Talkin' Proud

I like the Yankees because my grandparents (hailing from Staten Island, NY) love the Yankees. I like the Giants because I watched them practice at their summer training camp in Albany. I even like the Packers, because any Joe Shmoe can buy stock in the team, and the Celtics because I was in Boston when the city shut down for a communal victory dance in the summer of 2010.

Me and my Dad before hitting the road...

But, my favorite team is the Buffalo Bills. My Dad was raised right outside Buffalo and my childhood is littered with moments in front of the TV hearing him hoot and holler for his hometown team, in awe of how devoted someone could be to a bunch of men in tights and flashy headgear. Sure, there's family history there, but what really seals the deal is the pride with which all of Western NY seems to support this underdog team.

That pride extends beyond sports (What else does a dilapidated, Rust Belt city have to hang its hat on if not pride?). There's Beef on weck, the Albright Knox Gallery, a presidential past and present, an academic library housing my Grandpa's thesis, Buffalo wings, visits by Ghost Hunters (the real deal, not just the local paranormal investigators), and, most of all, there's even a theme song which rallies the locals (at least the locals of the '70's).


I spent all of yesterday afternoon (accompanied by my dad and his childhood friend) meeting a lot of proud Buffalo residents, learning the ropes of using tokens and condiment cups to buy others a drink at the local VFW and the Polish Falcons, listening to the career plans of my Dad's godson and the roar of his brand new Mustang, and touring the neighborhood where my Dad grew up (with a sundae from Antoinette's in tow).

My Dad and his childhood friend at ye local VFW.

Well, the proud city of Buffalo has experienced quite a lot of changes over the years, so, it's certainly appropriate that my trip began in the Nickel City...

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Today's tunes:
"Sweet Expectations" (playlist created by Kylie specifically for the trip)
Deux Guitares - Deux Guitares