Bears-Packers Rivalry

The Jan. 20, 2011 USA Today had a comparison of the Packers and Bears on many different categories.

First pro season
original name
Hall of Famers
Super Bowl Records
NFC Title records
leading passer
leading rusher
leading receiver
weather games
retired numbers

and many more.

You can see the whole list at http://cootershistorything.blogspot.com

Gonna Be Quite a Game!! --RoadDog


QUOTES: Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP!! --Joe Namath

OK, a Partial Cheesehead, Then

This last Thursday, I went with Kip and his wife Susie, and Paul, to Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the annual shareholders meeting at Lambeau Field. Kip owns one whole share of Green Bay Packer stock. He is, how shall I put it, a rabid Packer fan.

I, myself, now back the Pack, UNLESS they're playing Da Bears. I used to be among the many folks around here who absolutely hate all things Packers, but during the Magic Man season of 1989, we happened to be in Wisconsin a lot for games, and I eventually became a Packer Backer. Liz always has been one, since her dad was from Green bay.

This was a long drive, and I had to get up at the ungodly 4 AM hour to go to Kip's for the drive. We had to be there at 10 AM.

We drove past the packed grounds of the EAA in Oshkosh. I've never seen so many tents and RVs in one place.

I'd say Lambeau was almost one-fourths full. You had to have a ticket to get in. Unfortunately, it was raining off and on, and we had to sit outside.

The Packers are doing alright financially, but had to overcome three major problems last year: 1. Brett's retirement (or was it?); 2. the economy; 3) the 6-10 season.

Kip personally attempted to bail out Green Bay's economy in the various Packer stores we went to. We had a huge brat and some of the best-ever fries at the Stadium View Bar and Grille, before driving back.

I'd say we put on close to 450 miles that day.

Da Pack. --RoadDog

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