November is Going By Fast

It has been a mild November in Pittsburgh according to the locals and the weather averages. We experienced several days around 60 degrees and no snow yet. However, most all the trees are bare of leaves.

I got to take a week long trip back home to Minnesota. The main focus of the trip was to visit Rachel Grove and her new little boy Eli Kevin Grove. He was born on November 11th and was 9 pounds 3 ounces and 21 inches long. What a delight he is! Rachel and Jeremy are already wonderful parents.

Below is Rachel's college friend Kayla holding Eli, myself and Rachel.


Baby Eli looking so precious.


While in MN I found out that Derek and Mari (my brother and sister-in-law) are having twins. They are due in May. Congratulations you two.

They have a one year old Soren. He is smiling so cutely in the photo below and wearing his first camo in the second photo.


I spent a few days of my Minnesota trip visiting my Uncle Joe (Dad's brother). He experienced some trauma starting November 5th. He came down with a fever and cramping and took himself to the emergency room. After they ran tests, they found out he has Lymphoma and an infection. The infection was Fournier's Gangrene and it nearly took Joe's life. One week later, after a whirlwind of medical complications from the infection, Joe was slowly taken off the sedation drugs and recovering. He truly experienced a miracle and we are so grateful to have him here with us still. In doing further testing they found Joe to have stage 4 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Just Monday Joe got to return home. He is lucky to have a wonderful wife (Barb) to take care of him and love him.

I almost forgot to mention that I did spend some quality time with the rest of my family while home.

Before my Minnesota trip our friend Jeff Higgason, Tuff's college freshman year roommate, visited us here in Pittsburgh. We enjoyed seeing the Pittsburgh sights, including the incline to Mt. Washington and the Pittsburgh Zoo.

Pictured below is Jeff riding the incline to Mt. Washington with downtown Pittsburgh in the background.

Picture of the football stadium from the top of Mt. Washington.


In the bottom corner of the picture is the car we rode up the incline. The incline has been providing public transportation since 1877 for the residents and businesses of Mt. Washington. It uses two original 1877 cable cars.


Jeff posing with George Washington and Native American Chief statue.


Tuff's favorite at the zoo was the gorillas.




Jeff and Tuff stopped for a picture with the lions in the background.

Tuff and Jeff attended a Steelers fundraiser function, where they got to mingle with the public and play billiards and ping pong. Jeff was pumped about meeting several of Tuff's teammates, including Troy Polamalu. Tuff and Jeff also attended the Steelers vs. Bengals game. Too bad the Steelers lost.

Next on the agenda is Thanksgiving in Wheeling, West Virginia with our dear friends from Nashville, Mike and Leslie Voorheis.

In the pictures below Tuff is holding his divots, which are usually that big. We are thinking about starting a divot photo collection.



As always, I will update you all if there are any changes in Tuff's career. For now he is still working hard on the Steeler's practice squad.

Around the Bye Week

We experienced a bit of an Indian Summer for about a two day stint last Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures reaching the 60's. Of course we took advantage of the weather with a little golf. Tuff's swing looks great.



One of the courses we played was getting ready for their annual scary hay ride. In the back of the tee box is one of several ghouls spread throughout the course.


This one happens to be a Steelers fan.


Steelers versus the Vikings: Steelers 27, Vikings 17.

What a game. A great defensive battle. I would normally cheer for the Vikings but with a Steelers win Tuff was given more days off for bye week, Wednesday through Sunday. We planned a mini visit to Fort Lauderdale, FL to visit precious friends for the bye week. However, on Tuesday morning Tuff and others were informed that the rookies and practice squaders would not get the days off like the rest of the team! Very unprofessional to tell them all they had the week off and then limit it to only some of the team the day before their vacations supposedly started. Several people already purchased airfare. Luckily we did not, but it still sucked. It is just another sting of the NFL but, at the same time, we are very fortunate to have a job with them.

This was as close as we got from our seats to Farve.



Below is a video of the last play of the game...a sack on Farve.



Tuff still wanted to go to Fort Lauderdale even with only three days off and in the end, we made it happen. It was a short trip but well worth it. We stayed with my friend Melissa, who was an excellent host. She picked us up from the airport in style. We enjoyed a little golf, sun, church and friends.

In order to fit us all in Melissa's Mini Coop with our luggage, we had to drive with the top down. This was no problem at all, as it was record highs that weekend.


We ate good the whole trip, including a litte Sushi and Thai on Hollywood Beach.


In the picture below we just finished eating on the beach and posed for a beach shot, even though its too dark to see.


Melissa and I on Hollywood Beach, just a mile from Melissa's home.


Tuff kissed the ghoul at Mamacita's Mexican Restaurant on Hollywood Beach, where we dined on the biggest burrito I have ever seen.


Tuff gave a good football pose at the beach.


Tuff enjoyed snorkling.


He found a bunch of jelly fish and if you look really close in the photo below you can see one. It is clear with red circles in the middle.


We were the first to tee off and enjoyed an empty Coral Ridge Country Club in Fort Lauderdale.


Tuff looking for a few golf balls. Watch out for gators!


Tuff and I ususally video a few shots each round of golf and I have been waiting to get my first hole-in-one. We videod a par three in hopes that my hole-in-one would be recorded. Well, no hole-in-one yet.



In the picture below, believe it or not, there are seven lizards resting on top of the bush. Do you see them all?


The Iguanas in Florida get as big as dogs. This one is is pretty big.



In the video below is a very odd looking turtle.



The morning before we left I took a walk around Melissa's place. The sunrises here are beautiful.


I forgot to take a picture, but Friday night we enjoyed a Cuban meal at a restaurant in Westin with The Anthony family. Corwin and Kim Anthony led us in our premarriage counceling. While there we saw Jason Taylor and his family.

Back in Pittsburgh before our little impromptu trip.

My friend Maggie Grisham and I get a chance to walk together every once in a while. This day we walked in Schenley Park. The purpose of the picture was to get the great view of downtown Pittsburgh in the background but it did not quite work out that way.


In the picture below I'm standing on the Homestead bridge. The left side of the river is Pittsburgh and the right is Homestead and Munhall. The shot is also looking towards our apartments in the far distance.



Below is a picture of the walking trail outside our apartment. Its 1.5 miles long.


A few evening shots outside our apartment. It has been a wonderful fall in Pittsburgh.

Fashion Show

Thursday, October 8th Tuff and I participated in Steelers Style 09, a fashion show to benefit the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Cancer Caring Center. Tuff and Steeler teammates walked out individually in their jerseys to music of their choice. Tuff chose Staying Alive, by the Bee Gees. I wish you all could have seen him dance up a storm, without missing a beat. He danced all the way down the long runway. The crowd loved it.

I walked out with Tuff wearing Reebok gear and also later in the show wearing formal wear. I would have been terrified if I had to walk the runway alone.

There are some pictures from the fashion show on the Steelers website.

http://news.steelers.com/multimedia/photocenter/

Select the photo box named 2009 Steelers Fashion Show, located at the bottom of the page and search through the photos.

On Tuesday Tuff, his teammate Daniel and I golfed at Diamond Run Golf Club, a Gary Player design. The temperature was chilly, the wind was blustering, but the fall colors were beautiful. Great times!






The Steelers are at home this Sunday for a rivalry game versus the Browns. Pittsburgh may have their first snow in tomorrows forecast. For all the Montanans and Minnesotans, I know you already experienced snow, but give us a break. We have lived in the South for the last two years. We need time to remember what the white stuff is and the cold temperatures required to make it.