There’s Something About Buffalo…
I was driving through the city this afternoon, thinking about Buffalo Old Home Week and all the cool things we’re planning for it…and it occurred to me that although I can describe what I love about this city in several words, describing the architecture, culture, food, people…there’s also something that I can’t describe…and I’m not sure exactly what it is…
There’s something about Buffalo…I can’t put my finger on it, but I know it because I live here and I love it…and those of you out there that also love Buffalo (whether you live here or not) know what I’m talking about…maybe it’s something in the water.
I found this picture of the top of City Hall in the bright sunshine and love that it’s one of the buildings that defines this city - there are plenty more - but if you think of great architectural gems, you think City Hall. I had the opportunity to give tours of City Hall last summer during the Taste of Buffalo and learned so much about the city and its history…it was as much for me as it was for everyone that went on the tour…
I’m thankful to be here and if you ask me why, I’ll say…there’s just something about Buffalo…
“24″
This show just gets better every week…and wots is that Kiefer Sutherland has signed through the year 2011…I’m not sure how they’re going to continue changing things, but I also thought they couldn’t surprise me this year either…and I was definitely wrong!
BOHW & Repats!!!
If you haven’t already, check out this article in today’s Buffalo News about the work we’re doing on Buffalo Old Home Week and the Repats page to see what the article is talking about.
It’s very exciting for me because two of my oldest and dearest friends, Lara and Kate are both featured/pictured in the article…more reasons to love Buffalo!!!
Happy Holiday Weekend!
Wishing all of you a happy and safe weekend of family, friends, and beautiful weather…
Trouble on Jim Kelly Drive
There are interesting things happening over in Orchard Park. From the re-signing of Peerless Price (who ever imagined he’d be back, and at his agent’s suggestion?) to the hooplah with the NFL and the bargaining agreement.
It’s true. The Buffalo Bills are a huge part of Buffalo and how we tend to define ourselves (those of us that are sports fans anyhow). We all remember “wide right”, the Oilers comeback game and more recently, Marv Levy coming back as general manager.
A couple weeks ago, I posted about “Kids Cook”, an event co-sponsored by Roswell and Hospice, which was held at the Ralph Wilson Fieldhouse. It was a great event. The best part was working with the staff of the Buffalo Bills. I had the opportunity to help run the “Pass, Punt & Kick” games with a couple of the guys…and they were fantastic. And I think that says a lot about the organization as a whole. Obviously, Ralph Wilson is not doing the direct hiring of all the employees, but they clearly know how to hire good people.
For me, this is yet another reason why it would be tragic for Buffalo/WNY to lose the Bills. Ralph Wilson has been an amazing owner for 46 years…he’s done a lot for the team and for Buffalo in general. It’s hard to watch him stand up in front of the press and say that there’s a possibility that he could sell or even worse, move, the team. The new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement is pretty crappy for us. We all know that already. I certainly hope that Mr. Wilson doesn’t give up that easily. Although he’s being ridiculed for going to Paul Tagliabue, the commish, and to politicians across NYS, I think he only has our best interest in mind and at heart. He knows that this team is invaluable to us.
I don’t normally wish for them, but here’s wishing for a fairy tale ending…
Baseball!
Well, it’s official…the start of the baseball season. Major league play began last week and tomorrow is the Bisons’ home opener. In past years, the home opener has been postponed due to inclement weather. However, this year, the temperature is mild and it looks like it might not rain…
A bunch of us are going to the game tomorrow night and looking forward to a tradition that is celebrating it’s 15th year in WNY…the first official pitch at Pilot Field (now Dunn Tire Park) was thrown out on April 14, 1988…so there’s all kinds of cool stuff to commemorate it…
Can You Hear Them?
One of my favorite websites, www.overheardinny.com, features bits of conversation overheard on the streets of Manhattan, transcribed and submitted for our amusement. It’s not a kind-hearted site (New York City’s twin hordes of homeless and lost tourists are frequent targets), but it’s my hella* funny guilty pleasure.
I’ll confess, a big part of the appeal here is the constant reassurance - posted daily - that I’m not the most stupid person on Earth. But what I like most about this site is the way the hundreds and thousands of overheard conversations combine over time into a fairly detailed portrait of New York, a vibrant city with something to say. It’s literally the word on the streets.
Which almost brings us to the point of this post. But not quite.
Now, I’m a complete internet junkie, and I’m guessing many of you are as well. Email is my preferred form of communication, and I get my news from a variety of online sources. I bank online, I download music onto my PC and I participate in message-board discussions on topics ranging from Second-Wave Feminism to Belinda Carlisle.
But there’s a whole “out there” out there as well, and it’s not plugged in and it’s not connected and it’s not part of the sometimes insular, incestuous world of Buffalo’s online community. There are tens and hundreds of thousands of voices right here in Western New York that don’t have blogs or myspace accounts or even email addresses. They don’t get spam from Nigerian Generals or check BuffaloRising for the latest news. I don’t understand how they live. But then again, they probably don’t understand how I live either. I’m tired of that. I’d like to start making more of an effort to hear those voices, to engage them in a meaningful dialog, to interact and share and learn and actually listen to what they have to say. So what’s the word on our streets?
* Note my diligent (if awkward) use of current slang. I know, right?
Celebration!
My birthday is this week. I have always loved celebrating my birthday because it brings me back together with friends that I haven’t seen in years. Last year, I threw a big party for my 30th party - what a blast!
My friends…who are all wonderful and generous began celebrating my birthday last weekend…and on Thursday night and last night. So my thanks to them. We’ve been going to new places for drinks and food.
Thursday, we had dinner at Amaryllis (thanks Zack!) and it was great - food and company…
Last night, we went to Voelker’s and then Faherty’s. I’d never been to Voelker’s before - we had so much fun! Thanks Alanna, Cheryl, Jeremy, Jamie, Damien, Bill & Gretchen…for helping me celebrate my birthday in true Buffalo style!!!
Easter Fun!
My family always had a tradition. We would gather together a couple weeks before Easter and color eggs. I know, seems insignificant. BUT, it was a part of our Easter ritual.
This year I continued the tradition with friends. We just finished coloring eggs. The eggs to the right are not the ones we’ve colored (I don’t have a digital camera yet)…but ours are beautiful and we had a lot of fun doing it…
Nice to carry on those traditions…
