#37 - Beer is a massage from the inside

Went on the MS150 ride this year with my dad, uncle and a few friends. It's an epic, two day, 150ish mile ride for a good cause. For the first year, they had a beer garden on campus saturday night (it's a two-day ride from north of Pittsburgh to Conneuat, Ohio, on lake erie) The beer tent was freaking mobbed - two free beers for a each participant. I don't think the organizers anticipated how much a bunch of athletic cyclist types dig the hooch. But in Western PA, the athletic cyclist types definitely enjoy finishing a ride with a few suds.

#36 - Crooklyn

I wrote an article for my webzine, working class zero, making fun of Brooklyn Heights hipsters and how they look like Muammar al-Gaddafi, and in the first draft I wrote 'Brookline' instead of Brooklyn half the time because I'm such a goddamn yinzer.

#35 - out of town clothing selection

I didn't realize it until after I packed, but for a weekend away in upstate NY, I packed no less than (3) Pittsburgh related T-shirts, and am wearing one for the drive - Polish Hill Strangler, Rustbelt Homewreckers, Head Board Shop, Black Star Tattoo. My 'Jesus Loves the Steelers' stayed on the hanger since it's not season.

#34 - churches

Churches as places of worship, as bars, as restaurants, as brew pubs, condos, decrepit, falling, selling pirogi, welcoming saints and sinners, dominating our skyline.

#33 - proximity

Living in Pittsburgh means having 3 grandparents (1 recently passed), 2 parents, 8 aunts and uncles, 5 cousins, and 196 friends from high school living less than 45 minutes away.

#32 - The Pittsburgh Wave

Went cycling with the wife tonight. Stopped at a 4-way stop signed intersection. My wife wasn't sure which way we were headed so I gave the SUV to our left the obligatory Pittsburgh wave. The woman driving responded with a wave. It became the classic Pittsburgh wave showdown, each wave becoming a little more flamboyant until finally I was defeated, and my wife and I cruised through the intersection.

An occurrence that seems everyday normal, nay, boring to the average Pittsburgher is something that would never occur in another city of this size.

(Note: I was going to mention how when I first moved to upstate NY I tried the Pittsburgh wave a few times, and people looked at me like I was insane or possibly waving a gun at them - however, I swore this blog is going to be positive)

#30 - Pittsburgh Bands

I don't know if it's been tabulated but Pittsburgh has to hold the record for most bands named after / with reference to the city.

Off the top of my head:
Polish Hill Strangler (gotta represent)
Yinzers
Steel Drunk
Enemies of Yinz
Commonwealth Conspiracy (OK..sorta)
Le Cachot
Donora
Irwin
Dawn Cannon

Please add more in the comments! I know I missed a ton.