school never ends

I'm a bit of a freak. Blame it on whatever, but here I am. Y'know, I read Marx, got into the Clash, and can babble on about the historical Jesus. Where-ever it came from, it did. University? Who knows.

But I always wondered about any of the neices and nephews- is there a potential freak in the lot? None has come out as such in hs. The first one (nephew.1) is w/in 6m of graduating university; not him the freak- he is going into some sorta something or other, and should get a nice office type job a few minutes after matriculation.

Then there is neice.1 She is an undergraduate @ the same place as I did. Smartly, she emailed me her history paper for me to go over. It was on the American Revolution and whether it was all that radical. She had some arguments in place and ok structured, but it was not argued well. Spent 2h on the fone w/ her trying to cowboy it up. Went well, jus' long.

However, I wonder- in the same way I became radicalized in my grad years because I had excellent profs who taught me to actually read and analyze, will the same happen to her? Hopefully with them all.

Whatever happens with them, I must amidt I'm awaiting on their problems as they get older. The theory is that I can be used as a resource. A different type of resource. Compared with the reat of my family, I'm not quite so........ I'm a little different than the rest. So if any of the kids come up with a big sorta problem @ least I can offer them a option they trust that isn't necessarily all the same as the rest of the family. Hopefully there will be no problems, but then again I am two score and one and I know the ineluctability of hardships in life.

This is not to put down my sisters etc, as they have been beyond excellent parents (believe me, I my career is kids their age, and am always deeply pleased w/ my 8 in comparison w/ kids I work with all the time, now and in the past) and excellent aunts. But, their world view mite be a little more.... narrower than mine ('cepting that they have kids, and I have no idea what it means to be a parent). I'm glad I can offer the kids options.

Hopefully the deep vanity of their uncles doesn't carry through- one of neice.1's sources was Dr. Alfred Young- one of my profs @ NIU. MAde sure i pointed that out to neice and...........you.

Bolo and the Magnetic Fields

I once saw the Magnetic Fields (young and insane). Well, I've seen them more than once, but......well, it was all kinda one long concert, so maybe i did just see them once----------Hilts==start again.

It was a terrible day. Big Bolo, little Bo's brother, picked the day the tickets for the three announced MF shows were put on sale to , well, die. He'd been getting old and had the bad hips seemingly endemic to Alsatians. But when I got to Jacksons that day, horror met me. E. came out deeply effected, and walking in there was poor Bo scrabbling on the floor. he was trying to get up to meet me, but he just couldn't.

Very sad, but he had to be put down. His owners showed- I was glad I was there that day. B-Ball and balz came over to say goodbye. We had to load the dog onto a sheet to carry him to the car, but it hurt him so much he was snapping. I had to put on a leather coat (armour) and baseball mitt to load him up.

His last earthly stop was the vet. i remember pulling up in back, the cold clinic room where our dog was laid down, and the shots. We hung for a long bit, and he held on for a long time. And then he started to go.......

Jackson and I planted a maple in front of his house (not the new one) some weeks later and a bit of Bo's ashes were put in. Life goes on. There is even a brand new Bolo. I gotta say, a little of Bo lives on. Y'd be suprised, too. Next time yr hanging w/ Blackie, ask him for his impression of the dog= its beyond great.


" We have come to bury our beloved dog Bolo. He is gone from us in this world. But let us rememeber the dog that was. His circling the living room of 1207, racing @ litespeed, never having to touch the floor because he could rip 'round the room on the couches and chairs that used to line the walls. My wrestling matches w/ Bo- Blackie, you remember. The thunder bark. When we first got him- his treating 1207 as his own private shitter. Jackson and I trying to get him to run with us on Montrose Hill- our attempts to fake him into running up the hill after us. Bo never lording over Gator when age had sapped Gator of his previous 'top dog' status this is our beloved dog- we can only live out our miserable allotment of years now that our beloved dog is gone. "


But wait- I was talking about the Magnetic Fields. This whole bit was started by my seeing that the MAgnetic fields are touring again. So, as big Bo was on the floor and we were waiting for BBall to arrrive so we could head to the vet, I asked ( and felt funny- here I was in th presence of the last hour of our dogs life, but also== @ long last, my opportunity to watch the band live had arrived, and I was buting the tix NOW).

They originally started w/ three shows (f-s-s). Then a Saturday afternoon show was added later in the week- Yes, I'll buy t a ticket for that show as well. Then announced several days after that- a sunday afternoon show. I though long and hard- and then though it would have been a co out to see FOUR of FIVE shows - do it all.

I was glad in the end. Wilde shows. Later.

This from Wehrmacht Z

PFFFFFFTTTTTT HITLER !!!!!

Sunday Nite.

Trouble. Taken @ home. Uh, oh. Only once in my entire two score and 1 before this picture have I drank @ home because I liked the taste of it- well, once a broken heart or two had me drinking once or twice, but.......

Saturday.1

Moved Joker for the 12,000 time Saturday afternoon. It wasn't a hard move- plus I was late. But there was a lot of work to be done, and I felt good pitching in. Check out the picture for those who helped- representitives of the various battalions of the Young Guard.

Joker and Oceanic are moving to Grayslake- cut hours off the commute for the Batman Villian. Funny how I almost got a job in Grayslake last summer- I'da been over every nite for dinner.

Pictured is not everybody who helped- just those who are my buddies. A mom and another friend and some at risk kids also helped.

And was nostalgic. That, rite there, was where I got my haircut last month. Said good bye to the garage. That rite there, why I .................... I can be too romantic sometimes, and not romantic enough @ other times.

Saturday.2

Keegans. Went there instead of other places- wanted the new Reader. Went to Harolds after- Gf made the call. Ordering she insisted on the 1/2 and I kept saying the 1/4 will do- what, she knows HAROLDS better than me?

She apologised later.

anarchic feeling from me towards the entire bowl system in NCAA football

DEATH TO THEM !!!!

Manger

Our favourite places to eat
Again lamenting the loss of my precious ½ price coupon books, I list off some love towards those especial eplaces Gf and I delite in delicating at. In otherwise, our yummiest yummeries. And yes, I know my choices are hopelessly …what, banal?? Ooo the fast foods I love so much!
Those places that are from the ½ priced coupon book are in italics. And again, I fully understand what statements I am making about the banality of my tastes.

+Regulars+
Arabica.==This place was written about last week. It’s a bit out of the neighbourhood,. It’s been renamed Panini, but we prefer to call it by its original name. The workers there are incredibly nice. Food is outstanding; huge panini’s, tasty sides of potato salad or cole slaw, chips. Gf and I get one side each and then share both. As stated in the other post, Gf and I considered it a great triumph in getting mom out to eat ; especially because we like this place much.

Quigleys. ==Irish bar I wrote about then. It’s in the hood (across Pulaski on 111th in Oak Lawn)and also has outstanding food. I always get the bbq Guinness burger. Again, we share the rings (big and good ones) and the cole slaw. They have ciders, and now we will order some crowns. Blackened tuna seasoned/spices sandwich is loved by Gf. I think that all tuna sandwiches are disgusting, blackened or blued or marooned or whatever; but I am way olde enough to know that beauty lies, in the eyes….

B.J. McMahons.==Another Oak Lawn bar. Gf really likes this place, and I like it a lot as well. But she’s always wanting to go there. We get burgers (Sheesh- writing this I’m realizing now why Gf wants to cut down on the burgers- poor girl) and share their huge plate of fries. Cider. And she likes that they always have the paper to scrounge through- she likes that for me, actually. Women.

Villa Rosa. == Pizza !! I went to this place to get 2-1 supersized pizzas when the kids and such were invited over. Always kool to get the spur of the moment idea on a Tuesday or whenever, call around to my sisters to see if they can come over, and then get mass pizza. It’s cool to use these coupons to have arties and save $.

Bennigans.==It’s near Ridge cinema, so we’ve gone here for convenience before films a lot. Gf likes to go here and often suggests it. But, she notes- we don’t go there much no more.

WoW Café and Wingery.==Near Neils Church on the rebuilt Maxwell Street. Again, I’ve written about this place several times, or @ least referenced it. Brilliant sandwiches, and so big we generally only eat half and bring the rest home. Nice near the Loop and on the way to the north side. We both like it lots.
Brought the kids here once after a soccer game Soldiers Field this summer. I remember that it was such a hot day and that the kids had been out in the sun since long before the game. When we got to WOW after the game I immediately asked the waitress for glasses so the kids could hydrate themselves. Again, like taking Mom to Arabica, it was great to take the kids here. So much fun in my decade long campaign to make sure they see parts of Chicago that is not Mt. Greenwood or Oak Lawn (Older kids have stunning luxury of having already spent lots of time in Marquette Park pre ‘91. And if the punks don’t remember, I got lots of pictures to prove it to them. It‘d funny, but we uded to mind them so much back then they really spent a lot of time here.)

Gerties/Lindies.== A neighbourhood place that food wise especializes in chilli. It’s two shops- Lindies is the food place, and Gerites is the ice cream part. Growing up the flagship Gerties was on 59th and Kedzie. It was always an especial treat to - for what was always beauty in my eyes- strawberry shake it up. And as chance has it, in my new ’hood there is one of the chained Gerties now coupled with Lindies food stuuf shop. Funny now that it’s the chili I enter the shop for these days. Gf and I enter into, that is. We love it. It’s a nice option if we are hungry and don’t wanna go far- It’s across from the library and a fun walk. They also have Green River. We share the order of cheese and order of onions to spread over our chili.

115 Bourbon Street.=Sister.4 bought some coupon sheet (not the book) from a St. Rita student on a fundraising bent totally unbeknownst that she’d stumbled upon a gold mine. She had a good heart- she bought the sheet from a student who asked and then passed it on to me- but my Ph D eyes in this ½ priced matter of interest- oh God, sweet succulent suppence to me- there was so much shit on the coupon sheet- but nicest of them all was this place. 115 is a vast barn of a place, w/ the concert area, the sports bar area, the chill room, the dance factory, etc- it’s huge. I’ve read somewhere that there is a tend - exemplified by this place- to have huge barn like places subdivided up in a very 115 type manner. It’s @ the end of my street, and although I rarely go there, they do have lots of TV’s for the important Fire road game, cider, and good food. Hamburgers, of course. And their added twist id the sweet potatoes fries.

Symphony.== Place in Evanston. Nice place we only ate once at- we never got another 2-1 for the place. However, we are on their mailing list- they send notices and 20% off’s to my house ( Kooler/ Luft Stalag III / Nazi Germany), addressed to “Mr. & Mrs. Virgil Hilts”. We fancy the conceit. We plan to go back to this pace one of these days just to reward them for recognizing us as Mr. and Mrs.

China Lite.== Excellent Chinese on Southport. Only once; no more coupons.

Islands Café. == Downtown Blue Island. It’s a kool suburb just south of my area. Italian food.

+Fast Food+
Popeye’s.==Growing up it was Kentucky Fried Chicken- block and a half a way on Richmond. In my young adulthood it was Harolds-all over the Southside handily wherever I changed buses. But now it is Popeyes, pure and easy. Dragon warned me. Since it was a new Orleans institution, he always favored it. But somehow, over the years, it gradually overtook Harolds in the ‘fried chicken shops’ battle for my heart’ episode. They have so many coupons, its always off this or that. Never ½ priced, mind you. Love Popeyes.

Schoops.== features very high quality burgers. Gf and I stop by the one in Orland Mall. Us plus Mr. Fibulee stopped by one before the last Morrissey show. Huge burgers. Always (four times total- twice in the mall, once on road to Blackies wedding, and Morrisseytime) the people who worked there have been very very nice. Friendly, and we were always right. The last attempt to eat Schoops ended in failure- I drove around endlessly trying to locate a since closed Palos burgerey. Bless Schoops.

Culvers.==First came into my conciousness during trip to see Radiohead Alpine Valley in….2001?? No idea. It was Snowden’s idea, and before the show Gunners, Smokey Treats, Snowden and I munched up some of the famous butterbugers. Beef good guys. Liked it ever since- from that mad dash that started in the parking lot of Milwaukee’s Miller Park in 2003 after a Brewers game to a northern suburb to just catch the culvers open to the repater stops @ the 93d and Harlem location before Fire games. Used the last of the 2-1 ‘s two weeks ago.

Quizno’s.== Blackie introduced me to this shop- he had gotten a 2-1 coupon over the internet in, say, 2000, and we cashed it in for supper @ a Quizmos a block from hi house on Damen. Mom likes it and it is an easy option. Fast food.

White Castle.==The greatest of all fast foods. Rite now I got a buy three get three free card. Simply the best food ever. Oh, what- yr gonna even try to argue this point?

+No coupons+
Harold’s.== Wonderous fried chicken. Chain especially over the Southside, but in other places. Always for me it’s the “¼ white with mild, please.” Ate it last nite after Keegans. I wasn’t hungry, but we were 106st and Western having crowns, and the open till 3am Harolds on 119th was open and close. It was she who wanted to go, too. Seriously- she like sit a lot- more of a ftish for her @ this point. Writing this, however, I want to go now.

Lula’s.== Logan Square. Took Gf there early on ‘cause I hard it was really good and I wanted to impress her. It‘s just a neighbourhood place, but the foods great and lots of kool people go. We’ve gone back there several times- once before a Trust show next door @ the Logan Square Aud. We should go soon again.

Maple Tree .==Expensive place in Blue Island. Have been there with Pepper and BCD, and took Gf there early on (again trying to impress). Ate the ribbs, yum. Everytime I’ve eaten the ribbs, yumm. That first time w/ Gf was especial. It was so early on, maybe third date. It was early evening, and we sat outside. Rite there was a railroad bridge over the canal next to the resturaunt. I remember the spitting steam or whatever spat by the engines idling nearby. That nite was also shared by us with Barn Swallows diving about doing their thing. I was doing my thing- diving desperately as well trying to capture this girl. So expensive.

Suedehead

There are much better Suede songs than this try. check out the battle, though. Yeesh.

moosunderstood lyrics

skin deep?


instead of?

last day

It was a sad day, this First of November. Oh wait, it was also a gloriously fun and “Yes Yes Yes !!!” type of day. But also it had its sadness about it- it was the last day of the coupon book’s coupon were valid- 1 Nov. My precious books, lovingly pourd over and planned over and constantly referred to the past 12 months- all done with.

I really wanted to use two last two for ones @ Panini (previously called Arabica) before they lapsed into uselessness. My plan was Gf and I to take Mom and two of the neices, but neice.4 couldn’t go. Gf and I’d been there many times, and it was fun for us to take them both. We’d tried to take Mom to the pplace last week, but the plan fell though. Again, good old neice.3. Mom needs to go out more and be more active, so this was a great operation. She enjoyed it, and we all chowed down.

It was then that we raced to Lanigans to Fire it up. The Red Fone was used, and we made the TRI. Since we were way up there, we decided to drink one or two @ some lesser patronized by us because of distance drinkery. I’d had two Crowns already @ Lanigans; despite my deep love of Chicago’s famous Rainbo Club (read the haters), I returned to the straight cider. Rain not an Irish bar--despite the bars considerable stature in my life, I have to say that their crowns are not crowns but swilled to-gether swish. Funny- both Gf and I are the total converts to the crowns- her quote was that “something was missing” with just a cider. Like that Guinness twist.

Rain was kool. I wanted to see what it was like on a Thursday- I kept forgettin’ the day off. Lotta old school regulars, not the typical weekend type crowd. Not too crowded, but growing as we were leaving. Two very old school bartenders- going back to the early 90’s. Gf wanted to take a picture in the fotobooth, but we didn’t get it done. Long drive home by Gf pilot my pilot.

Friday Nite, the first of November. Wait, it was Thursday nite !!!

Presently think its Satuday because I had the off day today. Took Mom to what was once called Arabica but is now called painin something or other. We love it, and we had two 1/2 priced coupons ready. More, and pictures, later. Then we went to Lanigans and watched the Fire advance in the playoffs in a kick ass game -v- D.C. United. Here is a link to that future story on dcs. Then we took a rocket to Russia and the stop @ Rainbo. an appreciation of rainbo - and a picture- follows, but in due time.

Maybe to-morrow/maybe someday

So Long, Joe

One of the great writers of his genre is Roger Angell. What genre? I haven't read this yet, but assume it is kick ass. Gallo'd on over.

nyt X 2

Double stories inspired double thoughts in my double lobes. neither nyt story is extra especial, just an impetus.

Rocky theme story

This was an article about the banning of i pods and other listening devices during races for safety reasons. Some wanted their ear buds, but others felt it stole away a little from the race:

Andersen also said wearing headphones robs runners of the complete marathon experience. He remembered running alone across the Willis Avenue Bridge into the Bronx in his first marathon, about to hit the wall at the 20-mile point, when a teenager leaned out of a building’s window and played the theme song from “Rocky” on a boom box.
“If I was wearing an iPod, I never would have heard that,” Andersen said.

The theme from Rocky- the whole music about it- has always been kool. Loved "Gonna Fly Now", the other incidental music, etc... before the 1979 South West Catholic Conference football championship game St. Rita Grammer school - my team- played in (and won), Coach pulled the team into the schools gym-a ratty little auditorium that we also had that famous danse in) and played the whole LP to pscyh us up. Some of the songs are the inspiring type, but I also remember listening to "Take it back/ do do do do/ take it back", the song where Sly's real life bro is standing around a burning garbage can w/ neighbourhood types in an apacalla(sic) sing a long. Not a bad song.

The best song was the song that they played in the original Rocky during rounds 4-13 or something like that- a time compression song, They reprised the song in Rocky II for his training rounds (Adrian wakes up out of a coma and says "win" , or whatever- the best song is the "buildingly louder as the song goes on until it hits a cresendo of drums and bells and the finale sounds like "DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN" You know the one (rite, unless y like the Rock trilogy). We always loved that song, and equated it with , well, a Rocky like feeling inside us when things were down- or simply, when we wanted to make a stereotypical joke that carried us through our youth. So, my favourite quote about that song was given by LFP before one of out street hockey games; sensing a mismatch after we divided teams, LFP, on the acknowledged inferior team, walked away from the player draw with the words "Don't worry- they can't beat a team that can sing this song: "duh duh duh duh duh duh DUH duh duuu duh-duh-duh. " Yes, I know, funny in Farsi, or rather, if you were 16. And the last story revolving around this song is that I once- well, I first caught it- @ a Baltimore Orioles game 10 years ago. They were losing big to the Sox going into the bottom of the ninth, and Camden Yards sound system played that song. Funny. If yr 16, an Orioles fan, and.......no, I think its funny. Oh, fuck all of you, or I will begin my reminisces of that one game in 83 or 84 when Floyd Banister threw a pitch and..........

My second NYT story is one in which 1/2 of American children these days live in areas that the parents do not think is safe. Read it yrself, I put it on for context only. I just wanted to bring up the differences betwixt my growing up and my neices and nephews. When I was growing up, my parents put me on ther bus when I was 9 to go miles to baseball games. We'd walk the hood @ all hours. A line Mommy said once was (on same subject) that back in the day "..all we had to do was open the doors" and the kids be ok.

However, being the uncle and all i notice, that todays kids can't go anywhere w/out Blackwater type protection. And that's ok. Eventhough my 'hood is one of the strongest in the whole city (maybe the safest, outside of O'hare or something like that??), I'm terrifeied to let them go anyplace. Shit- two of my neices now in college?? Shit.

Well, we have to let them go @ some point.

Apres Halloween

So sad to walk in and not see hundreds of kids in costume. Halloween is always a good time. Rememberences of girls past- Q's and I's old 'anniversery' was 1 November; our first kiss was in the wee hours of halloween. Treat. Afrika Korps an I's first hanging out outside of class was on Halloween. And then there's........ I'm sure there is more.