As a daddy’s little girl, there were always three movies that I could watch over and over again with the papa bear: Grease, Rocky and The Karate Kid. Completely neglecting the fact that those three movies have nothing in common and my dad still loves all three, let’s focus on the bigger picture. How in the world does the kid do it? Each time I watch The Karate Kid, I can’t help wondering. I mean, I can watch the movie over and over again, watching his training in slow motion …

Over to the left a bit. Some more. No, wait. Move it up a little. Down? No. No. No. Something’s missing. Something just doesn’t feel right.
I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve said that within the last two months. Decorating a house is hard enough, but decorating a new house can be just downright impossible. At least that’s what I thought when I moved into my new place.
But I was an amateur back then, the type of person who expected to find exactly what I wanted at …

It was red, white and blue, hung on a wall and hypnotized me like the Penguin’s umbrella in Batman Returns. It ruled me, and apparently every other man in the neighborhood, as well.
I said, “Dad, what’s that? A candy shop?” as I pointed to the twirling candy cane across the street. “No, a barbershop”, my father said.
We walked through the door and sat down along the row of chairs. Tony, the owner, greeted my father with a friendly, “Hey Tom,” while I shied away into my seat.
My father went first. …

Rent? Check. Bills? Check. Gas? Check. Big meal for the day? Uh, whoops. As we approach the end of the recession, balancing the checkbook is getting easier, but spending a lot on eating out isn’t. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, diners have always been an easy-on-the-wallet solution. And luckily, Pittsburgh is full of them!
If you’re in the mood for a tasty stack of pancakes, try Pamela’s (six area locations). And if you don’t believe me, ask President Obama. Over Memorial Day weekend, Pamela’s served up their famous hotcakes to …