Kickin' Off Our Summer 2017-- Part 3: Day-After-Party, Another Tradition

FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 2017

I went on a hosta buying spree in McHenry.  I bought of them at Wal-Mart and Home Depot.  Home Depot was selling their hostas for $4 in a gallon container.  I also bought 6 dianthus.  I am a big yard person.  Came home and watered the yard (as we have a bit of a drought going on after all the rain we had the last two months).

We then went back over to Kevin and Kelly's place on Fox Lake and sat out by the gazebo and had a mission to finish off the keg from yesterday.  We all enjoy this Day-After-Party as we call it.  They especially since they don't have hosting duty.  I am happy to report that we accomplished our mission.

We then went over to the American Legion on Nippersink Lake and had a few more cocktails over there.

Tough Job, But Somebody's Got To Do It.  --RoadDog

YOU'RE DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE WHEN:  All your kids are named "Joe."

Kickin' Off Our Summer 2017-- Part 2: End-Of-The-Year Party

THURSDAY, JUNE 8TH

Lots of yard work to do on our first full day back from the Mississippi.  Of course, a lot of trimming of the too many bushes that I planted.  Cut the grass

We then went over to Kevin and Kelly's place on Fox Lake for their End-Of-The-Year party.  They both teach and Kevin got out of school today.  We had an End-Of-The-Year party every year from 1983 to 2006 for our schools (we both taught as well).  And they continue our tradition.

Always great to sit out in their gazebo overlooking the lake on a perfect day and enjoying all that food, snacks and keg of beer.  We know quite a few of their teachers as well.

Of course, End-Of-The-Year isn't all that special anymore since we're both retired.

It Ain't Over Till It's Over.  --RoadDog

Kicking Off the Summer Around Here

JUNE 5TH, FRIDAY  Our friends Kevin and Kelly had their annual "School's Out" party at their place on Fox Lake.  They have admirably continued with our annual "School's Out" parties since our last one in 2006 when we retired.  Many of our Usual Suspects in attendance as well, plus, we know a lot of their teachers.

JUNE 6TH, SATURDAY:  Listen to Wendy Rice's Saturday Morning Flashback to the year 1969 on WXRT from 8 to noon.  Great way to kick off a morning.

In the afternoon, we went to the Taste of Summer in downtown McHenry, Illinois, and wound up going to ten of the twenty places.

In the evening, the Usual Suspects gathered at Sunnyside Tap in Johnsburg to watch the Hawks-Lightning game.  Sadly, we lost.

JUNE 7TH:  Listened to Bob Stroud's annual "Summer of" show where he plays songs from the summer of 40 years ago.  This year, of course, 1975.  See the last two posts.

Then, we went to Kevin and Kelly's for the annual "Day After" party to finish the keg.  (Well, Two-days After.)  Because of the off-and-on rain, we didn't sit out by the lake, but enjoyed their new basement bar.  We killed the keg.

It Must Be Summer.  --RoadDog

Day After Party, One Day Removed

After listening to Bob Stroud's Summer of 69 Time Warp for this date in 1969, I worked in the yard on the east side of the house and the driveway culverts and mailbox flower bed.

Liz and I then went over to Kevin and Kelly's house on Fox Lake for our annual Day After party, where we get to finish off the food, and most importantly, the keg. This has been an annual get-together for many years now. Normally, it would have been yesterday, but as we get older, we need a day to recover from the first party, plus yesterday was pretty crummy weather-wise.

It rained hard here this morning, but cleared up and we had a really fine day to sit out at their gazebo which still lacks a roof, but should have one in a month.

Total success!! We finished off that keg. Talked about the upcoming wedding of their daughter at Marquette University in Milwaukee in July. They will be having buses to drive people from the hotel to the reception.

As usual, Mondo, the chocolate lab, was wet. I have only seen him dry once. This is a water dog par supreme. Talk about an unwanted dog ending up in a perfect situation.

Another Keg Bites the Dust. --RoadDog

Now This Is Fun-- End-of-the Year Party and Sox Nirvana

This past week, we went to two parties.


END-OF-THE-YEAR PARTY

Today, we went to Kevin and Kelly's End-of-the-Year party for their two schools. This is a follow-up to our End-of-the-year parties, which, of course, ended three years ago. You can't have and end-of=the-year party when you didn't start the year.

Kevin and Kelly have a house on Fox Lake, so, it's a Chain of Lakes party. Jules brought the shots, Kevin had the food and a keg of beer. Great weather and good times for all.

Hard to believe I've now been retired for three years. Magee and Round Lake Middle School both got out this past Tuesday. They normally have a last-day party somewhere, usually Docker's on Pistakee Lake. I wasn't invited so now must be out of the loop. Oh well, just one more thing not to like about being "retarred."

SOX NIRVANA

Sunday, we went to Jimbo and Sandy's thirtieth wedding anniversary party at their home in Round Lake Beach. They are good friends and always came to our annual end-of-the-year parties and last-day-before-Christmas-break parties.

They have bturned their basement into what can only be descibed as White Sox Nirvana. There was Sox stuff all over the place: pictures, pennants, plaques, bobble heads, clocks, lamps, and pretty much anything Sox you can name.I spent 45 minutes looking at the stuff and salivating.

I have to bring Coz and Cruz over to see this shrine to our team. Jimbo has two favorite teams: da Sox and whoever is playing Da Cubs.

Sure Enjoyed These Parties. --RoadDog

Rain, Hostas, and Ribfest Yesterday

Yesterday, I did a Japanese beetle sweep in a light drizzle and then planted three new hostas and about eight others that I divided.

We went over to Kevin and Kelly's, who have the place on Fox Lake for Ribfest. They are the ones who also have the End-of-the-Year party every June (they are both teachers) and the 4th of July fireworks party as they are right across the water from where they shoot them off).

We played tag for awhile with the rain that would start, causing us to move inside, stop, and we're back out, start again and move again, until we finally gave up and just stayed inside.

Kelly made up both beef long ribs and pork short ones. Unfortunately, by the time we got around to eating, we were all too full of snacking, so didn't eat anything as much as we wanted. We'll blame it on Jim and Arlene, who, when they arrived, had more snacks than you could believe. We also had corn-on-the-cob, jambalaya, pasta salad, beans, and cornbread. Kelly makes up some mighty good ribs, right up there with Bob's.

This was a primarily Irish crowd, so we listened to the Gleasons, a great Irish rock band out of Milwaukee, and a lot of other Irish music. Plus, a whole lot of the people were originally, or still living in, Brooklyn, NY.

We were having Ribfest in honor of John, a NY City police sergeant. He had some stories about the aftermath of 9-11 where he helped in the cleanup. I will write about one on the other blog
roaddogsroadlog.blogspot.com. We also had Jim's brother and wife from New York with us. They had just flown in a few hours earlier.

Here's to Good Times. --RoadDog

Day After Party on Fox Lake

Kelly and Kevin have been friends of ours for a about 13 years now, ever since I met them while they were special ed aides at Magee Middle School, where I taught from 1973 to 2006. They got their social work and special ed degrees and Kelly teaches in Antioch and Kevin is a social worker in Waukegan.

About six years ago, they bought a place right on Mineola Bay which is a part of Fox Lake. They now have two major parties each year: an End-of-the-Year school party (keeping our old tradition) in June and the Fourth of July fireworks celebration on the water. I really like going to these, talking with their friends, great food, and cooling drinks. Hey, Life is Good!!!

We traditionally have a Day After Party to finish the leftovers. Sometimes there's a Day After Party II and even, on occasion, Day After Party III. These past two days we had Day After Parties. The weather was perfect. Yesterday, we boated over to it after floating around in the bay for awhile and reading the paper. Now, that is relaxing!!! Generally, there are only six to eight people at these.

We had looked seriously back in 1991 and 1992 at getting a place on the water, but decided to build where we did when it became apparent that we could get a place on the water or the house that we wanted. We couldn't afford both.

Hey, I'm sitting here right now listening to Old Uncle Billy Smith on the Surf. Getting that great Beach Music live from Myrtle Beach, SC. Ain't that sumthin'.

Love Them Day After Parties. --RoadDog

THIS DAY IN HISTORY-- 1777- Congress adopts the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of our young country. That means that today is Flag Day. Go put out your flag right now. I know Mom always has the US flag and NC flag out on that wonderful porch.

Orchard Bluff Subdivion Garage Sale

Our subdivision here in Spring Grove is having its annual subdivision-wide garage sale. About 15 homes are participating in it. It runs from Thursday to today.

Each year, we get a lot of lookers going up and down the streets. I drove around as well. Thankfully, I didn't find anything I especially wanted. Now I am retired and have essentially run out of room to put anything else. If I buy something, I should really get rid of something...but, I like what I have. I really should have a garage sale myself, but just can't bear parting with any of my "stuff".

On quite a few years, this garage sale fell on the same weekend we had our end-of-the-year party. That's end-of-the-year for teachers. We would have anywhere from 75 to an many as 130 people along with sale seekers who would think we were having a sale.

A few years back, I went to a house that had four swivel chairs on rollers for $40 and the owner was willing to take less. I didn't buy them. I got home and several hours later realized they would be perfect for my felt poker table in the basement by the North Woods (as I call that part of my basement because of the decor). They were closed when I got back and I never got to buy it. I wish I'd have thought of it at the time, but, oh well.

Drowning in My Own Junk. --RoadDog

THIS DAY IN HISTORY- 1973- Secretariat wins at Belmot and the Triple Crown. That was one FAST horse.