Russians. What’s your signature beverage — and how did it achieve that status? I have two and both are pretty boring. First, there’s dark roast coffee with cream. This is what I order 90% of the time in a coffeehouse, restaurant or anywhere. I’ll take “normal” coffee and decaf […]

Send Me YOUR Stories of Disability Accommodation in Pittsburgh

  We often read about accommodations in the workplace and in housing. Rarely does the media delve into accommodations issues when it comes to “public accommodation” like at a movie theater or a restaurant especially when it comes to hidden disabilities. I’m trying to tell those stories.  Your stories. My stories. Eleven months ago, I […]

The Water Bowl

dogs old dogs aging dogs

Daily Prompt: Write about a noise — or even a silence — that won’t go away. (We’ll let you interpret this in different ways…) There’s a noise that drives me absolutely insane, right up the wall on the aggravation scale. And my abiding fear is that one day – possibly soon – it will go away. […]