New Year's Weekend 2022-2023

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30

Went to Sunnyside Tavern in the afternoon and met Kevin and Kelly at Johnny's Diner in Fox Lake for dinner before going to the Fox Lake American Legion for 50-50.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022

Met Pam at the Windhill Pancake Parlor in McHenry, Illinois, and enjoyed the Christmas decorations.  They go overboard.  Later met Kevin and Kelly at the Fox Lake American Legion for the afternoon New Year's Eve Party with toasting at 4:30 pm.  That's my idea of "celebrating" the new year as it is hard to stay up past 11 pm for me anymore.  Enjoyed DJ Goldy, a real dj, not one of the new ones who do not interact with the crowd.

Watched the college playoffs at the Legion and at home in Margaritaville and was happy Texas Christian beat Michigan and especially happy about Georgia getting lucky and beating Ohio State.  (I went to UGA for a year, plus a whole lot of family went there.)

I actually managed to stay up to midnight.  Happy New Year!!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2023

I drove over to Squaw Bar in Ingleside to see the Bears play their game.  We used to get together with the "Usual Suspects" to watch the games here.  But, I hadn't been back there for years.  It was like old times, a fun place to watch the game with lots of fans.  Unfortunately, it was the 9th straight loss.

Then went over to Saylor Mick's, a new place in Spring Grove and had their $1 taco special and enjoyed the $1 pints of Hamm's.  This place used to be Tommy's and had huge crowds, especially during the Blackhawk games back 2010-2015.

--RoadNewYear

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

Getting Ready for the New Year-- Part 1

DECEMBER 26, FRIDAY--  We finally got some sun after a very cloudy December, but at least warm.  Drove to McHenry and ate at the Little Chef restaurant and bought a Kinks CD at The Vinyl Frontier record store.  Did some looking around for cheap Christmas stuff at various stores.  Met up with the Usual Suspects at the Squaw Bar and later went to the Legion on the way home.

DECEMBER 27, SATURDAY--  I was happy to see that the two eaglets were born in southwest Florida which we will be watching a lot the next several months.  Spent the day mostly preparing for tomorrow's Bears party at our house.  Picked up food for it and watched the three "Juraissic Park movies.

DECEMBER 28, SUNDAY--  We had twenty folks over for the Bears party in Margaritaville.  Of course, the Bears lost, ending a horrific season and we hope big changes will be made.  It didn't stop anyone from having a good time, though.  We then watched the Lions-Packer game and everyone, even the die-hard Bear, hate-the Pack folks, were pulling for the Dirty Lions to lose.  They did!!  Played Name That Tune until about 8.

Go Sad Bears.  --RoadDog


YOU THINK ENGLISH IS EASY?  Sometimes I think that all English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.  And just try to type these words.

Top Party Schools

Once again, Northern Illinois gets no respect.  But, every college president's worst nightmare, though they may be smiling inside.

This is Playboy's listing based on 900 points spread across categories such as sex, sports and nightlife.

Most of these appear to be the rich boy and girl universities.

1.  Virginia
2.  Southern California
3.  Florida
4.  Texas
5.  Wisconsin

6.  Georgia  (I was there for a year, but alas, not rich.)
7.  Vanderbilt
8.  Tulane
9.  Texas Christian  (Kind of surprised at this one being on the list)
10.  Ohio State

Seven of them are Southern schools.

Well, We Sure Had a Good Time at NIU Anyway.  --RoadDog


ANSWERS TO WHICH CAME FIRST FROM YESTERDAY:

Pretzels (610)
Graham Crackers (c. 1830)
Potato Chips (1853)
Cracker Jacks (1893)

Forty Good Years-- A Trip Down Memory Lane

This past Saturday, December 15th, marked the 40th anniversary of when I gave my wife Liz my ID bracelet on December 15, 1967, marking the beginning of a long relationship, that now has 34 years of marriage to boot.

Despite forecasts of, and snow coming down, we drove back to where it all started in Palatine, Illinois.

Liz had just transferred to Palatine from Madonna High School in Chicago. She took the Chicago & Northwestern train to Palatine every day until her parents got a rental house on Boynton Street while their home was being built by Winston-Muss Corporation on Patricia Lane.

We were both juniors and had first met at a party back in November when I mistook her for a girl I kind of liked and, along with another guy, picked her up and put her into a trashcan filled with ice. How's that for an ice-breaker? It's a wonder she ever had anything to do with me after that. But, that did not come to pass.

More on the Trip Later. --RoadDog

That Dear Old Fraternity of Mine--Delta Sigs at NIU

That "Green River" song Bob Stroud played almost a month ago on his River of Rock Salute, got me to thinking about my old frat rat days. I was a member of Delta Sigma Phi, or $1.65 as we (and others) were sometimes called. We were a colony at the time, and unfortunately never became an active chapter. We had originally been Psi Delta Phi local fraternity at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Like I mentioned, whenever we had a party, which was QUITE often, especially over at Czych's (pronounced Chike) apartment or at the house. I, in retrospect, have to feel sorry for his neighbors. These weren't quiet wine and cheese party. Czych was the prototype of Animal House's Blutarski, or Bluto. I mean, every thing about Bluto was our very own Czych, real last name Czychowski. Like, Bluto, Czych had been at NIU for four years and still was just a freshman. He had a very high draft lottery number.

We ONLY played four albums. We'd stack them, play 'em, flip them over, and repeat as often as needed, usually into the wee hours. This from a guy who doesn't usually ever stay up past 11 PM anymore, but that was then. Whenever I hear any of these songs today, I'm back at one of those parties.

One of the albums was Creedence Clearwater Revivals "Green River." The other three were all Motown and soul: Four Tops Greatest Hits, Temptations Greatest Hits, and Sly & the Family Stone's Greatest Hits. That was some really GREAT music.

You Want a Great Party, Play CCR's "Green River, Four Tops GH, Temptations GH, and Sly & the Family Stone's GH. --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