Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

I don't have much to say with today's blog, but I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on something special to me. At this, the most wonderful time of the year, I wanted to say thank you to my maternal grandparents.

I already had an Atari gaming system by the time I was seven years old (thanks cousin DJ), so video games were an entity that I was familiar with. But, something glorious was about to happen. My Grandma and Grandpa gifted to my brother Joshua and I our original Nintendo Entertainment System at Christmas in the year 1989.

The gift that started it all -- the Nintendo Action Set.

For twenty five years, I've been playing original NES games -- Mario, Donkey Kong, Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man... the list goes on an on. I owe it all to my grandparents, to which I'm very thankful. I'm thirty-two years old this year and have amassed hundreds of NES game cartridges; my collection continues to grow.

Having a Nintendo helped shape who I was as a child. It encouraged creativity and strategic thinking at an early age. My Nintendo pushed me to think outside the box and solve puzzles. That little grey box took me on an adventure.

I've been hooked ever since.

My Nintendo is still hooked up and ready to play at a moment's notice. I don't have to worry about scratched discs or a faulty internet connection. You just open the front flap, insert the cartridge and press the power button (a few seconds of blowing on the cartridge might be necessary). We might live in a hyper-realistic digital gaming age, but all I need to be happy are eight tiny bits.

Grandma, Grandpa... wherever you are in this universe... thanks.

My Favorite Christmas Carols: Greensleeves

Winchester Cathedral at Christmas - Winchester, Hampshire County, England

I'm back with another of my favorite holiday tunes. Tonight, let's partake in the merriment, have a cup a cider, sit by the fire and enjoy Greensleeves.

This song is much older than you may realize. Greensleeves is a folk melody from England that dates to at least 1580. The earliest known record of Greensleeves exists with the London Stationer's Company (a massive printer and publishing house formed in 1403 which is still in business), but most music historians believe it is much older than that.

The tune's origin has incorrectly been attributed to King Henry VIII for hundreds of years, though it is highly doubtful he had any sort of connection to the writing of the song.

Greensleeves, due to its folk heritage, has been recorded in multiple variations for as long as it has been in existence. Artists from all styles of music have put their spin on the classic. One such example, a personal favorite of mine, is by jazz artist Vince Guaraldi. You may not know his name, but you're certainly familiar with his work. Here's his rendition of Greensleeves, as featured in 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'.

Shockingly, Greensleeves receives a lot of praise from the world of heavy metal music. Countless guitar shredders have performed the melody on their axes of sonic fury! Here's an ass-kicking version from Charlie Parra del Riego.

Finally, how about a whimsical version from the Decade of Excess? Let's try an 8-Bit 1980's Nintendo style version of Greensleeves on for size. I rather enjoy it! It almost reminds me of a track from 'The Legend of Zelda'.

It just wouldn't be the holidays without Greensleeves. What are your thoughts?