WLS Top 23 for Week of April 9, 1973-- Part 1: 'Drift Away'

Fifty years ago today.  That's half a century.  I know where I was.  I was living with Liz's parents in Palatine, Illinois, and doing my student teaching at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois.  I was driving the ol' Ramblin' Wreck (1963 Rambler station wagon) back and forth.

As a matter of fact, one of the songs in this post especially takes me right back to those days.

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

23.  SPACE ODDITY-- David Bowie       #15    Good ol' Ziggy Stardust personna singing about Major Tom's trip.  His first Top 40.

22.  *DRIFT AWAY--  Dobie Gray       #5      One of my all-time favorite songs.  I love the comment:  "Almost  sounds like  he is opening  his heart up and baring his soul."  True.

21.  *ONE MAN BAND--  Ronnie Dyson      #28      Full title includes "(Plays All Alone)"  I don't remember it, however.   Good song.  Follow up to his only other Top 40 which was "(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You"  (#8-1970).

20.  *STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU--  Stealers Wheel      #6    That's Gerry Rafferty singing.  You might know him better for "Baker Street."   Scottish band.  This is the song that takes me back to student teaching.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well I Don't Know Why I Came Here  Tonight.  I Got The Feeling That Something Ain't Right."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Stuck In the Middle With You"

Around Here: A Civil War Encampment, Stucky's, Karaoke and Da Pack Beats Da Bears

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16

For the first time since 2019,I went to a Civil War encampment at Hainesville, Illinois.  It was good to get around like-minded folks like me.  It was sunny, but blustery with a good bit of cold in the air.  Not bad in the sunlight, but avoid tree shade.

I met and talked with my friend Bob, who was playing the part of Elijah Haines, the founder and namesake of Hainesville.  We go back to 1973, when we were both teachers in Round Lake.  I also sat in on the presentations by U.S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln.

They were going to recreate the Battle of Bentonville, fought in North Carolina on March 19-21, 1865.  This battle was fought just 25 miles from where I was born in 1951, Goldsboro.  However, I had been wind-blown enough by then so I decided to leave.

Later that night Liz and I went to Stucky's in Johnsburg where we ate an d I sang karaoke.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17 

Met the new neighbors across the street for the first time.  We went to the McHenry American Legion where we watched a certain quarterback own us again as he said so emphatically after scoring a TD.  The 24-14 final score was not truly indicative of their domination.  Sure getting tired of watching Da Bears play Da Packers.

--RoadSadBears

Around Here: Good Things About Eliminations, Flu Shot, Raking Pine Straw and Lawn Tractor Problems

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14

Well, one good thing about the Sox being eliminated from the playoffs (and the Brewers were also eliminated last night), I no longer have to make a special effort to watch any of the playoff games anymore.  I will watch parts of them as I get a chance to, but not all the games.  Plus, had the Sox gone to the World Series and won, there is a considerable savings on souvenirs of the event.

I got my regular flu shot for the second straight year,  I didn't get them for many years as I taught school and was around so many kids that I had built up quite an immunity, but the last several years I had been really sick with the flu for a couple weeks at a shot, so, hey, I'll take the shot.

Put up some more Halloween lights.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15

I did a lot of pine straw raking (free mulch) around the east and west pine islands and picked up a whole lot of limbs and sticks in the arboretum area in preparation of cutting the grass.  Sadly, I couldn't get the lawn tractor started and will have to have it worked on again.  It is now 28years old and perhaps even a John Deere doesn't run forever.  This is the third problem this year so it may be time to get another one.

--RoadDog

Last Week: Our 48th Wedding Anniversary and Living High Off the Hog-- Part 1

TUESDAY. AUGUST 24

We were thinking  what was going on with ourselves 48 years ago.  I signed my contract to teach my first year in Round Lake, Illinois, and we had the rehearsal dinner for our wedding the next day.

We had planned to go to Galena, Illinois, this week (where we went on our honeymoon), but decided to stay home because of the return of the virus (even though we are both vaccinated).

I went to the McHenry Count Civil War Round Table Board of Directors meeting instead.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25   LIZ AND MY 48TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Forty-eight years ago, Liz and I got married at the Newman Center in DeKalb, Illinois (NIU) and had our reception at the Holiday Inn on Lincoln Highway in DeKalb.

No expense was spared for our anniversary breakfast with a trip to McDonald's for their breakfast sandwiches.  (Buy one get another for $1.)

Met friends at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, for trivia and an anniversary toast.  Then to Sunnyside in Johnsburg, Illinois.

Lots of Memories.   --RoadDog

Going Back to 1974-- Part 1: "Any Major Dude Will Tell You"

On December 2, 2018, WXRT's Saturday Morning Flashback featured the year 1974 and was hosted by Johnny Mars.

1974 was another busy year for me as I finished teaching my first year at Magee Middle School and started my second one.  We moved from our first apartment in Des Plaines, Illinois, to our second one in Vernon Hills, Illinois.  This one was about half way between where I worked in Round Lake and where Liz worked at General Finance Corporation in Evanston, Illinois.

I taught summer school at Grayslake High School.

We also started looking for an affordable house (and eventually moved into one in Round Lake Beach (for $33,000).

ROLL ON DOWN THE HIGHWAY--  Bachman Turner Overdrive
WALK ON--  Neil Young
ANY MAJOR DUDE WILL TELL YOU--  Steely Dan

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "We Rented A Truck And A Semi To Go."  Answer below.  RoadDog


"Roll On Down the Highway"

Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)?-- Part 4

Continued from (in order)  Tattooed On Your Soul, Not So Forgotten and Cooter's History Thing blogs (see the side bar Blogs I Follow).

On this, the 18th anniversary of the Day the World Stopped Turning.

By Alan Jackson

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

Where were you when the world stopped moving that September day?

Teaching a class full of innocent children   (In my case, I was.)

Or driving down some cold interstate?

Did you feel guilty

'Cause you're a survivor

In a crowded room did you feel alone?

Did you call your mother

And tell her you loved her?

Did you dust off the Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened

Close your eyes and not go to sleep?

Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages

Or speak to some stranger in the street?

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

How did Alan Jackson know I was teaching a class of seventh graders at John T. Magee Middle School in Round Lake, Illinois?

Final Boating?, Civil War, SNOW, Stucky's and Sunnyside

FRIDAY, APRIL 26

Had my favorite breakfast meal at McDonald's, the steak, egg and cheese bagel.  And, they use real steak.  And those caramelized onions!!    Drove to Hebron and picked up the boat where we kept it in a barn over the winter.  Since we are planning on selling it this spring, this could be the last time.  We have been boaters since 1985, but that time is ending. Met the Usual Suspects at the Legion for 50-50.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

Drove to Crystal Lake for the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group, topic the Battle of Shiloh.  Then took the truck into the emission testing station where it passed.  All week the weather had predicted a snow storm.  The rain turned  to snow about 10:30, but didn't stick on the roads.  We ended up with three inches on the deck rails and a white covering on the grass.

SUNDAY, APRIL 28

Big meltdown of the snow.  None left by evening.  We went to Stucky's and watched NASCAR and the Chicago Cubs and White Sox games..  A couple we know came in with their two six-month-old huskie (NIU spelling) puppies so had to go out and play with them on the deck.  Also, a former student of mine came in and remembered "Demerit Points."  Something all my former students remember.

Snow At the End of April?  Don't Even Think About Calling It Warming!!  --RoadDog

A PLETHORA OF TIDBITS:  A cardigan worn by a man is sometimes called a mandigan.

A Busy Weekend-- Part 1: President George H.W. Bush, Memories and Movies

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6

Wrote about yesterday's funeral for our 41st President, George H.W. Bush, in all of my blogs.

Bob Stroud went to 1971 for his Ten at Ten.  A great year of music for me as I was at UGA for the first half and NIU the second half.  My high school and college years are still my favorite for music  That would be 1965 to 1973.    I always pick a favorite song of the ten, usually ones that bring back a memory.

However, today, I had to pick two.  "Reeling In the Years" by Steely Dan always reminds me of driving the famous "Ramblin' Wreck," my 1963 puke green Rambler station wagon back and forth between Palatine and Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, during my student teaching.  The other song is Pure Prairie League's "Amy."  However, Bob  pointed out that it was released in 1972 but didn't get popular until 1975, when I really liked it.

Drove to Round Lake Beach and saw two movies at Regal Cinemas:  "Widows" and "Overlord."  I am trying to reach my yearly goal of 52 movies seen in theaters and have a bunch to go and running out of time.  Both great movies.  And, Regal Cinemas has $6 tickets, a free mall bag of popcorn ($2 for a large tub), $2 drinks and best of all, $2 Nathan's hot dogs all day Monday to Thursday..

Ate at Hardee's in RLB.  We don't have many Hardee's here in northern Illinois.  Try their double sliders.  Sorry White Castle.

--RoadDog

POLITICALLY INCORRECT CHRISTMAS SONGS:  "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"    Bullying.

12 YearsRetired Already

Hard to believe, but I retired from teaching in 2006.

That is 12 years ago.

Where does the time go?

--RoadDog

CUSTOMER GUIDE TO SUPERMARKET CHECKOUT:  Never get into the 10-items-or-less line without at least 12 items.  (Believe me, the others behind you will be counting.)

Summer of 1976-- Part 7: "Crazy On You"

Bob Stroud did his third part of his annual trip back to the songs of 40 years ago this past Sunday on his Rock and Roll Roots Show on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM.  He goes back the 40 years on the first Sundays of June, July, August and September and plays the songs you'd be hearing on the radio and on your albums back then.

I was finishing the last of my summer enjoyment before starting my fourth year of teaching in Round Lake, Illinois, at Magee Middle School.  We had also been in our new house in Round Lake Beach where we had been living since 1975.  We bought it for $33,000 which was a real lot of music for us back then.

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN--  Steve Miller Band
ANOTHER RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK CITY--  Chicago
DON'T FEAR THE REAPER--  Blue Oyster Cult

WITH YOUR LOVE--  Jefferson Starship
WARM AND BEAUTIFUL--  Paul McCartney & Wings
CRAZY ON YOU--  Heart

Name That Tune (from the above):  "This Here's a Story About Billie Joe and Bobbie Sue."  --RoadDog


"Take the Money and Run"

The Passing of My Friend Martin S. Kadner

I was very saddened to learn last night that Marty Kadner, a friend of mine and a fellow teacher for thirty years at John T. Magee Middle School in Round Lake, Illinois, died.  Unfortunately, we lost contact after he retired.  My friend Kip said he had found out on Monday and given a call to me, but unfortunately, I didn't get the message until Tuesday morning and didn't get a call back until Tuesday night.  He and his wife had gone to the funeral and burial service.

I went to his obituary in the Chicago Tribune and it didn't have much information, just that Marty was 68, a Vietnam War veteran and recipient of a Bronze Star and that he had taught many years at Magee.  He was buried at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery near Joliet.

His wit and sharp tongue got us through some trying times at school.  If I didn't know better, I'd say his brother from another mother was Richard Belzer (Detective John Munch) from the TV shows "Homicide" and "Law and Order: SVU."

Marty was not a dog lover, but we once ran into him at Bill's Pizza in Mundelein and he went with us out to Lamb's Farm when we found and picked out Brandy to be our puppy.  The poor guy ended up holding Brandy on the way back to Bill's.  But he dogged through it.

Marty put out an occasional little newsletter called Burnt Offerings, something that he started when the district ceased giving us out Christmas bonus turkeys.  This was one of the funniest things to read I ever set hands to.  He had a way with words worthy of Mike Royko.  If not a teacher, he could have been a journalist easily.

He graduated from Southern Illinois in Carbondale and loved that area of the state.  He always planned to retire there and spend his days fishing.

I was amazed at how many students entered onto the Legacy to thank him.  He brought that wit and dry, really dry, humor into the classroom.

My Life Was So Much Better for Having Known Marty.

I'm Sure he Is Off Somewhere, Probably Fishing and Making His "Observations."

Happy Retirement Terri Z.!!

In a short time I am going over to Magee Middle School in Round Lake, Illinois, to attend a retirement party for a great friend of mine, Terri Z.  She is getting to start those golden retirement years nine years after me.

She was the daughter of my first principal at Magee, Jim Rogers.  She started teaching there, as did I, and for 22 years, we were teammates and she was nice enough to be team leader, a job I definitely did not want.  (I had to be the team leader for one quarter and was completely miserable.)

She was also out union president and leader during out 38-day strike back in 1994.  She rose far above anything that could be expected in this instance.

Have a Great retirement Terri!!  --RoadDog

JSS: Boating 30th-- Kim Kearby-- '85 Buffed Out-- Dos Equis Beer

JSS-- Just Some Stuff.

1. BOATING 30TH-- Yesterday, we went out for a boat float for the 30th time of the season. We like to shoot for 40 times a year so are 3/4 the way there. Normally, we like to have 40 times by now, but this has not been a great boating season.

2. KIM KEARBY-- We were saddened to learn that fellow teacher and teachers union leader Kim Kearby died. We will be attending his funeral. He lead the Education Association Round Lake for most of the time it was in existence.

3. '85 BUFFED OUT--- Wednesday, I took the '85 Firebird over to a guy in Johnsburg and had it buffed out. I had forgotten we had metallic flake on it.

4. DOS EQUIS BEER-- Anybody else besides me find the Dos Equis Beer commercials annoying?

Just Some Stuff. --RoadDog

Where Were You July 7, 1973?-- Part 2

I was driving around my (well, soon, our) 1973 Ford Pinto which we had bought for $2200 at a Ford dealer in DeKalb. That was a HUGE amount of money for us.We traded the '63 Ramblin' Wreck in on it.

And, I was either still living in Palatine at Liz's parents' place or perhaps we had gotten the apartment in Des Plaines by then. I'm not too sure on the particulars.

By now, I had given up on getting a teaching job and looking for anywhere my career might take me. I hated the way I was treated at the teaching job interviews (well, the few I could even get). Liz was back home as well and looking for a teaching job while working at General Finance Corporation (a loan company) in Evanston. The Home of "Friendly Bob Adams."

We were getting married August 25th.

Then, There Were Those Great Songs Playing Back Then, All Those 40 Years Ago.

A Real Busy Time.  --RoadDog

Bill Edgcomb (1953-2013)

Last Tuesday we went to the wake for Bill Edgcomb, a long-time educator in the Round Lake, Illinois, school district.  Liz worked with him for over twenty years.

Making it even more sad was that he had just retired a couple years ago and almost immediately started an abrupt loss of health that was finally diagnosed as pancreatic cancer.  To work all those years and then losing all the retirement time.

We have been to many functions over the years with Bill and his wife (who died about ten years ago) and he was one fun guy.  Always with something funny.

As far as education, Bill Edgcomb was the teacher's teacher.  He took everything seriously and would put in 12-hour days on a regular basis.  I didn't know it, but in 2008, he won the prestgious Golden Apple Award for teaching.

He'll Be Missed.

Going Back to 1973-- Part 2: Signed A Contract and Got Married

I went in and signed my teaching contract on Friday, August 24th and then  hurried back home to the apartment in Des Plaines (first apartment and place that I "owned."  We had just signed the contract for it in July and moved in August 1st.  Well, I did, Liz still stayed at her parents' house in Palatine.

I should mention that in June, I traded the 1963 Rambler station wagon (that my parents had given me) in for a brand new Ford Pinto that I was quite proud of.  I believe it cost $2200, a whole lot of money for me back then.

I ended up teaching in the Round Lake School District for all 33 years of teaching (31 at the same building).  I guess you'd call that longevity.

The reason I hurried back from signing my teaching contract was that I had the rehearsal dinner that night at Algauers.  That's right, I was getting married the next day.  If there ever was a pivotal two days in my life, August 24-25 would be them.

We got married at the Newman Center in DeKalb (NIU) and had the reception at the Holiday Inn on Lincoln Highway (now Best Western).  The honeymoon was in Galena, but cut short as I had to start teaching on Tuesday.

Pretty Busy Time.  --RoadDog



THE LAST TOO PUNNY:  If you jumped off a bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.

Going Back to 1973-- Part 1: A Pivotal Year for Me

The weekend of June 1st to June 2nd featured seven hours worth of a major trip back music to what probably was the most pivotal year of my life, 1973.  And, there was even 50 minutes more of the music on May 30th.  And, I'll sure be listing those songs.

To start with, I graduated from college at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb...AND, didn't get drafted to go to Vietnam.  I thought that war would never ever end.  It had started when I entered junior high, continued all the way through high school and then, almost all the way through college.  Making things even better, my draft lottery number was 22, which meant I was going.

I had just recently done my student teaching at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, and was looking for a teaching job.  While waiting for the job, I was driving a van back and forth from O'Hare Airport for the Sheraton Inn-Walden Hotel in Schaumburg.

I'd finally given up on the teaching job and had a career job working at Bonanza Sirloin Pit in Buffalo Grove as an assistant manager and was in line to get my own store. 

However, a teaching position opened up in Round Lake, Illinois, one week before class started, and I took it (thanks to some "pressure" from my soon-to-be mother-in-law, Frances.

Job and Married Next.  --RoadDog

Seven Years of Retarred-ment Today: Round Lake Gets Out for the Summer

Last day of school in Round Lake, Illinois, today.  That makes Sue mighty happy as this is her last day of teaching with that retirement thing looming (although for teacher retirees, it doesn't begin until school reopens in August, something about that summer vacation thing, you know).

I might go over to Docker's for the Round Lake Magee and Middle School get-together.  Always great to see old friends, especially the ones joining the retired world.

This marks the seventh year I've been retired (re-tarred).  People were asking me before I retired in 2006, if I was worried about not having anything to do when I quit teaching.  I'd tell them that should be no problem.  I'd had 33 years of practice during the summers and was really good at not working.  As a matter of fact, one of the reasons I also retired from deejaying in 2010 was that it was getting in the way of being retired.  (Well, that and the fact that I was just a little bit out of the times and still using cassette tapes.)

Looking back at my 1983 journal, I see that June 2nd was the last day of school in my tenth year of teaching.  I commented about how much easier the check-out experience was than it had been the first three years.  I then went to an Ellis end-of-the-year party in Wauconda and then to the first meeting of the new Northern Illinois Civil War Round Table in Mt. Prospect, which I had a role in starting.


WHERE DOES ALL THE TIME GO?

As a matter of fact, I have come to wonder how I managed to do so much when I was still working as I sure don't have enough time now (although I'm fairly sure "I'll do it tomorrow'" has something to do with it).

Of course, when I retired I had no blogs, which take up way too much time now.  But, I've always liked to do research and that is a big part of the blogs, all seven of them.

Back in the teaching days, we had an end-of-the-year party every last day.  We had the last one in 2006 and never again.  Kelly and Kevin have, however, taken up the tradition very well and we're going over to their place tomorrow afternoon for it.  Then, of course, Da Hawks.

Retirement...Not for Everyone.  Somebody's Got to Do It.  Just the Guy to Do It.  --RoadDog


TOO PUNNY:  A backward poet writes inverse.

The Man Missed the Point

From the September 12th Chicago Tribune "CPS students a voucher away from unreal schools" by John Kass.

Mr. Kass is a columnist in the Chicago Tribune and very anti-Chicago Teachers Union as is the Tribune.  Of course, he got a lot of fodder from the recent strike.

CTU President Karen Lewis, at the beginning of the strike said that "real school" would be closed.  Kass starts off with "Real school?  You mean that public system where four of 10 students don't graduate?"

He then visits a South Side school, Leo High School, where 100 percent of the students graduate and are accepted into college.  It is a Roman Catholic  all-boys school that draws from a poor neighborhood made of mostly black students.

He goes on to paint what a wonderful place it is with its 160 students and $7,500 tuition.

I am sure Leo is a fantastic school as I gather from the column.  It would have to be with that number of students and that amount of tuition, especially considering that parents pay that amount above what they pay for the public schools.  Even if they get assistance in the tuition, these are parents that actually are really involved in their children's education.

If the Chicago Public Schools had this kind of parental support (and not those who are great at mouthing their concerns but not willing to back it up), I can assure you, the public schools would do much better.

Plus, I have to believe there is at least some sort of a selection process to get into Leo. You don't just show up and get admitted as in the public schools.

But the public schools do not get to "cherry-pick" their students.

Let's see, here's a student committed to doing well in school with parents who back him up.  Hey, I want that kid in my class.

It's a Parental Thing.

Some Thoughts On the Summer of 1972

A big thanks to Bob Stroud for taking me back yesterday to a great time I had 40 years ago, the Summer of '72.  It was a time before these sky-high property taxes and when you could actually afford to drive places, both with the price of cars and PRICE OF GASOLINE these days.

Two songs resonated greatly with me that were playing on the radio 40 years ago.

The first was "School's Out" by Alice Cooper.  I was just getting ready for my senior year which would be all education classes and student teaching.  After the following summer, I started teaching and did that for 33 years.  I have now been retired for six school years; getting ready to start my seventh in a few weeks.

And, I tell you, these last six years have sure flown by.

Now, "School's Out...Forever" is the name of our boat.  Kind of fitting since Liz and I were both teachers.  Liz came up with the name when we were trying to think of a name for out second boat.  When she said that, there was no further discussion.  That was perfect name, thanks to dear old Alice.  Of course, back in 1990, it was just "School's Out" as we had not yet retired.  If you saw us out on it, it was a good bet that school was out for the day or summer.

Back 40 years ago, I had no idea that I would ever get into boating, which we did in 1985, thanks to my deejaying at places on the Chain of Lakes.  We're now on out third boat and have been boating 28 years.

But, back then, I had no idea.

The Second Song Soon.  --RoadDog


A FUNNY HEADLINE:  Dealers Will Hear a Car Talk At Noon.