Here in tropical Buffalo (38 degrees and cloudy. Nice…), they love to toot their horn about being the home of the wild wing. The “Buffalo Wild Wing” was apparently discovered in 1964 by the lovely & talented Teressa Bellissimo for her son & his buddies. As the legend goes, her son, Dominic, was hungry so she took some chicken parts that usually went into soup, fried ‘em up and then dumped some hot sauce on them. Voila! Hot wings were founded.

And they are, without question, very good.

But now…my question. I realize that New Yorkers will argue that they have the best pizza in the world, and Cincinnati will claim to have the best chili, and Memphis/Nashville/Kansas City/Houston/”American city of your choice” will claim to have the best BBQ…and so on and so forth. But seriously…hot wings are hot wings…right? I mean, it’s chicken parts fried and drenched with hot sauce, right? How much better can it possibly be?

So the original hot wing was made at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. Beyond that…I can’t imagine that ANYONE can say they have the best hot wing in the country because aren’t they all basically made the same? What would make a better hot wing? Someone leaves them in the fryer longer? Maybe a hotter, wetter sauce? Whatever…

Hot wings are hot wings. You might have a restaurant that you prefer to frequent, but there’s no way any one is better than the other. Except at Hooters. Obviously THOSE hot wings are better for a reason. Right guys?

The WINGS are the reason we go!

This year Thanksgiving was held at my brother’s home. Frank made tables and everyone chipped in to prepare food for the day. My family brought rolls & Steph made some killer pumpkin bread! So…what did we have for dinner? Hmmm….

Turkey.

Turkey.

More turkey.

The BIGGEST turkey.

Billy fried a turkey.

So we had 2 turkeys and a half ham for 19 people. We also had all the stuffing, potatoes, green beans, desserts and breads you could think of. It was a huge meal and we still hardly made a dent in it. Guess leftovers are in order for today! We all had a blast and it’s always great seeing family together for this day…my favorite holiday of the year! Here are some photos from our family get-together. Hope you had a wonderful day as well!

Frank “sliced” up the ham

Ready to eat!

Pretty girls

AJ givin’ me “the eye”

I’m not the only one taking pictures!

Chatting online with my sister in Florida

Dad finished his meal in 8 minutes & 32 seconds. He didn’t break his record this year…

Look who got the leg!

Seriously cute!

All the grandkids

Ava gave Steph a ceramic Santa she painted!

We are really, really happy!

And now for dessert!

Guess what Christopher wants for Christmas?

Another Turkey Day done, another 10 pounds added.

Of course, when you have a family like mine, there are ALWAYS fun photos to be shared and this year was no exception. Here are some embarrassing pictures from this year’s get-together. I was considering making this “Family Only” access…but then I reconsidered…so for your entertainment I present…Thanksgiving Day Turkey Photos…

Not happy. At all.

Givin’ it the thumbs up!

Mmmmm…bread…

Comatose?

There was a full moon for Thanksgiving.

Uh…hellooooo?

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving also!

Thanksgiving is a time for remembering. Remembering those you love, remembering those you’ve lost and remembering all of the things that mean something in your life. I have many reasons to be thankful, but there are definitely 10 reasons that stand out in my mind…

10. My job
Because of it, I am who I am. It allows me freedom. It allows me creativity. It has allowed me to see the world and meet some pretty amazing people. I love my job and all that it entails.
I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

9. My home
With the addition of our new kitchen this past summer, our house is more of a home than ever. And as the kids grow, I learn to love all of it’s little nuances. It’s been around for over 60 years and we’ve been in it for a little over 7. We’ve made a lot of changes and have added a couple of children that have given this old home a heartbeat.
I wouldn’t trade it for anything (except possibly a larger master bedroom with a bath).

8. My health
2 years ago I was in the worst pain I have ever been in in my life. Back pain, sciatica and physical therapy visits caused me more anguish than I would like to admit. However now I am recovering and feeling much better (knock on wood). Here’s hoping for a physically active and pain-free  2010 and beyond.

7. My families health
Sure…we’ve had some doctor bills…but comparing our home to some, we have been pretty lucky. My kids are healthy, my wife is healthy and our pets…?
Well…Barkley had that anal gland issue. But we won’t get into that…

6. My friends
Without them, I couldn’t survive. I wish I could express to them how important they are to me and my family. Even those friends who I haven’t seen in years have come back to become a part of my life again (via the world wide web) and it’s been great getting to know them all over again. Without friends, life would be very dark & boring. You make my life a lot more interesting!
Thank you for being a part of my life.

5. My family
There is nothing more important than family and anyone who knows me knows how important my Mom, Dad and my siblings are to me. Even though we have all have things in our lives that keep us busy, we never seem to lose track of each other. As I’ve gotten older, their importance to me has grown and I can’t even express the love I have for each of them.
I can only hope that 2010 holds bigger and better things for each of them!

4. My wife
She deals with me. She loves me. And she keeps my life in perspective. She really has my heart in her hands and, try as I might, I can’t seem to wrestle it back from her. She keeps me focused on being the best person I can be because she is so charitable & loving. It’s a competition I know I can’t win…but I’m gonna keep trying!

3. My son
He is the light of my life. Christopher has worked so hard this year with school, sports and growing up. At age 7 he is developed a strong sense of humor and is the best friend your son could have. He’s the spitting image of me at his age and it’s amazing watching him grow. I can only hope his life continues to be as adventurous and exciting as mine was and I truly think he is on a path to being an amazing man someday.

2. My daughter
If there is one person who has shown me how much I can change, it’s my daughter. Ava has grown physically and mentally so much this year and she is making huge leaps in school and in her overall development. She brings out the kid in me when she wants to play or whenever she simply wants to talk. Everything she does is magic and I can’t help but being swept away by her spell. I know she is going to grow up and not need me as much as she does now. And that is why I am enjoying every second of every day with her.

1. My life
I have truly been blessed. No matter how much I complain or moan, there is no one luckier than I. I am the luckiest man on earth and I know it.

Thank you for reading & Happy Thanksgiving to you & yours.

Whaduya mean…the sky is falling?

Here’s what you know going into a movie like this…the guy WILL get the girl, the dog WILL survive and there WILL be at least 3 situations where the hero narrowly escapes. One of these things does NOT happen in “2012″, but I’m not sayin’ which one. “2012″ is the latest disaster flick from Roland Emmerich, the same director that gave us “The Day After Tomorrow”, “Independence Day” & “Godzilla”.  And to say that he goes far above anything he has ever done is an understatement.

Look…if you’re looking for a plot, forget it. There is only one reason to see this movie and that is to see stuff go to hell in a handbasket. No one does that better than Emmerich and let me tell you this…this movie is an amazing sight to behold! The computer generated graphics are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before with historic monuments crashing, the tallest buildings falling and the earth’s crust shifting and creating tidal waves so big, you are afraid you might get wet if you sit too close to the screen! It’s really is amazing what can be done by computers these days and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. For “2012″…it definitely works.

But here’s the catch…it’s the only thing this movie has going for it. Not that the performances aren’t good. John Cusack plays a novelist who is trying to get his family to safety. Amanda Peet plays his ex-wife. Danny Glover tackles the role of playing The President.  Oliver Platt plays the bad guy. And even Woody Harrelson shows up for a few scenes as a crazed radio prognosticator. All the character’s in “2012″ have a role. Unfortuntely there are a few too many roles and not enough plot to carry them.

Emmerich and company cram so many characters into 2.5 hours of movie that trying to get to know any of them is pointless. There are entire scenes set up with characters who were written into the film for really no purpose than to eat up time and allow more destruction to happen. That is unfortunate for the actors who play in those roles because there are really some very talented people involved in the film, but with so much being packed in, certain characters are left by the roadside. And that is why I would recommend that if you have any plans to see this film, you should definitely see it on the big screen. Because the fun of seeing it is in the sheer enormity of the destruction, not the human element. I’m sure that once this movie comes out on DVD, it will be a huge disappointment on your television at home, whether you have a large screen or not. Seriously, if you have a chance, see “2012″ on an IMAX screen as soon as possible…and then you never have to see it again.

Overall Rating: B+

Watching the AMA’s the other night and there were all of these horrendous performances and dancers flying everywhere and artists that looked orange and were setting stuff on fire and then…out of nowhere…a little bird fluttered in and stole the entire freakin’ show. Just like she did the MTV Music Awards and the CMA’s and just about anything else she does. Taylor Swift has this country by the neck and is…not…letting….GO!

Look…I’m not a Taylor Swift hater. Honestly…I don’t know anything about her really other than she is SUPER popular and Kanye West obviously hates her videos. Other than that, I don’t own any of her songs and I know only what I hear about her on television or on the internet. I’m an old guy who loves rock n’ roll. But you know what she DOES have that appeals to an old fart like me who has been taking some serious crap from Lady GagGag fans? She is modest and unassuming and about as nice a young woman as you’ll ever find. And I find THAT to be appealing in pop music these days. And apparently so do many others.

Like I said…I don’t know much about her but what I have seen of her I like more and more. She comes across as a normal, everyday person who is working hard to get her music out there. She seems like she is very appreciative of her fan base. And, as far as I know, she has never lit her instruments on fire, worn a balloon costume or an owl costume or or a Kermit the Frog costume. I don’t think she’s ever hung herself onstage while dripping in blood…but I’d have to look that up. I’ve never seen her in a dominatrix suit, never seen her hump a dancer onstage or have pyrotechnics flare out of her bra. I’d even go so far as to say that she has never had to hide her true self behind anything other than her music.

 As a matter of fact, it seems to me that Taylor Swift has gotten so many accolades mostly due to the fact that she WRITES AND PERFORMS the kind of music that many people can appreciate. Doesn’t matter whether you like country music or not, Taylor Swift comes across as a class act and that says something in this day & age. “Class” is something that this generation of pop musicians have forgotten. Nowadays it’s all about who can top the other and that was painfully obvious in last night’s AMA performances. The music was below average and every artist was either lip-synching or those who chose to sing sounded out of key. It was horrendous trying to watch some of those guys onstage! And then Taylor Swift won “Artist of the Year” and I felt a little vindication. Sure…Kings Of Leon didn’t win (my choice). But neither did the spectacle known as Gaga or Michael Jackson, who hasn’t had a new album in forever or Eminem, whose latest album is all about drug rehab.

So I’m just gonna leave it at that. Even though I don’t know if I consider her to be the greatest artist out there right now (I’ll leave that one up for discussion), what I WILL say is that Swift appears to be in a class all by herself when it comes to knowing her fan base and her age group . With her, you get what she gives you…and that is pop-country music that is heartfelt and personal. And THAT, my friends, is quality music, no matter whether it appeals to you or not. It’s what music is all about. And sooner or later, the Gaga’s will disappear (they always do) and the musicians will remain.

Having been a staunch fake tree lover for many years, my wife and I went through a phase where we were buying real trees for about 5 or 6 years. Then, once we had Ava, we decided getting a fake tree made more fiscal sense. So we managed to find one for sale about 4 years ago and it has been great! Lights already in place, 3 pieces, I can have it up or down in maybe 10 minutes and POOF…instant Christmas.

With a real tree you have to go to the vendor, pick it out, get it tied to the top of your vehicle, get it in the house (pine needles EVERYWHERE) and then dispose of it once the holiday season is over…which is kinda sad. But there is one truly great reason for having a real tree on this holiday and it is…the smell. NOTHING beats the smell of a great Christmas tree. That pine scent is one of the reasons for the season and I truly miss it.

Which one do you prefer? The real or the fake. There are no winners or losers. It’s a personal choice. But I go with the fake for sheer convenience. But there is something to be said for family time and picking out a real tree and having that pine smell all over the house!

We put up the Christmas decorations today. Part of my “day off for myself” was to get the tree out of the garage and we all chipped in to get the ornaments on the tree. While we were finishing up, daughter hit me with THIS big question as she sat sprawled across the couch watching “The Santa Clause II”…

“Is Santa Clause real?”

And without missing a beat, I replied…“Yes. Santa Clause is real.”

Now some might argue my answer. Some may totally disagree with me. Some might even go as far as to say that I am lying. But they would all be wrong. Santa IS real. And in many ways!

First, let’s get the facts out there right now…there are hundreds of Santa’s all over the world. The name Santa is listed as the first name of over 15 Santa Smith’s listed on Facebook. There were at least 20+ Santa Thomas’ listed and at least 13 Santa Johnson’s. Granted…the name Santa was often a middle name. But the fact of the matter is…there are hundreds of people with the name “Santa”. It’s a very popular name. So on that fact alone, I am not a liar.

Secondly, there are actually 2 towns named Santa Clause. One in Indiana and one in Georgia. So…there IS a Santa Clause. It just happens to be a population.

Thirdly…I WANT to believe that there truly IS a Santa. Not because of the toys and such…but because of the spirit the thought of him gives me.

Every year at this time, I get a sense of…oh I dunno…childish wonder? I remember when I was a kid and coming into the living room and seeing the tree all lit up and all the presents stuffed under it (there were 6 of us. So there were LOTS of presents!). I remember the Christmas parade in our little town and watching Santa ride down the main street, tossing candy and waving at me. I remember living in Phoenix with my girlfriend (now wife) and we didn’t have a Christmas tree so we devised a Christmas table and put all of our gifts under it. I remember the first time we picked out a Christmas tree with Christopher when he was just a tiny tot, but he was smart enough to know which one was the best of the bunch. I have so many wonderful Christmas memories…and all of them are special to me. It would be a shame to not have that Christmas spirit. And for now…I love that my kids both know that the Santa spirit is alive and well in our home.

So for me…yeah…Santa is real. And he always will be. Because every time I see that man in the big red suit and he smiles at me or one of my kids, those memories come flooding back and the magic of Christmas is still very much alive in this adult soul. There really IS a Santa Clause, Ava. And he is always smiling with that twinkle in his eye and ready to make a new memory for you…

Today I am taking the day off from Facebook. Anyone who is my friend on said application knows that I am a consistent “status update” kind of guy. I do it possibly 6-10 times a day. Now you would think that because I update my status so much that I would just Twitter and be done with it. However I find Twitter to be…I dunno…impersonal? All of the people on Facebook are my friends. Not that the few followers I have on Twitter aren’t my friends, but everyone on Facebook who hasn’t hidden me yet are DEFINITELY my friends or coworkers or people that I have met or want to meet or whatever. And I assume that they find my updates to be amusing. And I can be creative on Facebook. I can’t seem to find anything I want to Twitter about because it seems that all of my friends are on Facebook. And even my friends on Twitter know that I don’t tweet(?) that often so they don’t even look for me there anymore (right DL?).

So anyway…today I’m going Facebook-less. And so far I’m not missing it. As a matter of fact, I’m getting a lot done! I’ve done my banking, had some breakfast, set up the Christmas tree, done some packing for the weekend and now I’m gonna write some blogs and then make a trip to the store for some shopping before I get the kiddies from school and then start our Christmas decorating! It’s been nice not updating my status every 30 minutes or so.

But truth be told…I do kinda miss all my friends.

Now…I wonder if they miss me?

Seriously? We don’t look anything like Led Zeppelin!?!?

Well…I’m getting all geared up for my end of the year reviews and Top 10 favorites, so I haven’t been spending as much time checking out the new tunes that are buried deep in the hidden cracks of ITunes. However I have picked up some good songs here & there and I always check out the new releases. Here is what I have found in the last couple of weeks…

Norah Jones – “Even Though” (adult contemporary)
I’m not a huge fan of Jones’, however there is something smooth about this track. And you can’t deny that she has varied up her sound a bit on her latest album. I like the subtle guitar in this song and it’s easy on the ears.

John Mayer – “Heartbreak Warfare” (adult contemporary)
This album is listed as “rock”, but I don’t know how anybody could ever say that Mayer is a rocker. Sure…he can play a decent guitar, but overall? He’s easy listening chick music. That being said, I don’t mind me some Mayer when I’m in a easy-going frame of mind and I kinda liked his “Room For Squares” album. This album? I dunno…but this track is catchy even if it is maybe :30 too long.

The Crash That Took Me – “Tragic Sense Of Life” (alternative)
This is an AWESOME track from a band with a really odd name. Don’t know anything about them other than that this track is cool and poppy. I dig it.

Wolfmother – “White Feather” (rock)
Here is a band that is unafraid of showing their rock roots! Seriously…close your eyes and listen and you hear Led Zeppelin. And it is awesome! Oh…and by the way…we need MORE cowbell!!!

People Under The Stairs – “Trippin’ At The Disco” (rap)
Picking up where Jurassic 5 left off, this band is one of my favorite rap bands. Very old school and catchy as hell. Guaranteed to have you shakin’ your butt while you’re hanging in your cubicle…

Train – “Hey Soul Sister” (pop)
My wife likes this track. It’s getting a lot of airplay around here so I downloaded it for her. It’s easy enough on the ears and decent pop. Check it out of it’s your thing!

Aesop Rock – “None Shall Pass” (electronic/dance)
Going back a couple of years but I heard this track over the sound system at Pac Sun and had to download it! Yeah…I’m a bit late to the party but this track is AWESOME in a workout mix. Another guaranteed booty shaker!

Adam Lambert – “For Your Entertainment” (pop)
I totally thought THIS one was gonna be a flop but it is pretty damn catchy and, while overproduced a bit, shows that Lambert might very well be the latest hit maker from the American Idol line. I really like this track and I can’t wait to see what else he has lined up!

Kris Allen – “Before We Come Undone” (pop)
The 2009 American Idol winner released his new album this week and, like the Lambert track, sounds a little overproduced (which is an AI debut album trait), but for his style, vocal ability & his audience, I think he’s put together a decent collection of pop tunes here. Just listening to the snippets, they all sound decent enough. But this is the track I downloaded and it’s good pop stuff with a little rockin’ edge. Check it out!

Rakim – “Won’t Be Long” (rap)
This guy has been around forever (remember Eric B & Rakim?) and deserves your attention. Critics love him and he has a great flow. Anyway…this track is excellent and will work great in a spinning mix. Could I be smelling a hit? Dunno…

Puddle Of Mudd – “Spaceship” (rock)
Coming off sounding like a Nirvana wanna-be band (which they might be, I honestly don’t listen to them), I heard this song on the radio and decided to download it. After repeated listenings I realize it has it’s place on rock radio but it’s not something I’ll be listening to in January. But for now…I got it in my workout playlist!

Impulse Buy Of The Week: Blacklist – “Midnight Of The Century” (alternative)
I was gonna download the new album by Them Crooked Vultures, but after listening to the snippets I didn’t think it was anything to write home about. So I searched around and came upon this band. Although the sound definitely isn’t new (think The Cult, Peter Murphy, any other number of 80’s alt bands), I thought they sounded worth downloading. If you’re in the mood, it’s like a trip back through time. For me, it put me right back in college, spinning albums for my college station at 1am in the morning. Good stuff and the entire album is pretty consistent. Not gonna break down any walls but not bad for a band I’d never heard of. $10 well spent…

And that’s all I got…