Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 95

A man walks into the Philadelphia airport and buys a Pittsburgh Pirates cap. It sounds like the beginning of a joke — or maybe a tragedy, given what we hear about Philadelphia sports fans. But that’s what urban fantasy novelist Kevin Hearne did on his way from his Arizona home...

It wasn’t the price or the points or the location that most influenced Ruth Furman to book a stay at the Holiday Inn Express Waikiki in Honolulu last summer. It was the yoga. Namely, the free poolside yoga every weekday morning. Furman, who makes fitness a priority at home, knew...

All roads will lead to Allentown for antique and classic car enthusiasts, collectors and flippers from Jan. 18 to 20. Those are the dates for Auto Mania, which for more than 30 years has been Pennsylvania’s largest indoor heated automotive flea market. The 59,000-square-foot Agri-Plex facility at the Allentown Fairgrounds...

They dare you not to laugh. At 2 p.m. Jan. 26, Regent Square Theater in Pittsburgh is offering guests a “Laugh Challenge”: “Anyone who can sit through our matinee of Laurel and Hardy shorts without laughing at least once will get a ticket refund, a jumbo tub of popcorn and...

Two exhibits will open on Jan. 24 in galleries at Saint Vincent College in Unity. The Saint Vincent Gallery and the Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery will host receptions for the new exhibits from 5 to 7 p.m. that day. Both will offer free admission, beverages and light hors...

The BNY Mellon Presents JazzLive series will celebrate its 15th year of presenting jazz performances in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District with a Jan. 15 all-star jam session. Led by legendary drummer Roger Humphries and RH Factor, the event is set for 7-10 p.m. in the Greer Cabaret Theater, 655 Penn Ave....

Friday Jan. 11 Art on Tap, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg. 724-837-1500 or thewestmoreland.org One Act Festival, presented by Actors and Artists of Fayette County, Geyer Performing Arts Center, Scottdale. Through Jan. 13. 724-887-0887 or geyerpac.com PAW Patrol Live, PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh. Through Jan. 13. 833-215-5121 or...

Wiz Khalifa will be back in Pittsburgh for a March 2 indoor show at Stage AE on the North Shore. Also appearing will be Curren$y, an original member of Young Money Entertainment, a label founded by Lil Wayne. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Jan. 11 at ticketmaster.com. Pittsburghers...

January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, with more than 140 resorts nationwide — including 21 in Pennsylvania — participating As part of the special month, in its 11th year, Pennsylvania ski resorts will join with others across the country to celebrate Jan. 11 as National Learn to Ski...

“Stitches,” a fiber arts exhibition opening Jan. 12 in Jeannette’s You Are Here Gallery, will include works that are “organic, whimsical and elegant in their own way,” says gallery co-founder Mary Briggs. The three-artist show will feature Indigo’s Friends Art Dolls by artist Imani Russell of Arlington, Va., inspired by...

The Pittsburgh Travel Showcase, set for Jan. 11-13 in the downtown David L. Lawrence Convention Center, promises one-stop shopping for all vacation planning needs. Presented by AAA Travel, the third showcase will offer presentations from industry experts and travel agency services, along with prizes and giveaways. “The Showcase promises to...

January is the time to put those resolutions into practice. New year, new you — right? One practice that’s come along in recent years is Dry January, a month for people to abstain from and reassess their relationships with alcohol. The idea is that even a brief time-out can benefit...

Fort Ligonier’s second annual Twelfth Night Celebration was a blast from the past, with guests in their Colonial best dress partying like it was 1776. The Jan. 5 soiree in the fort’s Center for History Education laid the holiday season to rest, after one last hurrah including food, drink, music...

Get ready to unleash your inner Yukon Cornelius with the Arctic Paws Dog Sled Tours in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Operating Saturdays and Sundays until March out of Manor Sports at Pocono Manor Resort and Spa in Monroe County, the tours are not for the timid. “Dog sledding is like mountain...

The 76th Golden Globe Awards are nearly here to kick off the 2019 awards-show blitz leading up to the Oscars in late February. Here’s what you need to know about Sunday night’s ceremony, which celebrates achievements in film and television. What time does the show start? And where do I...

Thursday Jan. 3 Dancing With the Stars LIVE, Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh. 412-392-4900 or pittsburghsymphony.org Friday Jan. 4 The Four Horsemen — The Ultimate Tribute to Metallica, Jergel’s Rhythm Grille, Warrendale. 724-799-8333 or jergels.com Saturday Jan. 5 Dan Kuniak, magician/illusionist, The Oaks Theater, Oakmont. 412-828-6322 or theoakstheater.com “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live!...

Pittsburgh Filmmakers will host a screening of “Wild Strawberries,” widely regarded as Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman’s greatest accomplishment, at 8 p.m. Jan. 6 in the Regent Square Theater, 1035 S. Braddock Ave., Pittsburgh. The 1957 film is a character study of egotistical Professor Isak Borg, a widowed 78-year-old physician, as...

Children ages 7 to 10 can try their hands at Fraktur, a Pennsylvania Dutch style of decorative calligraphy, during a Jan. 12 class in the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. “Fraktur & Fun” is scheduled for 10 a.m.-noon in the museum at 221 N. Main St. Participants will...

Poached chicken gets a bad rap for being tough, dry and a little squeaky between your teeth. But that’s probably because poaching is a relatively imprecise cooking method. If your poaching water’s too hot, the meat overcooks; if you leave the meat in the water too long, it overcooks; if...