Last Week of 2021: An Afternoon New Year's Eve Party at the Legion

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31

There goes yet another year, and boy did it go fast!!  Every year goes way too fast now.  They seem to last just 5 or 6 months.  Hey, and we have taxes coming up if all the tax preparation commercials haven't alerted you to that yet.

Still enjoying listening to the Drive's A to Z Classic Rock Countdown which started Christmas Eve Day and is still going.  They figure it will end sometime next week.

We went to the Fox Lake (Illinois) American Legion for our afternoon New Year's Eve party.  Being kind of old and having a hard time staying up past 11 pm anyway, this is a great way to get the experience without staying awake past bedtime.

The place was packed, of course.  Great to have it back after last year's didn't take place because of you-know-what.  Joe Kadlec put on his usual great job playing his guitar and singing.  The Legion provided Italian beef sandwiches and everybody brought a dish to pass, so there was plenty of food along with $2 draft beers and two really tasty jello shots and, of course, champagne.

Watched Alabama  and Georgia win the NCAA football semifinals and they will play Jan. 10th for the championship.  I went to Georgia for a year and have family members who attended so will be pulling Dawgs all the way.

We did not make it to midnight, of course.

--RoadDog

Somewhat Near Normal Last Saturday: Some of My Favorite Things

As another month hurries by.  And, I mean HURRIES BY!!  Why does time go so fast when you're having fun, and even here in the "V" fun.

People asked me in the past why I don't travel much during the summer.  Why travel when you've got a travel destination right here in the area.  I mean, Illinois' Chain of Lakes (or Chain 'o Lakes) is as much fun as you can have and we haven't had a boat since last year.  But there is always stiff going on with weekly concerts in many local towns, car shows, parades, holidays, bars and bands.

But, this year has been different with so many things canceled.

But, last Saturday, I came as close as you can to a return to the good old days. 

I went on my longest road trip since March 3, a whopping 20.4 miles to Algonquin, Illinois.  Usually by now, we would have been to Missouri on Route 66 at least once and out to the the Mississippi River at least once, but since we can't just have the fun we want because of you-know-what,  might as well just hang around here.

However, this past Saturday I got to do a whole bunch of my favorite things.  First, we had our first meeting of the MCCWRT discussion group outside at Panera Bread with facemasks on, then to my favorite store, Half-Price Books and then to one of my favorite fast-food places called White castle.

Last two stops were to check out plants at Meijer and Home Depot, something else I really enjoy.

That night, closer to home in Johnsburg, Illinois, we had fresh Stade corn on the cob and a band outside of Stucky's.

I Was Smilin'.  --RoadGrin

12 YearsRetired Already

Hard to believe, but I retired from teaching in 2006.

That is 12 years ago.

Where does the time go?

--RoadDog

CUSTOMER GUIDE TO SUPERMARKET CHECKOUT:  Never get into the 10-items-or-less line without at least 12 items.  (Believe me, the others behind you will be counting.)

Another Year Gone By...Way Too Fast

Bang.  It Was Here.  Bang.  It is Almost Gone.

2015

Every year just flies by now.  It begins and there is so much time.  Then, it's gone, leaving you wondering where did it go?

And this fast time just keeps going faster every year.

I seem to be missing so much of my retirement years, now in my tenth.

Time sure went slower when I was in grade school.

--Slloowww Down, Time!!  --RoadDog

So, Where Do These Months Go...So Fast

Seemed like January just started a few days ago and then, BOOM!!, it's February already. I had thought that the last twenty years of teaching went by fast, but nothing compared to how fast these months and years of retirement have flown by.

Hard to believe I've now been retired five and a half years. I no longer have any of my former students even in high school, the last group having graduated in 2011 and hopefully many are freshman in college now.

It seems to me that all my schoolboy years went by slowly and even the first ten years of teaching.

Time Sure Flies When You're Having Rum. --RoadDog


HOW'S THAT AGAIN? Straight from the horse's mouth...(Privileged information right from the one concerned.)