Come recover from Halloween with us at St. Clair Fitness with a Piyo class. This is a program created by Chalene Johnson that is a yoga/stretching class that helps shape your body without destroying it in the process. No experience needed! Stay afterwards to catch up and maybe win an exciting prize being raffled off!
Deck the halls with beer and cookies!
Join us at the Collins’s home to celebrate the season with a festive beer and cookie exchange. The exact quantity of beer and cookies you should bring depends upon how many people are coming, so please RSVP early if you can.
We’re changing it up this time and meeting on a Friday night. The party starts at 7:30 and ends at three question marks. Come for the craft beer and cookies, stay to make friends with your fellow Newcomers!
Please RSVP.
Do you have what it takes to escape the room?
http://pittsburgh.escapetheroom.com/
Cost is $28 per person ($56 per couple) and we’re still taking RSVPs! Time slots are staggered, and there are still slots available to accommodate up to NINE MORE COUPLES, so we hope you’ll join us. Is your date/spouse traveling? Working late or otherwise engaged? No problem. Head over to our facebook page and try to team up with another fellow Newcomer in the same situation. We welcome everyone!
Once we have a final headcount, I’ll post details about where we’ll meet to enjoy drinks and/or snacks before &/or after your assigned game.
Please RSVP early! Event is Saturday, November 21.
Questions? E-mail me at ashleywcollins@gmail.com
Why did you want to join the USC Newcomers’ Club?
I started looking up local clubs just before we moved to USC because I wanted to quickly get involved in activities and meeting new people! Prior to moving here, we only knew one couple who lived in the area and I was anxious to start meeting people and making friends! I think a part of feeling settled when you move is when you start feeling like you are part of a community.
Where did you recently move from?
We moved from Clifton Park, NY – close to Albany and Schenectady. We lived there for 3 years.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Fairview, PA, a small suburb of Erie!
Where did you go to college and what did you study?
What do you do for your day job?
I currently stay at home with my daughter!
Do you have any kids? If so what are their names and ages?
My daughter, Clara, will be 2 in January.
Do you have any pets?
I have a cat named Izzy. I also love dogs and I hope one day to adopt a Newfoundland. (I’m not so sure my husband is on board with that.)
What do you like to do for fun?
I love to read, and usually have my nose in a book. I also enjoy movies, TV, spending time outside, watching sports (especially college football and cheering on my Wolverines).
What books on your shelf are begging to be read?
The list of books I want to read is always long. I’m currently reading Go Set a Watchman. I can’t wait to read Girl on a Train, The Husband’s Secret, Why Not Me?…just to name a few!
What’s the biggest goal you are working on now?
We moved here this summer so the biggest goal right now is settling in, meeting new people, and getting to know the city!
What upcoming Newcomers’ event are you looking forward to attending?
I’m looking forward to attending book club and I can’t wait to check out Butcher and Rye for ladies’ night out!
What other things do you want your fellow newcomers to know about yourself?
I’ve always been a little shy, but I love meeting new people and am always up for new adventures!
Please join us on Monday, November 16 at 7:30 in Julie William’s home (300 Alamo Drive) for September’s book club meeting to discuss Judy Blume’s novel, In the Unlikely Event. Even if (or perhaps especially if) the last thing you read was Good Night, Moon, please come for the laughter, food and drinks. I know this has been written often, but if you don’t have time to read the book please come anyway. Reading the book may be an easy way to create a common connection, but forming friendships certainly doesn’t involve required reading. Please bring your favorite thing to snack on or drink!
After you get your fill of the Fall Bounty, come kick it with the USC Newcomers at our annual kickball game! Bring your family, a light snack to share with others, and your totally awesome kickball skills. Please RSVP on the website by Thursday, November 5, with the names/ages of family members attending along with the snack you plan on bringing to the event. Beverages will be provided, and there is a playground right beside the field for younger children. Even if you don’t want to play, feel free to join us and hang out.
Tuesday, October 6, 10 a.m.
Simmons Farm? Trax Farm?
Let us know which you’d prefer when you RSVP.
We were planning on going to Trax Farm, but last week our LDO chair was talking to some ladies and they like Simmons farm better. So let’s vote!!! We can pick some pumpkins up!
Where did you grow up?
I was born in New Jersey near Philadelphia. We moved to the Orlando area when I was 12. I’m not a big fan of Florida, but I stayed there through college; in-state tuition is an insanely good deal. I was in NYC for a few years before I moved to D.C. to go to grad school.
Where did you go to college and what did you study?
Florida State University in Tallahassee, theatre and communication with an emphasis in public relations. Tallahassee is not a stimulating place to spend four years of your life, but I did get to study in London for a semester (at FSU’s London campus).
What do you do for your day job?
I started working for the government five years ago when I still lived in D.C. I’m still in the same job, but now I telework full time. I’m in internal communications, so I write and edit. One of my favorite things is taking a document and making the mistakes go away.
Do you have any kids? If so what are their names and ages?
I don’t. We are lucky enough to have three nieces and four nephews. One of each lives in Peters Township.
Do you have any pets?
We have a puppy (well, she’s three, but she’ll always be a puppy to me) named Gypsy. She’s a terrier mix with a sweet temperament and a lot of heart.
What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy going to the theatre, traveling, reading, and listening to music. The box office manager of Little Lake Theatre in Canonsburg is my next-door neighbor; I’ve only missed two shows in the two years I’ve lived here. I have a subscription to a streaming music service, which allows me to be a voracious consumer. Please let me know if there’s anything I need to hear!
What books on your shelf are begging to be read?
I bought a book called The Micronutrient Miracle which I’m looking for some good information from, but it’s not what you’d call a page-turner, so it isn’t begging very hard. I’m a bit of a news junkie – The New York Times, The Washington Post, slate.com, etc. Book club is a lot of fun, and while you don’t have to read the book, I often do, so I’ll probably pick up Circling the Sun.
What’s the biggest goal you are working on now?
If you’ve met me in person, you probably know I’m on a special diet for my M.S. It has made a difference. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and make sleep a priority. Healing from an auto-immune disease is ambitious and it may or may not be possible, but that’s my biggest goal. Since that’s the question.
What upcoming Newcomers’ event are you looking forward to attending?
I missed book club in September, so I want to get there next time. The Autumn Chill event at Ashley’s house was a lot of fun, so I look forward to seeing what the other couples’ events are this year. I also love brunch, so even though that’s not until December, I’m looking forward to that.
What other things do you want your fellow newcomers to know about yourself?
The picture above was taken when the Steelers got one for the thumb!
10/16/2015
6:30 to ?
Butcher and the Rye – 212 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 412.391.2752
Join us in the city for a night of drinks and dinner at Butcher and the Rye.
THE CHEF
Richard DeShantz is the chef and owner of Butcher and the Rye, in the Cultural District of Pittsburgh, PA. The two-story restaurant is a destination for its extensive whiskey collection and creative menu, which offers contemporary riffs on rustic American dishes.
Butcher and the Rye is the first Pittsburgh bar to be nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Bar Program since the category was created in 2012.
INTERIOR DESIGN
At Butcher and the Rye, details carefully come together to create a unique experience that pays homage to the rustic Americana. Designed by Richard DeShantz, the space is carefully curated to complement the menu and is approached as a layering of different textures and colors.
Oil lanterns take the place of candles on some tables. A chandelier of white antlers hangs over one of the dining rooms. Tattoo-inspired murals adorn the tables and chairs. Vintage knives and cleavers are displayed by the entrance. Antique doorknobs are installed as purse hooks at the bar. A 1920’s flag with 48 stars faces the window of the other private dining room.
THE BAR
Awarded James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program for two consecutive years, the Butcher and the Rye boasts an ambitious cocktail program that adds depth to the Pittsburgh dining scene. In addition to three custom and locally-sourced beers on tap, 12 cocktails on draft, 30+ wines and 15+ featured cocktails, our skilled team of bartenders and mixologists have an arsenal of numerous cocktails, including many of their own custom creations.
Butcher and the Rye features two bars. The first bar is located on the main floor and features our acclaimed Whiskey Wall, boasting 600+ varietals of whiskey. Our Rye Bar is located on the second floor and features a first-come, first-served craft cocktail bar, a library for lounging and a more private dining room.
