A Long 4th of July-- Part 6: Retirement/Birthday Party and a Summer Party

What with having 4th of July celebrations spread out over two weekend and with a Wednesday matinee to mark the real day, we were quite busy over this nine day stretch, even with the oppressive heat beating us down and keep us from doing a lot of things we'd normally do.

JULY 7, SATURDAY

Did some yardwork and quite a bit of sweating.

Then went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes where we got a room at the motel out back and celebrated friend Carl's 60th birthday and retirement.  It is great when I don't have to worry about driving home after drinking.

Lots of great food, plenty o' beer and karaoke.  Good party.

JULY 8, SUNDAY

Ate breakfast at the Corner Kitchen in Twin Lakes.  Went home and later we went over to Sunnyside Tap in Johnsburg, Illinois, for their summer party.  They had free food and a band, Change Is Good, playing outside.  It was alright as long as you were sitting in the shade.  Great time.

That Was a Good 4th of July, Even With All the Hot and Those Skeeters.  --RoadDog

A Long 4th of July-- Part 5: Donovan's and Chain Crawl

JULY 5, THURSDAY

Enjoyed the Drive's Ten at Ten back to 1969, such a great high school-college year for me.  I always make a pick of my favorite song when they do Ten at Ten, but obviously those years had lots of them and it is not an easy pick.  Fortunately they played "Proud Mary."  Whenever they play a Creedence song, that is my pick.

We went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes for happy hour and got happy and not so hot as it was air conditioned.

JULY 6, FRIDAY

Liz had a hair appointment in Round Lake, Illinois, and I went along.  While she was inside, I drove over to Ace Hardware in Round Lake, once called the largest Ace Hardware in the U.S.A.,  When we lived in Round Lake Beach, I went here often.  Spent a lot of money there also.  Sadly, the opening of Home Depot and Menard's a few miles away on Rand Road (US-12) has really hurt their business.

When Liz was finished we went over to Burger King and had Whoppers, still one of my favorite fast foods.

On the way home we went to two Chain Crawl spots for passport stamps.  Hilltop Lounge is an older bar on Old Rollins Road.  They have $1.50 Busch Light cans.  Then to one of our favorite dive bars, the Squaw Bar (on Squaw Creek) part of the Chain of Lakes.  Enjoyed their Friday special of $1.50 domestic bottles.

Later, we went to the American Legion on US-12 by the bridge on Nippersink Lake and met up with the Usual Suspects.

--RoadDog

A Long 4th of July-- Part 4: Hot, Hot, Hot-- Real Hot (and Skeeters)

JULY 3, TUESDAY

Spent a goodly part of the morning trying to keep the chipmunks out of the bird seed.  I lost.  We went to Sunnyside and had the tacos (free) and watched the Cubs win their game. Even though I am a Sox fan, I played "Go Cubs Go" on the jukebox (and it is one of those lousy $1 songs).  This is the song Cubs fans sing after a win.

JULY 4, WEDNESDAY

Boy, today has to be one of the hottest 4th of Julys (4ths of July) ever.  I mean ever.  As a result, we didn't go to the Spring Grove parade or the festivities as we usually do.  On the internet and enjoyed listening to the Beach Music All-Time Top 40 on WVCO, the Surf, 94.9 FM.  The #1 song was "Ms. Grace" by the Tymes.  Love my Beach Music.  I'll be posting the Top 40 on this blog at a later date.

We went over to John and Sherry's annual 4th of July party at their house and had some great food and ice cold beer.  But, outside was a regular oven.  Stayed as long as we could bear it.

Lots of fireworks going on at dusk and into the night.  I went outside at 9:30 p.m. and watched the Spring Grove fireworks from the foot of the driveway.  Battled the skeeters and a few got through.

--RoadDog

YOU KNOW THE COMPUTER BELONGS TO A REDNECK WHEN:  The extra RAM slots have Dodge truck parts installed in them.

A Long 4th of July-- Part 3: Hanging Out at Sunnyside for Air Conditioning and Ice Cold Beer

JUNE 30, SATURDAY

Working in the yard and Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg, Illinois.

JULY 1, SUNDAY

We definitely would have been doing more things had it not been for the extreme heat, lack of wind and mosquitoes.Sat out in the gazebo and went to Sunnyside.  (Air conditioned, you know.)

JULY 2, MONDAY

With the 4th of July falling on Wednesday, we had celebrations over the weekend of June 29-July 1, July 1, and the following weekend.

Drove to McHenry and did some shopping.,

After yardwork, we went to Sunnyside Tavern.

Too Much Fun.  --RoadDog

A Long 4th of July Celebration-- Part 2: More Bands, a Fry and Cheap Drinks

THURSDAY, JUNE 28

Still no good sales at the local stores:  Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Meijer.  Perhaps after the 4th.

Drove to Antioch, Illinois, for their weekly summer party called It's Thursday.  We saw an up-and-coming country performer named Jake Hill and his band.  He sounded real good, but until he gets  to be well-known, needs to do many more covers.

Afterwards, stopped at Bootleggers on Grasslake Road and enjoyed $1 pints and saw another band.

FRIDAY, JUNE 29

We went to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and had the fish fry at Popeye's overlooking Geneva Lake.  They have one of the best fish fries we've ever eaten.

Then stopped at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes and enjoyed their half-price drinks at happy hour.  Then home and enjoyed the basement bar, Margaritaville at Key North and, of course, the Ultimate Jukebox.

--RoadDog

YOU KNOW IT'S A REDNECK COMPUTER WHEN:  The printer goes real slow since Bubba Don't read so fast.

A Long 4th of July Celebration-- Part 1: A Boat, A Band and Bars

JUNE 27, WEDNESDAY

I always enjoy kicking back on the FP  (Front Porch) in the mornings, eating breakfast, having coffee and reading the Chicago Tribune.

Drove to Hebron, Illinois, and picked up the boat.  The Chain is still no wake, but after the 4th of July we'll get in the water.

Drove to Lindenhurst, Illinois and saw one of our favorite bands, Pirates Over 40, doing Jimmy Buffett songs.

Afterwards, we went to two places on the Chain Crawl for passport stamps:  Oasis and Steitz's.  We didn't know that the Oasis is now owned by the family who own Captain's Quarters, Electric Harbor and the Kross Inn.  Steitz's dates back to 1938.

--RoadDog

Celebrating the 4th of July Week+ Party

This has been a bit of a strange 4th of July with it falling on Wednesday.  That meant that part of the celebration was last weekend, then there was one on the 4th, now it continues this weekend.

Fox Lake and Twin Lakes had their celebrations last weekend.  Spring Grove had theirs on the 4th itself, as always.  Now Johnsburg has fireworks at the historic Oak Park Lounge (dating to the 1880s) tonight.

We won't be seeing them though as we have a room at Donovan's in Twin Lakes for a 60th birthday party.

All the oppressive heat finally broke Thursday, but the mosquitoes remain a big problem.

With a Bang.  --RoadDog

YOU KNOW THE COMPUTER BELONGS TO A REDNECK WHEN:  the numeric keypad only goes to six.

It's Been a Long Hot and Skeetery 4th of July

Not the best 4th of July ever, or not even close to it.

Since last Friday, June 29, it has been hot, hot and then more hot.  Unmerciful.  And then those skeeters!!  I've never seen them worse.  So, if the sun don't get you, the humidity will and that don't, then it's those doggone skeeters.

Last weekend, it was too hot to go see a parade, and the one in Fox Lake was cancelled because of the heat.  We didn't go see the one in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, either, for the same reason.  Then they had Libertyfest, bands and fireworks which we also didn't see.

Then, today, it was too blazing hot, humid and no breeze at all so we didn't see the Spring Grove, Illinois, parade or go to the festival.  We did go to a friend's home for a party but that heat just beat you down. We didn't stay as long as we wanted.  Nor go to Sunnyside afterwards.

A thunderstorm came through just recently so maybe we'll get a chance to see the Spring Grove fireworks from our front porch if the skeeters don't get us first.

If the Skeeters Don't Get You, the Hot Will.  --RoadbitandStroke