How I Spent My Lunch Hour in the City of Champions

[Amy]

In case you've been living under a rock, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup Friday night. Today was the big celebration parade downtown, so I took my camera to work. Since I was working, I couldn't stake out a good spot hours in advance - had to go out on my lunch hour, ended up about 4 people back in the huge crowd. So my photos were taken with the old "hold camera up over head, point it toward the street, set the shutter on continuous and hope some of them turn out" method. And I actually got some pretty nice ones!

First off, our high school marching band was asked to march in the parade. Since school's out and the kids have scattered, they asked for any band alumni from the past 4 years to march if they wanted to. So both DS19 (who graduated in 2008) and DS17 were marching together again, something I didn't think would happen! On the one hand, my boys were pretty excited to be IN the parade; on the other, they didn't get to see ANY of the players or anything. Once the band got to the end of the parade route at the reviewing stand, they loaded them in the buses right away. They're not too happy about it.

Here's DS19 - he's 2nd from the right with the silver trumpet:

And here's DS17 right smack in the middle. Boy, I remember when he started playing that bari sax, it was bigger than he was!

Ok, first off, the Great Mario Lemieux (in white shirt) and Ron Burkle, owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins:

Head coach Dan Bylsma (in the black shirt):

Some of the Penguins (sorry, I don't know who they are and my boys aren't around right now to ask):

Here's the trophy the Penguins got when they won their division:

Evgeni Malkin and the Con Smythe trophy for most valuable player:

And finally, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (holding the cup) and Sidney Crosby with the Stanley Cup:

Not a bad way to spend a lunch hour, huh?! I know from a photography standpoint, they're not all that great. But considering the shooting conditions, I think they turned out pretty well.

WAY TO GO PENGUINS!!!

 

[annnewjerz]

....the Great Mario Lemieux....

Good one, Amy. That made my night.

I really wish I could commend your photographs, but the subject matter is just so appalling that it's hard to look past the horribleness that is a Pittsburgh Penguin and say something nice about the photos.....

Okay okay okay...even though we both know the Flyers are so much better, I do think it's pretty cool you got to see the parade (kind of like us last year with the Phillies) and for just sticking your hand up, I think it's pretty spectacular you came away with any usable shots.

PS: Since when does RS allow its employees to take lunch? That's a privilege I have not been entitled to recently.

 

[Amy]

Good one, Amy. That made my night.

I really wish I could commend your photographs, but the subject matter is just so appalling that it's hard to look past the horribleness that is a Pittsburgh Penguin and say something nice about the photos.....

Okay okay okay...even though we both know the Flyers are so much better, I do think it's pretty cool you got to see the parade (kind of like us last year with the Phillies) and for just sticking your hand up, I think it's pretty spectacular you came away with any usable shots.

PS: Since when does RS allow its employees to take lunch? That's a privilege I have not been entitled to recently.

Hey, Ann, those are fightin' words, honey!! Don't you go dis-ing Mario! He's a legend here in the 'Burgh. Put up yer dukes!

Anybody who knows ANYTHING knows how great the Penguins are! But since the DIS boards are family-friendly, you and I are just going to have to agree to disagree on this one issue.

Actually, RS got an extra 1/2 hour out of me today, gratis. My boys had to report to the school at 7am, and since my car was in the shop for inspection, they had to drop me at the bus stop extra-early so they'd make it to the school on time (for a band geek, "on time" means 15 min early), so I got to work way earlier than I usually do. I was only away from my desk for 45 min for the parade, and then I worked until my usual time. You know what slave drivers they are!

 

[YesDear]

Glad your city had a chance to have a regional celebration for your local team. It is hockey they play right.

Being from Raleigh and the home of the Hurricanes, it is hard to get excited for them since they pretty much destroyed us in the playoffs!!

Nice Pictures.

 

[Amy]

Glad your city had a chance to have a regional celebration for your local team. It is hockey they play right.

Being from Raleigh and the home of the Hurricanes, it is hard to get excited for them since they pretty much destroyed us in the playoffs!!

Nice Pictures.

Gee whiz!! You and Ann are such sore losers!! Why not be happy for us Pittsburghers, huh? We haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1992. We were about due.

Besides, can't you have a little sympathy for us? We're stuck with the Pirates after all...........

 

[YesDear]

Congratulations

 

[Merrywheather]

Well Amy, I'll stick up for ya - I'm a Penguins fan and I think your pics are fabulous!! I would've loved to have been there! Woohoo!!!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don't follow hockey at all. So congratulations!

You captured some great pictures. Love the looks going on betwen blond and player in #5 - at first thought she was a fan, but then realized she was in the truck. We can only imagine why he was getting the look! Maybe an adoring fan yelled something out? LOL

How neat for your boys to have the chance to march together again, too!

 

[saturndb]

Being from Detroit, I thought the pictures are ok, they would look alot better if the jerseys were red and had a wings logo on them.

Dave

Go WINGS!!

 

[pointandshoot]

Being from Detroit, I thought the pictures are ok, they would look alot better if the jerseys were red and had a wings logo on them.

Dave

Go WINGS!!

I do think red is the better color...but a big Hurricane logo would make it perfect!!!

Congrats to the Pens. Hope we meet again in the finals and I hope we make a series of it next time. Taking out Jersey and Boston killed us and the Pens speed was too much.

Chuck

 

[AndrewWG]

We haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1992. We were about due.

awwww. I feel bad for you. The Bruins???? Well, I was only 1 the last time they won for us.

Still, you are right, you have the Pirates.

Nice pics anyways! I always like a good sports photo opportunity. I would have been right there with ya if I were in your area.

 

[Experiment_626]

In case you've been living under a rock, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup Friday night.

I like it here under my rock! It's nice and cozy, and no hockey-related news penetrates, at least under normal circumstances.



Nice shots, though. I do recognize Mario Lemieux -- he and I both beat the same type of cancer. It always makes me feel a bit better to see that he is still kicking!

SSB

 

[LaurieN]

NOT a Penns fan BUT.......... LOVE the pics!!! I love to watch the cup get hoisted and seeing the joy on the players faces (especially when they are so young!!). Love the pic of Lemiux; he looks great, like he could have been playing on the team!
Laurie

 

[juligrl]

Go Pens! Looks like fun Amy - thanks for posting!

 

[Evad]

Gee whiz!! You and Ann are such sore losers!! Why not be happy for us Pittsburghers, huh? We haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1992. We were about due.

Besides, can't you have a little sympathy for us? We're stuck with the Pirates after all...........

Since 92 eh, wow that's so long. Try since 67!!!!!!!! My damm Leafs can't even make the playoffs..... lol



Congrats anyway and thanks for sharing. I'll post some pics from the Leafs victory parade next year.....

 

[sherry7]

Love the pics! I wish I could have been there. I heard there were an estimated 500,000 people at the parade.

Go Pens!

 

[GOBA Mom Lynn]

Hi from one band Mom to another,

These are really great pictures, and congrats on getting good shots of your kids! Are you from Gateway? We're at TJ, so my kids got to play at the Pens pep rally on the 9th, and march in the Steeler's parade last Feb. It's an exciting thing marching down those streets with all those screaming fans. I got to go as a chaperone, so just like your kids said, at the end of the parade, just load onto the busses and head home. I don't know if my kids would have been excited to do another parade, since school was out already, especially my senior! (He plays a silver trumpet, too!)

Here's hoping next year there's more victory parades in the "Burgh.

PS to all those from "other places".... Pittsburgh is called the City of Champions you know.....

 

[Amy]

Hi from one band Mom to another,

These are really great pictures, and congrats on getting good shots of your kids! Are you from Gateway? We're at TJ, so my kids got to play at the Pens pep rally on the 9th, and march in the Steeler's parade last Feb. It's an exciting thing marching down those streets with all those screaming fans. I got to go as a chaperone, so just like your kids said, at the end of the parade, just load onto the busses and head home. I don't know if my kids would have been excited to do another parade, since school was out already, especially my senior! (He plays a silver trumpet, too!)

Here's hoping next year there's more victory parades in the "Burgh.

PS to all those from "other places".... Pittsburgh is called the City of Champions you know.....

Howdy neighbor! Always nice to see another Pittsburgher here on the boards! Yep, we're from Gateway. TJ's got a good band, too, and a great football team! One of my good friends, her youngest graduated from TJ this year.

MAYBE next year we can do a triple-play - Steelers, Penguins and Pirates! (I know, I'm dreaming.....it'll take a miracle for the Pirates to do anything good.)