Slug

I wish the Sabres could have just made their jersey switch this year, instead of waiting until next year.

Updates

So, I'm at around one update every six months or so. Good Job.

Flying Checklist

I don't need much when I fly, just my Ipod, and an interesting book. I do, however, have one request. I do not want to sit next to the "I'm afraid to fly person" anymore. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a girl who cried during take-off, retrieved the vomit bag several times in flight, and shook the entire time. I considered telling her that I thought she was being irrational, and if she is having this much trouble on an hour and fifteen minute flight, she may want to consider driving next time. I thought about explaining to her that her current outlook on things was really cutting into my reading time, and how hard it was to relax with the constant fear of being vomited on in the forefront of my mind. I reconsidered, and was content that I was not cleaning puke off of myself thirty thousand feet in the air...

It's not the first time I've sat next to this type of flyer. Last time I flew into Fort Myers, I sat next to the biker version of curly from the three stooges, with a thick, nasally Rhode Island accent. Instead of keeping his anxieties to himself, he decided to project them onto me. "This guys fekkin' scared", he repeated to anyone who would listen, including the flight attendant. "He needs a fekkin' drink". It should be noted that I was reading, listening to music and attempting to mind my own business, while his legs shook. After taking my headphones out, and reassuring him that I was, in fact, okay, he responded by telling me to keep my headphones in, if it calmed me down. Unfortunately, my attempt to reassure him opened the door for conversation. I was told about the harley he had just bought, having sex on a harley while riding (a claim I find dubious, especially considering the source), and how much living in Buffalo must suck (oddly enough, for me). I was also shown several tattoos I never wanted to see. Thankfully, it was a short flight, and we went our separate ways (I made the mistake of telling him my brother was a deputy sheriff in Ft Myers. Our parting words: Him - "make sure your brother knows who I am, in case I get in trouble", Me - "Ummm, okay").

I enjoy flying, I really do. It's time when I am not on-call, I can't answer text messages, and I'm not being distracted by the internet. I can concentrate, and relax. I'd rather not deal with my fellow citizens irrational fears and anxieties. Is this too much to ask?

More from the NY Times on Buffalo

Buffalo is listed as one of the fourty four destinations to travel to in 2009. Pretty cool.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/11/travel/20090111_DESTINATIONS.html?hp

Christmas Eve

I was lucky enough to watch the homeless, drunk version of santa claus (riding a bike, in december, in Buffalo) yell "pornstar" loud and repeatedly at the uncomfortable hipster walking across the street. It made all of the hassles and waiting in line worth it.

The last Leaf game I attended...

Every year, I end up with tickets to several Toronto Maple Leaf games in Buffalo. It's almost impossible to get tickets in Toronto, so a lot of Toronto fans come down to Buffalo and buy tickets from season ticket holders who can pay for a seasons worth of tickets by selling them to Leaf fans. It's hard to describe the annoyance of walking into HSBC arena (the clever name we have here in Buffalo for our arena), hearing chants of "Go Leafs Go". Oddly, it's the only chant you hear (being one of the original six teams does not lend itself to fan creativity, apparently). Of course, they're much louder than anything you and your friends can muster, and it sets the tone for a night of annoyance.

Security at these games is much more visible and omnipresent. If this were Europe, you'd expect a soccer like riot. Ridiculous, nationalistic arguments abound, with Buffalo natives reminding the Leaf fans that Canada, does in fact suck, and Toronto natives reminding Sabre fans that we've never won a stanley cup. Sometimes these digress into serious discussions of national policy (Canadians are pussies, Americans are gun toting red necks) and sometimes you form a bond with your northern counterpart. There's been a lot of losing in Toronto and Buffalo over the years. Either way, you leave feeling violated in some way.

Last year, around this time of year, was the last Leaf game I attended (I'm torturing myself tonight). Walking into the arena, I am instantly bombarded by "Go Leafs Go", and throngs of fans wearing blue hair and Leaf flags as capes (some sort of weird Canadian super hero, I suppose). I check my ticket with the ticket holder and walk into the lobby. Almost instantly, I am slammed into by a short, fat man wearing a Toronto hat. I apologize, and he responds with "fuck you, eh". Not one to be out done, I push him, and he responds that he is going to kill me (I find this a dubious threat, we are amongst 18,000 people), and I respond with "go fuck yourself". I paid too much money to get into the game to get kicked out three seconds in, so I walk away. As I walk to my seat, I quietly curse every season ticket holder that sells their tickets...

Zip's Wiseguys, 2:45am.

As I walk in the door to get two slices of cheese pizza, all I hear is screaming and yelling. This is a common occurrence at this particular pizzeria, so I don't think much of it. I realize, almost immediately, that it is the man working the register who is yelling, and he his yelling into his cellphone. "I'll kill you, nigga, punk bitch mutha fucka". This continues for a few moments. After he notices that I am standing at the counter, he says "hold on" into the phone. His tone changes, and he says, "Can I help you?" in a calm, polite voice. I ask for my two slices of cheese pizza, pay for them, and leave the pizzeria. As I am walking out, I hear the phone conversation resume. "I'll drive over there and kill you right now, mutha fucka......".