If you’ve ever spent a minute talking to me, you know I’m a die-hard fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. You also know I’m a self-diagnosed glutton. So mix football Sundays with hot-fudge sundaes, and welcome to Steve’s dreams.

Right before kickoff, Sarah and I usually cook up some elaborate tailgate food. Homemade Primanti Brothers sandwiches and pierrogies go great with Miller Lite, vintage 2009.

Back in the day, we used to carryout pre-game rituals – draping a Terrible Towel over Mario, our spastic cat. Nothing like beer and a tormented feline to heighten spirits for the big game. No one throws down a pep rally like the Bons!

You know it’s a good time when someone blurts out, “Look at that stupid cat running around with the towel over its head. Anymore beer in the fridge?” Wow, looking back at it now, I think I might have been a hillbilly?

Nevertheless, that was a long time ago. Today, it’s all about food and football. During a recent trip to Pennsylvania to visit friends, we broke from our traditional game-time fare. My buddy reintroduced me to Buffalo wings. Yes, it had been some time since I enjoyed the delights of fried chicken flaps doused in Tabasco sauce.

I had forgotten about my affinity for grease. I’m celebrating my rediscovery of fatty foods with a fresh harvest of chin pimples. It’s just like junior high school again – except with the heart of an out-of-shape 70-year-old. This is funny – I think – because I’m only 31.

The point is I’m on a mission to find the best wings. Better yet, I want the recipe so I can throw together a batch on game day. While we live in NC, we travel to the Northeast quite a bit. If anyone knows of a wing joint within driving distance that we must check out, please post below. I can’t expand my belt size without your help.

With Stanley Cup finals in full swing, the PlayStation controller has been more like an umbilical cord for Steve on nights the Penguins are not playing. I think he believes he can keep cup hopes alive by winning on the video game. So on PlayStation evenings, I get to watch anything I want on TV. FREEDOM!

The other night I flipped through my choices on our movie on-demand channels and saw “The Business of Being Born.” It’s a documentary produced by Ricky Lake about maternity care in the United States. After a bad experience with her first child, she opted to have a home birth with the second. For many people (myself included), the idea of giving birth to a baby at home is both a foreign and scary concept. Read more…

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…

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…