Big meal season is still here and maybe you are getting ready to host a big holiday gathering. Mashed taters are always a favorite and here are the keys to making the best ones imaginable. 

Delish!

The Best Mashed Potatoes

Last Sunday may have been the Browns best win all year.  They beat the Jags in a game they had to have.  It was not their cleanest game by any means, but they got it done and in December, that's all that matters.  Well done!

It was good to see the Browns play like a veteran team.  There were no stupid behind the back double reverse calls on offense that kill drives and games.  They made the plays that had to be made on both sides of the ball and on special teams, while facing a team that wanted this game just as badly.

Remember a few years ago when the owner was quoted, "We need an adult in the room." ?  The reference was to the on and off the field maturity level they perceived from Baker Mayfield and traded him a short time later. Of course that stuff is subjective, and honestly it was uncalled for in a professional setting.  Sure Baker had his moments that were not his best, but I suspect a lot of that was due to the immense generation gap between Baker, the owner, and the coaching staff.  The next move was to sign a guy with a highly checkered past and guaranteed him a kings treasure.  A move that has yet to pay dividends.

Enter Joe Flacco.  38 years old, Superbowl Champion and MVP.  The Browns got him off his couch after no one else wanted him, and honestly I don't think the Browns did either.  But under these extraordinarily tough circumstances, they had no choice.  They worked him out, agreed to sign, and then tried hard not to play him in favor of a rookie draft pick.  Then, at the end of their very short rope, they decided to give him a go.  And guess what?  After running Baker out of town, dumping a few QB's for nothing, and the rest of their newly drafted and freshly chosen cast of QB characters one by one got hurt, failed with some doing both, Old Man Flacco has been by far the best.  Finally, a football adult!

Flacco is a grown man that's done all there is to do in the NFL over many years.  He's the oldest QB playing right now, and has been a starter, a backup, a clip board holder, cut, released, uninvited, mocked  -  and a champion.  He makes the Browns offense look calmer and more cohesive than any one player has in years.  He's smart, has a cannon arm and is a leader.  It's impossible for these players not to look at him as such, as many played "him" in Madden, or watched him growing up. He's brought a sense of order to a tough situation.

There's no drama, no lawyers, no social media nonsense and there are no excuses.  He has a job to do, and by his own words, there is still more to do and to learn.  He's come here humble, professional and prepared.  If Stefanski and the front office is smart, they should get out of Flacco's way and let him do what guys with champion pedigree do - WIN!  Joe Flacco is a leader, and I don't think the organization knew that they just wanted a healthy body.  Plus, he's pretty much the only champion on this roster.  He's been where no one running this team has ever been.

It's the irony of Browns ironies.  Sign and draft a bunch of guys that were never gonna win the games you needed to for various reasons, then reluctantly put a guy in you really wish you didn't have to and he gets it done. Seems in the end the owner was right, we did need an adult in the room and now we have one kind of by accident and luck.  Joe Flacco right now is making the front office look good for finding him, but even that has a large double edge.  The further we go with Flacco, the worse half of 240 million guaranteed dollars out the window looks.

How far can Flacco take the Browns?  He took the Ravens all the way in a different time. But the great gift Joe Flacco has given the Browns is this.  With his age, story,  demeanor, unassuming way, skill level and incredible professionalism, plus his gratitude for this last big opportunity.  He is going to make a lot of Browns fans want to cheer for the Browns again. 

All of that, is how adults act and what adults do.

In my recent blog about my new Blazer, I included a few television advertisements from the late 90's promoting the vehicle. Searching for these led me down a YouTube rabbit hole of old automotive commercials, and there's too many good ones for me not to share with you here! Some make me laugh and some make me cringe, and all of them are perfectly antiquated. Enjoy these time capsules as we flash back to cars and trucks from years past!

Before I came into work today, Buttercup and I FINALLY got our decorations up at the house. Now keep in mind, all I really do is put up a couple stockings on the fireplace for us. I have a small fake tree that I could put up in my dining room but I think Buttercup would be too curious and just knock it over. 

That said, he was a very big helper today! I put up the hooks on the mantle because they're heavy, but Buttercup kept meowing at me insisting I let him hang up the stockings! ;) (the stories you tell when you have the fur children...lol)

I really meant to take a picture before I left to come into work tonight. I forgot though since I was running a little late. Maybe another post about our Christmas season will still come later and I can get a picture for you then!

In case you missed some of my articles this week from WQMX.com here is a recap. Thanks for reading and listening today and every day!

BROWNS - Standing In Your Own Way

Eat Of The Week

50 Favorites From 40+ Years #2

Forgotten Jukebox - M-90

Country Music Memory Lane - John Anderson B-Day (revisit)

Wynn At The Movies And More

There's nothing like a night-in watching holiday movies with the fireplace burning and a cup of hot cocoa or cider in your hands. Pair that with some popcorn and maybe a couple Christmas cookies, then add a fluffy blanket and cozy pajamas, and I'm good to go! 

There are surely a lot of Christmas movies out there, so I'm sure there's also many different favorites among us all. I'm simply here to get the discussion going and hopefully inspire you to reflect on some of the films you like best. Maybe I'll even remind you of one you forgot you loved. Let's dim the lights and turn up the surround sound, it's my top ten favorite Christmas movies! 

10. A Charlie Brown Christmas

9. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

8. The Polar Express

7. Home Alone

6. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

5. Frosty The Snowman

4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Live-Action)

2. Elf

1. The Year Without a Santa Clause

(A special shoutout goes to Shrek the Halls, which is more a feature than a movie at 30 minutes in length.) 

Thanks for reading and have yourself a happy holiday season! 

During the month of December, I am spotlighting Christmas music made by your favorite WQMX artists in the New @ 9. Jon Pardi just released his latest Christmas album "Merry Christmas from Jon Pardi" in October, so there will be several songs from his new album.

That isn't it though! I also have songs to highlight from Maddie & Tae, Dan+Shay, Chase Matthew, Morgan Evans, Mitchell Tenpenny and more! It's just a fun way to celebrate the time of year and see what seasonal music your favorite artists have to offer.

I hope you enjoy the original Christmas Music every night inside the New @ 9 on WQMX!

 

 

 

 

 

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Want a career in healthcare but don’t want to spend years in school? Train to become a medical assistant through Stark State College in less than a year - 3 semesters to be exact! Medical assistants are the heartbeat of your doctor’s office and many other outpatient facilities. AND, there’s a ton of local job openings. Visit starkstate.edu/in-demand-health to request info.

The song list has been released for the CMA Country Christmas TV special, hosted by Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood.

Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood -"Hark the Herald Angels Sing."
Amy Grant, Trisha Yearwood and Lindsey Stirling - "Joy to the World"
Amy Grant - "Grown Up Christmas List"
Trisha Yearwood and Lindsey Stirling - "O Holy Night"
Jordan Davis - "O Come All Ye Faithful"
Lady A - "What Christmas Means to Me"
Ashley McBryde and Lindsey Stirling - "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"
Jon Pardi - "Beer for Santa"
The War and Treaty - "Baby, Please Come Home"
Zach Williams and Lainey Wilson - "Go Tell It on the Mountain"

CMA Country Christmas airs December 14th at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will begin streaming on Hulu and Disney + on December 15th.

Box Office Results - The Boy And The Heron   -  13 million

#2 – Hunger Games

#3 - Godzilla

New This Week - Wonka

Barbie - Will premiere on Max today

Barbie – Leads list of nominations for the Critics Choice Awards - 18 nominations - A Record

Showtime – Is over 40 years old, but as of January 8^th will be renamed - Paramount+ With Showtime.

Netflx - Leave The World Behind - caused a big stir

Production - On the fifth and final season of Stranger Things is set to begin in early January

Sheesh - Last week's top movie, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, - fell to sixth with $5 million, In 10 days, the music documentary has earned $28.1 million

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane (link)

Also - My 50 Favorites Over 40+ Years This Week #2  (Link)