Suzanne’s Choose Your Own Adventure
Friday March 2, 2012 | No Comments
This is the fourth blog in our weekly “Choose Your Own Adventure” series, in which a PC team member chooses to do something new or out of the ordinary in order to inspire them, rejuvenate them or broaden their horizons. This week’s participant is Suzanne, who took her family on a journey to Chicago.
This week’s Choose Your Own Adventure marks a departure from our previous installments. Suzanne and her family decided to shake things up and break away from the local scene with a trip to Chicago, where she enjoyed museums, city sights, swanky shopping and an unexpected charity event. Our social media team, eager to document her experiences, got in touch with Suzanne after her travels. We asked her to participate in an online interview and she was happy to share her experience with us.
So, first things first. What was the purpose of your trip?
In the Shedd Aquarium.
To get our big city “fix” and enjoy a change of scenery. It was a quick getaway that didn’t require flying with two kids.
What sites/sights did you see?
Shedd Aquarium, Magnificent Mile, the Hancock Building, the Loop and Navy Pier. We also enjoyed some world class shopping!
What was the most challenging part of the trip, given that you had two kids with you?
I thought it was going to be the five hour drive, but mostly it was all the stuff we had drag with us for two days: Pack and Play, Diapers, food, and several changes of clothes. Also, we thought we might hit a snow storm, so we packed all kinds of snow clothes for the kids – boots, snow suits, etc. – and when we got there, not a flake. It had all melted. The national news featured a live report that morning with a journalist standing in the middle of a Chicago street in a snowstorm and when we got there at 4 PM, nothing. We were lucky!
Any particularly exciting stories to share?
When we left our house, drove half a block, and turned onto a larger street, Margot asked “Is this Chicago?” I groaned inwardly, realizing we had another 4.5 hours to go, but she actually was really good.
Chicago's Watertower Plaza.
Another story is our trip to the top of the Hancock building, which landed us smack in the middle of “HustleuptheHancock,” an event sponsored by the Respiratory Association of Chicago. The climb is designed to raise $1 million for local lung disease research and programs. That added a moving element to the whole experience. Firefighters from all over the country formed teams to honor the 343 firefighters lost in 9/11. We saw so many teams of firefighters; it was amazing.
There was a catch, though. Because all those people were climbing up, they ultimately had to get down. This would have meant a three hour wait for us to get down from the observatory platform. With that in mind, we skipped the observatory, but we did so happily given the nature of the event and the cause it represented.
Was this the first time traveling far from home with your kids?
We are actually big travelers. Believe it or not, this was actually one of the shortest trips we’ve done with kids. Margot has been to Istanbul, the Greek islands, Italy, Ireland, New York, Washington, DC and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Rory has been to the Outer Banks, and we hope to visit Ireland in a few months so he can meet my husband’s family.
Did you make any specific stops with your kids in mind?
Nope! We high tailed it while they enjoyed an afternoon nap in their car seats!
Margot learning to use chopsticks.
What were the highlights of the trip?
Shedd Aquarium interested the entire family and was, quite frankly, very cool. Margot using chop sticks for the first time will make for a great memory as well.
Lastly, do you have any tips for other parents looking to travel with children?
Expect the unexpected, pack lots of snacks for the car ride, and have an iPad loaded with Olivia episodes in case the going gets tough!
by PascaleCom
ShareThisMarch National Health Observances
Thursday March 1, 2012 | No Comments
With spring just on the horizon, many of us are busy preparing to fight one of the most vicious, troublesome foes of all: allergies. Truth be told, it’s easy to forget about other, more serious health issues when you’re busy too sneezing, coughing, and tearing up to do anything more than reach for a nearby box of tissues. March health awareness addresses important topics, however: topics like colorectal cancer, eye wellness, nutrition, sleep health and diabetes. Take a look below and let us know which aspect of your health you’ll work on improving this month!
Monthly
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month 
Weekly
Brain Awareness Week (12th – 18th)
National School Breakfast Week (5th – 9th)
National Sleep Awareness Week (5th – 11th) Daily
American Diabetes Alert Day (27th)
World Tuberculosis Day (24th)
by PascaleCom
Allison’s Choose Your Own Adventure!
Friday February 24, 2012 | No Comments
This is the third blog in our weekly “Choose Your Own Adventure” series, in which a PC team member chooses to do something new or out of the ordinary in order to inspire them, rejuvenate them or broaden their horizons. This week’s participant is Allison who takes us with her on a journey through Pinterest.
A real life conversation between AP and a Pinterest-challenged male.
I really don’t think there’s anything more unpredictable than social media. As soon as you’re complacent with status updates, tweets, and check-ins, another patently innovative platform arrives and before you know it, you’re rethinking and reshaping the way you interact in our web 2.0 world. I remember a time in my life when I was caught up on all things tech. Now, I frequently find myself confused (and perhaps a bit scared) by some of the techy things out there. Social media is no exception, but I challenge myself to become a “pro” with all platforms.
What is Pinterest?
Recently, I set out to learn a little more about a content-sharing platform growing rapidly in use and popularity: Pinterest. For those of you who haven’t been frequenting Facebook recently, Pinterest is a fun, simple way to share interests through image collections. While browsing the web, a user can “pin” any image to a collection (or “board”). The boards, visually appealing by design, can then be shared through a friends system we net generation types have all come to know and love. And interestingly enough, the current user base is 97% female. Yes, you read that right: 97% double x. Thankfully, there probably aren’t many boards themed around monster truck rallies.
My Adventure
My ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ goal was to interact in some way with PC’s recently-made Pinterest page. So far, it’s mostly just inspirational quotes and food-related goodness. Still, we’re proud of it and think you should check it out. We look forward to showing YOU what inspires US, and connecting on a new and exciting level with our biggest fans.In the ongoing spirit of culinary-related challenges – and in an effort to remind myself that I CAN (in fact) prepare dishes fancier than Ramen noodles – I decided to focus my Pinterest-pointed CYOA around some of the delicious recipes posted on our food board. If you’ve been keeping up with our adventures, you know that Gabe rejected food and Michael embraced it. I, on the other hand, wanted to create. And so, after a trip to the local market, I was ready to craft a pair of delectable dishes featured on the site: cranberry-avocado salad and ginger-garlic shrimp.
This is actually ended up being a bit of a bigger feat than I had previously envisioned, because there are SO many delicious ideas on Pinterest and I couldn’t make a decision. Additionally, many of the recipes I craved were dips, treats, desserts of sorts, etc. I wanted a MEAL, and something impressive. While I didn’t end up making beef wellington (let’s not give me too much credit in my cooking skills here) I was quite excited to make my meal. Overall, it was a great success. Both dishes were delicious, but admittedly a lot more time than I’d normally spend on a meal. I peeled and cut my own ginger, in addition to making dressing from scratch (which was amazing, by the way). I spilled dried mustard all over myself and was late in getting to where I was preparing dinner, but all in all, it was a great success and I’d definitely search out Pinterest for inspiration in cooking (among other countless things) in the future.
Let’s be up front here and call a spade a spade: I love social media. I’m on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, have an Instagram account and a blog. But Pinterest is quickly becoming my favorite social media platform. In a conversation with Georgette this week, we both agreed that Pinterest seems to be the most positive social networking platform, and it’s refreshing. It’s no soap box for complaining and drama (which we all know certain SM sites can be). Instead, it’s a place for inspiration, where people can show the world what drives them. I love it and encourage you all (even you, boys!) to give it a whirl!
by PascaleCom
Stuff My Boss Says
Thursday February 23, 2012 | No Comments
You may have noticed that we at PC are an outgoing bunch. This is because we take after our boss and master motivator, Georgette, whom most of you are familiar with by now (and/ or love dearly). However, for those of you who have never met GP, you might not know of her bubbly personality and contagious enthusiasm. Georgette has a style all her own that the PC team has grown to love. However, we could not miss the opportunity to poke a little fun and compile a list of our favorite GP-isms, slightly inspired by a short-lived William Shatner sitcom. So, without further adieu:
She said WHAT???
Stuff My Boss Says:
– I need you to be more proactive
– Come on guys, gotta be proactive here.
– You really need to be proactive on this account.
– It’ll just take three minutes. (Please note: nothing that “should take three minutes” really ever only takes three minutes)
– That should have only taken you three minutes.
– It took you how long? I could have done it in three minutes.
– WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
– woo
– woo
– woo
– woo
– woo
– WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
– Werk
– Werk it out
– Werk. Werd.
– Spell check!
– “Touch” clients weekly
– Karma baby!
– My sked
– Thank you for all your hard work
– So and so (PC employee) are “rocking” that client
– It’s all good (when it’s questionable it really is)
– Fab!
– You should have plenty of bandwidth.
– Do you have bandwidth?
– What’s your bandwidth like right now?
– It’s pretty quiet right now, so you should have bandwidth.
– You’ve gotta work more efficiently.
– Efficient, strategic and proactive.
– Rest assured, we’re on it.
– Hit the ground running.
– Low hanging fruit
– First and foremost, our job is to get press.
– You’re all the experts here.
– You’re the star here.
– Let’s keep it topline.
– On the horn right now, will IM you in five when I’m off.
– Get on the horn with them ASAP.
– Just get on the horn with them real quick.
– “Whatevs”
– Fierce
by PascaleCom
Michael’s “Choose Your Own Adventure”
Friday February 17, 2012 | No Comments
This is the second blog in our weekly “Choose Your Own Adventure” series, in which a PC team member chooses to do something new or out of the ordinary in order to inspire them, rejuvenate them or broaden their horizons. This week’s participant is our intern Michael, who is exploring some new culinary delights.
I’ve always enjoyed trying new foods. While I’m not a fan of alligator, I love (read: love) escargot and will go crazy for chicken vindaloo. On a college budget and schedule, however, exploring new avenues of cuisine is a difficult thing. So for my Choose Your Own Adventure experience, I chose to break my ongoing trend of culinary complacency. No more sushi, Jimmy John’s, and Chipotle for Mike. The time for more varied and exciting fare had come.
Embarking on my quest, my first endeavor was a relatively safe one. Alex, a close friend of mine who studied abroad in Vietnam last year, suggested I try pho, a Vietnamese soup filled with rice noodles, topped with rare beef, and garnished with various vegetables and sprouts. I’d heard of pho previously. Vietnamese cuisine is gradually becoming more popular in Philly, my hometown. Several of my close friends have recommended the dish to me at one time or another. With their expert testimony in mind, Alex and I traveled to Pittsburgh’s Strip District seeking Southeast Asian satiation.
As I didn’t have the presence of mind at this point to take a picture, this is a stock “pho-to” courtesy of Wikipedia
The Verdict: Unsurprisingly, the safe bet yielded a delicious and enjoyable dining experience. Pho combines a lean, savory meat with rich broth and hearty noodles. The result is pure deliciousness. The garnishes and sauces provided (who here loves sriracha?) add sweetness and spiciness to a diner’s content, and though it can be a bit difficult to eat – chopsticks and rice noodles make a hard pair for a westerner like me – I look forward to practicing soon.
My next foray was supposed to unsettle me. The PC team wanted to see me dig into a meal that would make me squirm. For a good while I was at a loss. Where in Pittsburgh could I find something I would be uncomfortable eating at a comfortable price? The answer came in the form of the recently re-opened Station Street Hot Dogs, who, in their efforts to provide interesting franks, offer a dog adorned with sweetbreads. I won’t lie; despite my carnivorous tendencies and overall adventurousness, the thought of eating throat hardly appealed to me. Still, knowing this was what the team wanted to see, I gathered what resolve I could and traveled to East Liberty to shove some throat down my throat.
I actually took this one to document my harrowing experience.
The Verdict: Once I got over the fact that I was eating throat meat, I found the taste highly enjoyable. The fare was lighter and more pronounced than traditional cuts of meat: a bit salty, even a bit sweet (it’s easy to see where the name comes from). I wasn’t a huge fan of the texture, which was too airy and “melt-in-your-mouth” for me. All things considered, however, I would definitely try it again.
Last, I set out to try a variation on a dish I already know and like. This may come across as a bit of a cop out, but after mustering my courage to try the sweetbreads, I felt a bit entitled. Walking back to my apartment, I noticed a humble middle-eastern eatery relatively close to my apartment I’d never tried before. I decided to order a chicken curry with rice. While I’ve had plenty of Indian curry and a fair share of Japanese curry, I had, up until this point, never experienced a Middle-Eastern take on the dish.
The Verdict: Quite frankly, I found the meal as delicious as it was simple. The Arabic take on chicken curry swapped Indian sweetness for a richer, more savory approach that proves there’s multiple ways to enjoy a world favorite. The only downside was the meal’s gratuitous size. By the time I was finished eating the chicken, there was enough rice left over to feed an Asian village for a week.
A bit more plebian in construction and design, but delicious nonetheless.
And so, in only a few days I managed to travel the world in a currency exchange and jet-lag free manner. While chronicling my adventures, I like to think that I learned some powerful truth about my inner self: about my willingness to embrace the unknown, and welcome new experiences as a means of becoming an informed and culturally aware global citizen.
But actually, I just really like food.
by PascaleCom
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