Past Movie Scratches: Breakfast-- Santa-- Clause-- Krampus-- Titanic-- Dancing--

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2021.

127.  BREAKFAST CLUB--  12-16--  You get all your major high school groups in one movie.  "Does Barry Manilow know you raid his closet?"  Almost fell on the floor laughing with that question.  Ally Sheedy's sandwich and snow storm.

128.  SANTA CLAUSE 2--  12-21--  Gotta find a Mrs. Claus for Santa or no moreTim/Santa.  Watch out for the Fake Santa and his giant toy soldiers.

129.  SANTA CLAUSE 3--  12-21--  Waiting for Baby Claus and Jack Frost is a real sneaky pain.

130.  KRAMPUS--  12-21--  I do believe.  I do believe in Christmas.  This was a weird, scary movie even if I do say so.  All those snow globes in the collection.  Just when you thought it was a bad dream.  From Santa's snowglobes (129) to Krampus' in one night.

131.  TITANIC--  12-23--  Picked a real bad time to fall in love.  "From this moment, the Titanic will founder."  "If you jump, I jump."

132.  DIRTY DANCING--  12-23--  Is this the original "Dancing With the Stars?"  Some great music.  "Nobody puts...."

He Was A Real "Love Man."  --RoadDance

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why is lemon juice mostly artificial ingredients, but dishwashing  loquid contains real lemons?

2022 Movie Scratches: Amsterdam-- Devotion-- Black Panther-- Father Stu-- Violent Night

2022 Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw at the theater.  I did not go to any movies between when Liz died on September 23 and December.

21.  AMSTERDAM--  9-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--  A very historic who-dun-it.

22.  DEVOTION--  12-9--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Be there for me and his wingman certainly was, including crash landing his plane to save him.

23.  BLACK PANTHER--  12-9--  Fox Lake--  $6--  It's the Wakandans vs. the blue-skinned underwater-living descendants of the Mayans.

24.  FATHER STU--  12-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--  A ne-er-do-well finds his true calling as a priest then has his ultimate test of faith.

25.  VIOLENT NIGHT--  12-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--What did Santa do on the barmaid.  One wild and crazy Santa.  All the blood and gore you could possibly want in a Christmas movie.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why is it called hamburger when it is made of BEEF?

Past Movie Scratches: Play-- Die-- Hard-- Halloween-- Transylvania-- Carrie

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2021.

85.  CHILD'S PLAY--  9-21-- Meet Good Guy Chuckie.  So this is how he got that way.  "This is the end, friend."

86.  DIE HARD--  9-24--  A Christmas hostage situation.  It's Cowboy John.  "Yippie Yi Kay."   It's John vs. Hans.  A real Christmas story.

87.  DIE HARD 2--   9-25--   You're in my little pond now.   John takes a beating but keeps on ticking.

88.  HALLOWEEN II--  10-1--  Why doesn't she ever look behind her?   You don't know what death is.

89.  HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA  2--  10-2--  The wedding, pregnancy and a baby.  Is he a vampire or not?

90.  CARRIE--  10-9--  Don't cross her.

--RoadDog

McHenry Fiesta Days and Christmas in July

SATURDAY, JULY 16

Between the Pink Harrison cabin and Oak Park Lounge, we paid our respects to the old Chain O' Lakes before it upscaled.  

Came home and then Liz and I drove over to McHenry for the annual Fiesta Day festival.  In the past they had Art in the Park where crafters had stands in Veterans Park and streets were closed off for bands, crafts and lots of partying.  

This was one of our favorite days of the year.  We used to call it "Drunk in the Park."  And it was quite the party.  There would be several bands playing in the street and every bar (and there are a lot of bars in McHenry) would be selling beer which you could drink in the street.

We usually hung out at the Tables for Ladies bar on the corner where they would have a portable bar set up outside, cooked brats and had a band as well.   

On the way home we stopped at Sunnyside where they were having the annual Christmas in July party.  They had already had a decorated golf cart parade and had tables and a bar set up outside and a band called The American Psychos playing some great tunes from the 1980s.

Sure Miss That "Drunk in the Park."  RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  What if oxygen was actually killing you and it takes  75 to 100 years to do it

Last Week: Stucky's, NIU Bowl Game, Stucky's, McHenry Legion

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17

Sunnyside was having their customer appreciation Christmas party, but we figured it would be too crowded and too difficult to watch the NIU-Coastal Carolina Cure Bowl on TV, so went to Stucky's and sat with friends Kevin and Kelly and watched the game.  

We figured Northern would get blown out as we have lost the last six bowl games and been blown out in them, but this one was different.  Our guys came to play and we actually led for almost the whole game until the end, but lost, sadly. 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18

No McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group for me as it was on Zoom only and I don't do Zoom.

Finished putting up Christmas decorations outside and inside. We went to Stucky's in Johnsburg and enjoyed the  $1 draft beers and a great pizza burger.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19

Enjoyed Bob Stroud's annual Holiday Hootenanny on WDRV, where he played three hours of 60s-70s Christmas music.  Went to the McHenry American Legion and watched the Packers win a game.

Go Pack.  --RoadDog

Christmas Songs-- Part 2: 'Santa Claus Is Back in Town'

CHRISTMAS ALL OVER AGAIN--  Tom Petty

CELEBRATE ME HOME--  Kenny Loggins

2000 MILES--  Pretenders

STEP INTO CHRISTMAS--  Elton John

HAPPY X-MAS (WAR IS OVER)--  John and Yoko

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN--  Ronettes

WINTERTIME--  Steve Miller

GREENSLEEVES--  Jeff Beack

CHRISTMAS IS THE TIME TO SAY I LOVE YOU--  Billy Squier

SANTA CLAUS IS BACK IN TOWN--    Elvis Presley

CHRISTMAS--  Who

RIVER--  Joni Mitchell

SLEIGH RIDE--  Ronettes

SANTA CLAUS AND HIS OLD LADY--  Cheech and Chong

SOMETIMES IN WINTER--  Blood, Sweat & Tears

CHRISTMAS MUST BE TONIGHT--  Band

CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME)--  Darlene Love

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Come On It's Lovely Weather."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Sleigh Ride"

Christmas Songs: 'Someday At Christmas'

 

These songs were played on Bob Stroud's Holiday Hootenanny Show in Rock and Roll Roots on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM on December 19, 2021.

CHRISTMAS IN CHICAGO--  Leon Russell

WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS--  Paul McCartney

CHRISTMAS SONG--  Jethro Tull

WHITE CHRISTMAS--  Darlene Love

PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS--  Eagles

SOMEDAY AT CHRISTMAS--  Stevie Wonder

HAZY SHADE OF WINTER--  Simon & Garfunkel

SNOOPY'S CHRISTMAS--  Royal Guardsmen

LINUS AND LUCY--  Vince Guardi Trio

I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS--  Greg Lake

LITTLE SAINT NICK--  Beach Boys

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well, Way Up North Where The Air Gets Cold."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Little Saint Nick"

Last Week: Fox Lake Yesterday and Today, McHenry Christmas Walk, Bears Lose

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20

I went to the Fox Lake/Grant Township Historical Society's meeting at the Grant Hall Museum in Ingleside, Illinois, after my mandatory stop at Thornton's for a large cappucinno coffee.  The museum has acquired the 24 historical signs that were up in Fox Lake in 2020 showing yesterday and today pictures of places around the community. Each one had an interesting story behind it.

In the afternoon, we went to the McHenry American Legion as our first stop on the McHenry annual Christmas Walk, where many stores, restaurants and bars have specials and Christmas-themed activities going on.

Later, we went to Grinder's, Old Bridge and ended up back at the Legion.

We were sorry to find out that Richmond-Burton had lost their game to Joliet Catholic, but no one was surprised.  That team should not have been in Class 4A.

Came home and watched "Ghostbusters" and "Ghostbusters II."

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Went to the McHenry American Legion and watched the Bears lose another game.  They have now lost six in a row.  People are calling to have Coach Nagy fired.

Stopped at Sunnyside on the way home.

--RoadDog

Last Weekend Not As Planned-- Part 2: No 'Drunk in the Park' or 'Christmas in July', But the Legion and Stucky's. No Parade, But Legion and Sunnyside

Last Saturday offered an array of options.  Number one was a trip to "Drunk in the Park" in the afternoon at the McHenry Fiesta Days where they block off River Side Street and have bands and the bars offer beer which you can drink on the street.  Always a real fun time.  Then, we were going to go to Sunnyside in Johnsburg for their Christmas in July Golf Cart Parade, party and band outside.

Sunday was to be  the huge McHenry Fiesta Days parade at one, a band at the VFW at 3 and a stop at the McHenry American Legion afterwards for their "Adequate" $2.50 Bloody Marys.  Either this or the Antioch Taste of Summer festival and a band outside in the afternoon.

But, things sure didn't work out as planned.

STAURDAY, JULY 17

There was no "Drunk in the Park" in McHenry.  And, we weren't the only disappointed people there.  We ended up in the American Legion where we drowned our sorrows.  

We went over to Sunnyside Tavern, but there were no parking places to be had, so went to nearby Stucky's to wait and see if there were any openings at Sunnyside, but enjoyed the $1 pints and then went home.

SUNDAY, JULY 18

Sunday, the plan was to see the McHenry Fiesta Days parade, but we were too late to get to it.  Ended up back at the Legion, enjoyed the Bloody Marys and Happy Hour prices.  They had a karaoke guy there and had fun with that.

Stopped at Sunnyside on the way back home.

--RoadFun

Music Deaths: Phil Spector

PHIL SPECTOR. 81

Died 16 January 2021

Influential producer and songwriter.

Great with music, not so much as a human being.  The famed "Wall of Sound."

Huge impact on the music industry.    His holiday "A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector" is still a favorite of mine.

Between 'A Christmas Story' and All That Christmas Music, Are You Ready for A to Z Rock?

I have been listening to my many, many Christmas albums, cassette tapes and CDs the last three weeks.  I love them, but am a bit to the Had Enough Stage. I put them away tomorrow until December next year.

Plus, since 7 pm last night I've been watching may favorite seasonal movie of all time, "A Christmas Story."  This sure takes you back to another time.  Imagine parents leaving their young kids in a line to see Santa these days and then going elsewhere in the huge store.  They'd be arrested in this day and age.

Anyway, I've seen the movie two full times and watched parts several more times.  I've almost got the dialogue down by now.

Yesterday, Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM started their annual end-of-the-year Rock and Roll A to Z Countdown.  It will go until sometime after the new year starts, they don't at this time know exactly what.  They add lots of songs every year, so its not the same old, same-old.  Lots of deep cuts as well.

They are up to the letter C  "Chicago, We Can Change the World" by Graham Nash right now.

I'll be listening to this a lot starting tomorrow.  It streams, of course.

TRIVIA TEASER:  What Everly Brothers song includes the lyrics:  "When I Want You In My Arms, When I Want You And All Your Charms."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"All I Have To Do is Dream"

Getting In the Yule Spirit-- Part 5: Christmas Songs, Christmas Parties, Bands, the Civil War and CDs

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20

The Drive (WDRV, 97.1 FM, Chicago) did their Ten at Ten on A Merry and Bright which were ten Christmas songs, many of which you don't often hear.

I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS--  Greg Lake
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS--  America
I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS--  John Mellancamp

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN--  Ronettes
WINTER WONDERLAND--  REO Speedwagon
MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY--  Bruce Springsteen
THE RIVER--  Joni Mitchell

WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS TIME--  Paul McCartney
SILENT NIGHT--  Stevie Nicks
CHRISTMAS IS THE TIME TO SAY I LOVE YOU--  Billy Squier

WE went to the Sunnyside Christmas party in Johnsburg.  The place was packed and we had a duo entertaining.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21

Went to Crystal Lake for the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group whose topic this month was Civil War engineers.  I, of course, talked about Maj. Gen. W.H.C. Whiting, CSA.  Someone should write a book about him.  Fascinating guy.  On the way home, I stopped at The Vinyl Frontier in McHenry, my local mom and pop record store.  I love these places and am sio embarrassed I missed Record Store Day this year.  Bought five CDs.

Liz and I went to the Squaw Bar in Ingleside for their Christmas party later in the afternoon and enjoyed the Average Joe Band.  Later to Sunnyside then home for "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones."

May the Christmas Parties Be With You.  --RoadDog

DID YOU KNOW:  A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.   Sometimes, I think I do as well.

JSS: So Tired of Black Friday-- That 70s Music on the Drive-- First Christmas Radio, Now Christmas TV?-- Christmas Toilet Paper?

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  SO TIRED OF BLACK FRIDAY--  I will be so glad when today is over.  For the last that is just about all I've been hearing.  Black Friday, Black Friday, Black Friday.  Give me a break.  And, we didn't even go out of the house so you wasted all that advertising money on us.

2.  THAT 70S MUSIC ON THE DRIVE--  In case you really like the music from the 1970s, Chicago's  WDRV 97.1 FM the Drive, is playing music from 1976 today.  Tomorrow its 1977 and Sunday 1978.  It streams.

3. FIRST CHRISTMAS RADIO, NOW CHRISTMAS TV?--  Of course, some of the Christmas radio stations fired up on Nov. 1 and all are going now.  Now, we have two cable channels showing pretty much nothing but Christmas movies.  Lifetime and Hallmark.  I've heard that most of these movies have pretty much the same plot.  I haven't seen any yet, but might just have to watch some to make up my mind on them.

4.  CHRISTMAS TOILET PAPER?--  And this pushes the boundaries a bit much.  Charmin even has a Christmas toilet paper song.  We've sure come a long way since "Please don't squeeze the Charmin."

Too Much, Man.  --RoadTP

DID YOU KNOW:  Tigers also have striped skin, not just striped fur.

Past Movie Scratches: Klunks-- Phantom-- Clones-- Clones-- Sith-- Hope

Movies I watched on TV in 2017.

73.  CHRISTMAS WITH THE KLUNKS--  12-15--  There goes the Caribbean Christmas trip.

74.  STAR WARS:  PHANTOM  MENACE--  12-15--  We meet the cute little Annikin.  You know what he grows up to be, though.

75.  STAR WARS:  ATTACK OF THE CLONES--  12-15--  Annikin starts showing his "problems" which does not bode well for the Jedi.

76.  STAR WARS"  ATTACK OF THE CLONES--  12-16--  Probably the worst romantic effort ever.

77.  STAR WARS:  REVENGE OF THE SITH--  12-16--  Annikin goes "all the way" to the Dark Side and becomes evil Lord Darth Vader.

78.  STAR WARS:  A NEW HOPE--  12-17--  The original "Star Wars,"  now #4 with the prequels.  "Your worshipfulness."

Star War Me.  --RoadDog

FOOD COMMENTS:  "I will not eat oysters.  I want my food dead -- not sick, not wounded -- dead."  --Woody Allen

I'd Celebrate That!!! Dec. 24 to 30: Fruitcake Day!!

DECEMBER 24, MONDAY--  Christmas Eve**  Eggnog Day**  We had ours Monday.

DECEMBER 25, TUESDAY--  Christmas Day**  Pumpkin Pie Day**

DECEMBER 26, WEDNESDAY--  Candy Cane Day   Not too crazy about candy canes.

DECEMBER 27, THURSDAY--  Fruitcake Day**  I don't care what they say.  I love fruitcake, especially with whipped cream on it.

DECEMBER 28, FRIDAY--  Card Playing Day**  But I always lose at solitaire.

DECEMBER 29, SATURDAY--  Tick Tock Day  I won't celebrate it because time goes way too fast these days.  Didn't 2018 just start?  Being retired, I want time to go REAL slow.  It doesn't.

DECEMBER 30, SUNDAY--  Bacon Day**  Crispy, crispy, crispy!!

--RoadDog

Some Christmas Songs To Get You In the Mood

Yesterday, Bob Stroud had his annual Holiday Hootenanny on his Rock and Roll Roots show on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM, the Drive.

All three hours of  it were Christmas or seasonal songs.

Here are some of the songs he played:

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN--  Crystals
MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY--  Bruce Springsteen
I'M GONNA LASSO SANTA CLAUS--  Brenda Lee

FATHER CHRISTMAS--  Kinks
2000 MILES--  Pretenders
SLEIGH RIDE--  Ventures

RING OUT (SOLSTICE BELLS)--  Jethro Tull
SANTA CLAUS IS BACK IN TOWN-- Elvis Presley
IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME AGAIN--  Tom Petty

Ho Ho Ho.  --RoadDog

POLITICALLY INCORRECT CHRISTMAS SONGS:  "Mitletoe and Holly"  Overeating, folks stealing a kiss or two?  Really?

JSS-- Sorry For the Patriots?-- Christmas Decs-- Snow in N.C.

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  SORRY FOR THE PATRIOTS?--   We loved the end of that Patriots-Dolphins game Sunday.  Somehow no one around here feels sorry for New England. As a matter of fact there was much cheering.  Let's see that again.

2.  CHRISTMAS DECS--  Just now getting the outside Christmas decorations up as between the cold and snow, but especially the C-O-L-D I haven't had much opportunity.

3.  SNOW IN N.C.--  Sorry to hear about all that snow in North Carolina.  I know even a ten-inch snowfall fouls us up here in northern Illinois, but twenty inches there?  Good luck with that one.

Anybody But the Patriots!!!  --RoadDog

This Past Weekend, December 2-- Part 2: "Rubber Soul," McHenry County Civil War Round Table and Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2

Bob Stroud saluted the 53rd anniversary of the Beatles' "Rubber Soul" album.    He played all the songs on both the British and American editions.  Over a century old.

Drove to Pine Crest Golf Club in Huntley, Illinois, for the McHenry County Civil War Round Table Christmas party.  We had about 40 in attendance and I met some interesting people from the Northern Illinois History Association, an umbrella group for all history groups in the northern part of our state.  The problem with all history groups is how to get the younger people interested.

We had an excellent buffet followed by an evening with Mr. and Mrs Lincoln, Max and Donna Daniels, very fitting as we approach the 200th anniversary of Illinois statehood tomorrow.  Mrs. Lincoln reminded us that this was also the 200th anniversary of her birthday (December 18, 1818).  If you ever get a chance to see one of this pair's shows, go see it.

--RoadDog

FOOD COMMENTS (from the July 1, 2017 Orange Peel Gazette):  "Artichokes ... are just plain annoying....  After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual 'food' out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking thirty or forty postage stamps.  Have the shrimp cocktail instead."  --Miss Piggy

JSS: Late Christmas-- Sox Can't Get No Respect-- Snow Day Opening Day

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  LATE CHRISTMAS--  I overwinter two poinsettias and have a giant Christmas cactus.  The cactus only had five blooms at Christmas, but right now is covered in blooms.  The poinsettias had no red leaves at Christmas, but a whole lot right now.

2.  SOX CAN'T GET NO RESPECT--  I am getting tired of going into bars and finding the White Sox game isn't on TV.  But I request it to be on TV.  Of course, if the Cubs are playing you can bet THAT will be on TV.

3.  SNOW DAY OPENING DAY--  The Chicago Cubs play their first home game this afternoon.  And, we have a couple inches of snow on the ground and right now, at 11:26, it is still snowing.  At least it isn't sticking to the roads and driveways.

Come On, Chicago HAS Two Baseball Teams.  --RoadDog

JSS: Foxhole Ribs-- Christmas Stuff-- Football Playoffs-- "Groundhog Day" Festival

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  FOXHOLE RIBS--  This past Wednesday, we went to the Foxhole restaurant in McHenry, Illinois.  It is located in the basement of a building dating to the 1890s that was once a hotel on the Fox River.  A lot of history and a hard-to-beat rib special.  For $12 you get a full slab, baked potato, garlic bread, cole slaw and choice of soup or salad.  We still have two meals of left overs to go.

2.  CHRISTMAS STUFF--  Hoping to have some temps in the 40s this weekend and will be able to get the mini Christmas light trees off the frozen ground.  A lot of stuff is frozen.

3.  FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS--  We've been enjoying the NFL football playoffs this month and are happy it will be the Carolina Panthers (N.C. is my home state, plus there is the ex-Bear factor with Coach Rivera and receiver Olson.  We also like Denver because who isn't a Peyton Manning fan.

4.  "GROUNDHOG DAY" FESTIVAL--  Tomorrow, I'll be going to Woodstock, Illinois, for the annual Groundhog Days Festival.  This is where the movie "Groundhog Day" was mostly filmed.  There will be a free showing of the movie, a chili cookoff, walk to movie sites and a seminar, all held at places featured in the movie.

Wearing My Panther Hat.  --RoadDog