Welcome Summer 2020, One Long and Strange Trip We'll Have, It Won't Be Normal to Say the Least. Flashback to 1968 on WXRT Today

Summer officially arrived here last Saturday, and, believe me, has been long anticipated.  Between this virus thing and the Blacks wanting to tear down every Confederate statue and memorial, these have been some rough times with me.  And, I'm not sure which is worse in those departments.

Last night, Liz and I met Kevin and Kelly at Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg, Illinois, and WENT INSIDE!!!  This is the first time we've been inside for cocktails since March 16, when we were inside Sunnyside the last day it was open before virus closure.

We then started going to Sunnyside when they reopened for outside service on May 29.  And, we've been going back most every weekend when they're open from Friday to Sunday.   Good to see old friends whom we hadn't seen since March.

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This past Sunday, Bob Stroud had a heaping helping of Summer Songs on his Rock and Roll Roots show on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM, the Drive.  I felt obliged to listen to it, because it ain't summer till that Bob plays that music.

Gets you into the  mood, you know.  I'll be listing those sand and water and concert songs in the next post.

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But, in the meantime, reminding everyone that in an hour, Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM, will be going back to 1968 on their Saturday Morning Flashback show from 9 am to noon, CDST.  It streams at www.wxrt.com.

So, if 1968 songs are your bag, this is where you want to be.  This was a high school year for me, junior-senior year.  Some great songs on the Senior Lounge jukebox at Palatine High School in Palatine, Illinois.  (Class of '69 and NOW, I am 69.)

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WXRT is now playing a great Grateful Dead, well, Jerry Garcia, song  "The Wheel."  I don't know how a group that had such great studio albums could be so bad in concert.  The worst concert I ever went to was a Grateful Dead concert back in the 80s with a buddy who is a Deadhead.  But, then again, I really hate jamming, especially excessive jamming.  (I'm more of a Parrothead.)

But their studio albums were works of art.

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Loving That Music--  RoadSong

THAT CRA-ZEE COUNTRY MUSIC:  "She Got the Ring, I Got the Finger."

How I Pull for NCAA Basketball Tournament Teams

Regardless of my picks, I always pull for the Little Guys in the games.  Like Siena vs. Kansas or Stephen F. Austin vs. Ohio State.  This regardless of whether or not I like the Big Guy team.

As far as Big Guy teams, in the past my big two teams were North Carolina and Duke.  However, North Carolina  students pulled down the Silent Sam Confederate statue a couple years ago, plus they are getting a lot of the one-and-done freshmen players.  That is the same with Duke.

I also liked Virginia a lot, but not now since its town Charlottesville is so intent on pulling down its Confederate statues.

Of course, I have never liked Kentucky, Ohio State or Michigan in the Big Guys.

Go Little Guys.  --RoadDog

LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V.":  "Dance like nobody's watching. Wash your hands like everybody is."

NIU Unveils Diesel Statue

From the October 26, 2017, Raleigh (NC) News & Observer "Northern Illinois University mascot memorialized in statue"  AP.

Siberian husky Diesel served as NIU's mascot Huskie from 2005-201.\3.  He will be memorialized with a bronze statue which will be dedicated outside Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois, today before the NIU-Eastern Michigan football game.  NIU teams are called the Huskies.

Diesel lifted his paw in 2013, seemingly to give NIU cheerleaders a high five in a game after a Huskie touchdown.  This was captured on national TV and became viral.  Sadly, Diesel died in 2015.

The statue is designed by Renee Bemis and NIU alumni used an online funding site to raise the $25,000 to make the sculpture.

We met Diesel on several occasions, including the Go-Daddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.  He was one cool dog and lived in our former town of Round Lake Beach, Illinois.  He had the softest fur I've ever touched.

Big Diesel Fan.  --RoadDog

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  You help your dog chase its tail.

A Football Kind of Weekend-- Part 1: A Statue, a Boat and a High School Football Game

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

The usual internet blog posting and FP, Flats and OD (my outside areas).

I drove over McHenry, Illinois, to Meijer and found that they still had cassette tapes so bought a couple 5-pack bricks ($5.49)  I still record on them as it is my preferred way to record.  I then went to the Big R store where I had seen a really neat statue of an American soldier kneeling by a cross with his head down yesterday, but they didn't yet have a price on it and couldn't find the cost.

It was $42 and I bought it.  Not sure where I am going to put it right now, but I do know I will put a small American flag by it.  My way of saying thanks to all service members who put their lives on the line so we can live as we do.

I went boating and then to the Richmond-Burlington Central football game.  Where else you want to be on a warm Friday night (though I still wish high school games were played on Saturday afternoons as they were when I was back in school).

A much better game than the one last week at Johnsburg which we lost.  I pull for Johnsburg unless they play Richmond-Burton where I send a real lot of money for property taxes.  Some confusion as they were also called the Rockets.  We won 38-10.

--RoadDog

Pigeon Problems-- RoadDog's News and Observation

The November 14th Chicago Tribune had an article about the pigeon problem in US cities. Besides rats and squirrels, and now, apparently some coyotes, pigeons have adapted themselves to living in urban areas better than any other non-domesticated animal. The tall buildings are an excellent substitute for the canyons they inhabit in the wild.

Whenever I go into Chicago, they are everywhere. Some won't even move until you almost step on them.

And, there are a LOT of them, and even more all the time. Many cities are trying to control them, even from removing their eggs, birth control, to using birds of prey to swoop down on them. In Brooklyn, NY, city councilman Simcha Felding has proposed an ordinance that would make it illegal to FEED pigeons and punishable by a $1,000 FINE if you break the law.

This proposal has pigeon-lovers up in arms.

But, what are you going to do. Feeding the pigeons only increases their numbers, but I'm sure they can forage for enough food in the garbage. Of course, the very worst thing they do is leave their droppings all over everything, especially statues, which they consider to be their very own private bathroom.

I remember being in a hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, and right across the road was a statue of Sir Walter Scott, author of Ivanhoe and many other Scottish books. The body was black from all those years of early industry, but the head and shoulders was a striking white from you-know-what. Another time, I was in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy. Now, if you want to talk pigeons, this has to be the largest concentration of themin the world. I was surprised to see all the open air eateries. I don't know that I'd like to eat out on that square.

Of course, I never had the pleasure of a pigeon dropping on the head, and I'm sure if it ever does happen, I will be a bit more anti-pigeon.

I Don't Mind a FEW Pigeons...But.... --RoadDog