After two soccer games we met Bailey and her family at some pumpkin place in Herrin.  The kids petting an alpaca and some kind of long haired cow.  Then they got to pick out a whole lot of pumpkins.
When they got done we went to Frenchman's Widow.  We got chips and onion rings for appetizers since it was by one get one half off.  The chips were okay but the onion rings were really good.  I had a french dip and side salad while everyone else got salads,  I had one bite of my sandwich that was tough and grisly but the rest was good.  The side salad was spot on, enough to satisfy but not too much to get you full.
We left there and decided to continue edifying Mike and Debbie on the joys of Southern Illinois.  First we stopped at a very dead Pin Oak, not much happening.  Our next stop was either PK's or the Cellar.  We found a parking spot about half way between them so we went to PK's.  Always a cool place but it wasn't very crowded but the had Riggs Octoberfest on draft.  Last stop was the Cellar where not a lot was happening there either.  Lisa did get one of their fantastic bloody marys, about the only place I really like them,
Overall a great time.  Mike was happy as three of the four places had his beloved Sailor Jerry rum, only Pin Oak didn't.

As I've mentioned, not much has been happening with us lately.  We had a chance Thursday to get away for a short time so we opted for a nice ride around Giant City.  No place was really jumping out for either of us so the choice came down to Chili's or Logan's Roadhouse.  I finally said I didn't want to fight the traffic going to Marion so Chili's it was.  Not real exciting.
Like a lot of places now they had Sam Adams Octoberfest on draft, can't beat that.  After taking our time reading the menu we both decided on a smash burger & fries lunch deal.  It also came with chips, salsa and a drink, sadly not a beer though.  Anyway it was cheaper than ordering the smash burger and fries off the menu.
The chips and salsa were surprisingly very good, especially the chips.  The fries were nice a crisp.  The smash burger was really good, I was very surprised at how good it was.  I'm not sure how big it was but I'd say close to 1/2 pound.  Nice crisp edges just like a smashburger should have.  I barely got through the smashburger and Lisa took half home.  Neither of us ate all our fries so we took that to see if Dooder would eat them if we warmed them up in the air fryer (he didn't).  As we were leaving I asked the waitress if I should have gotten chips and salsa and she went back and got a to go order for me,
We're not big chain restaurant fans but this was very good.

For various reasons we haven't gone many places the last couple weeks and didn't on Tuesday which was our anniversary.  We (her) watch Dax on Tuesdays and he'll wear an old guy out.  Anyway Tuesday was also our anniversary so we decided on going somewhere on Wednesday.  Since Wednesday is also bocce we couldn't go anywhere too exciting since we had to be back to get the twins off the bus. 
We decided on Carbondalis but found out it was their grand opening.  Since we were going a little after one we hoped we miss the rush.  Didn't happen, there was a 45 minute wait just to order even for to go orders.  We'd made a buck up plan in case of this so off we went to Boobies.
We got lucky and there was a parking spot just in front of Boobies.  It was a nice big spot with plenty of room to parallel.  In the process of parking a train blew it's horn, scared the shit out of us (not actually).  I didn't abort the parking job but it really threw me off and it wasn't my best but it was a adequate parking job.
I decided to go with a Robin while Lisa went with a Tyrolian.  They had Sam Adams Octoberfest on tap so we both got those.  We were the only customers in the place but apparently our order didn't get seen and they apologized even though it didn't seem very long.  Anyway both our sandwiches were really good, just like the Boobys of old.  The bread seemed off the first time we were there but this time was spot on. 
Very impressed.

With an outside chance to make the tournament Roll'em took the court last night.  By outside chance I mean we had to win both games otherwise it was unlikely we'd make it.  We played at 6&7:30, much better than all the 8 o'clock games we've had this season.
In the first game we played Holy Ballz Batman on the third court.  We started out with 2 then one point frames and a 3-0 lead.  We played even with them for a while but then they pulled away some and got to an 7-6 lead.  Lisa had the point and they were out of balls.  My first shot was good and now I had the game ball in my hand.  I made what I thought was a good shot but it was just a little too hard and knocked them into a point and all momentum was lost as was the game 9-6.  Overall we lost 3-4 points on our last throw by knocking us out or them in.
In the anticlimactic second game we played Mission Imbocceball for the second week in a row on the first court.  The game seemed close but when I looked at the final score we'd lost 9-4.
That closes out the fall regular season with only the towel tournament left.  We're going to have to get more consistent and not leave so many big frames.

We played the 7&8 games last night, our last 8 o'clock game in what has been a season of late games.  To make it worse we played the last 8 o'clock game.
In the first game we played Mission: Imbocceball on the first court.  An oddity is there were three Mikes playing on one side.  The game started close but we got stuck on two and got behind 7-2.  We got a three point frame to narrow it to 7-5 but they closed it out and we lost 9-5.
In the second game we moved to the third court and played Ball Busters.  Neither team threw very well but with the score 4-4 we got a three point frame and should have closed it out but I missed a ball on the wall I was using as a back stop.  No problem we closed it out the next frame when our first shot was close enough to the pallino.  A 9-4 win.

After a week off Roll'em took to the courts for out week 6 games.  We played the 6 and 7:30 games, not our favorite but better than the last few weeks.  Mike and Debbie were out of town so we turned to our favorite subs Danny and Jean to fill in.  They said they'd had bad games the night before and were anxious to make up for it.
In the first game we took on Bocce & Brews on the first court.  The game got off to a rousing start as we took four points in the first frame.  We followed up with a couple of one point frames and a 6-0 lead.  They finally got one close and scored one but we finished them off with another three point frame and a 9-1 win.
In the second game we played Corner Bocce on the middle court.  They were short a player but chose a player who was waiting to play rather than rotate.  See how easy that is and thank you to Corner Bocce for doing that.  Once again we jumped out to a nice lead before they scored and we continued outscoring them as we raced to a 9-3 win.
Two much need big wins to even our record for the year and really help with our points scored and given up tie breaker.  Danny and Jean were on fire the whole night and more than made up for their subpar performance the night before.

Yesterday we met up at Faye for a late brunch.  As we were sitting there Ted and Marsha walked in and sat with us.  I went up thinking pastrami hash but changed my mind to Brisket Benedict since I'd never had a poached egg.  It consisted of the poached egg & brisket on a biscuit all covered in hollandaise sauce.  A lot of hollandaise sauce.  The poached egg was solid but there's a lot of other kind of ways to fix eggs I like better.  The brisket seemed okay but it was hard to tell with all the hollandaise sauce and of course their biscuits are always good.  I wasn't wild about the sauce and it just dominated everything else.
Overall I should have stuck with my original choice or got the smoked turkey Ted got.

Yesterday me and Mike took Danny and Michelle to Bottoms Up for a late lunch.  I thought for sure they'd been there but they said they hadn't.  Lisa was in Cape with Bailey but we were going to meet her on the way down but nature called and she was in a hurry to get home.  She's been a little leery of going there because they had advertised for a new bartender and new cook but fear not, the regular cook was there.
We always have a little back and forth with her and this was no different.  Michelle wanted fried pickles so we got some of those and Mike ordered chips too.  The chips were great as always but I didn't care for the pickles, they seemed too crispy and possibly a little overdone.  Me and Mike got our usual, wings for me and quarter chicken with chips for him.  Danny and Michelle ended up ordering wings too.  My wings were back to normal after a subpar experience the last time and they were hot, very hot.  The others seemed to like what they got.
We then took a ride on the levee which was somewhat disappointing because the trees were leafy and we couldn't see much of the river.  On our way back we stopped at the Chinchbug.  Mike and Lisa had stopped there on their way back from Perryville and really enjoyed it.  I was skeptical but have to say they've done a good job on the inside.  We're going to have to go back and check out the food before long.

We were planning on sitting around the house yesterday when I saw that King Neptunes Cajun House opened at 1.  I confirmed they would have their cajun menu so plans were changed and off we went.
We got there and we were the only people there, of course it was 2pm on day perfect for being outside.  It was obvious our waitress was young so she was a bit confused when we ordered Sam Adams Octoberfest drafts.  The bar maid helped her out but had to bring the drinks over since the waitress was too young.  The drafts had a lot of foam so the barmaid comped us the second one.  The menu was very limited and surprisingly they didn't have gumbo.  Three of us ordered etouffee while Debbie went with a cajun smash burger. 
The etouffee was excellent with maybe a hair too much rice but otherwise spot on.  It came with a slice of garlic bread that was a really good compliment to the etouffee.  Debbie's burger wasn't really smashed and didn't have much cajun flavor to it.  Her onion rings were good and nicely cooked. 
On our way out we were asking some questions when the manager or owner came in and she said they are in the process of ramping up their menu.  She also said they will be opening at 1 as soon as she can get staffing worked out.
Another local cajun place is great.

With Lisa off having fun with her brother and me not feeling great I decided to go try China Buffet.  I tried calling several times before going out to get it.  I didn't realize how small the place is but should have looking at the inside of the building. 
I told the waitress/hostess/cashier that I wanted a carry out order only to be informed they only had the buffet but it could be carried out.  They've been overwhelmed and I got the impression that will change when they get things worked out.  The danger of going to a place when it first opens.  Oh well.  The waitress gave me a carry out box and told me what the items were on the buffet.  I went out wanting lo mein and that was what I got the most of.  I also got some beef and broccoli and some chicken in garlic sauce.
I thought all three were good especially considering they were on a buffet and brought home.  The lo mein has a lot of potential when fresh.  My favorite may have been the chicken in garlic sauce though. 
Overall it was both good and disappointing.  I really wanted to try the stuff fresh,.

Last night we played the 7 and 8 games, our fourth 8 o'clock game in a row.  Have I mentioned how much I hate playing the 8 and later games?
Our first game was on the third court against Dark Side of the Pallino who only had three players and were rotating.  Have I mentioned how I think rotating should be against the rules and gives the team with three players an unfair advantage?  Anyway we got off to our typical start, falling behind 5-3 before finally get on the scoreboard with a three point frame.  We closed the gap to 6-5  and had some momentum going.  Then our bugaboo struck and we gave up three points and lost 9-5.
The second game started 20 minutes late, yuck.  We go on the board first and moved out to a 5-0 lead before they score.  The started closing the gap and the score moved to 7-6 before we got a good first throw and moved to 8-6 then closed it out with another first ball close to the pallino.  With the 9-6 win we broke a 5 game losing streak.

We decided to try out Alvis Backroad Bar and Grill in Tamaroa yesterday.  I didn't want to fight any holiday traffic and that seemed like a nice drive.  Until I was reminded it was DQ State Fair time when we already in Desoto.  Oh well, on we went.  We hadn't been past DuQuoin in quite a while so it was a nice drive.
I only had a general idea of how to get there but figured it's Tamaroa how hard can it be to find.  Mike did check directions while we were searching so we didn't have any problems.  It's in town so backroad is a bit of an overstatement but it is off the beaten path. 
Really nice interior with a lot of old signs and such.  I went up thinking burger and stayed with the plan.  Biggest downside is they were out of bacon so both Debbie and Lisa had to change their order.  They only had 3 or 4 taps but they did have Stag so that's what I got.  My burger was really good and appears to be made to order instead of prepattyed or frozen.  I got mine with lettuce onion and pickle but took the lettuce off and should have got extra pickles.  The fries appeared to be frozen ones so were just decent.  Both Lisa and Mike liked their burgers and Debbie liked her wrap.  After we finished we ended up talking to the owners father, a very nice and personable guy.  Overall a great stop and we'll be back.
On our way home I spied another place in Tamaroa so we stopped in for a quick one.  I was surprised that the place was somewhat crowded with a bunch of guys playing pool.  Other than that it looked like a typical neighborhood bar at least until you visited the bathroom.  The wall was decorated with a poster featuring old Playboy pictures in various stages of undress.  Awesome.
We took 127 home to avoid DuQuoin.  We hadn't been to Brews Brothers in a while so we decided to stop.  There was a big group there mainly of people from Chester but there was a couple from carbondale.  Come to find out he is the head coach of the dreaded terriers football team so we had a little conversation with him about my old buddy Twink.  After a lot of back and forth about various things it was time to go home,

I was driving to the golf course a few days ago and there was a no dumping sign on both sides of a bridge.  It's a sorry state whenever you have to put signs like that up.  After I went past the bridge I happen to notice quite a bit of litter along the roadside.  Come on people quit trashing up your area.  Later on we were on the course and Kelly found several Busch Light cans in the woods by a tee box.  So there's no misunderstanding Kelly did put the cans in the proper area.  Sad thing is there is a trash can/recycle container by the cart path. 
I just don't understand the mentality that would do things like this.

Wednesday was your typical hot and humid summer night at the bocce courts, by hot and humid I mean really hot and humid.  The only saving grace was a slight breeze blowing and of course the big fans that were going.  We played what seems like our normal 6:30 and 8 games so we were in the weather for a while.
In the first game we played Boccelicous on the middle court.  I'm exaggerating when I say played, we never really showed up.  We gave up two and four point frames to fall behind 6-0, real hard to come back from.  We scored a point and then they scored the last three to give us a 9-1 loss.
In the second game we gave up a two and three point frames to fall behind 5-0.  This time instead of rolling over we started coming back.  Once we got the pallino we started going deep and scored six points in a row before they made a nice knock and walked away with the pallino.  They went real short on their last throw and we left it wide open.  We had a glimmer of hope when their second ball went long but alas they got the next two in for a 9-6 loss.
Not much positive about the loss.  Once again we gave up way too many easy three and four point frames and those are hard to overcome.

We had a chance to go somewhere yesterday before the kid invasion began.  We went earlier than normal which gave us a chance to try some places that aren't normally open when we go places.  We decided on Jack Russell's Fish House.  We hadn't been there in a few years so off we went.  It was a nice day so we had the tops off the Jeep and cruised on over.
When we got there we found out you can no longer park in front of it so we parked around the corner in what appears to be a city parking lot.  I quickly decided on the fried catfish and a side salad.  After some thought I finally decided on red beans and rice for my other side.  Lisa went with blackened shrimp skewers with the same two sides.  We both ordered Blue Moon drafts.  The drafts came and were in a really nice tall mug.  The salad arrived shortly after and the croutons were excellent.  The salad wasn't very big and was just iceberg lettuce, shaved carrots and a couple onion rings (not the fried kind) but it tasted really good.  So much for the high point of the meal.
The entrees got there in a timely fashion.  My fried fish was okay but not what you expect from a place that bills itself as a fish house.  The red beans and rice were barely okay.  Lisa's shrimp were small and really over seasoned to the point that she didn't like them.  The one's I had were really uneven in seasoning, some okay some over seasoned.
Overall a disappointing experience.  We'll probably go back but it won't be for a while and I'll hopefully remember to get something besides the catfish.

Last night we played the 6:30 and 8 games, have I said how much I don't like late games?  It was perfect weather though, some people even put on jackets or hoodies.
The first game we took on Usual Suspects on the middle court.  We got off to a 1-0 start but they ran off a series of good frames before we could score a couple points.  Too little, too late.  The finished off with a 9-3 loss.
In the second game we played Muddy Rollers on the first court.  The game started out back and forth.  With the score 3-3 they made a great throw to move them into three points.  From there they finished us off with another three point frame.
In spite of two bad losses there we made a lot of good throws that were negated by a better throw especially hitting our ball and getting inside of us. 

After last weeks no AC we decided to order pizza Friday due in a big part to watching a food show showcasing pizza.  They showed a lot of deep dish or chicago style pizza so we decided to get a chicago style from Martels.  We'd gotten it before and it was pretty decent but this time it wasn't.  I can't put a finger on it but it just didn't taste that good.
On Saturday we were wiped out after the bocce tournament, we also missed the pizza that Whiffleboys had donated so we were also hungry.  We decided to hit up 17th St..  I thought it would be crowded with it being move in weekend at SIU but there were plenty of spots available.  I decided on the lotta bull sandwich, one of my favorite things there.  Lisa went with nachos, Debbie a pork steak and Mike pulled pork.  We got some pork rinds for an appetizer.  The pork rinds were good as always.  My sandwich was the last thing delivered and it had changed.  It now came on a sub looking bun and a pickle spear instead of the chopped pickles.  I must say it didn't change for the better.  The spear was a disappointment and the new bun didn't allow all the ingredients to blend as well as the old round bun.  Everyone else like theirs and was happy to finally get back home.

After three days of no AC and a lot of cash the last thing I wanted to do was be outside in hot humid weather but we'd signed up to play in the For Pete's Sake bocce tournament.  It's a big source of funds for the MBC and is usually well attended.  I'd also had a minor case of vertigo and wasn't feeling real great.
Pete was well known for his hat and his flowery Hawaiian shirts and there were several in attendance.
In the first game we played the Fedoras a team we weren't familiar with.  At least until they stepped on the court and it was the Pallino Posse members.  We played on the first court and needless to say got off poor start.  We gave up a three and two point frames and were down 5-0 before the game really got started.  From that point on we started stringing together some good frames and cut the lead to 8-6.  We couldn't close it out though and lost 9-6.
In the second game we played Riverside Rollers featuring out former super sub Fred.  In a highly competitive game we managed to get the win 9-6.
In a probable win and in game against a team I can't remember the name but it consisted of Pete's daughter, son in law plus MBC players Gene and Kenny.  Another really good game with throw after throw close of in.  It was also a fun game with a lot of back and forth between Kenny and Lisa.  We managed to prevail but I can't remember the score.  The win advanced us out of pool play and into the eight team playoff.
In the first game we played another team I don't remember and gave them a game before losing.  I think the score was 9-6.
At this point heat and vertigo had taken a toll and I was ready to get home and relax.  Luckily this morning the vertigo has passed.

After a bad day finding out our ac was shot we went to bocce for out Wednesday night games.  We played at 7&8, have I mentioned how much I dislike late games?
We played our first game on the third court against Boobs, Booze and Bocce.  We got off to a hot start getting two points then three points for a 5-0 lead.  We kept up the pressure and walked away with a 9-0 win.  Lisa and Debbie were making really good first throws causing them to use most or all of their throws. 
In the second game we played No Beer, No Bocce on the first court.  The first court has been somewhat erratic lately.  We traded points the first few frames before we got the lead only to have them leapfrog us with a three point frame.  We finally got a 7-6 lead and with the pallino deep Lisa put her first throw close.  They used all their balls and with game point in my hand my throw didn't move as much as I expected and pushed them into a point.  No problem, Debbie put her first throw on the pallino and nobody could get anything better so we had a 8-5 lead.  Lisa then led off with a throw that was real close and that was the end of that, we finally had a win over them.
Both lead off throwers did a great job getting their first throw close.

Cave In Rock part one.  After we went through Cave In Rock we went up to Kaylors which is the Cave In Rock lodge for a drink.  The place was smaller than I expected and was packed.  Most people appeared to be eating from the buffet but a few ordered off the menu and that looked good.  We were trying to decide where to go and finally decided on a plan.
We went by E Town restaurant to show Debbie it but it was packed.  Next we headed to Diver Down in Golconda.  We ended up having a beer and some fried pickles.  I thought the pickles were very good.  I'd sent a message to Batman, a high school teacher of ours, and were hoping he'd show up.  He didn't but I got a message saying he'd been in Marion.  Diver Down was an interesting place but for some reason the bar was sticky and it wouldn't come off with a bar rag.
We decided to go to Shotgun Eddies next for something to eat.  When we got there the place was packed on the outside but there were some spots on the inside.  We chose a both and hit the jackpot with our waitress.  She was very fun and helpful and picked up on things quickly.  Lisa got chips for the table but they were bland, Lisa put some salt on them and that helped but I wasn't impressed.  Me and Debbie decided to get a rueben and a pork loin sandwich and then split them between us.  I got onion rings while Debbie got chips.  Lisa went with a cheeseburger and fries, she's been on a burger kick lately.  Mike went with pulled pork and chips.  The loin sandwich was really good, only downside was the bottom bun was very soggy and couldn't hold the sandwich together.  The rueben was okay but kind of disappointing.  The onion rings were supposed to have special battering but they seemed your typical frozen onion rings.  Lisa's burger was also very good but the fries were your run of the mill crinkle cut fries.  Mike said his BBQ was really good.
After some back and forth with the waitress it was time to go but not before Mike got his t shirt fix.  He is a tee shirt whore.  On our way out they had a claw machine with ducks in it.  Lisa wanted a duck so she gave it a couple unsuccessful tries.  We were out of ones but our waitress came over and put one of her dollars in the machine and got a duck for Lisa.  You don't see that very often.
Overall a great stop and trip.  On our way home we saw a bobcat on the side of the road before it went back in the corn.

After an extended time off from hiking due to some health issues we finally went hiking again, albeit a very short walk down and back up on some steps.  I'd been wanting to go to Cave In Rock for a couple years and we finally decided to go, probably to appease me.  I went there when I was young but didn't remember much about it.
Anyway we found our way there and parked in a lot that said cave parking.  We went up some stairs only to come out in an area where we could have been much closer.  There was also an outhouse that provided some relief for us. 
Then it was down some other stairs to the short path that went to the cave.  Let me tell you it is really cool.  There's a narrow natural path that allows you to without bending over but it's tricky.  We walked back in the cave and looked around without getting into the muddy areas.  There is a hole in the top that provided some light but I had a small flashlight I used to see the path.  I've been having balance issues for a while and had a couple close calls with falling but all went well.
I think everyone was impressed with the trip and really enjoyed it except the dead fish smell coming from the numerous dead fish in the river.
Part two will tell the places we went after the Cave.

Roll'em If Ya Got'em took the courts to begin the fall 2024 season.  Luckily a cool front had rolled through the area and we had a really nice evening instead of the scorcher it had been the several days.
We opened up playing Money Balls on the third court.  The third court isn't bad if you catch it right off the bat but gets worse as games are played.  Of course that's true of most courts.  Anyway we started out with a two then a three point frame and opened up to a 5-0 lead.  They pecked away at the lead until it was tied at 5.  I was thinking here we go again.  We got the next point then they let us have and chance to close it out and we did winning 9-5.
In the second game we played Boccelism on the first court.  We had trouble adjusting to the speed change between the courts and the first court was acting somewhat erratic.  Or maybe it was just us.  Anyway not a lot to say other than they made shots to either get inside us or knock us out and we lost 9-0. 
Typical Roll'em night, win a close one lose big.
Afterwards we went to KFC, mainly because there wasn't a line and the donger needed food as did the dongette.  I ordered two piece all white and Lisa went with some kind of chalupa or such.  She said hers was alright but would have been better with beef on it.  Big surprise when I opened my box, it had two chicken breasts in it.  Jackpot.  The chicken was  a little overcooked but not terrible and the mashed potatoes and gravy needed to be warmer.  But hey, it's KFC so expectations can't be too high.

A late start yesterday so we decided to revisit a couple places we haven't been in a while.  First up was Route 51, such a cool decor but very uncomfortable seats.  Mike had their standard lager while the rest of us had an amber ale.  The amber ale was really nice and surprisingly a lot better than the irish red.  They also had doppelbock but at %9.5 abv it was too much for me.  We got an order of cheese curds but they weren't very good.  They seemed more like fried cheese squares to me.
It was still too early for Buckwater to open so we took a ride around Giant City and then headed to Buckwater.  Mike and Debbie hadn't been there and Mike had mentioned it a couple times.  For those who haven't been it's a real nice vibe and some really nice sitting options.  We opted for a table in the front window with really nice comfortable chairs.  A big change from Route 51.  You have to order at the bar and it was a slow process but we finally got our drinks.  I got one an octoberfest while Lisa got a raspberry lemon drop mixed drink and Mike and Debbie got bamba punch.  The octoberfest is one of the best local brewery beers I've had, right up there with Big Muddy's Red Devil Red.  I had a taste of the others drinks and they were also very good, the kind of good that gets you in trouble when there is alcohol in the drink.
For substance we ordered a variety of things.  For starters we got a "big as your head" pretzel.  False advertising, it wasn't as big as my head since I'm why hats say fits most and not fits all 😊.  Actually it was big and really tasty and had a really good dipping sauce with it.  Next up was a humas platter type thing.  I didn't try it but both girls seemed to really like it.  Next was an order of wings with parm garlic peppercorn.  The wings were solid but may have been overload with our final item.  For it we ordered the sampler which was half orders of fish, shrimp, chicken crispers, hushpuppies and fries.  The fish was surprisingly really good and the shrimp was nice too.  I didn't try any chicken.  I think we only got one hushpuppy and Mike snapped that up in a hurry.  Everything in it was fried of course so if you're not wanting fried overload don't get it. 
I think everyone enjoyed the stop and Lisa admitted she wasn't wild about the itinerary but ended up really enjoying it. 

Lisa wanted to take advantage of no kid, no bocce day and go somewhere.  I mentioned several options and both of us were in the mood to try a place we hadn't been to before.  That narrowed the search and we finally decided on Pups 212 in West Frankfort. 
We parked in back and there appeared to be two backdoors.  We chose one that looked more like an entrance.  It appears that a wall has been knocked out and two places combined.  There is a nice curved bar in both places.   The bar maid was on the other side so we walked around and ordered a couple beers.  We were told food had to be ordered on the other side at the food service window.  We were also told that we had to purchase drinks and food separately.  We both thought it was a strange setup. 
We chose a booth and went to the window and ordered a cheeseburger, wings and house made chips.  After we sat down the cook came out and said they were out of bone in wings so we went with boneless wings.  The burger was a nice solid burger but nothing that really stood out.  The boneless wings were mediocre but we much prefer bone in wings.  The chips were disappointing.  Very little seasoning on them and they were a little overcooked.  I added salt and that helped but still not a great chip.
We both had been wanting to try Pups and it had gotten good reviews but it's not a place either of us are really wanting to go back to.

I'll admit it, I didn't watch the opening ceremony nor do I care to.  It's not something I'm interested in it so I just watch the events. 
First off a huge apology to my old bocce teammate Herbster for all the crap I gave him about gymnastics.  I'm really enjoying most of the gymnastics events, even my long time least favorite floor exercise.  I'm still not a fan of the dancing aspect of it but the actual gymnastics they do I like.  I didn't see any of the rings which is another I'm not overly big on.  I only saw a little of the vault which is normally my favorite.  The uneven bars is another of my favorites but I enjoyed the high bar more than normal.  And finally I really enjoy the pommel horse especially the kid who specialized it.  He looked like someone out of the movie Revenge of the Nerds but he came in and did great. 
For those who don't know Herb was a gymnast at SIU and he specialized in the pommel horse.  He actually won the event at the NCAA's, a great accomplishment.
And to Apryl, I really liked the rugby 7's.  Nothing like the rugby I'd seen before but very exciting, especially the USA's last second bronze medal.