Ride Home Rants
Ride Home Rants
From Eggnog Debates To Hallmark Towns: A Christmas Roundtable
What makes a Christmas tradition stick—the flavor, the place, or the story you tell about it? We gathered five friends from across the map to trade brutally honest eggnog takes, map out Christmas Eve and Day rituals, and argue for the movies that still make us feel like kids. From beach fires in North Carolina to church services and the Feast of the Seven Fishes, the thread running through it all is simple: small moments, strong memories.
We dive into the comfort classics—Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation, the original cartoon Grinch, both Home Alones, Polar Express, and the underappreciated Charlie Brown specials—and shout out favorite characters like Buddy the Elf, Ralphie, Yukon Cornelius, and the Heat Miser vs. Snow Miser duo. Then we hop towns to find real places that look like movie sets: Chagrin Falls and Hudson in Ohio, Carmel’s rink and German market in Indiana, Sugarcreek’s Amish charm, and West Virginia’s Berkeley Springs with its storybook main street. If you’re building a holiday road trip, we’ve got a ready-made list: Oglebay Festival of Lights, Pittsburgh’s PPG Place rink and the Point, Cleveland’s Zoo Lights, downtown Willoughby’s Light Up Night, and the A Christmas Story House.
Food gets personal fast. Ham and scalloped potatoes, beef tenderloin, and an avalanche of Christmas cookies take center stage, with regional favorites like Sarris chocolate adding bite. We also take on the live-sports-on-Christmas question (most of us say stay home unless it’s a great NBA matchup) and rank gifts—dinner out tops the list, edging gift cards, with candy a distant third. The why is clear: shared experiences beat stuff when the goal is connection.
If you’re craving ideas for holiday fun, movie nostalgia, or new traditions that actually fit your life, this co
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Welcome, everybody, to another episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast. And happy holidays and Merry Christmas as we bring you the All Things Christmas episode. And we're also going to talk a little bit about the holidays as well. But the All Things Christmas episode 2025, this is Fiddy on the ones and twos for you today, taking the taking the place of Mike Bono as he has a well-deserved rest from his very busy, busy life with his comic uh job and also his full-time job. So, guys, today we have a fantastic show with four former individual guests who have been on with us and also a couple guys who have been on for other roundtables. So uh the fearsome foursome is on with us. Quote to the uh Los Angeles Rams back in the day, right there, the Fearsome Forsome of uh Merrill Olson and Deacon Jones and two other guys that can't remember their names at all. But we got our own fearsome foursome on here today. Um, they come from a couple of different uh states. So they're gonna talk about their experiences also being in their states and growing up and now being transplanted to some different areas. So it's gonna give a very unique uh take on this Christmas episode. So, guys, without further ado, we're gonna have you introduce yourself. You're gonna give your name. If you could be a zoo animal, what zoo animal would you pick? And then the best state you visited. And as you're thinking about that, I'll start off. Of course, everybody knows me. This is Fitti, the manager of the Ride Home Rans podcast and sometimes host. The zoo animal I would probably be is a red panda, because everybody loves the red panda at the zoo. And the best state I ever visited, I'm gonna go with the great state of Hawaii. And since this is the Christmas episode, make sure you're peeping the Hawaii Bowl tonight. Cal in Hawaii squaring off in the Hawaii Bowl in the 80-degree weather on the on the beaches of Honolulu. So make sure you're checking that out. But Tony, you're the most seasoned veteran of the ride home rants on the round table. So let's start with you.
SPEAKER_01:Hello, everybody. As Fitty said, my name is Tony and I live in Baffer Heights. If I could be any zoo animal, I would probably have to be a toucan. I'd be a toucan. I just go flying around everywhere. Okay. And then Tony, the best state you ever visited was Michigan. I know a lot of people, some people aren't gonna like that because of the rivalry, but Michigan's a very nice state.
SPEAKER_00:It is a very nice state. Ann Arbor's a great, great place. And I'm not even a Michigan fan by any means, but Michigan's really cool. Jordan, let's go to New Next. Excuse me.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my god. Joking up. Jordan DeBarco. I uh live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Best state I ever visited is where I used to live in North Carolina, Outer Banks. Uh calm, cool, easy going vibes. You got the beach, fairly nice temperature all year round. Uh so I would say North Carolina, love it there. Could be there all four seasons, no problem. And then what a zoo animal would you be? Definitely a penguin. You have no fear of dying, no polar bears to eat you, no seals to eat you, nothing like that. You're swimming if you want, you're on dry rocks if you want, you're getting fed all the time. No fear of dying, penguin.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, Luke, let's go to you next. Uh my name's Luke Secrets. I'm from Fallonsby, West Virginia. Um, I think if I had to be a zoo animal, I would also go with the penguin. I feel like it's just all fun all the time. Yeah. Not a care in the world. Yeah. And then uh my favorite state I've visited was Wyoming. Um, I went out there on a hunting trip a couple years ago and it was uh it's awesome.
SPEAKER_00:I'm I'm sure it would be definitely incredible and probably incredibly cold right now, too. Uh they're built definitely out in Wyoming in December. And then uh Quinn, let's finish up with you.
SPEAKER_03:What's up, everyone? Um, my name's Quinn Flospoler from Oxford, Ohio. Um, but yeah, living in Cleveland right now. Uh, if I were to be a zoo animal, such a good question. I'd probably go with a gorilla, to be honest. Like you just you've got all the eyes on you, you're just a beast 24-7. So yeah, silverback. Um, and then greatest state I've visited, I'd say Colorado. I went there the summer, went to Pagosa Springs, Durango, Golden, a bunch of different areas. And um, I think seasonally, you know, you can ski in the winters, and then the summers are are spectacular, not too hot, and then you're close to so many different, you know, big cities, other states to travel to and whatnot. So I'm going with Colorado.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. And for anybody that's never been to Wyoming or North Carolina or Michigan or Colorado or Hawaii, please go, right? That's only five of the 50 states, but please go and you can see a lot of other states uh through the drive-through there. So depending on where you're coming from, we're not here to talk about all things states, but I did count earlier. I've actually visited 21 states in the country. So I'm actually kind of proud of that. It's like 40% or so of the country. But guys, we're here to talk about all things Christmas, bringing in the 2025 Christmas season, right? Celebrating the holidays with a lot of uh family and friends and doing a lot of different things. But guys, let's start the show off here with a very uh controversial but yet fun topic, right? Eggnog. Do you like eggnog? And I'm talking any type of eggnog. This doesn't have to be regular eggnog, it can be custard eggnog if you want to do spiked eggnog. Not that I would like that at all, because that'd probably be gross. But any type of eggnog. Tony, let's start with you. Are you a fan?
SPEAKER_01:No. I don't like the taste of it. I don't like the smell of it. No.
SPEAKER_00:That was very emphatic, Tony. Okay. Uh Luke, let's go to you next.
SPEAKER_04:Absolutely not. Uh the taste, the texture, all of it. No. I can't do it. No.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Uh Quinn, any shot on the eggnog?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I don't think it's, I think it's like okay, like once a year. Like you kind of have to force yourself to try it. Like, I don't think it's that bad, honestly. But I'm not drinking it all the time. So my take is it's decent. It's in the middle.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Okay, Jordan. How about you?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, you're talking to the guy that we eat eggs anyway, doesn't matter, love eggs. Can't do the eggnog. Terrible invention, terrible idea to do that. Just absolutely disgusting. I get the one time of year for Christmas, but why does that have to be incorporated with Christmas? Absolutely not. I know you can make the fun cocktails out of it, and people do that maybe then, maybe, but absolutely not.
SPEAKER_00:It's interesting because like when I was younger, um, and I'm definitely the oldest guy by far, of course, here on the podcast. Um, but when when I was younger and McDonald's used to sell eggnog, like with uh the their uh meals, I used to try it and I hated it, right? And then I like never really drank it until I moved um into like my adult life and then settled up here in the greater Cleveland area. And then like I tried it and I'm like, okay, I can get down with this. And I was just saying the other day, like, man, I should buy like multiple cartons of eggnog that because it doesn't go bad for a while and just save it for after the holidays and just keep drinking it. But I had this custard eggnog, man. It was awesome. And for anybody uh who likes eggnog, though, the best eggnog, if you're in the Cleveland area, go to Heinan's best eggnog out there. But I'm the one out of five. The fearsome foursome turned me down on the eggnog question to kick this party off. Well, hopefully this one's a little bit better then, and it's a little bit easier. So, um, what are your guys' plans for Christmas Eve and or Christmas Day? Jordan, let's start with you.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, my parents just recently retired. They bought a house down on the beach in North Carolina. So it's kind of been since they did that, it's kind of been our getaway for me and my wife to go down there for Christmas. Um, so if we don't get snow this year and we can actually travel, um, we'll head down there. And usually what we've been doing the last two years down there is Christmas Eve. We're on a boat ride, we pull up this little island and have like a Christmas Eve night with a fire on the beach there. Um, and then Christmas Day, just the usual, trying to act like you're a kid, even though I'm 27, waking up, excited to open a maybe a few gifts, a stocking, and just kind of kicking it um on Christmas Day. The only real tradition we have is we've been doing this forever, is instead of cooking on Christmas, we always go out to Chinese. It's the only thing open. So we'll go out to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Day and eat there, and that'll be our kind of Christmas feast.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Is it like the end of the Christmas story? Uh Chinese restaurant.
SPEAKER_02:It has been before. We've kind of ramped up a little bit in the world now, trying to get to a little bit more bougie spots. Um, but for a while there it was a little bit like that.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, okay. Quinn, how about you? What are your plans for Christmas Eve? Uh, you know, here on Christmas Day.
SPEAKER_03:Classic. Yeah, classic. Just heading down to the grandparents uh for Christmas Eve, which is down in Cincinnati. And then Christmas Day, I'll head to Indianapolis and do the traditional kind of like Jordan said, you know, acting like you're still a kid and waking up, opening a couple things and hanging out with the family, and then doing a nice dinner in the evening, but we'll probably cook for ourselves no no Chinese dinner this year.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Luke, how about you, man?
SPEAKER_04:Uh yeah, so Christmas Eve, uh, we usually just do like a Christmas Eve service at church. And then I'll come back and we'll have uh like on its Italian thing, like Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. And uh it's also my grandma's birthday, it's Christmas Eve, so we'll kind of celebrate that and hang out, and you know, I'll have a couple little presents there, like just a little Christmas party, I guess, and then Christmas Day, uh, you know, I'm still I'm like right at the teetering age, I feel like of 22, where like I'm still getting like I'm still young enough where I'm getting some decent gifts, but I'm on the breaking point, I feel like, where it's gonna get cut down every year. But yeah, just enjoy uh Christmas morning, family and whatnot, and then we'll have a big uh Christmas dinner.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, awesome. And Tony, round us out on this one.
SPEAKER_01:Christmas Eve, I usually spend time with my mom, my sister, my stepdad. I'm probably gonna go visit my dad and watch the Cavs game since they play on Christmas Day. So I'll just be watching some basketball and football and just relaxing and spending time with family because that's what Christmas is all about.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. You know, and it's so interesting, you know, um, especially when you get into like adulthood, right? And like you guys are, you know, all adults in your 20s and 30s, and you know, me of almost 40. It's always interesting when you talk to people like what they do on their on their holidays in general, right? But especially like Christmas, because like there's four of you, and you just gave four very different like answers of what you're gonna do on your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And it's always so new unique. Like, hey, I'm gonna go watch sports, or I'm gonna go to a sporting event, I'm gonna go to church, I'm gonna travel, I'm gonna go on a boat ride, I'm gonna make a fire, I'm gonna be in the cold weather, I'm gonna be in the warm weather. You know, so it's always just so great and interesting to hear everybody's like diverse perspectives um and what they do on the holidays, because you know, no one I think is is truly um the same with that. Like we're all super individualized with with our interest and stuff. So it's really cool just to hear that um from what people do, right? It's just uh it's just a cool, cool thing. Um, and I think that you would find the more people you talk to, um, you know, the more diverse they really get with their Christmases. So it's it's a it's a very, very awesome thing to know what people do out there. Um, Christmas Eve, we'll be spending it with my mother-in-law and her family, and then Christmas Day, I'd just be hanging out um at home, and then we'll do uh Christmas with our um our other parts of our family on the 26th and 27th. So instead of like two days, we have to do it over like uh three days. So because Christmas Day, my wife does uh work with her job. So, all right, guys, one really fun question here favorite holiday movie or movies? It could be a couple. So I'll let you kind of think about this. I'm gonna answer it first. So Christmas Vacation uh with Chevy Chase, I think is is probably the best one, um, in my opinion. I also love the original Grinch cartoon with um uh what was the guy that did the voice? Thuralbert, I think was his his uh last name. But um love that cartoon, probably my second favorite one. But Christmas Vacation, Chevy Chase definitely takes the cake as probably the best one. Tony, what are your uh favorite Christmas movies?
SPEAKER_01:I honestly like Home Alone 2, Lost in New York. It's an absolute classic. You can never ever go wrong with it. And as far as a second Christmas movie, I will say Friday After Next with Ice Cube and Mike Epps. It's a hilarious Christmas movie. Terry with also Terry Cruz, Cat Williams. It's a really hilarious Christmas movie.
SPEAKER_00:We were just talking about this, and somebody was like, Why is that a Christmas movie? I was like, because you had Santa still in presence in it. I was like, and it took place like around Christmas, and they were like uh the security guards and stuff. I was like, it's it's it is a hilarious, hilarious movie. So um Luke, let's go to you next.
SPEAKER_04:Uh yeah, I definitely have to agree with you. I mean, the all-time classic with Chevy Chase uh Christmas Vacations probably my number one, but number two probably the Jim Carrey Grinch. I think that one I actually just watched it today. I had some pretty competition in between finals, and I was like, yeah, I'm watching this, but no, it's just always such a good never gets out. Okay.
SPEAKER_00:All right, awesome answer. So very similar on that, we just differ a little bit on which Grinch we prefer. So, but that's okay, but great movies. Um, Quinn, how about you?
SPEAKER_03:I was gonna say I agree with the Grinch cartoon. I think that's that's probably up there. Um, I'd also throw in Home Alone, number one or two, I don't really care. Um, they're both great. And then I'd also throw in one that I don't think most people like, but I think the Polar Express is nostalgic. So I I give it up there with with my list. But yeah, that's that's the three. Okay.
SPEAKER_00:And I was just talking about that as well as like Tom Hanks' range as an actor to like do the Polar Express and Toy Story and then be able to go do like Forrest Gump and Captain Phillips and uh Big and Road to Perdition and all the other great movies that you know he's done over time. So Polar Express is definitely great. Um, one of my favorite books, uh, actually, especially as a young kid. So, but Jordan, how about you on the Christmas movies?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I'm a firm believer that the cartoon Grinch is better than the Jim Carrey Grinch, even though the Jim Carrey Grinch was more of um I guess my generation, but I love the cartoon Grinch. But you can't go wrong with the Home Alones, man. Like they're just they're so classic, they're nostalgic. You grew up watching them laughing your butt off. You still do today. I I love the Home Alones. Um, I appreciate Quinn coming in with the uh Polar Express because that's a nostalgic one, too. I think you know, we were probably both fairly young when that came out and saw it when it came out, and it kind of hits home. Um, and I'll give one that not as many people, I don't think any of us have said, but around holiday times, the Charlie Browns, man. Like the Charlie Browns, they hit different. I'm telling you. I used to have them on VHS, chuck them in the VHS, uh VHS VHS VHS tape in there and watch them. Like, I wish I still had them. I still have a VHS player actually sitting right here. Don't know where the Charlie Browns are, but I love those movies. They don't get enough credit, good meanings behind it, just classic vibes.
SPEAKER_03:That's a fantastic take. I just have to put that out there.
SPEAKER_00:Pretty never never even thought of that. So good hot take right there, but a good take, Jordan. All right, guys. Probably one of the more funny topics we're gonna talk about here, but you gotta let me kind of get through this. People either love or hate Hallmark Christmas movies. Now, you ever watch a Hallmark Christmas movie, and everyone looks perfect. Everyone's hair is always done. Every guy has a perfect beard, way more perfect than me. And Jordan's is pretty perfect if you're tuning in and watching this, but it's even better than Jordan's. Everybody's hair is perfect, the wind's never blowing, snow's coming down, no one looks cold, there's never slush or or uh snow plowed into the road 10 feet high. You know, somehow people are at a coffee shop at two in the afternoon and they meet the love of their life. I don't know who's at a coffee shop at two in the afternoon and who's not miserable because you just walked in from the cold. But you know, you walk in, you meet the love of your life, and you get invited to Christmas Eve dinner the very next day. Now, Hallmark movies are very far-fetched, but they are a feel-good, um, I guess, type of story for people. So I'm a sucker for a good Hallmark movie. But guys, in your opinion, and you're gonna have to think about this. What is the closest town that you could say that resembles a Hallmark movie that you have ever been in? So you gotta think about this. What is the town that you've ever, the closest Hallmark movie of a town that you could ever say that you've been in? Now, I'll go first. I will say it's Chagrin Falls here in Cleveland, is probably the closest thing to a Hallmark town with their decorations and the street lights and the waterfall, and everyone's always dapper dressed up and everything. So that is probably the closest thing I would say uh to a Hallmark movie. Now, Tony, we're gonna kick it off with you on this. What would you say is the town that resembles a Hallmark movie the closest?
SPEAKER_01:There are two and within the same like area: Chagrin Falls and Hudson. Because being in the Hudson Town Square, it just screams. Insert generic hallmark movie here. Same with Chagrin Falls, they're literally one in the same, except Hudson's bigger.
SPEAKER_00:I I would agree. Hudson's right there, too, for sure. A couple years ago, we went down the Hudson like around Christmas time, and they did have like the Grinch walking around. So I got a picture with the Grinch, so it was pretty cool. Um, but yeah, Hudson's definitely that. Um, Luke, let's go to you next. What is that one town that you've been to that closely resembles the Hallmark movie?
SPEAKER_04:Um this one's ticked on my brain. I don't I want to say I would love to say like Sugar Creek, Ohio, like the Amish country. Yeah, just because like there's so many different shops, and like you got the Amish people coming in on their horse and buggy, and like I don't know, I feel like that can be very like I could see a Hallmark movie being there, but like I know I've been to other towns where I've been like yes, like this this would be it, like this is a Christmas town. I just forget, it's not clicking in my head. So I would definitely want to say uh Sugar Creek, Ohio.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, and if people don't know, Sugar Creek has the world's largest cuckoo clock there.
SPEAKER_04:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:So fun fact, um, they're and uh usually pretty good high school football as well, with uh with Garraway. So um Quinn, let's go to you next. What is that one town that you've been to that closely resembles a Hallmark movie?
SPEAKER_03:So my pick is Carmel, Indiana. Not sure if any of you have heard of it, but they they've hosted this like huge market like every year, um, which is like really close to the like the center of the town. And there's this massive you know, ice rink there where you can s uh you know skate, but then there's like a Germanic kind of market, and there's close kind of resemblance to The markets in Germany, which are you know highly celebrated during Christmas time as well. So it's just like perfect, like drawn up, like you know, ice skating, you know, German markets, food, all that stuff. So I'm going with caramel.
SPEAKER_00:And it's probably you know never windy, and everyone has hot chocolate, and you meet the love of your life on the skating rink because somebody fell, and next thing you know, you're married two weeks later, and you have the most beautiful wedding in the world, and it doesn't cost anything, and you know, you ride off into the sunset.
SPEAKER_02:Um, how about you on this? I would like to say, first off, what makes a good Hallmark town is the name. Luke said Sugar Creek. That sounds like a Hallmark town. Sugar Creek is oh, where are you from? I'm from Sugar Creek. That's Hallmark-esque. Yeah, you gotta have a corny sort of name to go with it, which leads me to my place in West Virginia, Berkeley Springs. Uh, if you've ever traveled like on the I-68 corridor and you're going through Maryland and then you peep into West Virginia, there's a little town called Berkeley Springs. They got little bed and breakfasts there. They have this tiny little downtown front that's just old buildings, but they dress them up for Christmas. There's a little pavilion with a giant Christmas tree. I mean, you don't get much more Hallmark-esque than Sugar Creek or Berkeley Springs. Uh, that just sounds like a made-up name of a town. And Berkeley Springs definitely lives up to that Hallmark vibe.
SPEAKER_00:Berkeley Springs is a vibe. Um, if people don't know anything about Berkeley Springs, George Washington used to go there to bathe in the springs because it thought it would help with his uh with his body and sickness and things like that. Berkeley Springs is a very, very historic town.
SPEAKER_04:Super cool.
SPEAKER_00:I've been I've been through there um probably like four times um as well. Uh has a really great sheets, though, if you need to stop somewhere when you're going through there. They're not that's not historic, and that's probably not homework-esque, but it has a great sheets there if you need to stop. But they do have a very, very cool little downtown Jordan is right in the summers. They do do a farmer's market. So, Jordan, great shout out on Berkeley Springs there. Great shout out. Um, all right, guys. What is your favorite holiday food uh that comes out, you know, really around Christmas time, or what's your go-to holiday food? Um, you know, if you want to speak about that a little bit more. So um I'm a big ham guy. I love ham. Um, of course, pasta, you know, being Italian and uh my family used to do this the seven fishes way back in the day. So that was always fun. But now um I probably look forward to ham the most during um probably the Christmas time, even though it's probably not the healthiest thing to eat. I do look forward to ham and scallop potatoes. Uh Jordan, let's start with you on this.
SPEAKER_02:Gotta be the cookies. It's gotta be. It just has to be. If you have an old grandma, or like for me, it's my aunt, she's pretty much a stay-at-home aunt. And when it comes to Christmas time, I she bakes about 2,000 cookies for the whole family. And you you just can't go wrong. Like as a kid, she used to have them stored in the back. I remember waking up at 2 a.m., sneaking back there in the Tupperware containers and lifting the lid and just grabbing like two handfuls of a smort of cookies. Um, when the house starts smelling like someone's baking, you're doing something right. And it's gotta be the cookies for me.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. You know, I don't know why I just thought this earnings. You're talking about like grandmas and stuff like that. So, you know, my grandparents have passed away um a couple more recently, but my uh grandma, my dad's I passed away back in '97. But when we were little, we always have Christmas down there, right? So we'd go visit before the holidays. And for the listeners on here who do the seven fishes or have done the seven fishes with their family, my grandpa was very into that. So when we were little though, my grandma would be like making cookies or getting something ready for Christmas. And my grandpa had this old, like those that deep freeze, freeze, deep freeze freezer, but the one that had the door on it you can open that probably wasted so much electricity, it wasn't even funny. But anyway, so they would have to go get the eel for the the the buccal sauce before um, you know, the holidays. So he'd be like, Gate, go look at the eel in the in the freezer. So we'd have to go downstairs into the basement. Everybody's grandparents' house is scary in the basement. I don't care what house it is. You go down there and you have to look at a frozen eel looking back at you uh in the freezer as like a seven-year-old. Instead of having cookies, I had to go look at the eel, and then you could have a cookie after that. So I don't know why that just came into my mind. No, um, but for anyone who's ever seen a frozen eel, it's disgusting.
SPEAKER_02:That would ruin cookies for me. If I had to think about a dead eel every time, I probably wouldn't touch a cookie again.
SPEAKER_03:Well, Johnny, so is eel your favorite Christmas meal uh food?
SPEAKER_00:No, man. Once I found out this the the sauce that we ate, the eel or we the sauce we had was with from the eel. No way, man. No way. Um, I love seafood, but not eel anything. It was disgusting. Ugh. But Quinn, since you jumped in on that, let's go to you next.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I feel like unlike Thanksgiving, I feel like for for me at least, Christmas doesn't have kind of uh, at least with my family, uh a traditional dish. Like we we tend to do the same thing, but we can mix it up. So I always love a good beef tenderloin as like kind of the main kind of entree. Um, but then I'd probably second that with what Jordan said. I think Christmas, my association is always with cookies, like and sweets, right? Like it's just that's just Christmas cookies, it's part and parcel. So um, and specifically what cookies, like I'm a big you know, the like snickerdoodles with like the Hershey kiss on them. Oh god. Oh god. As long as they're right out of the oven, yeah. All right, I'm good. I'm good. Real problem. It's over. Those are the two for me.
SPEAKER_00:All right, Luke, what do you what do you got for us on this?
SPEAKER_04:Um, yeah, so kind of what uh Quinn said, we kind of have like the same dinner, Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I definitely think the deciding factor would have to be cookies, the Christmas cookies and sweets for sure.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Tony, how about you?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I go with Christmas cookies and honestly, Christmas cookies or or good turkey or ham, because eating good turkey and ham will put me out like a light for a couple hours.
SPEAKER_00:You know, it's like always like funny too when you when you get the ham, like it's it just tastes different at Christmas. I don't know why. Like, I don't know if I can just sit there and eat a regular ham in July, but I can sure eat a ham at uh at Christmas. You know, I mean it's just it just hits different. What's up, Jordan?
SPEAKER_02:Quick quick shout out to all my Pittsburgh listeners. Another thing I associate with, and it was in my stocking every year growing up, Ceres Chocolate. I used to get Ceres chocolate in my stockings like crazy. The chocolate-covered pretzels or the peanut butter chocolate pretzels to die for. Just had to get that out there because I completely forgot, and that's bad on my Pittsburgh part.
SPEAKER_00:Luke knows about that. He's pretty close to Pittsburgh from where he uh he grew up, so he knows about the Ceres chocolate for sure. Oh, yeah. All right, guys. So, next one is gonna be kind of a funny one. I want to get into who is or what is your favorite Christmas character that is not Santa Claus? Out of all the Christmas characters out there, who is your favorite one? And you cannot say Santa Claus. Now I'll start this off. Huge Grinch fan, love the Grinch, got all types of Grinch decorations. Um, so I've had that over the years. So I love the Grinch. That's my favorite uh character. Um, Tony, let's start with you.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna say Buddy the Elf from Elf. Kind of reminds me of me as a kid, just um, you know, gets excited and messes stuff up, but has a good heart nonetheless. So he kind of reminds me of me. And he's playing by Wolf Girl, one of my favorite comedians. So I'm gonna go Buddy the Elf.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, all right. Uh, how about you, Luke? Who would you say?
SPEAKER_04:Uh the first one that come to mind I can't the talk about like old um like older movies, Rudolph and Red Nosed Reindeer, like the classic the uh the miner. UConn Yukon Cornelius? Yes, yeah, it was like the first one that popped into my head. I it's just I don't know. Every I remember watching as a kid and I every time he'd come on it, it was always so funny. I don't know why.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I like I like Yukon Cornelius, probably my second favorite uh Christmas character. Um he was like that burly mountain guy, right? Like big beard and like you know, his his sack and his hat. Like he was just ready, he was ready to take on winter. Um Quinn, Quinn, how about you on this though?
SPEAKER_03:I'm going with uh Ralphie from a Christmas story. Um just because when I was younger, I looked like just like him. Like I had the hair, the blonde hair, um, and obviously like that scene when he beats up those two bullies in the snow. Oh, come on. That that's just like that's cemented in the brain. So yeah, Ralphie's my pick.
SPEAKER_00:You know, Quinn, I could probably say that I can see you as like seven years old and kind of resembling Ralphie from knowing you. So um, but that's a good thing, right? People, you you could have said you were like you are Ralphie, you could just say that.
SPEAKER_03:I could, I could, you know, but but you know what, like that's not me, but you know, I'm glad that he was uh he had like a good kind of turnaround story, like bad start, but then you know he ended up kind of prevailing, getting his his red rider, beating up those two bullies, all that stuff.
SPEAKER_00:It is a good story, and uh, you know, shout out uh Ralphie's house uh here in uh uh Cleveland. Make sure you come uh come visit it during the holiday season here. Now, Jordan, who's your favorite non-Santa Claus Christmas character?
SPEAKER_02:Luke kind of hinted at the claymation movies. I was big on the claymations when I'm a kid, I still am. Uh Heat miser and Snow Miser. Uh I can't remember that. Is that the Year Without a Santa Claus? I think that's what that's the name of that one. Uh with the Heat Miser and Snow Miser when they started singing their songs and they're battling between each other with their mother nature. Um, I just I love those two characters. That's one I have to watch every year. Um the the classics are so good, they're so good. And uh those two come to mind immediately when I think about Christmas characters that I love that aren't Santa.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, that's a good one. Definitely a good one. All right, guys, a couple questions left here. So, um, you know, in your personal opinion, and maybe you have and maybe you haven't over the years, but would you um think you'd want to attend like an NBA or NHL or NFL game on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Um, you know, in your own opinion. Um I've never attended on a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for um a sporting event. I would probably say if I wanted to go, I would probably do NBA just because you're not in the elements outside when it's like brutal cold, unless you're in the south, of course. Um, but I just don't know if I would want to spend Christmas, you know, watching an NFL game in the brutal cold, maybe an NBA matinee game. But um, you know, that would probably be if one thing I would do if I was gonna do it. But Tony, have you ever went to a sporting event on uh um Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Or would you ever think about going on going to one?
SPEAKER_01:I have not, but if I did go to one, it would more likely be a Cavaliers game.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, okay. Um, Luke, how about you on this? Uh I've not been to any sporting event, but probably any NFL or hockey game or NHL game.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_04:Okay. Okay, Quinn.
SPEAKER_03:I've not been to a game on Christmas Day, but I mean I'd absolutely go to any of the three. Why not? If I was offered the chance, I'd probably pick NBA just because my association with Christmas is like NBA Christmas Day. I don't know why, but uh as long as the two teams that are playing are you know it'd be a good game. I don't want to waste my Christmas Day watching a blowout. Sure.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, Jordan, how about you? Uh as big of a sports guy as I am, I would not want to go see anything on Christmas Day. Um I some about being home at Christmas all day and and going maybe going out to eat like we do or or just staying home and eating. I don't know. I I just it seems wrong to me to leave the house on Christmas Day unless you're going to see family. Um so I would say I don't care. I mean, it's kind of what Quinn said. If you got free tickets somewhere, it'd be hard to pass up, but I don't think I'm leaving. I just don't think I am. Even if the Steelers were playing or anything like that, I just don't think I'm leaving the house.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. You know, and it's fair, and I think that's like just such a personal preference thing, too, right? And I think it again, it involves the weather and your location, right? Like if you're down the street from the Cavs and are playing at 12:30 on Christmas Day, you know, it hits a little bit different than having to go drive two hours in the elements to go watch someone at a 7 p.m. tip-off, or you know, what like when people went to the Browns game the two or three years ago and the Steelers games and all those, when that polar vortex like engulfed the entire country and people were sitting out there in negative 20-degree weather, you know, watching the games. I'm sure everyone remembers that because the games are so brutal they couldn't even get people to go to the games because it was uh such an issue out there. So, you know, I think it's really all your preference on that. And of course, um, but you know what? Hey, if somebody wants to go and do it, that's great. You know, if somebody doesn't want to do it, that's great too. That's why we have TVs to watch them on, or at least a radio to listen, right? All right, guys, two questions left. Now I want to get your opinion on this because these are pretty big gifts. Um, I think at Christmas time, at least two of them. So rate these presents as best to worst. And there's three of them, okay? So rate these from best to worst, in your opinion. Getting a gift card for wherever, okay, getting candy or chocolate, okay, from wherever, or being taken out to dinner wherever it may be. So being taken out to dinner, receiving chocolate or some type of candy, or getting a gift card to whatever. Rank them from best to worst. Let's start with you, Jordan.
SPEAKER_02:I'm a sucker for dinner. I'd go dinner first. Anytime I'm getting taken out for free food, I'm I'm I'm all there for it. Um, and then I would probably go gift card and then candy or chocolate. I've been trying to lay off the sweets now my age, but it is hard to pass it up around Christmas time. So dinner, gift card, candy or chocolate, and that's my order. Okay. How about you, Luke?
SPEAKER_04:Uh yeah, I agree with Jordan. Definitely uh dinner, gift card, and uh candy, some type of sweet.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, okay, Quinn, what are you saying?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, my my order is the exact same. I'm not even gonna try to switch it.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, Tony? I would say dinner, then gift cards, then candy. Okay, everybody, everybody hit on that.
SPEAKER_00:So I would say probably receiving chocolate or candy for me is definitely number three. Um, just because I think, I mean, it's like a good gift, but if someone's giving me like$50 worth of chocolate for a gift, like that's a lot of chocolate, right? Like that's that's a lot. It's not like someone got me a gift card in like a box of like, I don't know, like chocolate-covered Oreos. It's a little bit different, right? So, like getting a huge gift of candy is it's probably a different type of gift. Um, and I would probably say, uh, because I love gift cards, that probably would be number one, but probably one A would be getting taken to dinner. Um, I'm not sure how many people have ever taken someone to dinner for their Christmas gift, but it's a good idea uh to do, you know, and then you don't have to like fret over what do I get them or what gift card do I get them. Just take them out for you know for a dinner. Probably what you get them in a gift is probably what the dinner would cost. So very interesting on that one.
SPEAKER_03:Go ahead, Claim. I was gonna say I've not heard of that as a Christmas gift, but I do like the idea of it because I think it's it's a true experience, like compared to a gift card at least, if those are the two best options, which we all mentioned, like going out to dinner with someone is it's a more lived experience versus just getting a gift card. Although I like, I mean, who doesn't like gift cards?
SPEAKER_02:Especially if you're going out somewhere, like when it's not like you're going out somewhere nice. Like, I'm not one to go dropping bands somewhere for dinner, but like if you go somewhere that you've never been before and you know they got options and you're committed to spending that money, that's an experience for sure. Then you just start feeling like you're the man, you're getting this, you're getting that for the table. Like, that's a good time.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and I think like you know, you got to look at it too. Like, what let's say, you know, your parents a little bit older, right? Let's say they're in their 60s or maybe 70s, you know, and and people may have everything they want, right? And they may say, nah, get me a gift, right? I don't need I don't need clothes, I don't need a new whatever microwave or an air fryer, whatever it is. So why not take them out to to a dinner then, right? Maybe it doesn't have to break the bank. Maybe you want to break the bank, but you're not going to BW3s, but maybe it's not quite the Marble Room in Cleveland, one of the most expensive restaurants in the country, but something in between. I think it can go a long way, right? You know, but when you're a little bit younger, you know, maybe you need stuff or whatever it may be. But hey, you know what, guys? I think it just gave you all ideas for what your Christmas gift could be uh next year from your families. Hey, what do you want? Hey, take me out to dinner. You could probably get something good out of it. So it could be a good story and live the experience. But for all the other listeners out there, there's your uh tidbit of 2025 going in 2026. What do you want for Christmas? I want nothing but a uh place to go to dinner to. So um just a thought out there. All right, guys. Last question as we round out the 2025 Christmas show here. What is the one thing in the area that you live in or where you have moved from, because we're all from different places, that you would recommend for someone coming from out of town to do for Christmas? So, what is that one thing that you would recommend for someone coming to your area that you currently live in or prior uh your prior um living arrangements, wherever that was, that you would recommend for them to do? Now, I'm going to start with Luke because he's the first one that came off mute on this. So I'm gonna I'm gonna throw it over to him. Luke, what's that one place you would recommend for somebody to uh experience uh where you've been at?
SPEAKER_04:Uh the Ogleby Light Show for sure, down there in Wheeling. I mean, I love going now at 22 years old, just as much as I love going whenever I was six. I mean, it's I don't know, it just brings so much joy every time you go. You get to put the Christmas radio station on your car, you know, with your family or your girlfriends, or you know, if you got kids or something, it's just an awesome experience. You know, at the beginning of it, uh, they have like hot cocoa and whatnot, and you guys can pick up and just take a stroll through. Uh definitely, definitely my favorite from where I grew up.
SPEAKER_00:Luke fired that off right away and came out with the Ogle B lights on the on. The hot blog he stole it from me. Well, we got to go to Jordan next so he can piggyback off of it or give something else new.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Um, I went to Ogleby when I was a kid, man, and it's an experience for sure. And it doesn't get old, kind of like what Luke's saying, even now. Um, it's about an hour drive from where I live out in Pittsburgh, but it's awesome. It it really is really cool. And it's one of those things that probably only gets better as you get older, especially when you have kids, like he was kind of talking about and stuff. Um, taking your kids out there one day and and taking them through that experience is awesome. And then the only other thing I can say is, you know, I love my city, I love Pittsburgh so much. Um, you know, PVG place with the ice rink and the giant Christmas tree is a cool place to go to. They got the markets down there, the Christmas shops set up, and then um going to the point in Pittsburgh where the big Christmas tree as well. Um, that's where I got engaged, right in front of that Christmas tree at the point. So it's a special place for me. Um, but it's a cool, cool spot to go to as well. Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Tony, how about you on this one?
SPEAKER_01:I would probably have to say um unfortunately they didn't do it this year, but taking a drive down the Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, and looking at the Christmas lights in Neila Park, that's like that. And I'd have to say going to one of the probably I'd say going anywhere doing Christmas shopping or something, like doing anything like taking pictures with Santa. I'd probably have to say Chagrin Falls, because it's been a while since I've done anything like strictly Christmas related.
SPEAKER_00:So Okay, okay, Quinn, round us out on this.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I would say for me going down to Fountain Square, downtown Cincinnati, big ice rink down there, huge Christmas tree, kind of similar to I mean, probably not as good as the Ogle Ogle. Is it Ogleby? Is that what you guys say? Ogleby. Yeah, it's probably not as good as that one. Yeah, probably not as good as that one from what I've heard, but uh very classic, and you know, a lot of people tend to go there, so good crowd.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Now, of course, I'll round this out with a couple different ideas for people because I've lived a lot of different places, but I would say the Ogleby lights is a great one to go see. Um, if you're doing that, go to Nutcracker Village and Steubenville, see the see the six-foot nutcrackers lined up um all around downtown um Steubenville there. So if you're gonna do both or so close, I would definitely recommend that. Go see the Christmas tree and go ice skating in Pittsburgh. Uh, it's a really cool thing. Go visit Chagrin Falls, the Hallmark town. Um, definitely check that out and you know, check out Berkeley Springs. I'm sure it's fantastic looking, you know, in the wintertime um with the tranquility and you know, the ambiance of like the rolling hills of West Virginia, you know, as well. Visit visit Hudson, Ohio. You may find the Grinch just randomly walking around. Um, I would say a couple other ones that I would um, you know, recommend. Visit the Christmas story house uh in Cleveland if you're gonna do anything for Christmas, right? Visit the Christmas story house, which is really cool. Um, I would also uh recommend going to the um the zoo lights, the Cleveland Zoo lights, or a really cool experience uh to walk around the zoo and see that, um, you know, and and check out everything that they have going on. And then, you know, if you ever get a chance to visit downtown Willoughby on Light Up Night, that's a really cool experience, another uh really, really cool uh town. But that is gonna do it for this week's episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast. I'd like to thank the fearsome foresome of Tony, Quinn, Jordan, and Luke breaking down all things Christmas 2025. On behalf of everyone here at Ride Home Rants, we wish you a very safe, happy, and blessed holiday season. Merry Christmas, and we will talk to you all soon.
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