Good Times Around Here May 14 to 16: A Movie, the Civil War, Bars and Specials, Good Eatin' and 'Young Sheldon'

TUESDAY, MAY 14

Went to Woodstock and saw "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes", met members of the McHenry County Civil War Round Table at 3 Brothers restaurant for dinner and then heard a presentation on the Queen of the West and USS Indianola at the Woodstock Public Library.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15

Played trivia at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, and had 75 cent wings at Saylor Mick's in Spring Grove, Illinois.  Oh yes, then there were the $1 tall boys of Hamms.

THURSDAY, MAY 16

Met with the funeral home to design grave stone for Liz and myself.  Then met Liana and Frank at the Fox Lake, Illinois, Senior Luncheon at the Lake Front Park and were entertained by a duo.  That "Young Sheldon" series finale was something else.  I am sure going to miss that show.

--RoadDog

2024 Movie Scratches: Dolls-- Panda-- Arthur-- Things

These are movies I saw in the theater this year.

17.  DRIVE AWAY DOLLS--  2-29--  Fox Lake--  $7--  Two gay women go on quite a road trip.  Best movie line ever?  "You're a day late and a dick short."

18.  KUNG FU PANDA 4--  3-12--  Woodstock--  $6--  The Dragon Warrior battles the Chameleon Lady and finds a successor.

19.  ARTHUR THE KING--  3-19--  Fox Lake--  $6--  An unexpected treat  One of those feel-good movies.  And you thought the triathalon was hard.

20.  POOR THINGS--  3-20--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Frankenstein meets nudity.  Lots of unique characters in this one.

--RoadMovie

2024 Movie Scratches: Dune-- Lisa-- Bad-- Marley

Movies I saw at the theater.

13.  DUNE--2-12--  Fox Lake--  $5--  Very confusing sci-fi movie, but I hadn't seen this when it came out and now part 2 is coming.

14.  LISA FRANKENSTEIN--  2-20--  Fox Lake--  $5--  A love story of a different sort.  A misfit girl falls for a dead beau from the 1800s and Bobbetized a guy.

15.  LAND OF BAD--  2-20--  Fox Lake--  $5--  All the action and high yech you could ever want.  Lots of folks got killed.

16.  BOB MARLEY:  ONE LOVE--  2-27--  Woodstock--  $6--  Great story, and of course, all that great reggae music.

--RoadMovie

2024 Movie Scratches: Anyone-- Fiction--- Godzilla-- Argyle

Movies I saw at the theater in 2024:

9.  ANYONE BUT YOU--  1-30--  Fox Lake--  $5--  And they both meant it, but not really.  Hilarious situations in this rom-com.

10.  AMERICAN FICTION--  2-1--  Fox Lake--  $7--  Here's to you "wokers.  I'd vote for this as Best Picture.

11.  GODZILLA MINUS ONE--  2-1--  Fox Lake--  In black and white.  A throw-back on those 1950s Japanese Godzilla movies.  In Japanese.

12.  ARGYLE--  2-8--Fox Lake--  $7--  So, what's real and what's not.  One way to write a book.

--RoadDog

Leading Up to St. Patrick's Day: Pizza, Beer, a Movie, a Presentation and Trivia

And, it was unseasonably warm around here until Saturday.

MARCH 11--  MONDAY

Went to Saylor Mick's in Spring Grove for half price pizza and Bricks 'N Ivy for the $8 pitcher of Blue Moon.

MARCH 12-- TUESDAY

Drove to Woodstock, Illinois, for the movie "King Fu Panda: 4" at the theater, then spent some time in the library before meeting members of the Round Table at 3 Brothers restaurant for dinner.  Then we adjourned back to the library where the McHenry County Civil War Round Table has a presentation on Confederate Railroads during the war.

MARCH 13--  WEDNESDAY

Put up the spring flowers at Liz's grave and talked with the funeral director at the Spring Grover Funeral Home about a grave stone.  Then drove to Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, for snack day/trivia at Donovan's Reef.  We sure ate well.

Good Times in the Area.  --RoadDog

2024 Movie Scratches: Boat-- Migration-- Swim-- Beekeeper

These are movies I saw in the theater this year.

1.  THE BOYS ON THE BOAT--  1-8--  $7--  Fox Lake--  Against all odds, the Davids beat the Goliaths and go on to win Gold in the 1936 Olympics.  Adolph was not happy.

2.  MIGRATION--  1-8--  $7--  Fox Lake--  Fox Lake--  Overcoming huge obstacles to get to Jamaica for a family of mallard ducks.

3.  NIGHT SWIM--  1-11--  FREE--  There is something wrong with our swimming pool.  A life for a life.  Beware flickering lights and the toy boat.

4.  THE BEEKEEPER--  1-11--   $7--  A guy you'd best not get on the wrong side of.  Rambo would be proud of this guy.  Protecting the hive and killing with politeness.

I am aiming to see 52 movies at the theater.

--RoadDog

Fifty Famous Movie Quotes: 'It's Only a Flesh Wound'

From the April 24, 2022, Stacker "50 famous movie lines you've probably quoted at least once" by Andrew Lisa.

Can you guess the movie?  Answers below.

1.  "Help you, I will."  "Late, I will be."

2.  "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

3.  You're killing me, Smalls!"   

4.  "How do you like them apples?"  

5.  "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out."  

6.  "I'm your Huckleberry."    

7.  "Wilsonnnnn!" 

8.  It's only a flesh wound."

9.  "You gotta ask yourself one question:  Do I feel lucky?  Well do ya, punk?"  

10.  "Run, Forrest, Run!"

*********************************

1.  Yoda in "Star Wars"

2.  "Gone with the Wind"

3.  "The Sandlot"

4.  "Good Will Hunting"

5.  "A Christmas Story"

6.  "Tombstone"

7.  "Castaway"

8.  "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"

9.  "Dirty Harry"

10.   "Forrest Gump"

--RoadDog

Visit With Liz, Donovan's, Trivia, Saylor Mick's, Kent State, Star Wars and a Movie

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3

Visited Liz at Cole Cemetery and then went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes,Wisconsin, as we so often did.  Played live trivia with Uncle Jeffie.  Stopped at Saylor Mick's in Spring Grove for the wing special and those great retro $1 Hamm's pints.

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THURSDAY, MAY 4

Today was the 53rd anniversary of the killings at Kent State in Ohio.  That set off rioting and troubles in college campuses across the United States, including at NIU where I was a freshman.  I thought I was seeing the end of the United States.

On a lighter note, today, being May the 4th, has a play on words "May the Force Be With You" so it is an "Star Wars" day.  All of Bob Stroud's Ten at Ten had to do with space.  I wrote them down earlier in this blog.

Went to the Fox Lake Theatre and saw "Renfield."  That Nicholas Cage makes a fine Dracula.

--RoadDrac

Movie Scratches 2023: Groundhog-- Brady--Plane-- 65

Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw in the theater in 2023.

5.  GROUNDHOG DAY--  2-5--  Woodstock--  $2--  There wasn't one today.  What if there is no tomorrow.  Nothing like seeing this great flick on the big screen and in a theatre that was actually in the movie.

6.  80 FOR BRADY--  2-10--  Super Brady fans  What those ol' gals got into?  Four lasses on the loose and their "particular" skills that avoided disaster.

7.  PLANE--  2-10--  All the action you could possibly want from a storm, lightning strike, jungle landing and those mean old rebels.

8.  65-   3-31--  Fox Lake--  $7--  Earth 65 million years ago was not a friendly place.  If the dinosaurs don't get you, that big ol' asteroid thing will.

--RoadDog

Movie Scratches 2023: Babylon-- M3gan-- Otto-- Avatar

Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched in the theater in 2023

1.  BABYLON--  Fox Lake--  1-9--  $6--  The rise and fall of Hollywood folks during the transition from silent to talkies.  The other side of "The Golden Age of Hollywood."  That was one bodacious party.

2.  M3GAN--  FOX LAKE--  1-20--  $6--  A lot prettier than Chuckie.  Not as funny, but every bit as dangerous.  Those creepy eyes.

3.  A MAN CALLED OTTO--  1-25--  $6--  You cried, you laughed.  Other than trying to die (and he wasn't very good at it).    I have had a similar experience when my wife of 49 years died in September.  This one should be up for an Academy Award.  (It wasn't.)

4.  AVATAR:  THE WAY OF WATER--  1-31--  $7--  Quite the epic and in 3D  Again, it is bad, meanie humans against the innocent and good Navee.  Loved the culture shock between the land dwellers and water folk.

--RoadDog

Music Deaths in 2022: Musey, Dozier, Newton-John and Pitman

DAVID MUSEY, 73

Died 6 August 2022.  Multi-instrumentalist player with Firefall and the Marshall Tucker Band.

LAMONT DOZIER,  81

Died 8 August 2022.  Singer and member of the Motown writing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland team that brought us all that classic Motown music.

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OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, 73

Died 8 August 2022.  Singer (pop), actress, notably for the 1978 musical film "Grease", co-starring John Travolta.  What can I say about her?  She was my second crush after Linda Ronstadt.

BILL PITMAN, 102

Died 11 August 2022.  Guitarist / session musician who played on many celebrated songs in the 1950s and 1960s.   Member of the Wrecking Crew.  Played on Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.

WLS Top 10 (and Debuts) for Week of Feb. 26, 1973: 'Love Train'

These were the Top Ten songs in Chicago fifty years ago.

1.  CROCODILE ROCK--  Elton John

2.  DUELING BANJOS--  Deliverance

3.  IT COULD BE I'M FALLING IN LOVE--  Spinners

4.  KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG--  Roberta Flack

5.  DON'T EXPECT ME TO BE YOUR FRIEND--  Lobo

6.  LAST SONG--  Edward Bear

7.  DO IT AGAIN--  Steely Dan

8.  YOU'RE SO VAIN--  Carly Simon

9.  ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH--  John Denver

10.  LOVE TRAIN--  O'Jays

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DEBUTS

21.  DANNY'S SONG--  Anne Murray

23.  AUBREY--  Bread

25.  NEITHER ONE OF US (WANTS TO BE  THE FIRST TO SAY GOODBYE)--   Gladys Knight & the Pips 

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I Heard He Sang A Good Song.  I Heard He Had A Style."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Killing Me Softly With His Song"

Past Movie Scratches: Magnificent-- Transylvania-- Midway-- Blind-- Brave-- Edge

Past movie scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2022.

1.  MAGNIFICENT SEVEN--  1-1--   That's all they needed.  An interesting group to the rescue and battling huge odds.

2.  HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2--  1-4--  Along comes baby Dennisovitch.  The monsters are a bit rusty.  Will he "Fang Out?"

3.  MIDWAY--  1-7--  Diving through all that flak and Japanese officers continually gazing skyward with binoculars.

4.  THE BLIND SIDE--  1-8--  Against all odds, he ends up going to Ole Miss

5.  BRAVE HEART--  1-19--  That mean old Longshanks.  But, she got the better of him at the end.  So did Mel.

6.  EDGE OF TOMORROW--  1-20--  A cross between "Groundhog Day" and "Starship troopers."

--RoadDog

MIDDLE AGE:  Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty, but everything else starts to wear out, fall out or spread out.

Movies, Big Band Music and Da Bowl

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10

Saw a movie double header at Fox Lake Theatre:  "80 for Brady" and "Plane."  So good to be back at the movies again.  Enjoyed both movies.  Then met Kevin and Kelly at the Fox Lake Legion for 50-50.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11

Went to Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg, ate at Taco Bell in Fox Lake and went to the Fox Lake American Legion where they were having a Valentine's dance with the Lakes Area Swing Band.  

They are 16 musicians who put on a great Swing/Big Band show.  There was a good crowd and most everyone was dressed like people used to when they went out dancing.  Most really could dance those style of dances.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12 

Went to Culver's in Fox Lake for that great double butter burger meals and then the SAL (Sons of the American Legion) meeting at the Fox Lake Legion.

I then went to Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, to Donovan's Reef where I had paid to have a seat at the Super Bowl party with AUCE and drink during the game.  I also had a room at the motel behind the bar, so driving home was not a problem.

That was sure a great game.

--RoadBowl

A Day with the Groundhog in Woodstock then the Bars of McHenry and Johnsburg

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Drove to Woodstock, Illinois, for the last day of their Groundhog Days Festival.  I saw the movie "Groundhog Day" in the big screen at the Woodstock Theatre which was in the movie as the Alpine Theatre where Bronco Billy Murray and date went.  I didn't know the date was Mrs. Gary Fencik, Chicago Bears player from Super Bowl XX.

The place was packed and everyone was laughing at the comments.

Then took a walk around the Woodstock Square past the Top Top Cafe (now a Mexican restaurant) and Bill's Puddle, where Ned accosted Bill, the Pennsylvanian Hotel (Woodstock Opera House) and the bar where they drank to world peace.

Of course, the entire square itself was the site of Gobbler's Knob where the groundhog was pulled out of his burrow.   It also was where they danced in the gazebo, where Bill did his ice sculpture and the snowball fight.

Stopped at Wayne's Lanes which was the bowling alley in the movie where Bill saw his glass as half enpty and where the drunks got in the car and led the cops on a chase.  They now have a cut out of Bill Murray at the spot he was sitting at.

Drove to McHenry and had Bloody Marys at the Polish Legion  ($2.75), mixed drinks at the McHenry American Legion (rail drinks $3) and beers at Sunnyside  ($2).

Busy Day.  That Darn Goundhog's Got To Be Stopped.  --RoadHog

WLS Top 25 Songs for Week of February 12, 1973-- Part 1: 'Dueling Banjos'

These were the top songs in Chicago according to powerhouse WLS, 890 AM, fifty years ago.

* means the song was climbing the charts.  The number after the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 National Charts.

25.  *GIVE ME YOUR LOVE--  Barbara Mason         #31     About as sensual and erotic as you can get.  She had a #5  song in 1965 with "Yes, I'm Ready."  Was that a precursor to this new song?

24.  *I'M JUST A SINGER (IN A ROCK AND ROLL BAND)--  Moody Blues     #12     No cerebral, just kickin'.

23.  *PEACEFUL EASY FEELING--  Eagles      #22     Can Glenn Frey get any more laid back?

22.  DUELING BANJOS--  Delieverance      #2 for 4 weeks       Actually Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell.    From the movie "Deliverance.  Some mighty strange folk up in them thar hills.  

21.  ME AND MRS. JONES--   Billy Paul   #1 for 3 weeks    You know they have a thing going on.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I'm Just A Wandering On The Face Of The Earth."    Answer below.  --RoadDog

"I'm Just A Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)"

Movies, Expensive and Cheaper Beer, Round Lake Beach and the Groundhogs

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31

Went to see the movie "Avatar:  The Way of Water" at the Fox Lake Theatre and to Half-Times in Johnsburg.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1

Went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes and got a room for the Super Bowl game.  Stopped at The Grove in Spring Grove and was shocked by having to pay $4 for a Miller Lite 16 ounce draft. Then to Saylor Mick's where I had the more reasonable $1 Hamm's pints.  Final stop was at Margaritaville at home.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Groundhog Day...Again.  Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania as well as Woodstock Willie in the much-closer Woodstock, Illinois, both saw their shadows, so six more weeks of winter weather.  Sigh.

Went to Round Lake Beach for a dentist appointment and then to Big Lots, a new grocery store called Tony's and Meijer.  I found that Meijer has half gallons of milk for $1.65.  At Jewel, a gallon of milk is $2.99 and a half gallon is $2.49.  I hate paying almost as much for half the amount.   Later met quite a few friends at Half-Times and had a beef sub and those $1 Miller Lite drafts.

Of course, watched the movie "Groundhog Day" on AMC.  So nice of them to have a 24-hour run of the movie.

Not Loving This Winter Thing.   --RoadHog

I Was Back in Woodstock... Again-- Part 2: The Groundhog Bit Murray

More Fun Facts:

**  Murray was bitten twice by the groundhog while filming and even had to get rabies shots just in case.

**  The film was not shot in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, but rather Woodstock, Illinois.   During a scene with Ned Ryerson, Phil's old classmate,  a sign for Woodstock Jewelers can be seen in the background.

**  Ramis, Murray and  Stephen Tobolowski (Ned Ryerson) have been honorary  Grand Marshals  in Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day.

**  Other famous actors were considered for the role of Phil Connors that director Ramis considered "too nice: were  Chevy Chase, Steve Martin,  Robin Williams and Michael Keaton.  Keaton reportedly turned down the role because he thought it was too confusing.

** Even though the movie was filmed in Punxsutawney, it had a big impact on the town.  Celebrations went from about 5,000 to 35,000 after the movie came out.

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How long was Phil stuck in deja vu?  No one really knows, but a whole lot.  The movie shows him reliving it 38 times.

--RoadPhil

I Was Back in Woodstock... Again for 'Groundhog Day'

This past Sunday, I drove the eighteen miles from the house to Woodstock, Illinois, to partake in the last day of the town's annual Groundhog Days festuival which started on February 1.

I was too late for the pancake breakfast at the Moose Lodge (where the dance/bachelor auction was held in the movie), but managed to get a seat to see the movie on the big screen at the Woodstock Theatre (where the scene with Bill Murray as Bronco Billy and his date went to see the movie "Heidi.")  I found out earlier that day that his date was the wife of Chicago Bear player Gary Fencik of the Super Bowl XX champs.

From the February 2, 2023,  WTAJ, Rochester, NY.  "Bill Murray's 'Groundhog Day' celebrates 30th anniversary" by Bill Shannon.

ANYWAY, SOME FUN FACTS ABOUT THE MOVIE:

**  Bill Murray's character, Phil Connors, evolved into a much nicer human being during the film.  At times when  director Harold Ramis would explain a scene, Murray would ask him:  "Good Phil or bad Phil?" so he would know how to play the character.

--RoadHog

'A Man Called Otto,' Crossword Puzzles, Word Searches, Half-Times and Some Snow

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25

Saw one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, "A Man Called Otto."  Besides him being old and living in a world he doesn't much care for and the loss of his long-time wife six months earlier, I felt I had a lot in common with Tom Hanks' character.   

If this movie doesn't get Academy Award nominations for best movie, actor and actress there is something mighty wrong.

I completed a Tribune Crossword Puzzle (the one on the comics page) with no help.  This is the first time I've ever done this.  If you'd told me six years ago that I world be doing crossword puzzles, I would have told you you're out of your mind.  Both my mom and wife were big fans of those.  Plus, I have come to enjoy word searches.  

Who'd have ever "figgered."

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26

Went to Half-Times for their $1 pints of Lite and half price pizza and sandwiches and had another one of their great TBC (turkey, bacon & cheese) subs.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27

Stayed home today as it snowed all day.  It has snowed 1 1/2 to 2 inches every day starting Wednesday.  All that snow we haven't been getting, we're starting to catch up.  I still can't get the snowblower started, but so far I have been able to easily shovel accumulation off.

--RoadPuzzle