The Shamrock Court Motel in Sullivan, Missouri. It can be yours for $125,000. Lots of possibilities. Actually, now you're too late. Missouri's Roamin' Rich bought it.

Friday, November 15, 2019

IHSA Lincoln Highway-Route 66 Showdown-- Lincoln Highway Teams Remaining


These Lincoln Highway teams lost their second round games:

6A  Kaneland

5A  Sterling, Marmion Academy

These Lincoln Highway teams are still in the running:

8A

Lincoln Way East

7A

Batavia

6A

Providence Catholic

5A

Joliet Catholic

2A

Newman Central Catholic

1A

Morrison

Lincoln Highway has six teams left, as does Route 66, so right now, it is a tie.

Third Round Is This Weekend.--RoadDog

Thursday, November 14, 2019

IHSA Lincoln Highway-Route 66 Showdown Results of Second Round: Route 66


These Route 66 teams lost their second round game:

8A  Edwardsville
7A  Normal Community



Teams Remaining:

6A

East St. Louis
Chatham-Glenwood

5A

Joliet Catholic
Sacred Heart-Griffin

3A

Wilmington
Willaimsville

There are six Route 66 teams remaining.

--RoadDog

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

In Honor of Veterans Day: National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago


On November 10 and 11, I wrote about five places you should visit in honor of our veterans in my Not So Forgotten:  War of 1812 blog.

From Wikipedia.

I had never heard of this one.

The National Veterans Art Museum was formerly the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum and is located at 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Six Corners neighborhood.  Originally just for the Vietnam War, it now encompasses all wars.

It was originally a traveling exhibit, but when Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley saw it, he insisted Chicago have its permanent home.  The entrance hall had 58, 226 dog tags hanging from it, one for each American killed in Vietnam.

There are nearly 2,500 works of art in the museum.

--RoadDog

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

In Honor of Veterans Day: My Trip to Pearl Harbor


My mother took the family to Hawaii and then she took my sister and me on to Australia and New Zealand.

I have always wanted to go to Oahu so that I could go to Pearl Harbor.  If you don't go to that honored spot, you might as well not have gone to Hawaii.

Besides the Civil War, my three really interesting historical places are the Alamo, Titanic and Pearl Harbor.  I buy any books or magazines I come across on these  events.  And, of the three, Pearl Harbor is #1.

I just never will understand how we got caught so by surprise as we were.  Come on, you had to know that the Japanese fleet, when it escaped detection, was headed somewhere to bring about a knock out blow.  Everybody in the Pacific Ocean should have been on the highest alert.

So, the absolute highlight of my trip to Hawaii was Pearl Harbor.   That trip by boat from the visitors center/museum to the USS Arizona Memorial was a solemn one.  It reminded me of the Vietnam Wall.  The names on that wall of the men below us still entombed in ship.

But, what got me the most were the drops of oil still coming up from the ship.  It was like the ship was bleeding and a real connection to December 7,1941.

There were a lot of Japanese tourists there as well.  I had to wonder what they thought about it.

Thanks Mom.

In Honor of Veterans Day: The National World War II Museum in New Orleans


On Nov. 10 and 11,  I wrote about five places you should visit to commemorate Veterans Day in my Not So Forgotten:  War of 1812 blog.  This is one of them.

From Wikipedia.

Formerly known as the National D-Day Museum, it was founded in 2000, but later designated by Congress as our National WW II museum.  The museum opened on the 56th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2000.

New Orleans' D-Day legacy came from the fact that this is where those Higgins boats were made.  They were those small boats loaded with Allied soldiers coming ashore on that day.

This place is definitely on my list of places to visit, but sadly, that won't happen for awhile because I am boycotting one of my favorite cities in the world because of what they did to those Confederate statues.  But at some point I will get over it and will be there.

Looking Forward to That Time.  --RoadDog

Monday, November 11, 2019

In Honor of Veterans Day: My Trip to The National U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB on Anniversary of JFK's Assassination


I have been writing about five places to visit to honor our veterans on this day in my Not So Forgotten:  War of 1812 blog.  This is one of those places.

Back in 2013, I decided to stop and check out this museum on my way to visit my mom in North Carolina.  I always take I-70 from Indianapolis to Columbus, which goes right by Dayton, where the AFB is located as well as the museum.

What made this even more of a special stop was that it the date I would visit was November 22.  That would be exactly a half century after President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.  His body was taken back to Washington, D.C. on Air Force One and this is where Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the next president.

And, that airplane is at the museum.

Talk about history and I was going to experience it exactly fifty years to the day  after it occurred.  You could just feel the history all around you.  I saw the room where Johnson was sworn in as president with Jacqueline Kennedy standing next to him in that blood-smeared dress.  I saw the area where seats were cut out to carry JFK's coffin.

When it happened I was in 7th grade at Winston Park Junior High in Palatine, Illinois.  I sure remember that day and the next days after it.


Saturday, November 9, 2019

10 More British Places With Hilariously Rude Names-- Part 2: Where Is Sluts Hole?


Again, go to the site to find pictures and more information. I'm just listing these funny names.


5.  Mudd

4.  Wide Open

3.  Penistone

2.  Sluts Hole

1.  Fanny Hands

So, the next time you're over there, some good photo ops.

Wide Open.  --RoadMudd

Friday, November 8, 2019

10 More British Places With Hilariously Rude Names-- Part 1: Crapstone


From the November 5, 2019, ListVerse by Matt Garrow.

I am just listing their names.  Go to the site to see pictures and a lot of information.

So, next time you're in England and driving around, visit these places.

10.  Bitchfield

9.  Townland of Stranagalwilly

8.  Crapstone

7.  Brokenwind

6.  Hole of Holcrum

Photo Ops?  --RoadDog

Thursday, November 7, 2019

First Round Results IHSA US-12 vs. US-14 2019 Showdown: US-14 Leads 5-4 Going Into 2nd Round


The first round games were played last weekend.

There were six teams from US  Highway 12  (Rand Road) that entered it.  Two were eliminated:

8A   Maine South

7A   Grant

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

These four teams are still playing:

8A

Fremd

7A

Hersey
Lake Zurich

4A

Richmond-Burton

Northwest Highway  (US-14) leads Rand Road  (US-12) 5-4.

Go You US-12.  --RoadDog

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Results First Round IHSA US-14 vs. US-12 Showdown: Five US-14 (Northwest Highway) Teams Left


The first round of the playoffs, featuring 256 high school teams in eight classes of 32 teams is in.

NORTHWEST HIGHWAY  (US HIGHWAY 14) WENT IN WITH NINE TEAMS.

Four of the teams lost: 8A   Maine South and Barrington

6A:  Crystal Lake Central and Crystal Lake South.

Five teams are still in:

8A

Fremd

7A

Hersey
Prospect

6A

Prairie Ridge
Cary Grove

Go Northwest Highway.  --Road14

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

IHSA Lincoln Highway-Rt. 66 Showdown, First Round: Ten Lincoln Highway Teams Still Remain


The first round of the Illinois High School Association football playoffs of 2019 has been played.

Nine Lincoln Highway teams of the 19 who made it lost:

8A:  St. Charles East, Plainfield East, Plainfield North, Plainfield South
7A:  Lincoln-Way West, DeKalb
4A:  Dixon
3A:  West Frankfort
1A:  Aurora Christian

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

Lincoln Highway teams still in the playoffs:

8A:

Joliet West
Lincoln-Way east

7A:

Batavia

6A:

Kaneland
Providence Catholic

5A:

Sterling
Joliet Catholic
Marmion Academy

2A:

Newman Central Catholic

1A:  Morrison

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

Lincoln Highway still has ten teams in the playoffs and leads Route 66 by a 10-8 margin.

Go You Lincoln Highway.  --RoadDog


Monday, November 4, 2019

The Results Are In for IHSA First Round Lincoln Highway-Route 66 Showdown: Route 66 Teams


Seven of the fifteen Route 66 teams were knocked out of competition:

8A:  Joliet West, Plainfield East, Plainfield North, and Plainfield South.  Definitely not a good weekend for Plainfield.

6A:  Springfield, Normal West

3A:  Carlinville

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

Remaining Teams Play This Weekend:

8A

Edwardsville

7A:

Normal Community

6A:

East St. Louis
Chatham-Glenwood

5A:

Joliet Catholic
Sacred Heart-Griffin

3A:

Wilmington
Williamsville

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

Route 66 has eight teams remaining.

Go You Route 66.  --RoadDog



Sunday, November 3, 2019

Filling Shoes At the 'Shoeless' Joe Museum in Greenville, South Carolina-- Part 1


From the Oct. 22, 2019, Chicago Sun-Times by Mitch Dudek

Chicago bartender heading to South Carolina to run shrine to tarnished White Sox legend.

He may have been the greatest baseball player ever, but sadly is disgraces and was kicked out of baseball with the 1919 Chicago Black Sox.

Dan Wallach is a huge Joe Jackson fan.  His right foot even has a tattoo of Joe Jackson's autograph.  Even if his tattoo doesn't match the real Joe Jackson autograph.

Dan Wallach, 32, is abandoning his life in Chicago and moving to Greenville, S.C.  That means, selling his home in Skokie and quitting his job at Yakzies (across from Wrigley Field) and taking over operations at the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum.

And, yes, despite working by Wrigley Field, Dan is a bona fide White Sox fan.

That museum is inside Joe Jackson's house.

Go You White Sox.  --CootSox

Saturday, November 2, 2019

And, Then There Is That Good Old Pumpkin Beer


Eating pumpkin not just good enough for you? Wash it down with a pumpkin beer.

From the October 5, 2016, Chicago Tribune "Pumpkin beer skeptic finds 8 worthy of appreciation"  by Josh Noel.

"I tried to hate a beer that sounded like a Starbucks drink. I really did!"

But, he found that he liked eight pumpkin beers out of 25 that he tried.  (How do I get signed up for that job?)  He has pictures of the bottles and a glass of each and says what he likes about  each.  I don't know how many are still made since this article is from three years ago.

1.  Crypt Keeper  (Scorched Earth Brewing)

2.   Brandy Barrel-Aged Pumpkin Imperial Ale  (Lakefront Brewery)

3.  Jack O'Latte  (O'Fallon Brewery)

4.  Punkin Ale   (Dogfish Head Brewery)

5.  Fall Hornin' Pumpkin Ale  (Anderson Valley Brewing)

6.  Harvest Pumpkin Ale  (Blue Moon Brewing)

7.  Pumpkin Chal  (Saugutuck Brewing)

8.  Pumpkin Lager  (Lakefront Brewery

See For Yourself.  --PumpDog

It's That Pumpkin Anything Time of Year


From the October 5, 2016, Chicago Tribune "Autumn Love Affair" by Jean Marie Brownson.

Although, with the 6 inches of snow we received on Halloween,it seems more like a winter wonderland thing than fall, this is the time of the year that thoughts of many, including myself, turn to anything pumpkin flavored, especially pumpkin spice cappuccino from Thornton's.

She points out that you can even make your own pumpkin spice mix for better flavor.  Such items as cakes, pies, ice cream and puddings.  I see Steak 'N Shake has a Pumpkin Spice Shake.  What next?  Pumpkin Spice McRibs?

And, if cooking is your thing, she had recipes for several items:

Pumpkin spice and currant waffles

Homemade pumpkin pie spice.

Why, I have even seen little teeth marks from our friendly local bushy-tailed rats (squirrels) on our two pumpkins outside.

--Pumpkin Me.  --RoadPump