WLS Top 23 for Week of April 9, 1973-- Part 1: 'Drift Away'

Fifty years ago today.  That's half a century.  I know where I was.  I was living with Liz's parents in Palatine, Illinois, and doing my student teaching at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois.  I was driving the ol' Ramblin' Wreck (1963 Rambler station wagon) back and forth.

As a matter of fact, one of the songs in this post especially takes me right back to those days.

* Means the song was climbing the charts.  The number after the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard National Hot 100 charts.

23.  SPACE ODDITY-- David Bowie       #15    Good ol' Ziggy Stardust personna singing about Major Tom's trip.  His first Top 40.

22.  *DRIFT AWAY--  Dobie Gray       #5      One of my all-time favorite songs.  I love the comment:  "Almost  sounds like  he is opening  his heart up and baring his soul."  True.

21.  *ONE MAN BAND--  Ronnie Dyson      #28      Full title includes "(Plays All Alone)"  I don't remember it, however.   Good song.  Follow up to his only other Top 40 which was "(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You"  (#8-1970).

20.  *STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU--  Stealers Wheel      #6    That's Gerry Rafferty singing.  You might know him better for "Baker Street."   Scottish band.  This is the song that takes me back to student teaching.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well I Don't Know Why I Came Here  Tonight.  I Got The Feeling That Something Ain't Right."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Stuck In the Middle With You"

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 4: Hanging Out and Going to Dubuque

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

There were three motorcyclists who stayed at the Grant Hills Motel last night and we said hello as they passed by, but as cyclists often are, they only wanted to talk with each other.  Not with car folk like us.

I sat out by the pool and wrote in the journal.  The clouds were gone, sunshining and actually getting hot.  Cars, trucks, motorcycles and lots of SUVs going by on US-20 (the U.S. Grant Highway)  The U-Haul trucks are parked by the side of the pool.  The motel also rents them.

Liz and I drove to Dubuque, Iowa.  US-20 from Main Street in Galena all the way up the hill is really torn up with construction.  Galena High School is called the Pirates and they have the same dopey-looking logo as our Palatine High School Pirates.

Anyone who thinks Illinois is a flat state need only drive US-20 from Freeport to Dubuque to change their mind.  Passed the Swiss Inn in East Dubuque, Illinois.  We have stayed there often and like it especially because there is a bar attached to it.

We crossed the Mighty Mississippi on the bridge and were expecting to find cheaper gas prices in Iowa.  From the bridge there is quite a climb up a hill to get to the main store area of Dubuque on US-20.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why do you fill out a form by filling it in?

Last Week: Trivia at Donovan's Reef, Backing Our Richmond-Burton Rockets in the High School Football 4A Semi Final Playoff Game and a Fish Fry at the Rusty Nail

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18 

First time with sun in a long time.  Sure peps everyone up.

We went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, for live trivia with Uncle Jeffie and that great half-price Happy Hour.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19

I went to our local Walgreens in Spring Grove, Illinois, and bought my Richmond-Burton High School gear for Liz and myself. I bought a hat and hooded sweatshirt for myself and a tee shirt for Liz.  Tomorrow, we play probably one of the best schools in the state in the IHSA football playoffs, Joliet Catholic, ranked #4 in the state, despite having only 600 students.  But, they draft their players.

Figured we'd support our boys even if we're not going out to the game.  It is way too cold to sit outside at our age.

Met Kevin and Kelly at Rusty Nail in Ringwood, Illinois, for their fish fry which is considered one of the best in the area.  We can see why with the quality and amount of food you get AUCE for $14.  Neither one of us came anywhere close to finishing our first round.

--RoadDog

Here Are Another 12 Great Illinois High School Nicknames: The Polo Marcos

Cobden Appleknockers

DeKalb Barbs

Dietrich Movin' Maroons

Effingham Flaming Hearts

Elk Grove Grenandiers

Genoa-Kingston Cogs

Fisher Bunnies

Hampshire Whip-Purs

Lake Forest Academy Caxys

Polo Marcos   (Ha Ha)

Wethersfield Flying Geese

Zion-Benton Zee-Bees

Go You Flying Geese  --RoadDog

Great Illinois High School Nicknames: Go You Wooden Shoes

From the October 27, 2021, Rockford(Illinois) Register Star "Which Illinois high school has the coolest nickname?  here are our favorites" by a panel of six.

Well, I went to Palatine High School (the Pirates) and Fremd High School (the Vikings).  Okay names, but nothing extraordinary.

Here are some extraordinary school nicknames.  Go to the site and learn how they became known as them.

Rockford East E-Rabs

Plano Reapers

Rochelle Hubs

Centralia Orphans

Canton Little Giants

Teutopolis Wooden Shoes

Illinois Central Valley Grey Ghosts  (and just in time for Halloween)

Freeport Pretzels

New Berlin Pretzels

Witt Speedboys

Hoopestown Cornjerkers

Lincoln Railsplitters

Galesville Silver Streaks

And, just in time for the start of the 2021 IHSA Football Playoffs this weekend.

The Cornjerkers  --RoadBall

Going Back to 1969 (BCV)-- Part 1: "In the Year 2525"

In case you're wondering about the (BCV) after 1969 in the headline, it means Before CoronaVirus.

This past Saturday, Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM did their Saturday Morning Flashback to 1969, a really great year for me as it marked senior year at Palatine High School in Palatine, Illinois, and freshman year at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

That means of course, those songs are some of the best ever made.  Of all the music I like, those tunes from 1964 to 1973, my junior high to end of college years the best.

This took me back, other than most of the commercials which were about you-know-what.

Richard Milne was the host.

SING A SIMPLE SONG--   Sly & the Family Stone
TIME OF THE SEASON--  Zombies
PRESENCE OF THE LORD--  Blind Faith

I'M FREE--  Who
IN THE YEAR 2525--  Zager & Evans
POLK SALAD ANNIE--  Tony Joe White

We Are Great, We Are Fine, We're the Class of __.  --RoadDog

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "What's Your Name?  Who's Your Daddy?  Is He Rich Like Me?"  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Time of the Season"

It's a Numbers Thing

Some Numbers of interest.

7-6     Record of the Chicago Bears as they prepare to play the Packers in Green Bay Sunday.

10-3    The Packer record.

14-0    The 2019 record of the Richmond-Burton High School Rockets.  They won the Illinois State Class 4A Championship!!

5    The number of Illinois State Championships won by Route 66, Lincoln Highway and US-12 high school football teams.

8    The number of days before we start adding daylight time to each day.  I'm really ready for it.

40   The number of new Christmas movies being shown on the Hallmark Channel.

$1,000   How much you win if you have the best WDRV 97.1 FM, the Drive logo in Christmas lights.

I'm Not a Twit.   And Don't Call Me Shirley.  --RoadDog

DID YOU KNOW:  That a pregnant goldfish is called a twit.

Music of 1968-- Part 1: A Year To Remember

From the Time Life Magazine/book "Music of 1968: Rock and Roll's Greatest Year.

I really enjoy these little magazine/books and spend more than I should on them.  Lots of great pictures, concise text an plenty of information and a surprising number of them of particular interest to me.  Most are just 100 pages long so they don't take too long to read.

Of course, I am really interested in music and especially music from 1968, which was a good high school year for at good old Palatine High School in Illinois (my junior/senior year).

Now that I am a year late, I will go through the magazine and write a little of what they said about each artist.

"1968:  A Year To Remember.

"Mick Jagger summed it up best:  "But what can a poor boy do, except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band?"

"For rock 'n' roll lovers, 1968 hit the mother lode.  Psychedelia ruled, and so did protest,  Motown and Johnny Cash's twang. The Rolling Stones blasted back onto the airwaves with "Beggars Banquet."  Heavy metal was ascendant."

Buy Me An Album.  --RoadDog

TRIVIA:  In which scandalous novel is literature professor Humbert Humbert obsessed with pre-teen Dolores Hazel?


"Lolita"

It's That High School Football Season Again

And, sadly, I have not been to a single Friday night game and they have already played 5 of the 9 games they play.

I follow five teams, well 6 now.

How they are doing.  All high school are in Illinois.

Richmond-Burton 4-1  We send a whole lot of money to this school because of property taxes.

Johnsburg   4-1    Right down the road and where we hang out at Sunnyside Tavern.

Palatine    1-4  Where Liz and I graduated, Class of '69.  A down year for them.

Round Lake    1-4    We lived in Round Lake Beach for 17 years abd taught in Round Lake schools for 33 years.

Grant   2-3   Fox Lake.  Where we kept out boat for 33 years.

And now, Mt. Carmel in Chicago  4-1  This is a traditional powerhouse and ex-NIU quarterback Jordan Lynch.

Friday Night Lights, You Know.  --RoadDog

REPORTED IN THE PAPER:  A man in Taomina, Italy, was hospitalized after swallowing 46 teaspoons, 2 cigarette lighters and a pair of salad tongs.

About That Loyola Mania

**  I learned that my pronunciation of it was not necessarily correct.  I have always called the school Li-yo-la.  It was pointed out that it should be Lo-yol-a..  I stand corrected.

**  Of course, the tournament's sweetheart, Sister Jean.

**  Those great Loyola scarves.

**  A team's team.  Those guys really played together.

**   Cameron Krutwig, the big freshman center, played at nearby Jacobs High School in Algonquin which made him a crowd favorite here in McHenry County.  Saturday, somebody had a huge cutout of him and whenever they raised it, the place went up for grabs.

**  Then there is the Maguire University Jollymen who are big Loyola backers.  The group started in 1963 when Loyola won the tournament.  They even got the NCAA to recognize them as a school and the NCAA wasn't happy too happy when they found out Maguire University was actually MaGuire's Bar.

**  And, of course, there was that historic NCAA National Championship in 1963 when Loyola had four black starters.

Just Too Much.  --RoadDog

Happy Fiftieth Anniversary Liz

No, it is not our wedding anniversary which is on August 25.  This is the anniversary of our starting to go together and that was December 15, 1967.

Back then, we were both juniors at Palatine High School in Palatine, Illinois.  We had not received our class rings yet (those came in May) so I gave Liz my ID bracelet.  When we finally got the class rings, I was "allowed" to wear it for a day and then Liz got it.  She didn't even give back my ID bracelet.

This date was also on a Friday and I was looking for a way to surprise her when she would least be expecting the bracelet.  She had to go to the laundromat at Palatine Plaza on Northwest Highway (US-14) to do her family laundry.  I tagged along.

Unfortunately, the laundromat is no longer there and we don't remember exactly where it was but know it was close to the Pankau drugstore.  We think there is an ice cream place there now.

Giving her the bracelet there sure caught her by surprise.

Happy Anniversary, Liz.  --RoadDog

My Vietnam War Experience-- Part 1: The War That Wouldn't End

This past May and June I wrote about different Vietnam War veterans giving their reminiscences of that war.

Well, for me, it wasn't an experience in South Vietnam.  The war ended before I graduated from college.  But, I was fairly sure the war would be going on even now with the way we were fighting it.  Had it continued past 1973, I was going to be there.

I really wasn't so much against the war in junior high and part of high school. The war started when I was in junior high at Winston Park in Palatine, Illinois, and went all the way through those two years.  Then it continued all the way through high school at Fremd and Palatine.  Surely it has to end at some point.  No war goes on forever, or so I thought.  But no, it didn't and was only showing signs of escalating instead of coming to an end.

I always felt that the war might have ended in the 1964 election had Barry Goldwater been elected.  I know the North Vietnamese must have been afraid of him when he said he would begin bombing Hanoi.  President Johnson in the election didn't say what he was going to do as far as bombing.  Johnson won in a landslide and soon began bombing Hanoi.

--RoadDog

A Trip Back For Us Last Weekend-- Part 2: The Old Stomping Grounds

APRIL 15, SATURDAY

We drove to Arlington Heights, Illinois, to put flowers and a U.S. flag on the graves of Liz's parents at Memory Gardens Cemetery.  We then cruised Northwest Highway from Arlington Heights to Palatine and ate at Photo's Hot Dogs.  This used to be the site of the Burger King I had my first job at and where we liked to hang out at during our high school days.

We then went by the old Palatine High School where we went and then the three houses our families lived in.

Stopped at J&D's in Wauconda and then watched the Blackhawks for as long as we could stand at Half-Times in Johnsburg.  They stunk again, losing 5-0.

APRIL 16, SUNDAY

Easter and we went to Grand Buffet in McHenry for their great meal.  Then to the PLAV and then to Sunnyside.

--RoadDog

JSS: Catch The Ball, Bears-- Congrats to Johnsburg-- Congrats to Palatine-- Rochester High School

JSS:  Just Some Stuff

1.  CATCH THE BALL, BEARS--  Well another game, another coulda, woulda, shoulda.  This time, we were done in by at least ten easy catches that Bear receivers dropped against the Titans.  Oh well, more losses, better draft pick.

2.  CONGRATS TO JOHNSBURG HIGH SCHOOL--  We are so proud of one of out local high schools, Johnsburg, going all the way to the Championship game in Class 4A before losing to powerhouse Rochester.  Johnsburg H.S. is about two miles south of the house and I go to a lot of games there.

3.  CONGRATS TO PALATINE HIGH SCHOOL--  Way to go Palatine Pirates, where Liz and I graduated in 1969.  We went to the semifinals of the IHSA Football Playoffs before losing to eventual Class 8A winner Maine South.

4.  ROCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL--  And, speaking of Rochester High School, which beat Johnsburg Friday night, I's say it is about time to move them up to a higher class.  Obviously, they don't draft their players, but families move to the community so their kids can play winning football.

Rochester has now won six of the last seven Class 4A Championships.  The only one they lost was to Phillips, out of Chicago, last year.  And, that was the team the Johnsburg Skyhawks had to beat to get to the championship game.

Way to Go Pirates and Skyhawks.  --RoadDog

So It Begins: High School Football Begins Tonight

Friday Night Lights Are Back!

For the next nine weeks, if the weather is good, that's where I'll be.

Fortunately, I have two schools close by and several others not too far away that I back big-time.

Plus, a lot of my favorite and local schools are ranked by AP in the Illinois Football Top Ten Preseason Poll.

CLASS 8A:  #7 Palatine

CLASS 7A: #7 Jacobs and Lake Zurich received votes.

CLASS 6A:  #3 Cary-Grove tied with Prairie Ridge.  And DeKalb got votes.

CLASS 5A:  #7  Sycamore

CLASS 4A  #6  Marengo, #8  Johnsburg, #9 Richmond-Burton

Go Teams.  --RoadDog

It's High School Football Season Again Here in Illinois: My Five Teams

And, I missed the first game because of the rain threat from dear old weather.  Yesterday it threatened to rain (and did drizzle on several occasions).  Plus, every weather forecast called for heavy rain about game time.

I back five local high school teams.

Palatine High School in Palatine.  This is where I went to school, Class of '69.  I even put up my Palatine Pirates banner on the front porch.

Round Lake High School.  We lived in Round Lake Beach for 17 years and taught in Round Lake schools (though not the high school) for 33 years.

Grant High School in Fox Lake.  We spend a lot of time in that town.  Plus, this is where we keep the boat during the summer.

Richmond Burton High School, serving Spring Grove and Richmond.  We live in Spring Grove and pay a WHOLE LOT OF TAXES to this school.  I have to back my money.

Johnsburg High School.  The school is two miles directly south of us, the closest high school.

Grant and Round Lake were blown out last night.  Johnsburg (the game I wanted to see), rolled by Oregon.  Richmond-Burton won a close one.  Sadly, Palatine lost a close one to Stevenson 26-24.

Hut One, Hut Two.  --RoadDog

List of Notable Graduates from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles-- Part 2

RAMI JAFFEE--  Keyboardist for the Wallflowers
DAVID JANSSEN--  Actor "The Fugitive"
JACK KEMP--  NFL and politician

JEROME "JERRY" LEIBER--  Lyricist of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller
DEMI MOORE--  actress
RICARDO MONTALBAN--  Actor "Rich Corinthian Leather," Mr. Roarke in "Fantasy island," TV and movie "Star Trek."  "The Khan"

MICKEY ROONEY--  actor
ALLAN SHERMAN--  musician and parodist "Muddah, Fattah."
LARRY SHERRY--  MLB, MVP 1959 World Series  (When they beat the White Sox)

SLASH--  Guitarist Guns N' Roses
HILLEL SLOVAK--  Guitarist Guns N' Roses
PHIL SPECTOR--  record producer

WARREN ZEVON--  musician

Quite a Lineup.  --RoadDog

Lots of Notable Graduates from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

In the last blog entry about the death of record producer David Anderle, I mentioned that he graduated from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles and had Herb Alpert, Jerry Moss and Shel Talmy as classmates.  That is a lot of music talent from one high school, so I decided to check out the list of notable alumni on the school's Wikipedia page.

I was quite impressed with the list.  This is just part of it, mostly the ones I am familiar with.  Jerry Moss was not listed as a graduate.

STEVEN ADLER--  Drummer Guns N' Roses
HERB ALPERT--  musician and music industry executive (A&M Records)
MICHAEL "FLEA" BALZARY--  Red Hot Chili Peppers

LARRY GELBART--  TV write and producer MASH
DARLA HOOD--  actress on "Our Gang"
TIMOTHY HUTTON--  actor

JACK IRONS--  Drummer Red Hot Chili Peppers
JACKIE JACKSON--  Jackson Five
TITO JACKSON--  Jackson Five

And, There Are More to Come.  RoadDog


YOU MIGHT BE A YANKEE IF:  You have no idea what a polecat is.

JSS: Gas Me-- Grass-- Football

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  GAS ME--  I heard on the radio yesterday that gas prices are steadily falling across the country, but not here in northeast Illinois.  It has had two huge jumps in the since Labor Day weekend and has "dropped" to $3.57 right now, considering that it was down to $3.44 a week before Labor Day.  The report said that it is expected to be $3.15 by Halloween and "might" even go BELOW $3!!  That won't happen around here though.

2.  GRASS--  My grass is in fast-growing mode right now.  I have to cut it every 4-5 days.  Cool (cold) temps and lots of rain tends to do that.

3.  FOOTBALL--  All this rain has kept me from getting to see my high school football games the last two Fridays.  Maybe this Friday I'll be able to see the Round Lake Panthers play the Zion ZeeBees.  This past Friday it was both cold and rainy.  I don't see games in either one of those, and definitely not both.

All five teams played in the cold and rain last Friday.

Local high schools I go to for games:

RICHMOND-BURTON ROCKETS--  Our town's high school.  I send lots and lots and lots of money there with my property taxes.
GRANT BULLDOGS--  Fox Lake's high school.  We spend so much time there, this is our second home.
PALATINE PIRATES--  My alma mater, Class of '69.
JOHNSBURG SKYHAWKS--  The School is two miles straight south of us.  When the wind isn't blowing, I can listen to the game.
ROUND LAKE PANTHERS--  Lived there for 19 years and taught there for 33 years.

Rah, Rah, Ree, Kick Him in the Knee...  --RoadDog


SAY WHAT?  "Close, but no cigar."  Or Ring.  Those fairground booth prizes were mighty hard to win.

Roosevelt High School Has Some Noted Alumni

I looked up Theodore Roosevelt High School (hence the nickname Rough Riders)  in Chicago to find out more about them.  The school has been in existence since the 1920s and has some really notable alumni.

Author Nelson Algren

Director, screen write and Academy Award winner Carl Foreman "High Noon," "Bridge Over the River Kwai" and "Guns of Navaronne."

Comedian George Goebel

Poet and author Shel Silverstein "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and good pal of Lake Erie's Pat Dailey.

Chicago TV and radio personality Bob Sirott

Former White Sox organist Nancy Faust.  She is the one who really brought the organ into sports for entertainment.

--RoadDog


SIGNS OF OLD AGE:   You keep repeating yourself, repeating yourself, repeating yourself.