Sunday, Return to Blogging
By Dan on Aug 17, 2008 in Local, Music
Time, in New England
My Sunday AM column this month delves into sappiness. My family spent two weeks in New England while I languished at home. Feelings of profound forlornness were experienced. Reports of actual tears are unconfirmed at this time.
There seems to be some doubt to the entire story’s veracity. I can assure you that Tessie really did scratch her name onto the tailgate of our van and that I really didn’t discover her transgression until leaving to pick them up at Midway Airport.
[Evidence] You’ll note that the van was taken to the body shop during their vacation. I believe that after repairing the side panels, the good folks at Kim’s washed and waxed the entire vehicle, and unwittingly uncovering her graffiti.
Park at Joe’s
Rather than enjoy my vacation time in beautiful Vermont, I cashed it in so that I might spend eight-to-eleven hour days parking cars at Joe’s. State Fair parking is a tradition in my family, and our six-man crew (me, dad, uncle Joe, brother-in-law Rob and nephews Mitch and Colin) provided exemplary service to all of those right-thinking fairgoers who didn’t fall under the sway of $3 parking. Experience, competence and courteous service in a parking lot may not mean much to you, but your car appreciates it when you provide it with the very best. Next year, avoid the riots and spend the extra two bones to park at Joe’s. You’ll be glad you did.
To Protect and To Serve, Right After We Kiss-Up
The sights and sounds outside of Gate 11 grow more uneventful each year. Franny’s Tavern, once a noted political hangout, is a shadow of its former fair-season past. The party-centric pols no longer parade down Sangamon Avenue on their appointed day. But there was one thing were noting.
When an ambulance exits the fairgrounds at Gate 11, it must first stop at the four-way stop to make sure that cross traffic has heard its siren and cleared the intersection, before it proceeds to the hospital emergency room.
When the governor and his entourage enter Gate 11, they don’t even have to slow down. That’s because the state troopers on duty are already in the intersection stopping traffic so the cavalcade can proceed unimpeded.
It’s interesting to me that EMTs transporting the traumatized are left to fend for themselves, while those conveying ineffectual and delusional public officials get rapid-response treatment. To make matters worse, the troopers actually salute the federally-investigated unreformer.
On a hoppier note, Rob and I celebrated a week of successful fair parking with a six pack of something tasty. I went off the board and purchased some Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale to enjoy on the final Sunday evening of the fair. It is highly recommended.
There’s No Rain
Also worth noting, my uncle said that this was the first fair in memory that featured no rain. The lack of sweltering, soul-damning heat, combined with dryness, combated high gas prices and made this a surprisingly prosperous fair week.
Coming Soon
Nick Leet, from the Minneapolis band, High on Stress, asked me to give his band a listen. I did. I really dig them. A more proper review will follow, but let me say that I suspect that I’m but a live performance away from becoming a full-fledged fan.
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Tarnation! I was going to recommend Sierra’s Anniversary Ale based on your prior joy with SN’s stuff. It has some righteously hoppy goodness without becoming overbearing. I doubleplus good it also.
Gish | Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
Franny’s Tavern, across from the “lot”. Lots of rough memories there. Ouch!
Chaz | Aug 19, 2008 | Reply
Dan,
As a some time local partisipant of media Id like to thank you for acknowledging the ambulance staff as EMT’s and not ambulance drivers. Maybe someday the rest of the so called educated media can make an attempt to use the non abbreviated version of the word, paramedic.
On another note I hope you enjoyed your beer. Im off to FL to attend the annual “Canvention” of the BCCA. Ill be sure to sample as many beers for you and keep notes. Maybe Ill find something new.
Roy | Aug 23, 2008 | Reply
Hi Dan,
I find it all totally believeable.
A couple of great songs about being a father (not as ham handed as Cats in the Cradle” but will definitely pull at your heart strings) – Loudon Wainwright III’s “Daughter” and Peter Himmelman’s “Raina”
DougD | Aug 24, 2008 | Reply
Roy,
Let me know how the canvention goes. I want to do a follow-up article when it comes to Springfield.
Doug,
I’ve heard a cover “Daughter.” I can’t remember who it was, but I remember it was a great song. I’ll have to check out Raina. Peter Himmelman’s a righteous songwriter.
Gish,
I haven’t been able to find the Anniversary Ale since last week. Do you know who’s still stocking it?
Thanks for commenting,
Dan
Dan | Aug 24, 2008 | Reply
As of Saturday, I snagged the last sixer at the Tuck which had been secreted away in the walk in cooler. Boo to them! Yea for me!
Gish | Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
Hey Dan, I had not heard anyone covering LWIII song ‘Daughter’ but found one on ITunes and gotta say it doesn’t compare to his. He has been around for a looong time and has a history of writing very personal songs with a sense of humor, about family (The Picture), being a parent/raising kids (X or Y, Daughter, Hitting You), relationships (Strange Weirdos, You Can’t Fail Me Now) etc. Also kind of ironic (since his son now ‘plays for the other team’)was “Rufus is a T*t Man” when his son was a baby.
As for beers I applaud your perseverance in pursuing Sierra Nevada. Not sure where they might be available in Spfld but I would highly recommend Prohibition Ale and Rogue Dead Guy Ale. A long way from drinking Old Milwaukee at GHS.
Doug D | Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
Doug D-
Where does one obtain this ‘Prohibition Ale’ you speak of? I second Dead Guy although I prefer their Brutal Bitter and Younger’s Special Bitter a little more. I just picked up the XS Imperial Bitter they have and I am hoping it is gonna be worth the price.
If anyone is a Schnuck’s shopper, have you noticed they are now carrying Rogue bomber varieties and sixers of Dead Guy?
Gish | Aug 26, 2008 | Reply
Sorry I can’t help you out with finding Prohibition Ale in Springfield – I live in Arlington VA now. If memory serves, it is brewed in San Francisco by Speakeasy Brewery. I would try googling it and try to find out who their distributors are.
DougD | Sep 2, 2008 | Reply