If You See Me with a BIG Smile Today...

There will be a definite reason. My school district goes back to work today, August 13th, and I DON'T!!!!!!!!!!!

Teacher retirees do not "officially" start our retirements until our former colleagues have to go back to school. After all, we were going to have the summer off anyway.

Thus begins my second official year of being retired. Maybe I'll actually get something accomplished this year, but maybe not.

This is Kora's first year as well.

Retired and Loving It!!!! --RoadDog

Here's a Senior Idea: A Cruise Instead of A Living Facility

As I fast approach the days of being classified as a senior citizen, I occasionally will pick up a publication for that group of people. I like to look at bus trips and vacation offerings.

I picked up the June Chicagoland's Senior News a while back and just got around to reading it. I found an interesting article about a woman who has come up with a novel and interesting way to provide herself with assisted living.

Columnist Tait Trussell was on a Princess Cruise Line boat, and saw an elderly lady whom the staff all seemed to know very well. He asked the waiter about her and found that she had been on the last four cruises back-to-back.

He had a chance to meet her and asked why she spent so much time on the boat. She replied right away saying this was far cheaper than a nursing home or assisted living.

She continued: As long as I'm not too old and feeble, I'm going to be riding cruise ships. The annual cost of the living facility I checked out would have cost me $73,000 a year. I have checked the long-term cruise reservations and senior discount, and can pay only $135 a day for an inside cabin. That's a little over $49,000 for a year of cruises."

Sounds like she's on to a great idea and I will definitely keep this under consideration.

Last summer, my mom was nice enough to treat the family to a trip on board a Princess ship. This was my first time on a cruise and I have never been treated so well and had so much great food. Plus, there is all the great entertainment, activities, and shore excusions.

Let's See, cruising on a boat, or stuck in a nursing home. HHhhhhmmmmnnn.

Having a Senior Moment. --RoadDog

Saturday and Sunday- Deejaying, World's Best Bloody Mary, Making a Name for Ourselves, Band at Captain's

Saturday, I did some yard work. I managed to cut down the six golden barberry bushes which had become seriously overgrown. I only sustained a few scratches. Remind me never to buy anything again that has thorns. I haven't done so for a long time, but do have one rose bush and about ten other barberry bushes.

I deejayed at the American Legion pavilion overlooking Nippersink Lake in the Chain of Lakes all afternoon. It was for their annual picnic. We had plenty of great food, including ribs, as well as drinks, and lots of raffle prizes.

World's Greatest Bloody Mary

Yesterday, Liz and I went to Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, right over the border, about ten miles away. We first went to Main Street Tap, a real Northwoods type place, even though it is right at the Illinois/Wisconsin border. Lots of fishing stuff all over. Plus, the bartender makes probably the best Bloody Marys I've ever had. They come in a pint glass and are perfect for grazing. I mean, let me loose on a Bloody Mary bar, and I'll have a salad.

You get: a green onion, piece of celery, pickle speer, shrimp, cheese (Well, IT is Wisconsin), summer sausage, cherry tomato, pepper slice, cocktail onion, black olive, and green olive. Then, you get his perfect concoction, perfected after making thousands of them. And a mini-schooner chaser of beer. All this for THREE DOLLARS!!! Now, that's what I call a DEAL!!

NAME and BAND

Next, we stopped by Donovan's Reef, named after the movie of the same name starring John Wayne and Lee Marvin. Played NTN and we had four national rankings, which was seen by about 10,000 people in 400 places across the US and Canada. Unfortunately, watched both the Sox and Cubs lose.

Then, we went to a favorite Sunday afternoon place on Fox Lake, Captain's Quarters, and saw a great band, Twist of Fate, which had six members and played songs from the 60s to 80s. Nothing like sitting outside on a sunny day out on the Chain in the company of boaters, having an ice cold beverage, and partying with a good band.

Came home and enjoyed a so-so sunset from the deck.

Not a Bad Way to Spend a Weekend. --RoadDog

Earl Morse's Honor Flights

I came across an article in the American Profile magazine about Earl Morse, who has started up an organization called Honor Flight, which takes WWII veterans to the National WWII Memorial in Washington, DC, at absolutely no cost to themselves.

Morse is a retired Air Force Captain and a licensed pilot. While working at the US Department of Veterans Affairs medical clinic in Springfield, Ohio, in 2004, he asked a patient, 78-year-old WWII vet Leonard Loy, if he was going to visit the new memorial. Loy said he didn't have enough money. Morse was already planning on flying his father, a Vietnam vet, to DC to see the Wall. Would Loy care to come with them? An idea was born.

Morse founded the non-profit Honor Flight Network in 2005, and has since taken over 1000 WWII vets to the memorial.

This is a man who has accomplished a great thing.

You can find out more at www.americanprofile.com "Honor Flight" by Marcia Schonberg July 29-Aug. 4, 2007.

My cousin Graham, a US Navy pilot during the Vietnam War, was involved with mercy flights to get people to hospitals for operations who could not afford to do it, for many years. I'll have to contact him to find out more about what he did.

My Great Thanks To People Who Do Things Like This. -- RoadDog

Speaking of Those ROTTEN Japanese Beetles

I figure I have another couple weeks to deal with the main part of the Japanese beetle onslaught. They have really done in the top of one of my mountain ash trees, a favorite snack for the varmints. Right now, the seed balls are a brilliant orange and very pretty on the bottom of the mountain ash, but not so much at the top because of the eaten leaves.

They are also going after a wildflower, my burning bushes, and purple plum bushes. They also like my paper and river birches.

The best time to catch and kill the beetles is early in the morning and about two hours before nightfall. They are then settled in to eat or procreate for the night, and very sluggish. During the day time, they are very fast to get away.

I kill them either by smashing them with my fingers- very messy, or knocking them off into a pail with soap and warm water. This kills them very effectively. Just don't let too many accumulate as it gets very smelly after a couple days.

I must kill 300-500 or more every day. They either have successive hatchings or a lot of them fly over from the neighbors' homes. I mean, I'll completely kill off a group one day, and, the next day, they'll be back.

Last night, I tried a new way to kill them. Since water and soap does a good job, I loaded up my sprayer with a mix and sprayed them. I'll have to see if it worked later today. I probably will have to catch some and run a test in a controlled environment, though.

I Really HATE Those Japanese Beetles. --RoadDog

Another Great Friday, Boating, Bars and RVs

Did some boating Friday and cut the grass, which really needed it after all this rain we've been getting. Went over to Alden Terrace in McHenry and visited with Frances, my mother-in-law.

Then, Liz and I went over to Baja Benny's on Fox Lake (used to be Costello's, a favorite stomping ground until they sold it a couple years ago). Met up with a bunch of teacher friends of ours, who, unfortunately, are going back to school, several this Monday!!! We had to try to keep the smiles off our faces. We, including Kora now, DON'T have to go back on Monday. We's RETARRED!!!!!!!

Sue and Paul just got back from a two-week vacation out to Montana, ND, and SD. They just got an RV at the beginning of the summer, and this was their first major excursion in it. They are now officially AFFLICTED with the RV bug. As a matter of fact, they are already planning on getting another RV to more meet their needs.

My brother Bob and wife Judy are big-time RVers as well. He has tried to get me into it, which is a possibility as I really like hitting the road. My biggest problem would be convincing Liz.

Is an RV in My Future? Only Time Will Tell. --RoadDog

Sore Feet, Too Much Food, BUT, Didn't Buy Nothin'

A Day at the Wisconsin State Fair.

We did go to the fair on August 9th, and enjoyed ourselves despite the Chicago-level prices and light rain that we had early on. When the rain stopped and the sun came out, the heat became almost unbearable.

Met Rick and Chris at the Old Style Heartland Pavilion, our usual place to meet. We do some stuff together and others separately. If we get separated, we meet back here on the hour. However, now that we have cell phones, it's not such a problem anymore.

One place that still has reasonable prices is the Wisconsin Products Pavilion. They, of course, feature items made in Wisconsin and cheap prices as well as samplers. I had an ostrich stick, ice cream sundae, buffalo burrito. I also had three small cups of milk at Herb's Milk House which is sponsored by US Senator Herb Kohl. I like their different flavors like chocolate, mocha, and strawberry.

We saw several favorite bands like Hat Trick, the band that doesn't know where the stage is as they meander among the crowd and play Cajun and Buffett style music. Also saw the Rhythm Kings who play several summer dates a year out at Captain's Quarters on the Chain.

An Irish place by Old Style had a bagpiper and later a guy singing Irish songs- imagine that! Michael Drake had the crowd hopping at the Tropics.

My poor feet were very tired when we left, but I am happy to report that I didn't buy anything from any place out there, a first.

Well, Maybe I Will Go Back Despite the Chicago Prices.   --RoadDog

ChicagoITIS Strikes Northward into the Land of Cheese!!!

Chicagoitis is spreading northward. Chicagoitis is the tendency for Chicago to overcharge on all things to visitors, from parking to eating, to anything.

The Wisconsin State Fair used to be a lot cheaper to get in and parking was only about $4, now $9. You don't even want to think about what you'll get charged for parking in Chicago.

We parked a couple blocks to the east on the street and for free!! Chicago won't let you do that ever since they got night games at Wrigley. You used to be able to park on the street around Wrigley, Comiskey, or any major attraction. But, NOT ANY more!!! If you don't have a parking sticker for the neighborhood, you'll get ticketed and towed, a VERY expensive proposition. Before, you could find a parking spot with some looking, but not any more. And, you'll never guess what impact this restriction had on the prices gouged at the parking lots!!!!

Then, we also noted that prices on food and ESPECIALLY drinks had risen to ballpark and Chicago levels. If you want a beer, be prepared to pay $5-6. Try to avoid that gouge and get a soft drink and be prepared to pay $3-4. Most burgers and sandwiches were in the $4 to $6 range, and that was without any sides.

Sorry to see the Chicago gouge come to Wisconsin.

Probably My Last Trip to the Wisconsin State Fair. --RoadDog

Iron Butterfly and Canned Heat at Galt Airport

McHenry's Galt Airport hosted a psychedelic concert a couple weeks ago with two of the better-known 60s bands: Iron Butterfly and Canned Heat. I didn't go, but would have liked to. It was billed as a Celebration of the 1967 Summer of Love. They had posters out that looked like those you would have seen out at Haight-Asbury back in that year. They were psychedelic.

There was a bit of a proble leading up to it as the airport owner did not want to hire off-duty McHenry County sheriffs and police at the rate of $50 an hour. Hey, I would sure work for that!!!

I was able to get a poster at the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce a few days after the event.

Of course, Iron Butterfly is sometimes referred to as the first heavy metal band. Their biggest hit was 1968's 17 minute-long "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" which is supposedly an alcohol-slurred version of "In the Garden of Eden." Then, there's the seven-minute drum solo. They were supposed to be at the Woodstock Festival, but got stuck at an airport.

I have an original album by them. but it is somewhat worn. I couldn't get enough of that song. Just hearing it takes me right back to that period of my life.

Bryan Wawzenek had an interview with bassist Lee Dorman in the Northwest Herald. He said the group had never played the short version of the song, which was made by a deejay in Detroit. They had other songs, but "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida definitely overshadowed all the rest of their efforts. He didn't join the band until the fall of 1967 after a tour of duty in Vietnam.

Canned Heat formed in Los Angeles in 1965 is is considered a blues-rock-boogie band. Bob "the Bear" Hite was the lead singer and harmonica-player. They were at the 1967 Monterrey Pop Festival and Woodstock where I always thought Hite wasn't too with it on the song that was chosen for the soundtrack. They had two great ROAD SONGS: "Going Up the Country" and "On the Road Again."

Take Me Back to the Sixties. --RoadDog

Not Many Farms Left in Lake County, IL-- Now One Less

You always hear about the fact that there are fewer and fewer farmers in the Chicagoland Metropolitan area. In the 1950s, there were 13,000 farms in the Chicago suburbs, By 2000, that number had dropped to less than 3000. Every year, some of the best agricultural land in the whole world, sprouts subdivision after subdivision.

Papers and media try to paint a sad picture and make us feel sorry for these farmers. However, I find it hard to feel sorry for these new millionaires. Had they been forced to sell their farms because of unfortunate events beyond their control, I'd feel sorry for them. But, NOT when the sale is their choice.

In an article by Mike Zawislak titled "The end of an era" in today's Daily Herald, I read about the Titus family selling their 160 acre farm for an undisclosed amount of money. However, back in 2004, the farm was on the market with the asking price of $17.5 million. I'm sure it is considerably higher today.

Tony Titus is the great-grandson of Lorenz Titus who started a dairy farm on the site with 100 acres in 1877. Production has since switched to grain and vegetables. For years, you could buy fresh produce at their farmstand and they also sold at various area farmer markets.

The developer who purchased it will do a land swap with the Lake County Fair Association. This will be the new site of the fair, after 50 years at its current site in Grayslake. The developer will get the old site and will also sweeten the deal with $12.5 million. A 769,000 square foot shopping center will be built.

This Sunday, all the farm machinery will be auctioned off.

I must admit that I am part of the problem when it comes to the loss of farmsteads in the area. We bought our lot and built our house in 1992 out in Orchard Bluff Subdivision in Spring Grove. The the year before, they had been growing corn on out lot and there was an apple orchard on part of the subdivision. If people like me weren't buying the lots, the developers wouldn't be buying the farms.

Plus, you have to remember, this is some of the best land for growing crops anywhere in the world. Now, all it is growing are houses and several million rotten Japanese beetles.

Again, I DON'T Feel Too Sorry for the Titus Family. --RoadDog

Barbara Morgan Going into Space

Came across an article in the Chicago Tribune about Barbara Morgan, a teacher, who is going into space today on board the Space Shuttle Endeavor. She will be the first teacher into space, 22 years after she was got into the space program. She was Christa McAuliffe's backup on the ill-fated Challenger trip back in 1985.

I'm 56 now and Morgan is 55. I can think of a lot of things that I'd rather do at this age than go into space. As a former teacher myself, I couldn't be prouder that a fellow colleague gets the opportunity to do this after so long a wait. FIRST TEACHER IN SPACE!!!!!

I was at a teacher workshop in Rolling Meadows when I got news of the Challenger's demise. Everyone knew that Christa McAuliffe was in it. However, the fact that there had been so many successful launches of shuttles, no one really even considered the dangers. The meeting went very quiet when it was announced. I remember wearing a black arm band to school for about a week afterwards.

Best of Luck to Barbara and the Rest of the Crew--RoadDog

More Rain!!! NTN

This morning, I went out boating to McDonald's and did some floating around. How many other places can you boat over to McDonald's for breakfast or your burger fix?

Came home, just in time to catch some more rain. At least it didn't rain while I was in the boat. That is never a very pleasing thing to be on your boat in the rain, especially when you have an open bow boat.

We've been getting the rain of late. It rained last Thursday. We got another 4-5 inches between Saturday and Sunday. Then, we had a real big storm Monday night to Tuesday, with another 5 inches around here. However, rain is a good thing for the yard as it has been a bit dry so far this summer.

The Chain is higher than it's been since the drought of summer 2005. The boat looks a strange to be that high along the pier. The lower Fox River is closed to boating because of the high water and the stretch between the dam and the Chain is no wake. The Chain itself is open for any speed, but I'm sure if we get much more, they will close it.

Got another load of mulch at Rick's, then went to Hello Folks to play some NTN. T Lady, Pgrstr, Soxfan, Klofmn, and I did pretty well on Appeteasers, the 15 minute lunch game that's offered. We had three #1s, a #2, two #5s, and a #6. Not bad out of 9000 people playing. We even beat Dennis from Fargo Lounge in the Quad Cities four times. He is usually number one most of the time. Not bad.

I had planned on doing some yardwork this afternoon, but that appears to be a bit rained out. The grass can definitely use it with all this rain.

Right now, I'm planning on going to the Wisconsin State Fair outside of Milwaukee tomorrow.

Just TOO Much Fun Around Here. --RoadDog

Thinkin' of Goin' Retro Tonight: A Drive-In Movie

If the storms hold off, I'm planning on going out to the McHenry Outdoor Theater tonight. They have a double play of two movies I want to see, "The Simpsons" and "Hairspray." To see both $6 is a good deal, plus, it as one of the fast disappearing drive-ins. I'll call this a retro move.

The only problem with a drive-in is that the first movie doesn't start until about 9:15 and "Hairspray" will start at around 11 PM. The end of the nearly two-hour movie is WAY past my bedtime. Plus, watching an outdoor movie in the rain, in between windshield wiper strokes, isn't much fun.

I'll take the truck. The Malibu's lights come on automatically when you turn it on and your fellow viewers don't take kindly to that. Being technologically challenged, I haven't figured out how to turn on the Malibu wipers and keep the headlights off. The truck doesn't have the automatic lights.

We thought the McHenry Outdoor was going to close down for good last year as there are a lot of subdivisions being built around it. I'm sure it will be gone in the not-to-distant future.

To Go Outside to Watch or Not. --RoadDog

Out Boatin' Today

I've already been out boating on the Chain of Lakes this morning. Floated and read the paper, then went over to Electric Harbor on the east end of Fox Lake. They have built a huge gazebo with a great view of the lake and plenty of good breezes.

Tuesdays they have a charbroiled cheeseburger and fries for a BUCK!!! Now, that's a hard deal to beat. Talked with a guy there who has been deejaying since the late sixties and is still going strong. He was at a wedding in Palatine Saturday, then in downstate Danville, Illinois, (the home of Dick and Jerry Van Dyke) on Sunday. He has programmed over 12,000 songs for Electric Harbor covering a wide variety of styles. He even has some East Coast BEACH music.

Speaking of Beach Music, I'm listening to the Surf, 93.9 FM out of North Myrtle Beach right now. They're playing "Beach Music and Barbecue" right now at 5:11 PM. Boy, I sure would like to be down in NC listening to Beach music and eating that great pulled pork- vinegar-based bbq, cole slaw, hushpuppies, and tea.

He knows Dick Biondi as well. He said that last Memorial Day, WLS AM had a retro weekend and had all the old deejays back from the 60s and 70s. This was one of the major stations for kids to listen to while growing up in Chicagoland back then. I sure would have liked to have heard that.

Tough Life, But Somebody's Gotta Do It!! --RoadDog

Frances' 92nd Birthday

I had to edit out some of yesterday's posting as I made a copy of it and gave it to Frances. She really liked it, but called it her obituary, which it wasn't. She read it three times and I made sure she looked at the last line where I wished her many more birthdays to come.

I didn't want her to know that she was at Alden Terrace Nursing Home, in the rehabilitation unit. But, as soon as she finishes that, she will be moving over to the nursing care unit where she will remain. Her apartment in Woodstock is no longer hers. However, she managed to live essentially by herself until almost the age of 92, so that is impressive.

We stopped at Kohl's on the way over and got her some clothing and two cupcakes. I also got her the Northwest Herald so she could do her much loved crossword puzzle.

Aunt Dot's Funeral

I called Mom last night and found out about the funeral on Sunday. As would be expected, with all the years of service to the community and church, there was a large turnout of people. Plus, Mom said she had never seen so many flowers at a funeral.

Unfortunately, it was very hot and humid, as it was here as well. The mourners suffered in the heat and the flowers certainly wouldn't last for long. The First Baptist Church of Goldsboro also hosted the luncheon afterwards and there was a huge amount of food as well as McCall's barbecue.

Aunt Dot was buried at the Hood plot alongside her first husband and by my maternal grandmother and grandfather.

Visiting Goldsboro Just Won't Be the Same. --Don

Frances Turns 92!!!

My mother-in-law, Frances, turns the ripe old age of 92 today. We are going out to visit her at Alden Terrace in McHenry in just a little bit.

She was born in Kansas on August 5, 1915, and grew up in the very small town of Holland, near Abilene. She stayed with people in Abilene to go to high school as there was not one near her home.

She started working as a bookkeeper in the office of Duckwall's Five and Ten store in Abilene right out of high school.

Frances met her future husband, Ambrose, during WWII, while he was stationed at Abilene. He was a captain in ordnance from Green Bay, Wisconsin. They no doubt would not have met had it not been for the war.

He had a series of jobs after the war as a traveling auditor for Rheem and Mall Tool Corporation that took him to Oakland, Ca, Elizabeth, NJ, New Orleans, La, and Houston, Tx. They settled in Chicago and my wife, Liz, was born in 1951.

He always wanted to own his own business and in 1955 opened Fran's (named after Frances) Delicatessen on Chicago's West Side. He ran that until a Jewel Tea grocery store opened and put him out of business.

Frances continued to work as a bookkeeper at Steel Fabricating and Checkline Corporation in Chicago during this time.

He then got a job at the General Finance Corporation in Evanston. This company made loans to people. He retired in 1981. In the meantime, they moved out to Palatine, Illinois, where I met Liz.

They lived in the house on Patricia Lane until Ambrose died in 1986. The following year, Frances moved to a two bedroom apartment in Arlington Heights and lived there until 2004. She then moved to an assisted living apartment on the square in Woodstock, Illinois.

Here's hoping for many more birthdays to quite a remarkable woman.

Don

Aunt Dot

I was very saddened Thursday to find out from my mom that Aunt Dot died in Goldsboro, NC. She had been in failing health for the last several years. Giving of her time and efforts was a way of life with her.

She was 82 and had been very involved with the First Baptist Church of Goldsboro for much of her life, serving as a deacon, Sunday School director and many other jobs over the years.

For 24 years, she was with the Goldsboro Chamber of Commerce and then ten years as executive director of the Wayne County United Way.

She was originally married to my mother's brother, Uncle Billy, and then, after his death, Aunt Dot married Bo and was with him for nearly 30 years.

My condolences go out to Bo's family and my cousins Gayle and Graham.

Every time I visited Goldsboro, Aunt Dot and Uncle Billy, and later Uncle Bo, couldn't have been nicer to me and then Liz after I got married.

Every summer, my family would visit my grandparents in Goldsboro and Mount Olive. This was a much-looked forward to trip, but by the time I got to my teenage years, I would get a little bored. You know how teenagers are. Aunt Dot saw this and was kind enough to introduce me to Ronnie and Keith, two boys about my age. We had some great times together.

Then, she even went farther and let me use her 1967 Chevelle Malibu, quite a sporty car. Can you imagine a teenage boy driving a sporty car around? That was a pure joy, even if sometimes I would return it with very little gas in it. She still let me borrow it on future trips.

Aunt Dot will surely be missed. Don