Growing up in Pittsburgh during the late ’80s, I often heard stories about the powerhouse Steelers of yesteryear. Usually, the tales of hard-nose sports glory came from my father or uncles. Every Sunday afternoon during football season, they’d sit in my grandparent’s front room, paying homage to the days of “Mean Joe Green” and Lynn Swann.

Like most western Pennsylvania folks who watched the team win four Super Bowls in the 1970s, my family drew pride from the black and gold. To many Pittsburghers, the Steelers represented more than just champions. Instead, they carried the mood of an entire city upon their shoulder pads. When they won, people were happy at the week’s outset. When they lost, well…. Read more…

I have loved movies since I was a kid. Some of my best memories are going to the local video rental store – Take One – with my dad and stocking up for the weekend. There were four I always begged to get: Star Wars (the original), Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Hobbit and Watership Down. To this day, they remain some of my favorites.

In the past couple of weeks, I have talked Steve into watching three movies. To many people, this is normal. Not in our household. Steve has a hard time staying still and not talking for 1.5+ hours. Read more…

This past weekend, the family and I packed up the car and headed down to Myrtle Beach for a quick getaway. Sarah’s uncle surprised us over the holidays with two nights scheduled for Jan. 16-17 at an ocean-front resort.

With way too much luggage in hand, we hit the open road for a weekend of commercialism at its finest. Thankfully, our son Grayson brought along a few friends for his personal entertainment (His grandparents: A.K.A.: The Babysitters Club). Read more…

With the New Year comes the potential for great possibilities. Yes, this includes the old standbys – weight loss, financial improvement, increased leisure time… But I’m a realist, and therefore choose to set my hopes on something more likely to happen: A Steelers run to the Super Bowl! What can I say, I’m an ambitious guy. Goals just seem easier to accomplish when they involve no physical or mental effort from the actual goal setter.

Yes, there was only one resolution on my list when the yearly speedometer rolled over to 2009 – “Don’t choke on Bugles while watching the NFL post season.” Read more…