Tweets from the Nam: Walmart Bathrooms

Connellsville Walmart shoppers: confirm/deny?

Randomosity

• Nam writer/blogger/obituary writer/my friend's sister Andrea Laurion had a Tweet featured on Hello Giggles as the Illustrated Tweet of the Day. Check it.

• Geibel has a swim team now, and they qualified for WPIALs a week or so ago.
• In case you didn't know, I write for a music magazine on the side. Actually, I don't just write--I'm the managing features editor. Meaning I get to tell my readers, meaning you, what my top five albums of the year are.
• Friendly reminder that O'Gillies is awesome, but they had to close last night due to snow. Boo.
• Abandoned & Interesting Places has some cool shots up of one of the Yough's many abandoned bridges.
• Uniontown's Facebook page similarly has some cool shots up of Uniontown's historic glory days.
• Pictures of yesterday's snow storm are everywhere, too, mostly courtesy of Fr. Bob plus one gorgeous on from Fallingwater.
• Facebook is full of the usual complaints--the county sucks and everyone is rude.
• Word on the street is getting a table at Olive Garden is impossible.
• And for good measure, Cross Worlds Nexus.

Snowmageddon: A Retrospective

Really, though, you guys. We do this EVERY YEAR. We inevitably suddenly get lots of snow and everyone freaks out and forgets how to drive. By March, we've all stopped caring and have remembered that we've been raised to navigate the snow like a boss.

In fact, we survived Snowmageddon, but Fayette County did look mighty purdy after.

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Connellsville's Christmas decorations plastered with snow...in February.

 

The view from my parents' sun room.

How the dogs deal with no heat.

Digging out the car.

Connellsville St. Nickman's, facing the other direction, was blocked by debris.

In retrospect, that was one gnarly storm.

That was also when my mom's neighbor uttered her famous advice: "Marry a redneck." Because they know exactly how to handle these things.

A Study of Social Conditions in Fayette County

I guess this study is basically just a serious, professional version of this blog. But I do have enough of a reputation that this same guy asked me if I knew of any good sources regarding the county's problems.

STILL Need Gifts?

• Tee Minus 24 is offering the year's top 10 most popular shirts at a lower price. Might not be ideal for Christmas shopping, but you could always get yourself something nice for surviving the apocalypse. I know I've had my eye on all the Lost shirts for pretty much ever. You guys don't understand how bad I want "Desmond Is My Constant."
• Geibel art teacher Mrs. Yankovich has handmade beaded jewelry for sale in her Etsy shop and Monongahela's Favorite Little Things.

Tweets from the Nam: Food Groups

You know how I say you can take the girl out of Fayette County, but you can't take the Fayette County out of the girl? I decided to drink rum alone in my apartment last night. And it was barely even snowing here. Party on!

The Power Went Out in Uniontown, So Obviously It's the End of the World

I just wish I was home & in the shiny new Olive Garden so I could eat everyone's food when they left in a panic.

More Fayettenam Gift Guides

You have less than a week to finish your Christmas shopping. Where to go!?

• Try Colebrook Chocolate. I frequently get my boyfriend their chocolate-covered Brazil nuts, and they usually have candies in that feature Fayette County school colors (which make great gifts in graduation and musical season, too). They also have tons of other neat candies.
• Check out ArtWorks Connellsville, a non-profit art gallery and learning center that does sell work by local artists--including everyone's favorite punk priest, Fr. Bob.
• I'm still a big fan of Erica Ritenour's chapbook, March. I'm not really sure how one could gift a free ebook, but whatever. It's awesome. Download it as a gift to yourself to read while doing something nice like drinking wine in a bubble bath to recover from the drama the holidays may bring.

Sigh.

I expected this.

Now, we're not gonna get too heavily into this, just because anyone with a Facebook or Twitter has probably heard every opinion there is on this--some of them are astounding, in terms of both logic, disrespect, and insensitivity. I myself have debated plenty since Friday, including being attacked for statements I never even made. Which ironically basically sums up 2012 for me.

Anyway, it's safe to say we as a nation are saddened and probably a little scared. We should be shocked, but I don't think we are. Horrified, sure, but not shocked. I don't think a country that's seen so much gun violence in my lifetime alone can truly say that one more incident of it was really surprising. In fact, I stated after July's Aurora shooting that we'd see another one within six months, and unfortunately, here we are.

But like I said, this is nothing new. It is, in fact, so old that my grandmother's third-grade teacher was shot right outside her classroom. My grandmother and her classmates were fortunate--the shooter was only after their teacher, thanks to jealousy and a love triangle. My grandmother would tell the story on occasion, and it always left an impression. The shooter had the teacher step into the hall with him, and I believe my grandma and the other students could hear her say, "No," or cry, and then they heard the gunshot. They fled the school using the classroom's windows, even pushing each other out. My grandmother ran down the street. A woman stopped her and asked what happened, but she just said, "Let me go! Let me go!" and kept on running. When she got home, she said to my great-grandmother, "Go get Billy"--her brother--"They're shooting the teachers!"

Very few people are in favor of an outright ban on guns. I'm not. But I am in favor of tightening some laws and making it harder for this to happen again. I've heard all the counter arguments. I've countered the counter arguments. Yes, evil can still find a way to win, but that's no reason to sit back and not fight it. When we see a problem, the very least we can do is say, "This needs fixed." We may not agree on how to fix it, and the answers may not be simple or obvious and certainly won't please everyone or satisfy all needs, but we should at least try.

Nam Christmas Tree?

Okay, this actually came from a non-Fayettenamese Facebook page, but I feel like it could have. Or will inspire people. After all, this is tame compared to last year's deer Christmas tree, not to be confused with the time I was at a party where a deer was skinned.

Fun fact: this came from Jeff Dunham's Facebook page.
His character Bubba is SW PA favorite. I know this from experience.

Christmas in the Nam Pt. 2: The Reckoning

Happenings:

• Rockin' Winter Wonderland to benefit Toys for Tots at Live Wire Tavern in Smithfield on Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. featuring seven bands. Ages 21+. $6 donation, and take new, unwrapped toys!
• Scottdale's Geyer Theater is performing The Nutcracker. I'm going super high class for The Nutcracker this year--finally--and seeing it in Pittsburgh.

Gift guide:

• Cookie jars from the Friends of the Carnegie Library. $10 at the library.
• Cross Worlds Nexus, now available in more comic stores in the area and fresh off an appearance at Steel City Con.

And a friendly reminder that for lost and found pet alerts, check this Facebook page. I also repost all the ones I happen to catch on the blog's Facebook. And don't forget about Christmas Cards for Kaden!

Christmas Cards for Kaden

My dad deployed three times from about when I was 13 to 16 or 17. My brother and I both were old enough to fully understand where he was going and why, but most of the military kids we encountered when we'd see him off at airports were much, much younger. The saddest and hardest part was always watching those little kids. You don't know true sadness until you see a toddler pressed against a window, crying, watching a plane take off, screaming, "Daddy!"

I got an e-mail forward from my mom today involving the former Franklin School District board president, Patty Moore, and her grandson, Kaden, whose mom just deployed for Afghanistan for the second year in a row. Patty's trying to see how many Christmas cards she can get for Kaden. So let's get on it!

Send cards to:

Kaden Moore

6312 Cardinal Drive

Newbern, NC 28560

Get a-steppin' and send this kid some cards! It's a simple gesture to help brighten his Christmas.

County Crime Roundup

• Someone stole Christmas presents intended for local children from a church. You suck.
• The commissioners are still busy suing each other.
• A woman got irritated with her 14-month-old kid and shook him and is now being charged. Stop these things, Fayette County!
• The cops found some explosives in a home. Not a meth lab?

Got to Pay the Troll Toll

First, no one calls it "the Mon-Fayette Expressway." It's just "the toll road."

Second, the toll road is the fastest way between my apartment and my parents' place, as well as one of the fastest (though least interesting) routes between my parents' and work. But I almost never take it. From my apartment, at least, taking the toll road means paying twice--I believe about $1.90 in the Nam and $0.99 in near Washington. I need quarters to do my laundry and don't typically carry much cash, so I pretty much only take the toll road if I have some dollar bills or am traveling with someone who does.

It's a nice road to travel, though. You can go fast, and almost no one is ever on it--probably because of the tolls. Obviously, more people would drive it if they were lower, and then whoever gets all that money would be making bank.

The other problem? It seems like nearly all Fayette County exits are labeled "Brownsville." Do you know what a pain this is when I can't really tell where in the Nam I am from the toll road and want to go to Uniontown and not Brownsville? The last time I drove the toll road to the Nam, I was trying to find the exit that would get me closest to New Century Buffet, but they were all labeled Brownsville. I didn't really want to get off the toll road to drive another 15-20 minutes into town from Brownsville if I knew staying on the toll road would get me there faster...but I didn't know which exit would take me to Uniontown and didn't want to stay on too long for fear they all just say Brownsville or I'd somehow end up past Uniontown or even have to pay a third toll.

Turns out I had to pay a third toll anyway and probably would've gotten to the buffet faster if I'd held out for one or two more exits that may or may not have said they go to Brownsville.

Fayette County Christmas

Lots of Christmas events and things are going around. In need of something to do or gift ideas?

• Historic homes will be open to tours, which sounds neat for those of you who love our gorgeous historic houses or just creeping around (like my boyfriend's neighbor's apparently do--like, full-on looking in the windows). My aunt and uncle had their house on last year's tour.
• O'Gillies is taking reservations for Christmas parties. With Sherwood's closed but kinda sorta not really open, O'Gillies is a nice second, even though I've only been there once. It's full of characters. It's not on Sherwood's level, though. Come back, Sherwood's!
• The Holiday Inn is also still taking reservations for Saturday's lunch with Santa.
• Mt. Macrina's annual live nativity is this Friday night.

Need gift ideas?

• Ohiopyle still has 2013 calendars. Unlike most of the rest of the county, they're probably really pretty.
• Then there's Cross World Nexus for comic fans, and lucky for you, creator Shane Ronzio will be at Steel City Con in Monroeville this weekend. Stop by, say hi, and tell him I sent you. Or look for me on Sunday.
• St. Rita's is selling baked goods, and you know no one bakes like a church lady.
• Tee Minus 24 has a new shirt out. Buy it for me. They were also at the last Steel City Con, so here's to hoping I'll see them this weekend, too.
• And for you high rollers, a $14,500 Frank Lloyd Wright cat house. It's not Fallingwater, but who cares? If a Nam resident buys it, it'll be our third Wright construction in the county, making us even more awesome.

I will be accepting gifts of Fallingwater itself, Nguyen's gift cards, and any candy.

For Your Listening Pleasure

Here's some Geibel grads, AKA my former '07 classmates, jamming real nice. They're the Lowliners.

Without showing off my musical prowess, I'll give a brief review: it's kind of catchy yet mellow, soothing, good, definitely a solid jam.

I hope to hear more from them, as well as other Nam musicians. Meaning if you want me to talk about your band, I will.

We Have a TV Channel!

Baby steps! First, we have a whole TV station. Second, that stations has a variety show. Now that variety show needs interns, and it wants high-school graduates interested in broadcasting, communications, PR, and related areas.

Fayette TV strives to provide a safe, learner-friendly environment where motivated, creative, and upbeat individuals can develop useful skills while becoming more confident in their abilities. Our goal is to build a rewarding internship program that allows learners to have an important hand in the creation of a worthwhile product.

It could be a really cool opportunity. I wish I would've had it, although being HeraldStandard.com's stringer was a pretty good deal.

Also, will someone give me my own show on this network? Like, a talk show where I bring in Nam royalty, natives doing nice/cool things, famous visitors, and general first-time guests? I'd be awesome.

Meanwhile, I want to know what happened to that potential Fayette County judicial-system reality show.

Gingerbread Fallingwater

This is gorgeous.