From the Snow to the Joe's: Mad Dog and Pat Dailey at Sloppy Joe's

I just got back in from another assault on this mean little snow storm we're having here in Northern Illinois.  I'm figuring at least 8 inches of the stuff on the ground, and worst of all on my driveway.  And the village snow truck was of no use, coming by and depositing all that heavy stiff at the foot of the driveway.  And, mind you, not one single snowmobiler came by to offer their services...again!!

Neighbor Dan came over and helped with the snow by the street.  Then we did two other neighbors driveways.

It made it all worthwhile when I came back in and Liz said that Mike "Mad Dog" Adams was playing on the stage at Sloppy Joe's down in Key West, Florida.  And they have a live cam so got to watch him for awhile.  We haven't seen him for quite some time.

Sloppy Joe's is having their annual Put-In-Bay Days and have several regular performers from that place on South Bass Island in Lake Erie.  Pat Dailey starts in thirty minutes, at 7 PM Eastern Time.  I'll be tuned in to that as well.

You can catch it yourselves at the Sloppy Joe's website.

"We're Down in Key West and Don't Care If You're (well, not happy about it!)--  RoadDog

Jimmy Buffett's Birthday Today

Egads, Jimmy Buffett had his 61st birthday today. Can we all be getting that old?

He is one of Liz and my all-time favorite performers. I have all of his studio albums and many of his live efforts. Many of them are actual LPs. We've also seen his show at least four times. Absolute bedlam and big-time party.

We named our home Key North after Key West and the downstairs bar is named Margaritaville for some reason.

Jimmy Buffett, the Patron Saint of Boaters. --RoadDog

My Key West Encounter with a Palmetto Bug

While thinking about the cicada, I remembered my encounter with another big ol' bug down in Key West. We were just off Duvall Street near Mallory Square, and I was walking ahead of the group and under some trees.

Suddenly, I became aware of a presence on my back, even more so when it started scampering around. Now this was a good-sized insect, my friends said about four inches long. And I can tell you, its feet dug in like velcro as it moved from one area to another.

Not knowing what was on my back, and not being able to see it, I was more than a little concerned. All I could hear from behind me was uproarious laughter and loud guffaws. They later said that I had probably invented at least three new dances in my efforts to get it off.

It finally dropped off, whether by my efforts or its own, I'll never know. To say the least, my encounter was a large part of the conversation the rest of the night. I was NOT much amused, but figure I would have been laughing as well.  Later, I was told it was a palmetto bug.

I should mention that yesterday, I heard a new sound out by the arboretum in my yard. It definitely wasn't a bird (and definitely not a robin as I know that sound too well after good old mama robin and her nest). Perhaps it is a cicada. Who knows, seventeen years from now I might just have some of the critters.

Help, a Palmetto Bug's Fallen on Me, and I can't Get Him Off!!! --RoadDog


THIS DAY IN HISTORY- 1884- the world's first roller coaster opened at New York's Coney Island. They were originally called a switchback railway and was created by LaMarcus Thompson.

--RoadDog