Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 8: Toasting 49 Years and That Little Bottle of Blue Nun

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

We walked over to the VFW, about a block away and enjoyed their $2 drafts and especially enjoyed talking with the other folks there.  You can almost always strike up a conversation at this "Cheers" kind of a place.  Hopefully, the Gold Room will be better the next time we go there as it is a "Cheers" kind of place also.  Yesterday, we only had one and then done.

Returned to the motel and had our Riesling wine while we toasted 49 years of being wed and Amby and his little bottle of Blue Nun.

We didn't have anyone sitting outside their room last night, but tonight was different.  The people in the rooms next to us were outside and we had a great talk with them.  One couple were farmers from near Galesburg.

Sitting outside your room and talking with fellow travelers is one of our favorite things about staying in a mom and pop motel.

--RoadTalk

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 6: Some More on That Little Blue Nun and a 'Sharknado'

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

The actual date of  our 29th wedding anniversary.

Some more on that little bottle of Blue Nun Riesling wine.

At one time, Blue Nun Riesling wine was one of the biggest selling wines in the United States, especially from the 1940s to 1970s.  That was because our servicemen and women stationed overseas during World War II started drinking the wine and when they returned to the States, continued drinking it.  Sadly, as they died, their kids did not keep on drinking it.  That is why it is impossible to find it now.  Even Binny's in Chicago, a huge chain, does not carry it.

Oh well, regular Riesling wine will suffice for us.  And, overall, Riesling is making a comeback, so we can hope that Blue Nun will as well.

Back to the motel and put one bottle in the minifrig and watched what has to be one of the dumbest movies of all time "Sharknado 3."  So bad that it was good.

--RoadDog

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 5: Those Crazy Iowa Gas Prices and the Little Blue Nun

If you want traffic, you got traffic on the Iowa side of that bridge.

I found a station advertising $3.70 a gallon and doubled back against a lot of that traffic to fill up.  However, as I was putting the gas in, I saw that I was paying $4.10 a gallon.  WHAT??  What gives here?  Have I been victimized again by crazy Iowa gas prices? You've got to keep an eye on gas prices here.  Often regular is more expensive than midgrade.

I then saw that there were two kinds of regular at the station:  Regular and Regular Supreme.  And, I had chosen poorly and been victimized by Iowa gas prices again.  I am going to have to talk to my buddy Mark about gas prices in "HIS" state.

After that expensive gas fill up, we drove back across the bridge and stopped at one of our favorite liquor stores, Van's in East Dubuque.  I bought two bottles of Barefoot Riesling wine to keep Liz's dad's tradition going.  Ambrose (Amby) gave us a small bottle of Blue Nun wine for our honeymoon.  He knew that we didn't like wine (well, Ripple and Annie something or other were acceptable in a pinch).  

Well, every year for the first 44 anniversaries we would get a bottle of Blue Nun to drink.  But, sadly, no one carries it anymore.  But, it is a Riseling wine and you can find them easily, so we drink as close to a Blue Nun thing as we can.

--RoadDog

About Last Week: A Breakfast, Cheaper Gas, No Blue Nun, Snow Showers and a Shrimp Fry

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Met the Magee teachers at Bristol 45 Diner in Bristol, Wisconsin.  It is on US Highway 45 and features some of the best breakfasts anywhere around.  I'm especially fond of the Mediterranean omelet loaded with gyro meat and feta cheese.  I end up with two breakfasts at home afterwards.  Always good to get together with friends I have known since the 1970s.

Got gas on Wisconsin Highway 83, just north of Antioch, Illinois, for $3.08 ($3.07.9) after quite a bit of maneuvering because of long lines of Illinois folks.  Gas in northern Illinois now goes for between $3.50 and $3,60, so this is quite a savings.

Went to Antioch Wine and Liquor store to look for Blue Nun wine.  The owner told me they no longer carry it because of lack of demand, but at one time they could hardly keep it in stock it sold so fast.  This is a special wine for Liz and me as her dad, Amby, a World War II vet, gave us a bottle of it on our wedding day back in August 1973, as we left the reception, in DeKalb, Illinois, and told us to have a drink on him when we got to Galena.  Ever after that, this was or "drink" on our anniversaries.

When soldiers returned from WW II, they started drinking Blue Nun wine from Germany and it became  very popular.

The store did have several other Riesling wines, so I bought one.  Blue Nun is a Riesling wine, so those will have to take the place.  Very close to the Blue Nun taste.

We had snow showers all day and kind of a blustery cold. No accumulation, though.

Met Kevin and Kelly at the Wilmot Riverside in Wilmot, Wisconsin, for a fish fry.  Well, actually a shrimp fry as we all got shrimp dinners.  I usually don't order shrimp because it is of the popcorn shrimp variety which means a really small shrimp covered with a WHOLE LOT of breading.  Their fried shrimp is medium-sized and with a Calabash, N.C., style of breading, which means lightly breaded.

--RoadDog

THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SAY (From the Orange Peel Gazette):  "I can see your point, but I still think you're strong."