Where Were You September 1, 1973-- Part 3

Bob Stroud played some great songs from Septenmber 1, 1973, 40 years ago. Sure brought back some memories.

HIGHER GROUND-- Stevie Wonder
GET DOWN-- Gilbert O'Sullivan
GIVE ME THREE STEPS-- Lynyrd Skynyrd

SHAMBALA-- Three Dog Night
HERE I AM-- Al Green
BROTHER LOUIE-- Stories

PASSION PLAY EDIT 9-- Jethro Tull
DIAMOND GIRL-- Seals & Crofts
FEELING STRONGER EVERY DAY-- Chicago.

That "Brother Louie" always reminds me of driving the van back and forth from Sheraton Inn-Walden in Schaumburg to O'Hare Airport. --RoadDog

Where Were You September 1, 1973?-- Part 2; How I Got My Teaching Job

Liz's mom, Frances, made me fill out the application for the Round Lake School District, which, as it turned out, needed to fill a position just two weeks before school began for a person who could teach history (my major) and geography (my minor). But, like I said, I was fed up with all things education by then.

Then I told her that I wouldn't waste my money and put one of those expensive stamps on the envelope. (How much were stamps back in 1973?) She put one on. Then, I wasn't going to waste my gas to drive it to the post office. She did.

Around a week before Liz and I got married, they called and wanted an interview which ended up being the day before we got married. I went in, and they hired me. I signed my contract August 24th. We had planned on a nearly week-long honeymoon, but that got reduced to two days.

Well, I had always planned on being a teacher since I was seven, so I guess this worked out.

A Teaching IWill Go.  --RoadDog

Where Were You September 1, 1973?-- Part 1

Yesterday, Bob Stroud had part 4 of his monthly Rock and Roll Roots Time Warps back to the summer of '73. As I have already mentioned, this was a "Big" summer for me. I had graduated from NIU and had been looking unsuccessfully for a teaching job while living with Liz's parents in Palatine, Illinois.

In the meantime, I had been working three days as a mover (and I can say that is a really hard way to earn a buck (and I was getting $10 an hour, real big money back then). I was also driving a van back and forth from the Sheraton Inn-Walden in Schaumburg to O'Hare.

In late July, I got a full-time job working as an assistant manager at a Bonanza Sirloin Pit in Buffalo Grove and figured that would likely be my career job. I had given up on getting a teaching job and felt I was so poorly treated at interviews I wanted nothing to do with education anymore.

But, Then, Frances Made Me Fill Out the Round Lake School District Application. --RoadDog

Just Got Back-- 40th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 3: (August 28th) Galena

Enjoyed sitting around and outside the Ramada Hotel room. While Liz was getting ready, I went to the nearby Wal-Mart and bought the new Jimmy Buffett and In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly CDs and the "MASH" and "Patton" DVDs. With the Iron Butterfly album, I like the first side just as well as the 17-minute-long song on side 2. Popped it into the CD player on the '03 Malibu.

Checked out of the Ramada and we're pretty sure that we checked out of the old Palace Motel on this date 40 tears ago as I had to begin teaching the next day.

Drove around Galena on the north side of the river, above Main Street and those are some mighty steep streets. Checked into the Galena Hills Motel, an old-timey mom and pop motel that we like to stay at these days.

Then went back to Galena's Main Street and parked one street over by the visitors center in the old Market Building and looked at their huge U.S. Grant collection. All things U.S. Grant. While there, local character Jim Post came in and talked with us. He has a show tonight at a local theater and we are considering going to it. I should mention that he told me that he had written the 1960s song "Reach Out in the Darkness" as recorded by Friend and Lover. He and his wife were Friend and Lover.

--RoadDog

Just Got Back: 40th Anniversary-- Part 2: (August 27th) Dubuque and Galena

We had an excellent hot continental breakfast at the Best Western and sat out by the pool for awhile. Went looking for the Julien Dubuque Monument south of Dubuque off US-52, but couldn't find it, probably because of the road construction.

Then went to the Old Jail Museum and had a Coney dog at the Grand Tap, acriss from the court house, in an old gas station. Crossed the Mississippi on the bridge and went to Van's in East Dubuque. Checked into the Ramada Inn-Galena, on the site of the old mom and pop Palace Motel where we stayed on our honeymoon 40 years ago.

Then we went to downtown Galena, "The Town That History Forgot" as it is straight out of the 1840s. Went to the places east of te Log Cabin today, two that we'd never been to before.

First stop was at the Gold Room, then Durty Gurts and the Galena Brewing Company where we found that Red Stripe Beer, so closely associated with Jamaica, was originally made in Galena for a hundred years before being sold to some British investors in 1937 and taken to that island.

Back to the Ramada and enjoyed yesterday's lunch, the in-room gas fireplace and sat out on the patio and drank a bottle of Blue Nun wine, a tradition started by Liz's father back on August 25, 1973.

Doing That Memory Thing. --RoadDog

Just Got Back: 40th Anniversary-- Part 1: (August 26th) To Dubuque

We just arrived back home after four days on the road, celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. As friends told us, that's a l-o-n-g time.

AUGUST 26TH, MONDAY: Out to Dekalb, Illinois, where we were married August 25, 1973. Lunch at Fanatico's, a new Italian restaurant with our scholarship person, Terri. We have a scholarship at Northern Illinois in education that we are building.

Then, drove by the Newman Center, where we were married and the Best Western on Lincoln Highway where we had our wedding reception.

Took that scenic US-20 from Rockford to Galena, then stopped for cocktails at the VFW, Paradise Bar and Grill and the Log Cabin. Forty years ago on this date, we ate our first meal after the wedding here, but not today as we were too full from lunch and had too much left over.

Swiss Inn in East Dubuque had no vacancy, so ended up at the Best Western in Dubuque. Met some friendly people at Champps and went to bed.

A Real L-o-n-g Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far Away.... --RoadDog

How to Celebrate a 40th Anniversary

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22ND: No boating because of threatening rain and rain. NTN at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wi.. Two of the dumbest movies ever made: "Sharknado" and "Ghost Shark."

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23RD: Boating. Then Stormy Monday on Fox Lake and the Legion on Nippersink Lake. Margaritaville at home and Sox and Bears games.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24TH: Boating for 20th time. Dock's Tiki Bar in Wauconda and dj on deck. Fratello's Hot Dogs in Volo (for our 40th wedding anniversary rehearsal dinner). Captain's Quarters on Fox Lake for the band 1969 playing music from that era.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25TH: Our 40th wedding anniversary. Boating then the band Soda playing outside at Captain's on Fox Lake.

Great Way to Celebrate. --RoadDog

Happy 40th Anniversary to Us!!!

It was 40 years ago, August 25, 1973, that Liz and I were married at the Newman Center on campus at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. We then had the reception at the Holiday Inn on Lincoln Highway and went to Galena, Illinois, for an abbreviated honeymoon as I had to start teaching in just three days.

Time sure flies when you're having fun.

--RoadDog