For most of my life, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been awful - a symbol of incompetency both on and off the field. They have spent the better part of 2 decades as the worst run and worst performing franchise in the history of professional sports. And, for most of my life, the Steelers have been wonderful - a symbol of success and class both on and off the field. For almost a half century, the Steelers have been a source of great pride. They have been a franchise worth looking up to in every way.
I used to love when football season came around, because the Steelers provided a welcome distraction from hearing all the bad news of the Pirates. Now, I find myself embracing the start of baseball season as a welcome distraction from the current free fall of the Steelers. Much of that pride and class is gone, and I'm really sick of hearing about the daily messes created by these spoiled frat boys called Pittsburgh Steelers. It's becoming clear that no matter how bad the Pirates may be this season, they will not disappoint me nearly as much as the Steelers have in recent months and years.
Let's Go Bucs!
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh Steelers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh Steelers. Show all posts
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sadness and Joy
It was a bitterly cold Sunday morning in early February. I dragged myself out of bed early that day and headed out to pick up Dan and Will, two of my best friends. On a typical Sunday, we’d all be heading off to church, but this Sunday was different. On this particular winter morning, we granted ourselves a special dispensation from attending church, so we could head downtown to witness a historical moment in the history of the city of Pittsburgh. With coffee and donuts in hand, we stood on the banks of the Allegheny River, right under the Sixth Street Bridge, and watched this.
And just like that, Three Rivers Stadium, home of the Pirates and Steelers for over 30 years, was gone. All three of us spent much of our childhood attending baseball and football games at Three Rivers. For all of us, our formative memories as sports enthusiasts took place there, our fathers toting us there from the time we could walk, teaching us about these wonderful games that gave us such joy.
There we were, ready to watch our childhood home turn into a pile of rubble. As the time of implosion drew near, we shared stories of our childhood visits to Three Rivers. Together, we lamented the loss of something that meant so much to us. But as the morning wore on, our eyes began to be drawn away from Three Rivers and toward the new structure just across the river: PNC Park. Our sadness of losing Three Rivers began to give way to our excitement about a new, beautiful, baseball only stadium. And so it was that our emotions were tossed about that morning, alternatively weeping for what was lost and shouting for joy at what the future held. Dan was more excited than sad, but Will and I were still more sad than excited. But together, we stood there and watched as our past was torn down, and the future called us in.
In Ezra 3:10-13, we hear a very similar story: the beautiful story of the Israelites laying a foundation for rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. As the foundation was laid, the community came out to celebrate the completion of the first phase of the rebuilding process. And as we hear, some were reminded of the previous temple, and wept at the loss of what they once held so dear. Others shouted for joy, energized by the prospect of what was in store in the future. But in this holy moment, the shouts of grief and the shouts of joy came together as one sound, “so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping.”
I suspect that some of us in the Christian Church may identify with the weepers – those who mourn the loss of former glory, those who fondly remember the wonderful religious heritage that has preceded us. It is a heritage from which we all have come, one that formed and shaped the church we see today.
And, I suspect there are also some of us who identify with the joyful shouters – those who are energized and excited about what the future holds, those who might even look on religious heritage and say, “Good riddance!”
The reality is that most of us are probably somewhere in between. Many of us lament the loss of what we had as the body of Christ, but are also excited about what we might yet have. But what’s so interesting about this story in Ezra is that everyone – both the tearful and the joyful – are there. Whether they celebrate the foundation being laid or they shed tears over it, all are here to support the rebuilding of the temple. Whether they want the temple rebuilt in this way or not, they care enough to show up. And in a beautiful, spirit-filled moment, all the shouts of lament and shouts of joy blend into a single shout, and it becomes impossible to distinguish the tearful from the joyful. It is one body, with one voice, coming from one past, marching into one future.
What a beautiful model for facing the uncertain future that is before us now. What an example these Israelites provide for us – whether we long for the past or we wish to race energetically into the future, it is time to become one voice. It is time to balance each other out, for each of us to add to the one sound, rooting ourselves in the past but also embracing the future that lies ahead.
If you are a weeper, we need you to remind us of the glorious past that got us here. And if you are a joyful shouter, we need you to show us the way into the future. It is time to become that one voice, where no individual is silenced, where each one of us contributes to a joyful noise in praise of the Lord.
So, whether we weep or shout for joy or fall somewhere in between, let us all praise the Lord with our voices. Let us honor the reality that we have different voices, and we all may view the past and future a little differently, but if here in the present we center ourselves on the Lord, those many voices will combine as one voice, even if just for one moment. So let us cry. Let us shout. Let us praise God together.
And are we yet alive,
And see each others face?
Glory and thanks to Jesus give
For his almighty grace!
What troubles have we seen,
What mighty conflicts past,
Fightings without, and fears within,
Since we assembled last.
And just like that, Three Rivers Stadium, home of the Pirates and Steelers for over 30 years, was gone. All three of us spent much of our childhood attending baseball and football games at Three Rivers. For all of us, our formative memories as sports enthusiasts took place there, our fathers toting us there from the time we could walk, teaching us about these wonderful games that gave us such joy.
There we were, ready to watch our childhood home turn into a pile of rubble. As the time of implosion drew near, we shared stories of our childhood visits to Three Rivers. Together, we lamented the loss of something that meant so much to us. But as the morning wore on, our eyes began to be drawn away from Three Rivers and toward the new structure just across the river: PNC Park. Our sadness of losing Three Rivers began to give way to our excitement about a new, beautiful, baseball only stadium. And so it was that our emotions were tossed about that morning, alternatively weeping for what was lost and shouting for joy at what the future held. Dan was more excited than sad, but Will and I were still more sad than excited. But together, we stood there and watched as our past was torn down, and the future called us in.
In Ezra 3:10-13, we hear a very similar story: the beautiful story of the Israelites laying a foundation for rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. As the foundation was laid, the community came out to celebrate the completion of the first phase of the rebuilding process. And as we hear, some were reminded of the previous temple, and wept at the loss of what they once held so dear. Others shouted for joy, energized by the prospect of what was in store in the future. But in this holy moment, the shouts of grief and the shouts of joy came together as one sound, “so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping.”
I suspect that some of us in the Christian Church may identify with the weepers – those who mourn the loss of former glory, those who fondly remember the wonderful religious heritage that has preceded us. It is a heritage from which we all have come, one that formed and shaped the church we see today.
And, I suspect there are also some of us who identify with the joyful shouters – those who are energized and excited about what the future holds, those who might even look on religious heritage and say, “Good riddance!”
The reality is that most of us are probably somewhere in between. Many of us lament the loss of what we had as the body of Christ, but are also excited about what we might yet have. But what’s so interesting about this story in Ezra is that everyone – both the tearful and the joyful – are there. Whether they celebrate the foundation being laid or they shed tears over it, all are here to support the rebuilding of the temple. Whether they want the temple rebuilt in this way or not, they care enough to show up. And in a beautiful, spirit-filled moment, all the shouts of lament and shouts of joy blend into a single shout, and it becomes impossible to distinguish the tearful from the joyful. It is one body, with one voice, coming from one past, marching into one future.
What a beautiful model for facing the uncertain future that is before us now. What an example these Israelites provide for us – whether we long for the past or we wish to race energetically into the future, it is time to become one voice. It is time to balance each other out, for each of us to add to the one sound, rooting ourselves in the past but also embracing the future that lies ahead.
If you are a weeper, we need you to remind us of the glorious past that got us here. And if you are a joyful shouter, we need you to show us the way into the future. It is time to become that one voice, where no individual is silenced, where each one of us contributes to a joyful noise in praise of the Lord.
So, whether we weep or shout for joy or fall somewhere in between, let us all praise the Lord with our voices. Let us honor the reality that we have different voices, and we all may view the past and future a little differently, but if here in the present we center ourselves on the Lord, those many voices will combine as one voice, even if just for one moment. So let us cry. Let us shout. Let us praise God together.
And are we yet alive,
And see each others face?
Glory and thanks to Jesus give
For his almighty grace!
What troubles have we seen,
What mighty conflicts past,
Fightings without, and fears within,
Since we assembled last.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas and some links
I know, it's been awhile since I last posted. Unfortunately, while getting our Christmas tree a few weeks ago, I slammed my finger in the car door. In addition to solidifying my status as the klutz of our household, the injury made it difficult to type for awhile. I'm still not back to 100% typing capability, but I'm finally at the point where I can go beyond necessary typing and re-enter the world of blog.
Things are well in West Newton. I'm surprisingly prepared for this evening's service, and our house is ready for Lisa's family to arrive this afternoon. I cannot wait for the service tonight. It's the best service of the year in our congregation -- as well as the most dangerous. I might ask Lisa to take some pictures tonight so you can see what I'm up against as I delicately maneuver around uncovered candles. It's a flaming clerical robe waiting to happen.
A few brief updates, for those of you I won't see in the next couple of weeks:
1. The kittens are growing, and still incredibly cute. Chief and I have established a "fetch"-like game, where he brings his toy tiger up to me on the couch, and I flick it across the room, he retrieves it, and we repeat.
2. It snowed a lot last Saturday, and a little more on Monday. Hopefully it will stay cold enough today that it doesn't all melt, and we can have a white Christmas. Have I ever told you how much I love snow? Unfortunately, tomorrow's forecast is for ice/sleet in the morning, turning to rain in the afternoon. Ugh.
3. Amazingly, the Steelers still have a slim chance of sneaking into the playoffs. But, I don't think any team who loses to the Chiefs, Raiders, and Browns in a 5 week stretch should be allowed to make the playoffs. So, should the Steelers miraculously get in, I propose that they go all Notre Dame and decline the playoff invitation, because they sure didn't earn it.
4. We now have a church website, created by one of our members, who happens to be a web developer for clothing retailer American Eagle. We're still filling in some content, but I'm very excited that our congregation has finally chosen to keep up with 1990's technology.
In an effort to be politically correct, I will not wish you a Merry Christmas. Rather, in the spirit of NBC's hilarious new show, Community, I wish you a Merry Happy, and I hope Mr. Winter brings you lots of non-denominational gifts and cheer!
Things are well in West Newton. I'm surprisingly prepared for this evening's service, and our house is ready for Lisa's family to arrive this afternoon. I cannot wait for the service tonight. It's the best service of the year in our congregation -- as well as the most dangerous. I might ask Lisa to take some pictures tonight so you can see what I'm up against as I delicately maneuver around uncovered candles. It's a flaming clerical robe waiting to happen.
A few brief updates, for those of you I won't see in the next couple of weeks:
1. The kittens are growing, and still incredibly cute. Chief and I have established a "fetch"-like game, where he brings his toy tiger up to me on the couch, and I flick it across the room, he retrieves it, and we repeat.
2. It snowed a lot last Saturday, and a little more on Monday. Hopefully it will stay cold enough today that it doesn't all melt, and we can have a white Christmas. Have I ever told you how much I love snow? Unfortunately, tomorrow's forecast is for ice/sleet in the morning, turning to rain in the afternoon. Ugh.
3. Amazingly, the Steelers still have a slim chance of sneaking into the playoffs. But, I don't think any team who loses to the Chiefs, Raiders, and Browns in a 5 week stretch should be allowed to make the playoffs. So, should the Steelers miraculously get in, I propose that they go all Notre Dame and decline the playoff invitation, because they sure didn't earn it.
4. We now have a church website, created by one of our members, who happens to be a web developer for clothing retailer American Eagle. We're still filling in some content, but I'm very excited that our congregation has finally chosen to keep up with 1990's technology.
In an effort to be politically correct, I will not wish you a Merry Christmas. Rather, in the spirit of NBC's hilarious new show, Community, I wish you a Merry Happy, and I hope Mr. Winter brings you lots of non-denominational gifts and cheer!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Here We Go
In about 2 hours, the Steelers and Titans will kick off the NFL season. This game will probably be more of a grind-it-out battle than last year, and I refuse to buy into the popular notion around here that the Steelers will easily take this game. Sure, we have a slight edge because it's in our raucous house, we've won 7 straight openers, and we did win the Super Bowl 7 months ago. But the Titans are a tough team -- perhaps the toughest we'll face all year.
At the request of my wife, I've set up a 2nd TV in our living room so we can watch the Georgia Tech - Clemson game. We've put out all our Steeler decorations and watched the Super Bowl XL and XLIII DVDs. I've been listening to DVE's pregame coverage for an hour already. I'm about to start making my homemade pizza.
Welcome back, Steeler football. I've missed you.
At the request of my wife, I've set up a 2nd TV in our living room so we can watch the Georgia Tech - Clemson game. We've put out all our Steeler decorations and watched the Super Bowl XL and XLIII DVDs. I've been listening to DVE's pregame coverage for an hour already. I'm about to start making my homemade pizza.
Welcome back, Steeler football. I've missed you.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Flipping the Switch
Despite another losing record, this Pirates baseball season has been one of the most exciting ones in years. I accepted the inevitable losing record before it began, and I've had fun watching the young pups develop (or not -- I'm looking at you, Moss).
That being said, I have now flipped my internal switch from the "baseball season" position to the "football season" position. It began with my attendance at the Steelers' first preseason game, where they looked incredibly competent from the starters all the way down to the guys who will be cut 3 weeks from now. It was completed by the 14 runs the Cubs scored on the Bucs by the end of the 2nd inning yesterday. A humiliating 17-2 loss will do that to a man. Even our normally emotionless manager shot off a sarcastic response to a Chicago reporter's dumb question, so you know it's bad.
I didn't mean to flip the switch. It just happened. It's officially football season in my mind. If the weather would just drop to about 55 degrees, the stage would really be set for gridiron battle.
That being said, I have now flipped my internal switch from the "baseball season" position to the "football season" position. It began with my attendance at the Steelers' first preseason game, where they looked incredibly competent from the starters all the way down to the guys who will be cut 3 weeks from now. It was completed by the 14 runs the Cubs scored on the Bucs by the end of the 2nd inning yesterday. A humiliating 17-2 loss will do that to a man. Even our normally emotionless manager shot off a sarcastic response to a Chicago reporter's dumb question, so you know it's bad.
I didn't mean to flip the switch. It just happened. It's officially football season in my mind. If the weather would just drop to about 55 degrees, the stage would really be set for gridiron battle.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The Governor's Mistake
Following the Steelers' Super Bowl win, PA Governor Ed Rendell asked fans to submit essays (less than 250 words) on why they love the Steelers. The "best" essay would win a trip for two to Arizona, and four runners-up would win tickets to a 2009 Steelers home game. I put "best" in quotes because I'm not sure the winning essays were the best. The grand prize winner's essay was good. I have no problem giving him the trip to AZ. Some of the runners-up ones were awful, or merely ordinary. Read the winning essays and decide for yourself. The first runner-up had several grammatical errors and typos. Most of them were along the lines of, "I love the Steelers because my dad worked in the coal mines or in the steel mills and they represent our family's blue-collar work ethic," or "I love the Steelers because it's more than just a hobby -- I live for Steelers football." Out of the 1,300 submitted essays, I'm willing to bet at least 1,000 were centered on one or both of those premises.
I submitted an essay. And because I'm arrogant when it comes to my writing, I think my essay is pretty well-written, and the content is somewhat original. I'm not saying it was good enough to win, but it was better than most of the runner-up winners. I have decided to share it with you not because I believe an injustice has been perpetrated against me (it has), but because I am proud of my essay and proud of the stories it contains. Without further ado, my essay on why I love the Steelers:
Like many residents of Western Pennsylvania, my love for the Steelers is a family affair. My father, who was born as a Dutch citizen, moved to the United States in 1964 at the age of 10, settling in Pittsburgh. My grandfather sought to help my father fit in better at school. So they started watching American football. Through the 1960’s, the Steelers were awful, but they supported the team anyway. Through the Steelers, they taught themselves about football as well as Pittsburgh’s culture, helping them connect with neighbors, co-workers, and classmates. While working towards U.S. citizenship, my father also attained citizenship in Steeler Nation.
When I was born, I also became a citizen of Steeler Nation. The love for the Steelers my father passed down to me eventually helped me start my own family. While attending college in Ohio, my support of the Steelers grew as it faced opposition from Browns and Bengals fans. My sophomore year, a freshman and fellow Pittsburgher named Lisa arrived on campus. The first question Lisa asked her R.A. as she moved in was, “Who can I watch Steelers games with here?” Immediately, Lisa and I were introduced. Six and a half years later, Lisa and I are married and living in Western Pennsylvania.
I love the way the Steelers allow immigrants to connect with new neighbors. I love the way they bring families together on Sunday afternoons. And I love the way they create new families. How can anyone not love the Pittsburgh Steelers?
I submitted an essay. And because I'm arrogant when it comes to my writing, I think my essay is pretty well-written, and the content is somewhat original. I'm not saying it was good enough to win, but it was better than most of the runner-up winners. I have decided to share it with you not because I believe an injustice has been perpetrated against me (it has), but because I am proud of my essay and proud of the stories it contains. Without further ado, my essay on why I love the Steelers:
Like many residents of Western Pennsylvania, my love for the Steelers is a family affair. My father, who was born as a Dutch citizen, moved to the United States in 1964 at the age of 10, settling in Pittsburgh. My grandfather sought to help my father fit in better at school. So they started watching American football. Through the 1960’s, the Steelers were awful, but they supported the team anyway. Through the Steelers, they taught themselves about football as well as Pittsburgh’s culture, helping them connect with neighbors, co-workers, and classmates. While working towards U.S. citizenship, my father also attained citizenship in Steeler Nation.
When I was born, I also became a citizen of Steeler Nation. The love for the Steelers my father passed down to me eventually helped me start my own family. While attending college in Ohio, my support of the Steelers grew as it faced opposition from Browns and Bengals fans. My sophomore year, a freshman and fellow Pittsburgher named Lisa arrived on campus. The first question Lisa asked her R.A. as she moved in was, “Who can I watch Steelers games with here?” Immediately, Lisa and I were introduced. Six and a half years later, Lisa and I are married and living in Western Pennsylvania.
I love the way the Steelers allow immigrants to connect with new neighbors. I love the way they bring families together on Sunday afternoons. And I love the way they create new families. How can anyone not love the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Champions Again!
We're the first team to win 6 Super Bowls! Yay! We're celebratin' in the Steel City tonight!
Keeping things in Perspective
This is my prayer as we Christians who happen to be Steeler fans gather for worship this morning:
Almighty God, we greet you this morning with football games and parties on our mind. As Western Pennsylvanians, we are at the height of Steeler fever today. But we know better than to make that the focus of this day. We know that a silly football game is far less important than taking the time to worship you. And so we gather in your house to worship you and you alone. Help us to set aside the concerns of this world, to ignore the temptation to worship false idols, so that we are completely focused on you today. Center us, O God. Bring our wills into accordance with your will as we seek to live and worship you this hour. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns in us, Amen.
Almighty God, we greet you this morning with football games and parties on our mind. As Western Pennsylvanians, we are at the height of Steeler fever today. But we know better than to make that the focus of this day. We know that a silly football game is far less important than taking the time to worship you. And so we gather in your house to worship you and you alone. Help us to set aside the concerns of this world, to ignore the temptation to worship false idols, so that we are completely focused on you today. Center us, O God. Bring our wills into accordance with your will as we seek to live and worship you this hour. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns in us, Amen.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Holiday-y-y....Celebra-a-te...
Last night, Lisa and I went to dinner. At least 3 of every 4 people in the restaurant, including the wait staff, were wearing Steelers shirts. Probably half of those were jerseys. As we were leaving, there was a sign on the door that said, "In consideration of our employees, we will be closing at 6 pm this Sunday for the Super Bowl."
Lisa saw a commercial earlier in the week for a furnace repair company that prides itself on being available for repair 24/7/365. The commercial states that if your furnace breaks on Christmas Day, they'll be there. If it breaks in the middle of the night, they'll be there. But if it breaks this Sunday evening, you'll have to wait a few hours -- but they'll be there as soon as they can after the game.
Eat 'N Park, a Pittsburgh diner chain, only closes on Christmas Eve. And, apparently, for the Super Bowl when the Steelers are in it.
Pittsburgh City Schools as well as a couple other area school districts have declared 2 hour delays for Monday. It's an attempt to cut down on absenteeism. With the 2 hour delay, there's a greater chance the teachers and students won't call in "sick" after staying up late watching the game and celebrating afterwards.
So the only people working Sunday night will be bartenders and police officers. All we really need is people to keep the booze flowing and people to keep the boozed from urinating in alleys. It's a holiday around here, the biggest event since the last time the Steelers were in the Super Bowl.
3 years ago, for Super Bowl XL, I was in Atlanta, a member of the Steeler Diaspora. It was fun to be proudly wearing my Steeler gear and carrying my terrible towel around for 2 weeks. But it's way more fun this time, to be in the middle of all the fun here in Western PA. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.
Here we go...
Lisa saw a commercial earlier in the week for a furnace repair company that prides itself on being available for repair 24/7/365. The commercial states that if your furnace breaks on Christmas Day, they'll be there. If it breaks in the middle of the night, they'll be there. But if it breaks this Sunday evening, you'll have to wait a few hours -- but they'll be there as soon as they can after the game.
Eat 'N Park, a Pittsburgh diner chain, only closes on Christmas Eve. And, apparently, for the Super Bowl when the Steelers are in it.
Pittsburgh City Schools as well as a couple other area school districts have declared 2 hour delays for Monday. It's an attempt to cut down on absenteeism. With the 2 hour delay, there's a greater chance the teachers and students won't call in "sick" after staying up late watching the game and celebrating afterwards.
So the only people working Sunday night will be bartenders and police officers. All we really need is people to keep the booze flowing and people to keep the boozed from urinating in alleys. It's a holiday around here, the biggest event since the last time the Steelers were in the Super Bowl.
3 years ago, for Super Bowl XL, I was in Atlanta, a member of the Steeler Diaspora. It was fun to be proudly wearing my Steeler gear and carrying my terrible towel around for 2 weeks. But it's way more fun this time, to be in the middle of all the fun here in Western PA. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.
Here we go...
Sunday, January 18, 2009
We've got a feelin'...
...Pittsburgh's goin' to the Super Bowl!
And the 2 weeks of hype begins. It's only over-hyped if your team's not in it.
Look out Cards, we're playing our best football right now.
HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!!
And the 2 weeks of hype begins. It's only over-hyped if your team's not in it.
Look out Cards, we're playing our best football right now.
HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!!
You Can't Get to Heaven
I'm sitting in my office, making last minute preparations for this morning's service, and what song do I hear from the Sunday School kids?
Oh you can't get to heaven,
In a tissue box,
Oh you can't get to heaven,
In a tissue box,
Oh you can't get to heaven in a tissue box,
'Cause God don't want no little snots,
All my sins are washed away I've been redeemed,
I love the lamb.
Oh you can't get to heaven,
In Sheila's car,
Oh you can't get to heaven,
In Sheila's car,
Oh you can't get to heaven in Sheila's car,
The piece of junk won't go that far,
All my sins are washed away I've been redeemed,
I love the lamb.
Nothing really out of the ordinary. Then, I hear this verse:
Oh you can't get to heaven,
As a Raven fan,
Oh you can't get to heaven,
As a Raven fan,
Oh you can't get to heaven as a Raven fan,
'Cause God's a Steeler football fan,
All my sins are washed away I've been redeemed,
I love the lamb.
I love Pittsburgh. I love my church. And I really love that new verse.
Oh you can't get to heaven,
In a tissue box,
Oh you can't get to heaven,
In a tissue box,
Oh you can't get to heaven in a tissue box,
'Cause God don't want no little snots,
All my sins are washed away I've been redeemed,
I love the lamb.
Oh you can't get to heaven,
In Sheila's car,
Oh you can't get to heaven,
In Sheila's car,
Oh you can't get to heaven in Sheila's car,
The piece of junk won't go that far,
All my sins are washed away I've been redeemed,
I love the lamb.
Nothing really out of the ordinary. Then, I hear this verse:
Oh you can't get to heaven,
As a Raven fan,
Oh you can't get to heaven,
As a Raven fan,
Oh you can't get to heaven as a Raven fan,
'Cause God's a Steeler football fan,
All my sins are washed away I've been redeemed,
I love the lamb.
I love Pittsburgh. I love my church. And I really love that new verse.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Baby it's cold outside
Yep, another day of single-digit highs and negative lows in Western PA. Right now it's 1 degree -- but it's sunny (well, sunny for Western PA)! Yay! Honestly, I really don't mind this weather. I still walked around town a bit for some errands yesterday, and since I have an awesome coat, I didn't really feel that cold. I'd take this weather over 40 and rainy any day -- yuck!
Obviously, it's been awhile since I've really sat down to blog about my life. That's because things have been really busy lately. As soon as the holidays were over, I became swamped at work with all the things I put off through Advent. I kept saying, "I'll do that after the holidays" to everything not pertaining to the holidays. Thus, I'm really busy right now. I also have a couple members in the hospital, eating up more time. Things at home have been neglected -- our Christmas decorations are mostly down, but they're not packed yet. The lights outside are still up, because I haven't had a chance to take them down until today. Needless to say, I'm not digging lights and extension cords out of the snow in 1 degree weather today.
Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer: high of 27! Tomorrow is also the day the Steelers and Ravens will face off in the AFC title game. I'm getting really excited about it. You know, after 7 years of living away from the Burgh, I had forgotten just how ridiculous the playoff hype is in town. We have a mayor taking the "Raven" out of his name, we have Friday pep rallies at the courthouse, there are always new Steeler songs being sung on the radio, and Thursday's newspaper had no less than half of its pages devoted to this Sunday's NFL games. It's so much fun! Away from Pittsburgh, I always feel like I'm too obsessed with the Steelers. Around here, I feel like a casual fan -- like I'm not enough of a fan.
We're also getting excited for a weekend away next weekend. We're taking a long weekend to go skiing in West Virginia, starting next Friday. It'll be the first Sunday off since the first Sunday in September, and I'm ready.
In March, we're heading to Atlanta for some nerdy engineering conference that Lisa's presenting at. Then, we're continuing on to Florida for a couple days as a winter break, taking in warm weather and Pirate spring training games while visiting with my grandmother. I don't see her that often since she lives south of Tampa, so it'll be nice to spend some time with her.
Everything else is going well here. We're still enjoying life, enjoying our jobs, enjoying our town and our church. Until next time, HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!!
Obviously, it's been awhile since I've really sat down to blog about my life. That's because things have been really busy lately. As soon as the holidays were over, I became swamped at work with all the things I put off through Advent. I kept saying, "I'll do that after the holidays" to everything not pertaining to the holidays. Thus, I'm really busy right now. I also have a couple members in the hospital, eating up more time. Things at home have been neglected -- our Christmas decorations are mostly down, but they're not packed yet. The lights outside are still up, because I haven't had a chance to take them down until today. Needless to say, I'm not digging lights and extension cords out of the snow in 1 degree weather today.
Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer: high of 27! Tomorrow is also the day the Steelers and Ravens will face off in the AFC title game. I'm getting really excited about it. You know, after 7 years of living away from the Burgh, I had forgotten just how ridiculous the playoff hype is in town. We have a mayor taking the "Raven" out of his name, we have Friday pep rallies at the courthouse, there are always new Steeler songs being sung on the radio, and Thursday's newspaper had no less than half of its pages devoted to this Sunday's NFL games. It's so much fun! Away from Pittsburgh, I always feel like I'm too obsessed with the Steelers. Around here, I feel like a casual fan -- like I'm not enough of a fan.
We're also getting excited for a weekend away next weekend. We're taking a long weekend to go skiing in West Virginia, starting next Friday. It'll be the first Sunday off since the first Sunday in September, and I'm ready.
In March, we're heading to Atlanta for some nerdy engineering conference that Lisa's presenting at. Then, we're continuing on to Florida for a couple days as a winter break, taking in warm weather and Pirate spring training games while visiting with my grandmother. I don't see her that often since she lives south of Tampa, so it'll be nice to spend some time with her.
Everything else is going well here. We're still enjoying life, enjoying our jobs, enjoying our town and our church. Until next time, HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
It's a Wonderful Wife
Another sign I married well. In regards to this, I just had the following conversation with my wife on GMail:
Lisa: we don't get to hit brady quinn
me: I heard.
Lisa: that makes me sad
I performed a marriage reaffirmation ceremony last night for a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary. As long as Lisa and I continue to have conversations like this, I think we'll make it to 50 as well.
Lisa: we don't get to hit brady quinn
me: I heard.
Lisa: that makes me sad
I performed a marriage reaffirmation ceremony last night for a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary. As long as Lisa and I continue to have conversations like this, I think we'll make it to 50 as well.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
NFL Helmet Rankings
With the help of my esteemed sports enthusiast colleague Dan, I have compiled a list of the 32 current NFL helmets. We judged them by their uniqueness, incorporation of team color scheme, how they match with the rest of the uniform, stripe usage, and overall look. We included only current helmets, which eliminated the possibility of the white Bills helmets and all of the former Patriots helmets, which were all better than the current ones. We also found an interesting site, which gives a history of all NFL helmets: http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/. Without further ado, here is the list:
32. Seattle Seahawks. Logo way too big, monochromatic helmet-logo scheme looks awful. No redeeming qualities.
31. Baltimore Ravens. Their logo really hurts them, as they had the chance to have a scary, gothic raven and instead went with a cartoony raven head with a B on its neck.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars. They missed a perfect opportunity to pull off the white helmet and instead went with the boring black helmet. The logo is one of the worst in the NFL.
29. Cleveland Browns. Normally I'd like the classic look of a logo-free helmet, but not in this case. This is an awful color orange, they don't have a logo on the helmet because they don't have a logo period, and if you're the Browns, why is your helmet orange?
28. Tennessee Titans. As ESPN's Greg Easterbrook says, the logo looks like a flaming thumbtack. The tapered double stripe is not becoming on them, and all of this brought together looks like a 1st grader designed the helmet.
27. Carolina Panthers. Silver helmets are hard to pull off, especially when you have an awful logo.
26. New England Patriots. I encourage you to check out their old helmets of the three point hat over the number. When can they bring those back, because the current logo on the silver helmet is really ugly.
25. Denver Broncos. Another awful logo, the color scheme is the only thing that makes this helmet so high.
24. Atlanta Falcons. Yes, the logo conveniently makes an F, but I've seen this exact same logo in high school and college. Where's the creativity?
23. San Fransisco 49ers. They made a mistake by changing the middle stripes. It used to be a white center stripe bordered by red stripes, but now they have a red-black combination. Big mistake, because it dropped you way down on this list.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The pewter color is good, but what's up with the logo? You can't hang a flag on a sword!
21. Buffalo Bills. Classic logo, classic look, both team colors prominently used. However, I've never understood the stripe in the middle of the bill -- is he getting speared? Does he have a different colored random appendage growing from his head?
20. Miami Dolphins. White helmets are generally a good idea, and the helmet-wearing dolphin logo is creative. One question: why is the dolphin in the logo wearing a different helmet than the actual team?
19. Houston Texans. Simple, cartoony logo is okay, but nothing special. Houston had a chance to have horns on their helmets like the Vikes or Rams, but they passed it up. Not good.
18. Detroit Lions. So-so logo, nothing really special. The helmet itself gives a feeling of indifference, which fits them well, I guess.
17. Kansas City Chiefs. Another blah helmet. Nothing good or bad to say here. It's a helmet, it's red, they wear it.
16. Oakland Raiders. Few teams wear the silver helmet well. The Raiders are one such team because of the simplicity of their uniforms and helmets. It all works well together.
15. Arizona Cardinals. The white helmet looks great in contrast to the cardinal red jerseys. The simple red logo is sweet.
14. Chicago Bears. The "C" is classic, but far short of creative. This helmet is only this high because of its sheer recognition factor. Almost anyone in the country can turn on the TV, see the Bears, Packers, or Cowboys helmet, and instantly know who's playing.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers. The logo is the steel logo, adding an element of uniqueness. This is also the only NFL helmet with the logo only on one side.
12. New York Jets. Another great white helmet. It was a good choice to go back to these classic helmets.
11. Dallas Cowboys. The star is classic, the silver helmet looks nice. An All-American helmet if I've ever see one. See notes under Chicago Bears.
10. Washington Redskins. The yellow facemask contrasts well with the red helmet. The feathers coming off the back of the otherwise circular logo looks good too.
9. New York Giants. I just can't get over how awesome the single red center stripe looks on this otherwise plain helmet. Call it a splash of excitement and a whole lot of plain, brute force. Kinda like the Giants style of play, no?
8. Green Bay Packers. The yellow helmets are great, and the "G" is classic if not exciting. See notes under Chicago Bears.
7. Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals did a great job incorporating the Bengal tiger stripes in their unis, especially the helmet. This is a great, unique, fun helmet.
6. Minnesota Vikings. The horns look great. Extra points for incorporating the yellow of their color scheme in a shadow effect around the base of the horn.
5. Philadelphia Eagles. Great job on the wings. They've been wearing some variation of the wings since 1955. It doesn't get much better than the white wings on the green helmet.
4. Indianapolis Colts. I originally saw nothing exciting about these helmets, but Dan persuaded me they are indeed exceptional. Aside from changing from white to blue facemasks in 1995, the helmet has been exactly the same since 1957. Kudos to the B'more/Indy Colts for picking the horseshoe as the logo and sticking with it and these great white helmets for so long without even tweaking it.
3. New Orleans Saints. No one could ever pull off the gold helmet like the Saints. The black fleur de lis on the gold helmet SCREAMS New Orleans. Truly a royal helmet.
2. San Diego Chargers. The lightning bolt is not incredibly unique for a team called the Chargers, but you have to admit it looks pretty cool, especially since they switched back to the white helmet in 2007. Did I mention I like white helmets?
1. St. Louis Rams. Well, the Rams at least have one thing going for them, right? The classic ram horns are nothing short of amazing, classy, and fearsome. Say what you want about their play, but these helmets are the best in the NFL. We had a hard time choosing the best between the top 5 or 6 on this list, but the Rams get the edge because they wore horns starting in 1950. Longevity and only minor tweaking of the idea gives them a slight edge over the rest.
There you have it. Feel free to disagree -- everyone's entitled to their own wrong opinion.
32. Seattle Seahawks. Logo way too big, monochromatic helmet-logo scheme looks awful. No redeeming qualities.
31. Baltimore Ravens. Their logo really hurts them, as they had the chance to have a scary, gothic raven and instead went with a cartoony raven head with a B on its neck.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars. They missed a perfect opportunity to pull off the white helmet and instead went with the boring black helmet. The logo is one of the worst in the NFL.
29. Cleveland Browns. Normally I'd like the classic look of a logo-free helmet, but not in this case. This is an awful color orange, they don't have a logo on the helmet because they don't have a logo period, and if you're the Browns, why is your helmet orange?
28. Tennessee Titans. As ESPN's Greg Easterbrook says, the logo looks like a flaming thumbtack. The tapered double stripe is not becoming on them, and all of this brought together looks like a 1st grader designed the helmet.
27. Carolina Panthers. Silver helmets are hard to pull off, especially when you have an awful logo.
26. New England Patriots. I encourage you to check out their old helmets of the three point hat over the number. When can they bring those back, because the current logo on the silver helmet is really ugly.
25. Denver Broncos. Another awful logo, the color scheme is the only thing that makes this helmet so high.
24. Atlanta Falcons. Yes, the logo conveniently makes an F, but I've seen this exact same logo in high school and college. Where's the creativity?
23. San Fransisco 49ers. They made a mistake by changing the middle stripes. It used to be a white center stripe bordered by red stripes, but now they have a red-black combination. Big mistake, because it dropped you way down on this list.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The pewter color is good, but what's up with the logo? You can't hang a flag on a sword!
21. Buffalo Bills. Classic logo, classic look, both team colors prominently used. However, I've never understood the stripe in the middle of the bill -- is he getting speared? Does he have a different colored random appendage growing from his head?
20. Miami Dolphins. White helmets are generally a good idea, and the helmet-wearing dolphin logo is creative. One question: why is the dolphin in the logo wearing a different helmet than the actual team?
19. Houston Texans. Simple, cartoony logo is okay, but nothing special. Houston had a chance to have horns on their helmets like the Vikes or Rams, but they passed it up. Not good.
18. Detroit Lions. So-so logo, nothing really special. The helmet itself gives a feeling of indifference, which fits them well, I guess.
17. Kansas City Chiefs. Another blah helmet. Nothing good or bad to say here. It's a helmet, it's red, they wear it.
16. Oakland Raiders. Few teams wear the silver helmet well. The Raiders are one such team because of the simplicity of their uniforms and helmets. It all works well together.
15. Arizona Cardinals. The white helmet looks great in contrast to the cardinal red jerseys. The simple red logo is sweet.
14. Chicago Bears. The "C" is classic, but far short of creative. This helmet is only this high because of its sheer recognition factor. Almost anyone in the country can turn on the TV, see the Bears, Packers, or Cowboys helmet, and instantly know who's playing.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers. The logo is the steel logo, adding an element of uniqueness. This is also the only NFL helmet with the logo only on one side.
12. New York Jets. Another great white helmet. It was a good choice to go back to these classic helmets.
11. Dallas Cowboys. The star is classic, the silver helmet looks nice. An All-American helmet if I've ever see one. See notes under Chicago Bears.
10. Washington Redskins. The yellow facemask contrasts well with the red helmet. The feathers coming off the back of the otherwise circular logo looks good too.
9. New York Giants. I just can't get over how awesome the single red center stripe looks on this otherwise plain helmet. Call it a splash of excitement and a whole lot of plain, brute force. Kinda like the Giants style of play, no?
8. Green Bay Packers. The yellow helmets are great, and the "G" is classic if not exciting. See notes under Chicago Bears.
7. Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals did a great job incorporating the Bengal tiger stripes in their unis, especially the helmet. This is a great, unique, fun helmet.
6. Minnesota Vikings. The horns look great. Extra points for incorporating the yellow of their color scheme in a shadow effect around the base of the horn.
5. Philadelphia Eagles. Great job on the wings. They've been wearing some variation of the wings since 1955. It doesn't get much better than the white wings on the green helmet.
4. Indianapolis Colts. I originally saw nothing exciting about these helmets, but Dan persuaded me they are indeed exceptional. Aside from changing from white to blue facemasks in 1995, the helmet has been exactly the same since 1957. Kudos to the B'more/Indy Colts for picking the horseshoe as the logo and sticking with it and these great white helmets for so long without even tweaking it.
3. New Orleans Saints. No one could ever pull off the gold helmet like the Saints. The black fleur de lis on the gold helmet SCREAMS New Orleans. Truly a royal helmet.
2. San Diego Chargers. The lightning bolt is not incredibly unique for a team called the Chargers, but you have to admit it looks pretty cool, especially since they switched back to the white helmet in 2007. Did I mention I like white helmets?
1. St. Louis Rams. Well, the Rams at least have one thing going for them, right? The classic ram horns are nothing short of amazing, classy, and fearsome. Say what you want about their play, but these helmets are the best in the NFL. We had a hard time choosing the best between the top 5 or 6 on this list, but the Rams get the edge because they wore horns starting in 1950. Longevity and only minor tweaking of the idea gives them a slight edge over the rest.
There you have it. Feel free to disagree -- everyone's entitled to their own wrong opinion.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Don't Worry, He's One of Us
The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh just went through a nasty split. Most congregations left for the more conservative Southern Cone denomination, but some stayed with the main denomination. The congregations who stayed just selected an advisory bishop to help them search for an interim bishop. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran a story on this advisory bishop, a bishop fron Virginia, and they made sure to mention that he roots for the Pirates and Steelers. Of course, you can only take advice from people who root for our local sports teams.
Yep, it's good to be home.
Yep, it's good to be home.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Steelers-Browns on Sunday Night Football!
There are many great moments in the history of the Steelers-Browns rivalry, but this might be my favorite.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The highs and lows of being a pastor
Yesterday we stood on the sidelines at Steelers training camp. It was amazing. We were so close that at one point we had to move back to give the tight ends room to practice 4 feet in front of us with a blocking sled. We got the special VIP on-field passes from a congregation member who goes to college at St. Vincent, where the Steelers train. He works as Steelers training camp personnel, being a gopher for players and coaches, controlling stupid fans, etc. We were so close that Lisa had to step back to take this picture:
In other news, we woke up this morning to no hot water. Our water heater, leaking for months (if not more) before we got here, finally died. The previous pastor never told anyone it was leaking, but when I got here I immediately alerted the trustees. They made a plan to replace it at the last meeting, which was almost a month ago. Nothing was done. So now they have to do it tomorrow. It kinda stinks because if we were in charge of this stuff, it would have gotten done. But it's also kinda nice, because when something breaks, we just have to make a call to the chair of the trustees, and they're supposed to make sure it gets fixed or replaced without costing us anything. It's just a matter of keeping on them to get it fixed.
If you want to see more pics of our training camp trip, here's the album link: http://picasaweb.google.com/erik.hoeke/SteelerTrainingCamp
There's also an album of photos of our house and photos from our honeymoon.
In other news, we woke up this morning to no hot water. Our water heater, leaking for months (if not more) before we got here, finally died. The previous pastor never told anyone it was leaking, but when I got here I immediately alerted the trustees. They made a plan to replace it at the last meeting, which was almost a month ago. Nothing was done. So now they have to do it tomorrow. It kinda stinks because if we were in charge of this stuff, it would have gotten done. But it's also kinda nice, because when something breaks, we just have to make a call to the chair of the trustees, and they're supposed to make sure it gets fixed or replaced without costing us anything. It's just a matter of keeping on them to get it fixed.
If you want to see more pics of our training camp trip, here's the album link: http://picasaweb.google.com/erik.hoeke/SteelerTrainingCamp
There's also an album of photos of our house and photos from our honeymoon.
Monday, August 11, 2008
There's No Place Like Home
Although I had never visited West Newton until a few months ago, today made me feel completely at home again. Western PA is home for me, and I doubt I'll ever find a place to live that I love as much as I love this region. I realized this today as I woke up to a crisp, 57 degree morning and had to grab a long sleeved shirt to wear on my walk to work. It was a wonderfully cool morning, and an absolutely gorgeous day (72 as the high!). Sure, it'll get frigid in the winter, you say, but I love that weather too.
I also realized I like being in this region when I showed up for our worship committee meeting. One of the older members of our church, the woman people call "the church's angel", was the first one there after me. Picture the woman with the Swedish Meatballs in the Wedding Singer. That's her. Anyway, I kid you not, the first words out of her mouth are, "Well, I guess the Steelers got themselves a backup QB now that Charlie Batch is hurt." And we had a 5 minute conversation about how the Steelers had signed Byron Leftwich as their backup, and what that meant for the other backup QBs. Here I am, having a deep, knowledgeable conversation about backup quarterbacks with a 90 pound woman who spends most of her time growing enormous zucchini and writing encouraging notes to church members. And it seemed perfectly normal.
Looking at September's schedule today, I noticed that when school starts in the fall things are going to get crazy. I don't think I'll be looking for things to do as I was the last couple of weeks. September will be an insanely busy month, so I guess it's good that I'll be getting 2 straight weeks off of preaching on 8/31 (Hymn Sing) and 9/7 (Out-of-Town).
Phelps just won gold # 3. This guy is incredible. And he's still 4 years away from his athletic prime. Unreal.
I also realized I like being in this region when I showed up for our worship committee meeting. One of the older members of our church, the woman people call "the church's angel", was the first one there after me. Picture the woman with the Swedish Meatballs in the Wedding Singer. That's her. Anyway, I kid you not, the first words out of her mouth are, "Well, I guess the Steelers got themselves a backup QB now that Charlie Batch is hurt." And we had a 5 minute conversation about how the Steelers had signed Byron Leftwich as their backup, and what that meant for the other backup QBs. Here I am, having a deep, knowledgeable conversation about backup quarterbacks with a 90 pound woman who spends most of her time growing enormous zucchini and writing encouraging notes to church members. And it seemed perfectly normal.
Looking at September's schedule today, I noticed that when school starts in the fall things are going to get crazy. I don't think I'll be looking for things to do as I was the last couple of weeks. September will be an insanely busy month, so I guess it's good that I'll be getting 2 straight weeks off of preaching on 8/31 (Hymn Sing) and 9/7 (Out-of-Town).
Phelps just won gold # 3. This guy is incredible. And he's still 4 years away from his athletic prime. Unreal.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Priorities on the Sports Page
Last night, Lisa and I went to the Stillers preseason game against the cross-state Iggles, compliments of a couple in the church. They're season ticket holders and weren't able to make the game, so they gave us their tickets. When we agreed to accept them, we had no idea where they were. Turns out, the seats were 2 rows off the field in the corner of the end zone -- the corner that the Steelers' tunnel from the locker room comes out. So we were about 20 feet away from the players during introductions. That was cool. The Steelers won 16-10 (I know, it's meaningless), and Jeff Reed kicked a 50 yard FG right in front of us.
As we left the game, we called Chip, and he alerted us that the Pirates were locked in a 0-0 game in the 10th inning against the Phillies. So we turned on the radio as we got into the car and listened to what turned out to be a 2-0, 12 inning victory by the Bucs. They won the game as we pulled into our driveway -- perfect timing! Big sports night in Pittsburgh.
So the Steelers win a meaningless preseason game 16-10. It wasn't all that exciting, and nothing big happened. The Pirates win a regular season game in the 12th inning, 2-0. Which one do you think will be the lead story in the sports section of the paper the next morning? If you're from Pittsburgh, you probably guessed the Steelers, and you guessed correctly. There's a huge photo of rookie Rashard Mendenhall of the Steelers on the front page, and the headline "Steelers Start Fast." Then, at the bottom of the page, there's a one line strip that reads, in small print, "Pirates top Phillies in 12 innings, 2-0. Story page C-7."
Yes, football has taken over, and nothing the Pirates do can make them more important than even high school football from this point on. It's sad, because I love baseball, but it's also exciting because it means football season's coming! The Steelers are less than a month away from starting, college football starts at the end of THIS month, and high school football is creeping closer by the day. Lisa and I are pumped! Being in a new area of Western PA, we've got new HS football teams to learn about and watch. It's mostly AAA schools around here -- Belle Vernon, Jeannette, Greensburg CC, Yough, Charleroi, Elizabeth-Forward. Our weekends will look something like this: Friday -- travel to best HS football matchup of the week in our area; Saturday -- watch college football all day long while doing things around the house (we're back in Big Ten country!); Sunday -- Church and then watch the Steelers at home, where they're always on!
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
As we left the game, we called Chip, and he alerted us that the Pirates were locked in a 0-0 game in the 10th inning against the Phillies. So we turned on the radio as we got into the car and listened to what turned out to be a 2-0, 12 inning victory by the Bucs. They won the game as we pulled into our driveway -- perfect timing! Big sports night in Pittsburgh.
So the Steelers win a meaningless preseason game 16-10. It wasn't all that exciting, and nothing big happened. The Pirates win a regular season game in the 12th inning, 2-0. Which one do you think will be the lead story in the sports section of the paper the next morning? If you're from Pittsburgh, you probably guessed the Steelers, and you guessed correctly. There's a huge photo of rookie Rashard Mendenhall of the Steelers on the front page, and the headline "Steelers Start Fast." Then, at the bottom of the page, there's a one line strip that reads, in small print, "Pirates top Phillies in 12 innings, 2-0. Story page C-7."
Yes, football has taken over, and nothing the Pirates do can make them more important than even high school football from this point on. It's sad, because I love baseball, but it's also exciting because it means football season's coming! The Steelers are less than a month away from starting, college football starts at the end of THIS month, and high school football is creeping closer by the day. Lisa and I are pumped! Being in a new area of Western PA, we've got new HS football teams to learn about and watch. It's mostly AAA schools around here -- Belle Vernon, Jeannette, Greensburg CC, Yough, Charleroi, Elizabeth-Forward. Our weekends will look something like this: Friday -- travel to best HS football matchup of the week in our area; Saturday -- watch college football all day long while doing things around the house (we're back in Big Ten country!); Sunday -- Church and then watch the Steelers at home, where they're always on!
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
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