Sorry about the long post, but I am feeling a little nostalgic about Buffalo today ... I moved to the US several years ago .. of all the places, my company sent me to Buffalo, NY to work on projects for M&T Bank. Although, being a military brat, I had lived all around the world and I am pretty comfortable adjusting to new places and new people, this move especially seemed a little lonely. I arrived in Buffalo on Dec 19th on a cold wintry night. There were Christmas lights all around, but I did not know anyone in the city and spent the Christmas and New Years Eve all by myself. I quickly made friends at work and boy do I count my blessings that I found the friends I did .. I was soon introduced to Chippewa, Elmwood, Allentown, and Hurtle ave by my friends, who over the course of time would become my Buffalo family. I soon discovered the joys of a 2 am hoagie @ Jim’s Steakout after a night out on Elmwood and stopping every morning at a Tim Horton’s for a pre-work coffee (even won $50 at rrroll up the rim). But nothing would compare to being introduced to the Sabres and the Bills. I am eternally grateful to my friends who introduced me to these teams. I can never forget the “Scary good” call (https://youtube/watch?v=hEpr8moQBPs) or the bench clearing brawl against the Senators (https://youtube/watch?v=EAPhqXj_24I) or the Chris Drury OT winner over the Rangers (https://youtube/watch?v=zvNy7pVCDLA) .. I was at Brink’s with my friends to watch the latter game and still remember the whole bar erupting and people pouring on to Chippewa to hug each other. What a night. The Sabres and Bills have given me more than just teams to cheer for. They have given me a family and a home away from home. I moved to Atlanta in 2008 and was watching a Sabres game all by myself at a bar in Midtown when someone walked up to me and told me about the Bills Backers .. and so I found my Football and Hockey family in Atlanta. As every Bills and Sabres fan ever, I have experienced the joys of winning and the dismal feeling of losing. I get excited at the beginning of every season, no matter what the critics say. I still criticize the taste of wings like I was born and raised in Buffalo and still listen to WGR550 over Atlanta sports radio. We may have our ups and downs, but just like every Buffalo fan, I always believe and always love these teams and the town with a passion. Thank you for everything, Buffalo and my friends .. you are truly my home away from home.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 18:34:38 +0000