What I missed...

My dad, or Big Bri as we like to say in the family continues to make sure there is always "food on the table," as the saying goes, and skates on our feet, the second part being something that many families can't really say is true for them. I still have the same pair of ice skates I had when my feet stopped growing, but for about the first 12 years of my life, I remember my dad always made sure we had skates that fit us for free skating at the ice rink, hockey games (for him and my brother), and for skating on the pond. For those few precious weeks of frigid cold that arrives each winter, we are able to hold our own Winter Classic games on the frozen Pleasant Grove pond right at the foot of the hill that leads down from my street.

I grew up loving two things, Penn State University and ice hockey. Two things that are non existent here in Spain. So when I came home for Christmas, I was excited to see my friends and family, but I was also excited to spend hours watching HBO's Flyers and Rangers 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic documentary as well as the actual Winter Classic and some regular season games in between. There is something about being warmed by a fire in the fireplace at my home while drinking hot chocolate and listening to my dad scream at the television and tell the players that they are "as slow as molasses in the winer time" when they are nearing the end of their shift. That is what I came home to, and I would not have wanted it any other way. And when I awoke the following morning, Christmas day, at 5:45 am due to my jetlag, I turned on the two 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic specials that I had missed while in Spain.

Later that day as my mom started to call all 25 of us into the dining room for Christmas dinner, it would take about five tries until the point where she started to get mean to get us all ready to eat. The reason...oh the wives and the kids were all seated but it was my dad and his brothers gathered around the TV watching the HBO documentary who needed to be yelled at 5 TIMES to go in and eat. Grown men. But that's my family, all 7 of the men in my dad's family (including my grandfather) who grew up skating on a pond. The stories are endless of how my dear grandmother would take them to practice before the sun came up and the injuries they all had to sustain. And when I showed up to my cousin Jack's hockey game this past Sunday night, I was not surprised my whole family wanted to come...including my whole extended family. Because ice is ice. Hockey is hockey...and it's exciting at any level.

Growing up, I quickly learned the difference between a red line and a blue line (apart from the color), I learned it's called a sweater, not a jersey and the A on a few sweaters in the team stands for alternate, not assistant. I learned you shouldn't pitty a player who has to leave the game for a line of stiches because he lives for that and he'll be back in in a matter of minutes. I learned that although the Flyers have been breaking my heart for 23 years, they are my team and there will come a time when the Cup will be in my city. And more importantly, especially after this year, I learned the Winter Classic is more than just a game. It is nice to see a win for your team, but when it comes down to it, it represents where hockey first began. Outside on the ponds, on the lakes where fans gather, rivalries run deep.

This is the type of family I grew up in. This is what I missed about home. And my one hockey playing friend who knows me all to well once told me, "Higgs, you could never live in Spain. There's no ice." And I guess in some ways he's right, although there are many reasons why I want to return to my country after this amazing experience, I would say this sport is one of them. 

Variety is the Spice of Life...

After spending a wonderful break with my family and friends back in the United States, I could not help but realize how much variety we have in the States. As the saying goes, "Variety is the spice of life!" But I couldn't help but think, is variety really the spice of life or does it just make things more complicated?

Between the time my sister and I spent in our local mall and the five minutes it took to drive to a shopping center near by, we passed by: Charley's Grilled Subs, Chick-Fil-A, China House, Dairy Queen/Orange Julius, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Saladworks, Sarku Japan, Sbarro Pizza, Subway and Taco Bell (all of the previous eateries mentioned were inside of the mall), Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili's, Old Country Buffet, another Subway, Wawa, Wegman's Cafe, etc. etc. (all along Route 30). Besides the repeat of the Subways, try to find two of the same restaurant. There are little to no repeats and many of the foods are different. Olive Garden offers a menu different from Chili's which is a menu different from China house which is different from Taco Bell...you get the picture.

Then let's talk about New Year's Eve. I think I ran around the party trying every little appetizer and  drink available and all I kept saying was, "I'm not going to have this in Spain when I go back in 4 days, I'm not going to have this Chick-fil-A platter with honey mustard, bbq sauce, ketchup and regular mustard, I'm not going to have BUFFALO CHICKEN pizza...yes there will be chicken...yes there will be pizza...but BUFFALO CHICKEN...absolutely not, I'm not going to have these delicious inside out oreo truffles with peppermint icing topping." And I quickly turned into the "fat kid" at the party.

But what if we simply didn't have this stuff. In Spain, I walk into the grocery store and probably have about 10 cereal choices...not a full aisle. Yes there are many restaurants in Spain...at least 10 on every block. But the food tends to be the same...maybe just prepared a little differently. Yes there are some Mexican restaurants, some Japanese restaurants, some pizza places. But the thing is, it is not overwhelming. And believe it or not, I finish every meal satisfied with less variety than we have in the States without a mound of regret as big as the pile of french fries I just had to ACCOMPANY my meal.

So midway through my New Years Eve binge, I realized there's a serious problem with variety. What if we simply just didn't have it? Many people will tell me it takes self control to avoid all of that, but when it's put right in front of your face at a party, who is really going to have self control? So what's better, a lot of variety or little variety? Not having little variety for a while and then going and stuffing your face when there is a lot of variety? I guess the world will never know. Do what makes you happy, but for me, I'm a little scared to return to that variety in June.

Charley’s Grilled Subs....................524.3132

C Chick-fil-A............................................363.6345

C China House.......................................280.7329

C Dairy Queen/Orange Julius........363.5700

C EnerJuice.............................................363.5203

C Five Guys Burgers & Fries.... 484.875.0755

C Nestle Toll House Café...................524.7050

C Saladworks Café...............................363.5025

C Sarku Japan........................................280.7018

C Saxbys Coffee....................................594.3800

C Sbarro....................................................363.3059

C Subway.................................................524.2900

C Taco Bell...............................................524.2900