People here are really nice. I mean REALLY, really nice.

Maybe its just that I've been conditioned to believe most people are pretty selfish (thanks for that, So Cal), but I've been absolutely blown away by people's kindness here.

Exhibit A: I called a taxi to take me to the grocery store on Monday night. It was too snowy to walk and I don't have a car, plus I knew I'd have a lot to haul back up the hill. There was a bit of a wait but I had such a friendly cab driver. Not only did he give me some tips about Pittsburgh (don't steal peoples parking chairs, for example) some driving tips, and a couple Pittsburgh etiquette/slang pointers, but he also came back to the grocery store to get me. I was in line checking my groceries out, about to call the cab company for another cab, and I look up and there he is, nicest cabby in the world, decked out head to toe in black and gold (people are REALLY into sports here), bagging up my groceries and carting them back out to the cab for me. He even helped me haul them all up the icy steps to the front door, and didn't even run the meter. I tipped him extra and he seemed shocked. It was only a 4 dollar cab ride but I felt like I had my own personal assistant for an hour. +1 Pittsburgh!

Exhibit B: The people at the Chick-Fil-A are amazing. I went there yesterday with my new nanny family and not only had the best lemonade ever but we were also 'seated' and our orders taken from our table. Some people lined up at the front to place orders, but staff came out and personally took their orders, told them to have a seat, and brought the food to them. An older woman (the manager, maybe) walked around asking if she could "refresh" our beverages or bring us more condiments. Wow. I never even had service like this at expensive restaurants, let alone a fast food joint with a kiddie area. +2 Pittsburgh!

Exhibit C, D, and E: Numerous offers from people, both friends and strangers, to help me/us out in any way. The upstairs neighbors offered me the use of any towels, pots and pans, or kitchen goods until my stuff gets here. Thanks, neighbors! Our friend Justin is/has been extremely helpful in helping us get settled, find a car, and fix our place up. Justin has a soft spot for Mac and Cheese, so I'm going all out for the next batch. My new mom-boss/nanny family, prior to even meeting me, offered to bring me anything I needed or take me anywhere I needed to go. Really? Wow. I mean I know there's snow and all, but wow. Thank you. +3 Pittsburgh! Even people at the grocery stores, banks, and KMart are super friendly and actually help you find what you need. When I walk in the snow I get a lot of "you're not from around here, are you?" looks, but everyone is understanding and helpful. I wasn't really expecting that, at all.