One of my most lasting memories of being a kid was going to see the Binghamton Whalers play at the Broome County Memorial Arena, or “The Arena” as it said on the side of the building.  Typically, my dad would take me, and once my cousin Chad came along.  The Whalers were a split affiliate with the Hartford Whalers and Washington Capitals and many times I’d get to see Caps players before they were called up.

We would be in New York to visit my mom’s family, with my dad’s in Springfield, Mass, we could visit both and would wind up catching an AHL game or two.  It was always fun because I liked sitting closer to the ice than we did at Capital Centre to see the Caps play.

Those memories of a kid were always fun, because we’d go to a game, then go back to my grandmother’s or a friend of the family’s house and watch the ball drop.  We’d celebrate and have a great time.  Since the family friend was also a sheriff, I learned early on that you should be safe on New Year’s Eve, and I still see it every year.

If you feel you may have had too much to drink, call Uber, call Lyft, call a taxi, call a friend, call someone who hasn’t been drinking and arrive home safely.  That call could save your life, or the life of someone you’ve never met that was just on their way home from a family tradition.