Sunday Already Part Two

This past Monday I went to my home town to take my mom for a medical test. I grew up in a tiny town called West Middlesex which is an hour and fifteen  minutes away from Pittsburgh, my current home town. Things are very different in West Middlesex. The hospital, which is actually located outside West Middlesex in Farrell is two levels. There is a big parking lot where you can park for free. I could have lived there, my maternal grandfather really wanted me to live there after I graduated from law school. I did not. I knew I was gay in college and wanted to live some place where I could be out and safe. I didn't feel my home town/Mercer County was the place. But I sometimes regret not living there because I was close to my grandparents (my grandfather died in 2007 and my grandmother in 2008) and I feel guilty for not living closer to them and seeing them more. 

Despite these feelings, I decided to move to Pittsburgh. So I'm here living in a 1870's row house in Manchester with my partner and asssorted cats and dogs. And I'm happy here. I like Pittsburgh because there are many cultural things to do here, great parks, a decent music scene (hopefully with the new American Eagle venue there will be more concerts coming to town) a great "record" store in Bloomfield and many other things to do. Back in my hometown, not so much. I have also seen a big change in the LGBT community here in Pittsburgh since I moved here in 1991. People are more out and visible, we have a gay councilman in Bruce Kraus, county human rights benefits and gay youth, especially in the African-American community are showing up at more events and making our community more diverse than when I first came here.  

I got the new Decemberists CD on Saturday and listened to it several times yesterday. It's closer to their earlier work like the Crane Wife with a little bit of country twang to it. I'm also trying to get the new CD by a young band called the Smith Westerns, And next week the new CD by Iron and Wine comes out. Lot of good music coming out to look forward to. With this long cold winter, I need things to look forward to.

Tonight my partner and I are watching the Steelers play the Jets to see who gets into the superbowl. I'm more of a college/Penn State football fan, but I hope the Steelers win.