Leading Up to St. Patrick's Day: Teachers, Pi, a Cemetery and Some Bars

MARCH 14, THURSDAY

I met seven other teachers I used to work with at Magee Middle School in Round Lake at the Bristol 45 Diner in Bristol, Wisconsin, for breakfast.  It is always good to get together with old friends.  Stopped at my State Farm agent to see if I could get an adjustment on my vehicle insurance on the '05 Dodge Dakota and '85 Firebird since I don't drive either very much, but already was getting the lowest amount I could.

Bought an apple pie at Jewel for $3.14.  I wonder why that price?

MARCH 15, FRIDAY

Drove to Arlington Heights, Illinois, to replace the flowers on my mother and father-in-laws' graves, stopping along the way in Lake Zurich to get the tax information on my Charles Schwab account.  On the way back stopped at Sunnyside in Johnsburg and the Fox Lake American Legion.

Pi Is 3.14.  --RoadO'Green

Trying to Reason with an Ice Storm-- Part 2: All That Real Gone Electricity

Continued from March 2, 2023.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

That was a miserable night.  No flushing toilets and I had to take a flashlight with me everytime I had to go.  All those shadows.  No washing hands afterwards either. No fun to lose electricity on well water.  The pump is electric.

I was hoping that when I woke up we'd have power again.  We didn't.  And, it was getting pretty chilly in the house.  We have natural gas, but guess what the blowers work on?  No going into the freezer or refrigerator either to make sure food keeps cold.

At daylight I could see that I have some branches down and others hanging on the pines.  It is pretty though with all the ice on everything.  Nature's doing its icing.

I was hungry so decided this would be a great time to go over to the Midwest Breakfast Company in Spring Grove and have breakfast.  It's been here for many years and Liz and I had never gotten over there to give it a try.

I was going to take the Malibu over to it, but it was in the garage and guess what the door opener works on.  Then I remembered I could just go over to the door and pull a chord and it would open.  But, guess what the lights out there work on.  And then, after I opened the door and backed out I would have to get out of the car, penguin walk on the ice back to the garage door and pull it down manually as I wasn't going to leave it open while I was gone.

So, I decided to go out to the driveway and drive the Dodge Dakota.  But, guess what that was covered in.  

--RoadFun

Gas Gouge Getting Out of Control: May the Fourth Be With You, Donovan's Reef, Gas Gouge Shock

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4

How about this, 38 degrees this morning.  Welcome spring!  Bob Stroud did his Ten at Ten on Chicago's WDRV on "May the Fourth Be With You" for some reason.  Went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, and played trivia with Uncle Jeffie and, of course, enjoyed those half price (plus 25 cents) drinks from 4 to 6 pm.

On the way home, I was shocked at the price of gasoline at Rock Corner at the intersection of Illinois 173 and Wilmot Road.  I think I saw it listed at $4.70.  We've got to do something with these GRBs at Big Oil.

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THURSDAY, MAY 5

I set two new records today.  I drove to Bristol, Wisconsin,, and met the Magee teachers at the Bristol 45 Diner (it's on US Highway 45).  Gas on the way was $4.60 ($4.59.9) at Rock Corner, so I had made a mistake yesterday when I thought it was $4.70 (a whole ten cents cheaper).  My excuse is that I was shocked.  Gas at the three stations in Wisconsin was $4.20.

On the way home, I bought gas for the Dodge Dakota for $4.20.  This set a record for the highest I'd ever paid for gas.  Thanks GRBs.  Later, I cut the grass for the first time this year and unfortunately ran out of gas, so had to go to the Mobil station in Spring Grove and paid $4.60 for it.  A new record for highest gas for me.

Two Records in One Day!  Lucky Ol' Me.  --RoadDog

Last Week: An Automotive Double Whammy, Pizza, Sunnyside and Trivia at Donovan's Reef

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14 

Well, great news, the '11 Malibu is ready from Ray Chevrolet as we're down to just the '05 Dakota running at present, but it has been making strange noises.  Went in and paid my $1,743 for the repairs after I hit the raccoon.  As I pulled out of Ray Chevrolet in the truck, all of a sudden it started to jerk and shudder and I made it into the next BP station.  Then got it back to Ray Chevrolet.

Oh boy, an automotive double whammy.  They were nice enough t take me home in their courtesy vehicle.

Later had a great pizza at Half-Times in Johnsburg (for half-price and $1 14 ounce drafts, then went to Sunnyside.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15

It will cost $1,050 to repair the truck.  Ouch!  That was on top of the $1,500 to repair the Malibu.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16

This was one really windy day, by an equally windy night.  Went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin and had a real good time with Uncle Jeffy in trivia.

Ain't Owning Cars a Lot of Fun?  --RoadDog

THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SAY:  It sounds like English, but I can't hear a word you say.

JSS: Your Math Problem for Today-- Gas Under $2!!!-- The Last Panic

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  YOUR MATH PROBLEM FOR TODAY--  I was in Jewel (our local grocery store for you non-Chicago area folk) last week and bought an apple pie.  Regular price was $6.99.  It was marked down $3.85, such a good deal.  How much did I pay for it and why was it marked down so much?  (Hint.  Pies haven't been found to spread you-know-what as of yet anyway.)

2.  GAS UNDER $2!!!  Friday,I got gas in McHenry, Illinois, for my Dakota at $2.05 (well, $2.04.9) and thought that was a great price.  But, yesterday, on our way over to Sunnyside in Johnsburg for St. Patrick's festivities, my eyes espied $1.86 at the Mobil station.  And, no lines.  We were getting down to below half a tank so filled up.  Never thought I'd see gas under $2 again.  But, I'm sure the virus will send it back up again.

Of course, back in 1970, had you told me I'd get excited about how low $1.86 was, I wouldn't have believed it.

3.  THE LAST PANIC--  Friday, I went to Meijer in McHenry for their fantastic Buy Ten for $10, Get One Free Deal.  This was in the afternoon and the first thing that should have tipped me off was the full parking lot.  Then, when I went in, there were only a couple shopping carts available and then I saw all those really, really full shopping carts.  Was there a hurricane on the way?

The last time I remember seeing a panic like this was back in the infamous Y2K.  Remember that?

--RoadDog

TOP TEN COUNTRY SONGS:  "I'm So Miserable Without You, It's Like Having You Here."

JSS: Dandelion Attack-- 42,000 Miles-- Planting Frenzy at Menard's

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  DANDELION ATTACK--  This is the worst dandelion attack I can ever remember.  It has been bad before, but nothing compared to this year.  Guess it's time to go out and get some weed killer.

2.  42,000  MILES--  returned from the Fox Lake Historical Society meeting this morning and the truck hit 42,000 miles.  Not bad for a 2005 Dakota.  Most of those miles came driving back and forth to North Carolina.

3.  PLANTING FRENZY AT MENARD'S--  It was really The Madhouse on Menard's to play on a popular Blackhawks saying.  I stopped at Menard's Saturday after going to the Fox Lake Historical Society meeting.  You couldn't even hardly find a parking space by the nursery section and, even with two registers open, the lines were ten deep.

Everyone had large baskets and carts of flowers, bushes, mulch, fertilizer, etc.  Is it that time of the year again?

--RoadDog

--

The "F" Word and Boat is Out

Yesterday was one of those days where you knew it was coming, but sad nonetheless.

Woke up in the morning and we had frost on the windows of the Dakota and Firebird. Sure glad I moved the deck plants in this past Thursday when a frost was forecast.

Also, yesterday, my buddy Frank helped me get the boat out of the water. Also, something I knew was coming, but still a sad thing. Despite the two vacations, closing of the Chain of Lakes for a couple weeks, and thumb problems, I was able to get out a total of 36 times for the season.

Only six more months until boating again. Same with the outside.

Miserably Cold Day Today, Where's My Injun' Summer? --RoadDog