Just Got Back From Indy 500-- Part 3: May 25: Legends, Legion and Crazies

Today was Legends Day at the IMS.  Cost $10 to get inside.  Lots of racers from the old days giving autographs (for free) but, really long lines.  I have never stood in a Legend Day line to get an autograph and can't imagine ever doing that.

Walked around Gasoline Alley which is where the race cars are and most are in the garages, but you can see them.  Then walked  over to the museum and after that went to the Chevrolet exhibit.

Back to the RV

Went to the Legion and enjoyed the band, then watched the "crazies" walking Georgetown Road at 10 p.m..

--RoadDog

A PLETHORA OF TIDBITS:  JOE CHARBONNEAU, a Belvidere, Illinois, native, who played outfield for the Cleveland Indians in the early 1980s,used to open beer bottles with his eye socket and drink beer through a straw in his nose.  Yuck!!

Just Got Back From the Indy 500-- Part 2: May 24, 2019: Carb Day

My 68th birthday.  A party just for me.

Piece of birthday cake from Sue, Paul and John and a card.

This was Carb Day, which we have just recently started going to because all of us are now retired.  Carb Day, even though Indy Cars no longer have carburetors, is the last time racers get to have their cars on the track before the big race on Sunday.  This is always on a Friday.

Carb Day costs $30, $25 if tickets purchased earlier, and includes the last practice, a 100-mile race, pit crew competition and a concert.

We like to sit in different places for the practice and race to get a different perspective.  We sat across from the famed Pagoda, right near the Yard of Bricks.

The Freedom 100 Race pits the Indy Light cars, which are a little smaller than the Indy cars and driven by racers wanting to become Indy Car racers.  They drive 40 laps around the track for the 100 miles (the track is 2 1/2 miles around).  This was a good race.

We go back to the RV for a bit as the pit crew competition is a bit boring.  Then we walk back across the street  to the racetrack for the concert.  This year we saw Kool & the Gang and Foreigner.  Last year it was Blues Traveler and Train.  The year before was Barenaked Ladies and Steve Miller Band and before that, Journey.

Back to the RV for cocktails and eating, then to the Legion for a band and more beer.

Great 68th.  --RoadOld

A PLETHORA OF TIDBITS:  TWEETY BIRD, the animated Looney Tunes character, was originally pink.  Bur censors complained that Tweety looked naked, so animators gave the bird yellow feathers.

Just Got Back From the Indy 500-- Part 1: On Arrival

Monday, May 27, I came back from the 103rd Running of the Indy 500.  I went in Sue and Paul's RV, leaving from their place in Round lake, Illinois, on Thursday, May 23.

This will be a shortened version of what we did while there.  I'll write a much more detailed one in my RoadDog's RoadLog blog later this year.

THURSDAY, MAY 23

Stopped at the White Castle in Gurnee, Illinois, for our slider fix and then the Tri-State through Illinois to I-65 in Indiana and to Indianapolis on it.  We have a spot at the American Legion Post 500 in Speedway, right across from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which makes coming and going very handy.

Lots of evidence of rain  the past few days and threat of rain for the whole time we were there.  Quite muddy.

After getting the site arranged and as mudproofed as possible, we had a welcome cocktail then walked over to Speedway's Main Street and did our flight of beer at the Daredevil Brewing Company and all chose Negra for our beer of choice and had another coupla drinks at the Irish bar.

Back to the RV for bbq, cocktails, then the American Legion post for drinks in their bar.

Indy, We Have Arrived.  --RoadDog

Remembering the Fallen, Memorial Day 2019

This blog entry started in my Cooter's History Thing blog and continued in my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blog and finishes here in this blog.  All blogs are for this date.

That humorous story was the last one that Tom Dier had with Jerry Corp.  That's because Jerry Corp was killed the next day.  While his platoon was trying to flush out a sniper there was confusion, and in it, Jerry Corp tripped a boobytrap and he was killed.  The date was April 21, 1970, one week after his 20th birthday.

After he came home, one thing Tom Dier felt he had to do was visit Jerry Corp's family, and especially his mother, Irene, who lived in Ozark County, Missouri.  She said, "We never got used to Jerry not coming home."

But, Irene, now 92, said something else to him.  "Irene has mentioned that she lost her son, but at the same time, she gained many sons --- Corp's former comrades who call, write, visit, keep tabs."

Memorial Day.  What It's All About.  --RoadDog

Heading Out for Indianapolis for This Little Ol' Race This Weekend

In just a little while, I'll be heading over to Long Lake, Illinois, to meet Sue and Paul and leave in their RV for another trip to Indianapolis to see this little old race.

This is now probably my seventh or eighth time there and I am becoming a bit of a fan, though I never thought I'd be.  I'm not a racing car fan.

Thursday, we park the RV at the American Legion Post 500 in Speedway, Indiana, which is located right across the street from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  You can't get any closer than that.

Thursday, we walk over to Speedway's Main Street and party there.  Friday we go to Carb Day which will have the racers doing last laps before Sunday, then there is a 100 mile race by the Indy Lights cars, which are racers trying to make the 33-car field on Sunday.  Then there is a concert, this year featuring Foreigner and Kool & the Gang.

--RoadDog

The Ultimate List of Top 50 Songs, Ever-- Part 2: "Sweet Child O 'Mine"

Of course, these are songs they pick.  Definitely open to a further look.

40.  LONDON CALLING--  Clash

39.  HAPPY--  Rolling Stones

38.  MACARENA--  Los Del Rio

37.  EVERY BREATH  YOU TAKE--  Police

36.  BORN TO RUN--  Bruce Springsteen

35.  RIVERS OF BABYLON--  Boney M

34.  COMFORTABLY NUMB--  Pink Floyd

33.  SWEET CHILD O' MINE--  Guns N' Roses

32.  I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND--  Beatles

31.  RELAX--   Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Oh Yeah, I'll Tell You Something I Think You'll Understand."  Answer below.  --RoadDog



"I Want To Hold Your Hand"

After 33 Years, the Boat's Probably Gone-- Part 1

Kind of a sad, but happy day for us yesterday as I took our 19.5 foot Bayliner Capri open bow, i/o over to a local place who will attempt to sell it for us.

We bought out first boat in 1985, an 17-foot Imperial modified tri-hull.  In 1900, we bought a 19-ft Four Winns and in 2013 the present boat.

I had always thought having a boat was ridiculous growing up.  Our family never had one.  However, when I started deejaying at the Puppet Bar on Pistakee Lake and Neptune's Cove on Fox Lake in the early 1980s there were a lot of boaters and they were having really big fun, so I decided we'd have to get one for ourselves.

I didn't get one right away as I knew that with a boat, I'd have to learn how to tie at least one knot.  Knots are something I am not good at and a reason I never got past being a Tenderfoot in the Boy Scouts as I had to know my knots.  That just wasn't going to happen.  No problem, though, as the main reason I was in Scouts was for the camp outs.  Now those were a whole lot of fun.

Anyhow, the owner of the Puppet Bar (Eagle Point Park), Joe Gates, showed me a simple knot and after about a month I had "mastered" it.

So, I could now get a boat.

A Boating We Go.  --RoadDog

A PLETHORA OF TIDBITS:  Before Sir Thomas More was beheaded in 1535, he moved his lengthy beard aside, saying it "had never committed any treason."   A Man and His Beard.

Two Bands, Five Bars, Yard Work and a History Meeting

FRIDAY, MAY 17

We met Kevin and Kelly at a new place on the Chain of Lakes called Fam's.  It used to be Korpan's Landing for a long time and is at Kamikazee Alley where Nippersink and Fox lakes come together.  Liz and I split a fish fry for $9.99 which had more than enough for both of us.

We then went over to Whiskey Waters on State Park Road and had a good time listening to the band Aging Teen Idols playing our kind of music.

FRIDAY, MAY 18

I went to the Fox Lake Historical Society meeting in the morning, then worked in the yard.  That night, Liz and I went to Stucky's in Johnsburg and had a good time with Uncle Will playing the guitar.  We spent the early part of his show doing protest songs from the sixties.

FRIDAY, MAY 19

Went back to Stucky's for their breakfast buffet, $8.99 for seniors including coffee or tea and made-to-order omelets.  After yard work, we went to Sunnyside and had a great time with the juke box and watching the Cubs game.

Good Times In the Area.  --RoadDog

A PLETHORA OF TIDBITS:  Actress Marilyn Monroe colored her hair using a shade of blond called dirty pillow slip.

WLS Top Ten for May 19, 1969: "Pinball Wizard"

Just a half century ago.

1.  GET BACK--  Beatles
2.  LOVE--  Mercy
3.  THESE EYES--  Guess Who

4.  THE BOXER--  Simon & Garfunkel
5.  PINBALL WIZARD--  Who
6.  MORNING GIRL--  Neon Philharmonic
7.  OH HAPPY DAY--  Edwin Hawkins Singers

8.  GITARZAN--  Ray Stevens
9.  I'VE BEEN HURT--  Bill Deal / Rhondells
10.  HAIR--  Cowsills


DEBUTS
********

33.  LOVE THEME FROM ROMEO AND JULIET--  Henry Mancini
36.  I WANNA TESTIFY--  Johnnie Taylor

37.  LOVE ME TONIGHT--  Tom Jones
38.  SEE--  Rascals

39.  ONE--  Three Dog Night
40.  ISRAELITES--  Desmond Decker

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "The Hurtin's On Me, Yeah, Nut I Will Never Be Free, No, No, No."  Answer below.  --RoadDog



"These Eyes"

The Ultimate List of the Top 50 Songs Ever-- Part 1

From History By Day.  Data used from Rolling Stone. Billboard, Top Tens and Top 40s charts.

50.  A CHANGE IS GONNA COME--  Sam Cooke

49.  WATERLOO SUNSET--  Kinks

48.  MY GENERATION--  Who

47.  WHAT'D I SAY, PARTS 1 & 2--  Ray Charles

46.  EYE OF THE TIGER--  Survivor

45.  BE MY BABY--  Ronettes

44.  LIGHT MY FIRE--  Doors

43.  PURPLE HAZE--  Jimi Hendrix

42.  I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU--  Whitney Houston

41.  LAYLA--  Derek & the Dominos

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "People Try To Put Us D-Down."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"My Generation"

Every Blooming THing-- Mid May: A Burning Weekend

I spent both days last weekend working on the burn pile.  I mean I had a whole lot of branches and limbs, both from the white pines which had a lot of branches broken from a late winter heavy snow (along with some trimming of the lower ones).  Many of those branches/limbs were as much as three to four inches wide.

Plus, I had the branches from the double apple tree which I had cut down and the Bradford pear tree was severely cut back as well.  To say the least, I had a whole lot of burning to do.  It helped when I finally hot the knack of how to get the fire burning hot enough to burn those limbs.  I also had trimmed the smaller branches off the limbs and, the pine needles were drying out so made an excellent accelerant when the fire would get low.

I was able to get the burning in before it rained, which it did both Saturday and Sunday.

Right now, the hyacinths and jonquills are finished, but the tulips are blooming.  Plus, I have probably a hundred creeping phlox plants blooming as well as a yellow perennial.  The crabapple trees are blooming as well, so I have plenty of color.

Oh yes, and the dandelions are plentiful as usual.

Color All Spring, Summer and Fall.  --RoadDog

A PLETHORA OF TIDBITS:  Genuphobia is the fear of knees.

Past Movie Scratches: Non-Stop-- Range-- Harry-- Godfather-- Unforgiven-- Buck

Past Movie Scratches:  Movies I saw on TV in 2018.

55.  NON-STOP--  8-23--  Liam saves the plane.  Such a hero.  The strong, silent type.

56.  OPEN RANGE--  8-23--  Ranchers versus open rangers.  They killed the dog!!

57.  DIRTY HARRY--  8-24--  "Do you feel lucky, Punk!!"  Such a classic line.  Only Clint could say it.

58.  THE GODFATHER--  8-26--  Making him an offer he can't refuse.  Horse, anyone?

59.  THE UNFORGIVEN--  8-27--  All sorts of folks including Eastwood and Freeman going for it.  $1,000.

60.  UNCLE BUCK--  8-29--  That Uncle Buck.  All gruff and loyal.  It was Buck vs. the teenage daughter.

Ultimate Payback in "The Godfather."  --RoadDog

A PLETHORA OF TIDBITS:  When someone uses chitchat, noises, or mannerisms to distract or mislead an opponent during  poker  or another game, it's called "coffeehousing."

Music Deaths: Linda Jansen, Sang With the Angels

LINDA JANSEN, 74

Died February 19, 2019

Joined the Angels as lead singer after Lynda Malzone left the group.  She left the group in 1962, before their big hit "My Boyfriend's Back." (#1-1963).

But she did sing on "'Till" ((#14-1961).  Also "Cry Baby Cry"  (#38-1962) and "A Moment Ago."  Check them out on You Tube.

Music Deaths: Michael Wycoff, Soul Singer

MICHAEL WYCOFF, 63

Died March 3, 2019

American R&B singer.  Best known as backing up Stevie Wonder on his album "Songs in the Key of Life."

Never had a Top 100 on Billboard, but was mighty good.  Check out his "Looking Up To You" and "Tell me Love" on You Tube.

Music Deaths: Dick Dale, King of the Surf Guitar

DICK DALE, 81

Died March 16, 2019.

Real name Richard Anthony Monsour.    Pioneer of Surf Music.  Known as "The King of the Surf Guitar."

His band was the Del-ones and biggest hit on Billboard was 1962s "Let's Go Trippin' " which went to #60. He had one other Top 100 with #98  "The Scavenger" in 1963.  But his best known song was "Misirlou"  in 1962.

Worth a listen to his songs on You Tube.

WLS Top 40 for May 12, 1969-- Part 7: "These Eyes"

I do not write about the songs in the Top Ten as I more than likely have written about them in earlier posts to the Top 40.  I just show how high it got on the Billboard Hot 100.

10.  THE CHOKIN' KIND--  Joe Simon    #13
9.  SWEET CHERRY WINE--  Tommy James / Shondells      #7
8.  GIMME GIMME GOOD LOVIN'--  Crazy Elephant    #12

7.  THESE EYES--  Guess Who     #6
6.  LOVE--  Mercy      #2     "(Can Make You Happy)"
5.  PINBALL WIZARD--  Who     #19
4.  HAIR--  Cowsills       #2

3.  GITARZAN--  Ray Stevens      #8
2.  THE BOXER--  Simon & Garfunkel     #7
1.  GET BACK--   Beatles      #1

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "JoJo Was A Man Who Thought He Was A Loner."   Answer below.  --RoadDog   (And, I always thought it was JoJo was a man who thought he was a woman.")


"Get Back"

WLS Top 40 for May 12, 1969-- Part 6: "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In"

These are taken from WLS YEAR--  Oldies Loon.

15.  MORNING GIRL--  Neon Philharmonic      #17    Was that a moog at the beginning?  Another way-too-short song at just 2:17.   This was a chamber-sized orchestra of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.  Their only other Top 100 song was "Heighdy-Ho Princess  (#94-1970)

14.  TIME IS TIGHT--  Booker T & MGs      #9     Just as hood as their "Green Onions."  Title song from the movie starring Clint Eastwood.

13.  OH, HAPPY DAY--  Edwin Hawkins Singers      #4      Listen to them sing this and you have been to church today.  Their only Top 100 songs by themselves, though they got credit for being on Melanie's "Lay Down (Candles in the Wind)"  (#6-1970)

12.  I'VE BEEN HURT--  Bill Deal / Rhondells        #35     Hey!!  Beach Music!!!  Anytime.  Great horns, but also way-too-short at just 2:09.

11.  AQUARIUS / LET THE SUNSHINE IN--  Fifth Dimension--      #1      Be sure to watch the You Tube video of this by MrHaagsesjonny1.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Cause You Cheated (Cheated), Cheated (Cheated), Cheated (Cheated)."    Answer below.  --RoadDog



"I've Been Hurt"

About Last Weekend: It's a Burnin' Thing, Third Band in Three Days, the Chain and Four Bars Today

SUNDAY, MAY 6

After several failed efforts, I finally got a fire hot enough and managed top burn a lot of the accumulated limbs in the burn pile.

We then went to Cabana's to meet with several of our Usual Suspects group and enjoy the New Odyssey Guy.  He is the former drummer of New Odyssey who is out on his own now that the band retired.  We knew he would be good and he was.  Enjoyed sitting out in the grass, in the sun and with temperatures in the upper 70s.  A great way to kick off another summer on the Chain of Lakes here in Illinois.

With him, that makes three bands that we saw in the last three days.

And, I guess we finally really broke that long list of weekends destroyed weatherwise by the infamous Round Lake Spring Carnival.

We then went to Oak Park Lounge, a holdout from the original Chain, dating back to 1890s and it hasn't changed much.  It is a bona fide Dive Bar.  We love it, but don't go as often as we should.  Plus, they have one of the most spoiled bar dogs who has ever lived, Bomber.  He has every one trained well.

We ran into a couple who we found out had a lot in common with us.  He graduated from Fremd High School in 1974.  They have a house near where we were seriously looking at a lot on the Chain back in 1991.  They met each other in Panama City Beach.

We then went to Sunnyside for a pizza and $1.50 drafts and finished up with a lot of juke box playing at Sunnyside.

That's four bars today.

Too Much Fun.  --RoadFun