Pictures 15: Pittsburgh familiarity and fraternization

Seeing my brother Dan in Pittsburgh was a real treat. We are very, very different people, but when it comes down to it we find the same things funny and regularly text each other seeming non-sequiturs simply because we know the other would appreciate it.

So, hanging out with him, his roommate Matt and his girlfriend Mandy at his place in Lawrenceville was nice. We spent a lot of time just vegging out at his apartment, so that made for a lot of images of the four of us, as well as some cool shots from the roof outside his kitchen window.

If you don't know me, nor do you stalk me online (here or via Facebook), you may not find all of these images too fascinating, but here they are nonetheless.

I am, after all, still enamored of my new-to-me camera, so I really like the way a lot of these images came out.

Click any image to see a larger version in Photobucket.


This is Dan on the first morning I was in town. We were tired and I was showing him how my camera worked. He took a picture of me, too, but it is extremely unflattering and there is no way it is going online.


Looking out his living room window - all those trees got clobbered by the snow this winter.

23 more below the jump...




I was a little enamored of the roofs around his house.


Just a little.


Only slightly.


Blake is pretty much the best dog ever. He makes friends with everyone, including Matt, who insisted on calling him "You Motherfucker" (in the kindest possible way!) the entire weekend.


Dan and Mandy and Blake. Not in that order.


Friendy friends!


I think this picture's funny because they all look like they're really pensive and thoughtful.


When we went to Grandview Park, Dan, Matt and Blake hung out in the shade while I meandered around.


Then Blake rolled around. (He's not used to grass!)


Then he stopped.


Memorial Day threatened some wicked thunderstorms. It grumbled thunder all day, but didn't really deliver any rain...


...Until we decided to go onto the roof and light sparklers. Seriously, it didn't rain a drop until we stepped out the window.


Then Dan decided to dance on the wet roof, which seemed like a great idea at the time.


Some were smokier than others.


And others smokier still!


Mandy got up from her floor-nap and joined us.


I got distracted by these whirly things.


And these chimneys.


Meanwhile, back with the sparklers...






I tried to set the timer to take a group picture. It didn't work. Matt was cold. In the larger version, you can really see the rain!


It rained so hard, the neighbors' roof was like a waterfall. After living in the desert for six years, this was downright fantastic.