Life in the Slow Lane
Enter a word or words to search the posts
|
|
Enter a word or words to search the posts
|
|
We showed up yesterday expecting to play No Beer, No Bocce but one team didn't play in the tournament so we played Usual Suspects. We sat out the first round and got lucky when we played on the first court.
In what has become a disturbing trend we started off down 4-0 after one frame. Big frames are hard to overcome and this was no exception but I've got to hand it to Usual Suspects. They made throw after throw either getting inside of us or knocking us off the pallino. We managed to scratch out three points but lost 9-3 ending our hopes of another towel. Before the game we got some good news and found out enough teams dropped out that we made the league tournament on Saturday. We're going to have to pick it up to have any hopes of getting out of pool play.
0 Comments
We got a later than normal start yesterday so we opted to take a nice ride around our favorite area, Hutchins Creek-LaRue Pine Hills but cut it short with a trip down snake road. Debbie didn't remember snake road and the last time we went with them it was closed by a downed tree blocking the road.
After we came out on Route 3 I was hungry and I gave several options knowing that Bottoms Up would come out on top. Bottoms Up is always good and very reasonable so off we went. We got there and there 4 or 5 Jeeps there but they were finishing up. We took our normal favorite table and ordered or normal favorite things. Mike ordered chips for everyone and they ordered half a chicken all white with two salads and more chips. We ordered wings and a salad to share. Something seemed off from the start, the cook who we normally joke a lot with seemed subdued and didn't really come out like she normally does even though the place was about empty. We requested all flats but when our food came it was a mix but thats no big deal. The wings didn't look like their normal fried chicken and that's what we'd requested. They also didn't taste like their normal chicken. Comparing them with Debbie and Mikes chicken the appearance was different. When we talked to the waitress she assured us they were the same. The wings were okay but no where as close as their normal wings. A rare subpar experience for there. After we left it was a quick stop at the spillway and on home. Once again we were in need of at least a split to stand a chance of making the league tournament.
In the first game we played Muddy Rollers on the dreaded third court. We gave up a four point frame right of the bat and fell behind 4-0. We managed to string together some points and tied that game at 4-4. They hit us with a three spot and the game was effectively over, finally losing 9-4. In the second game we stayed on the third court and played No Beer, No Bocce. Once again they got a four point frame to start the game. We strung together a couple points but once again we got hit with a three point frame and fell behind 7-2. Once again the game was effectively over as we lost 9-2. Like Spring season we came up small in a big situation. It was a total team failure, we had a few nice shots but couldn't capitalize on what chances we had. We'd been a lot better at not giving up the three and four point frames but that's what got us last night. Now we just wait for the standings to come out but don't have much hope in making the playoffs. Mike took me to my eye followup yesterday in Marion, luckily it wasn't as long of a wait as previously. On the way back we stopped at Taste Buds & to see where Carbondeli's will be. We walked in and were given a tour by what appears to be the owner of Taste Buds. I was expecting a lot of throwback candy type and while they had some it was mostly imported candy, chips, soda and the like. My biggest impression is that it is expensive. I bought a bag of imported Doritos and a bag of imported Lays chips and it was over seventeen dollars. See what I mean?
Later on we decided to take care of Lisa's italian beef hankering and headed down to Sinisi's. We hadn't been in two or three years and it seems like they've add some stuff to their menu. Lisa stayed with her plan and ordered a regular roast beef with au jus on the side. I ended up ordering a chicago dog with no tomatoes and a large order of fries. My dog was decent but not as good as I'd hoped for being a place that specializes in chicago food. The fries were your standard crinkle cut frozen fries. They were good but nothing special. Lisa's beef was really really good. The bottom of the bun was soggy which I like but she doesn't. The beef was thin shaved and didn't appear fatty. The au jus was really good and put it all together it was a good italian beef. I doubt I get the chicago dog again but the italian beef is a must one of these trips down there. Afterwards we took a nice ride up Hutchensons Crick and LaRue Pine hills but cut it short and went through Pomona and back up 127. We played the 6&7 games last night in need of two wins to just about clinch a spot in the league tournament. With Debbie in California we once again turned to Danny to help us out.
We played Bertha's Ball Handlers on the middle court first game. The game started bad as we gave up one and then two point frames. We answered with one and two point frames of our own to make it 3-3. They pulled ahead 5-3 with a two point frame but we came back and tied it 5-5, they made it 6-5 and I thought I'd lost the game when I moved our point ball but it stayed just inside to tie it 6-6. they moved ahead 7-6 and then we tied it again. Lisa put one close but on their last ball they blew it up but left it wide open. My first ball was right on so with my second ball I told myself don't short it. I didn't, it looked good but was too hard and hit the back wall. Danny picked me up and put the first ball close enough they couldn't get inside him and we won. In the second game we moved to the third court to play the Usual Suspects who had just finished a game on that court. Once again we gave up one then two point frames but this time we decided to make it a little harder and give up another two point for a 5-0 deficit. We managed to get back in the game with a three point frame to make it 5-3 but that was it, losing 9-3. I underwent cataract surgery last Tuesday. Everyone was saying the worst part was the drops. Yes you have to put a lot of drops in your eye but that's not a problem, at least not for me. The worst part was the waiting. The surgery was done a Harrisburg hospital, a combination of where the eye doctors work out of and where my insurance would cover so right away was an hour plus drive both ways.
We got to the hospital and was admitted right right away. I got to a room and got a port in and was dilated very quickly thinking this was great then it stopped. We waited over three hours in the room before I was wheeled back. Once back there you're put in a twilight sedation, I had to fight off sleep a few times. Basically you hear some talking and very shortly after you're done. No big deal, you don't feel any pain. Lisa said I was back there about 45 minutes total but it didn't seem that long. The next day we had a follow up at their Marion office. We got there and the place was packed, we waited another two hours there. When I finally got in the nurse was not happy that they scheduled that many patients and then short staffed the nurses. She also wasn't happy that they didn't schedule the post surgery patients first. When the doctor finally came in I thought he rushed the visit and seemed ready for lunch. I have a follow up visit tomorrow so we'll see how everything is with the eye. Overall it wasn't a terrible experience just didn't like the waiting buy hey, I can see out of that eye again. For the record Talley Eye Institute out of Evansville did the surgery and they have been doing my eyeball shots for the past few years. Overall I'm very happy with them except the drive to Harrisburg and Marion. Lisa mentioned steaks yesterday and I immediately said "Let's try Texas Roadhouse". We've been to ones in Cape and O'fallon but I haven't been to one in a long time probably before I started this blog in 2016. We called over and said we'd be there around 2 and would prefer bar area but not the bar.
When we walked in about 20 minutes early we had to wait a couple a minutes but got a booth in the bar area, perfect. This place might have the nicest wait staff we've ever experienced, even ones who weren't on our table reached out to us. There were rolls waiting on us and this was the only downside to the whole meal. The rolls tasted like they'd been sitting out too long or something. The butter helped but still wasn't that great. They did have Shiner Bock on draft so we got a couple of tall drafts that were really nice and cold. I got a 16oz ribeye while Lisa got a 12 oz. filet. We both got side salads and baked potato. The salads were good but I could have done without the cheese, next time I'll order without. Both of us ordered our steaks medium but when they brought them out Lisa's was undercooked, not even warm on the inside. The waitress took it back and "threw it on the grill". It was back there a while but when it came back it was a perfect medium and excellent, very tender. I'd gotten my ribeye blackened and it was great a nice little kick at the end. Only downside was a glob of fat in one spot but hey, it's a ribeye. The baked potatoes were also great they brought Lisa a whole new potato when they recooked hers so we brought most of one home and part of another. I didn't bring as much of mine home as I thought I would because I couldn't stop eating it. I can't say enough of the experience, we stopped the manager and told her how great an experience it was and because it was our first time there she brought a coupon for a free appetizer. It's hard to find a good steak cooked medium when eating out so I don't really order it much. We'll be back soon. This past week has been a very hectic week with cataract surgery and waiting rooms and such so we decided to go somewhere to eat. Did I mention our power was out for around 8 hours. I decided on Frenchmans Widow over Quatros and Midlands.
When we got there the special was two pieces of swai with hushpuppies, fries and pasta salad. I'm not real big on swai but I decided to take a chance and get it. They let me sub a side salad for the pasta salad. Lisa opted for nachos with the cheese sauce on the side. I got french dressing on the salad and it was a very nice sized salad. I would have rather had more lettuce and less cheese, tomatoes and croutons but it was still good. The fish got there a little after I'd finished the salad so it was good timing. The swai was very good, surprisingly so. The breading on it was very nicely done, I found out later they did their own breading which is a nice touch. The fries were good but I didn't eat a lot of them. The hushpuppies were very good and I'm not a big hushpuppy eater. If I ever get that special again I'll try to sub a salad for the fries just to cut down on fried food. Lisa really like her nachos. We both had enough to bring food home. Overall a much needed relaxing trip out. On Friday we took another trip up 127 and went to Kretzers, a favorite of all ours. Mike drove so I could relax and look out the windows.
I went up with the intent to order catfish special and I stayed with the plan except I got baked beans instead of fries in an effort to eat less fried food. Lisa went with an italian beef while Mike got pulled pork and Debbie also got the catfish special. The catfish was great as always and the slaw was better than I remembered. The beans had a sweet taste and had pork in them, always a nice touch. They were a little thick and really just okay. I should have subbed the onion rings Lisa surprised me getting the italian beef since the last time we were there it she said it was dry. This time was no different, she thought it was dry again. I tasted it and it seemed okay to me but I just had a little bite of the meat. The last couple times we've been there Debbie liked my catfish and she finally got it and loved it. Mike devoured his BBQ so it must have been good. After we left we managed to avoid the Blue Room and decided to stop at Julz Joint in Nashville. It's a nice old looking bar and grill stuck in the downtown area. The bar was really nice and had a lot of character. They had some taps but I didn't care for any of them. Lisa had gone and checked out the beer case and the had Ultra Amber Max. We used to like Ultra Amber so I gave it a try. Gluten free beer taste worries me but this wasn't bad so Lisa ordered one too. They had the typical bar food and is worth a trip up to check it out. We managed to avoid pickle shots on the way home and stopped at Big Muddy. They had Red Devil red on tap so that's what we had except Mike had peanut butter cup beer. I walked over to look at a shirt and a guy mentioned the Packer shirt so I started talking with him and his group and it became a really good time between the two tables. The are from the Springfield area and had come down for a week. They love the area and do it every year. As we say "it was a good day tater". Wednesday caught a break with weather as thunderstorms had rolled through the area overnight and dropped the temp down, it was still nice and muggy though.
We played our first game on the middle court against Mag 4. They only had three players so Clay asked if his two young sons could each roll one ball. No brainer, they appeared to have a blast and damn near beat us. The kids made just enough good throws and Clay picked up from there and the game went back and forth before we finally finished it off 9-7 in a game that could have gone either way. In the second game we moved to the first court and took on Boccelism. Another game that went back and forth for a few throws until they hit a three point frame and took a two point lead. We tied it up with a two point frame of our own. With the score tied 6-6 they got the next point and moved ahead 7-6. We had the point but one their last throw they hit it and their ball ended up next to the pallino. Our third ball looked good but caught a ball in front. With our last shot we wanted to hit their ball which would have gave us three points but if we pushed the pallino it could have given them the two points they needed. Once again we did what we had to and moved their ball and got three points for a 9-7 win. Big step for our team winning two close games and playing pretty well in both of them. Other than one three point frame we managed to stay away from giving the other team a big frame. My plans to grill pork steaks was detoured by the heat yesterday so we decided to go out and eat. We chose Bennies mainly because I wanted the special so off we went.
I stayed with the plan and got the special of chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. I almost switched out the green beans but decided against it. Lisa got Rigatoni Bolognese and no that's not rigatoni with bologna but an italian sauce. The chicken fried chicken was good but nothing special. The mashed potatoes were just okay but for some reason the green beans tasted really good. I don't normally get green beans because there usually not very good but I was glad I did. Lisa's really liked her dish and taste I had was very good. Murphysboro does it again. Yesterday was the 2nd annual Big Muddy Monsterfest on a very hot and humid day. We had to pry ourselves out of the air conditioning but manged to get going.
We went to Big Muddy Brewing for a couple Red Devil Red beers, our favorite there. We ended up talking with two other couples, one from Edwardsville and the other from Morganfield Ky. They'd both just decided to come to Big Muddy because they really like the place. We then went to Brews Brothers to hear the Swamp Tigers for the first time in a long time. We got there and were shocked that there wasn't much of a crowd. I guess the heat and street nationals in DuQuoin were the main reason for the sparse crowd. We hadn't planned to stay very but the music was inside and had a nice conversation with another couple we knew. While we were there we ordered some fries from Tater Headz to try out. I'd been wanting to check them out for a while but it just hadn't worked. We got the plain fries done extra crispy and with extra salt. The fries were good and had plenty of salt on them but could have used a little longer in the fryer to crisp them up. I didn't care for the cheese sauce that came with them. We were both ready to get something to take home and eat so we ordered a pizza from Cummares and headed home after a very good day. I had a dermatologist appointment and was expecting to have some spots scraped and burned but the doctor decided against it so I was feeling a lot better than expected. To celebrate we went to Bottoms Up. It's been a go to place of ours for a long time. In the past we normally got four piece fried chicken all white but lately it's been just chicken wings. Their wings are my favorite anywhere plus they'll usually give us all flats, our favorite. We normally get garlic parm on the side for them. If you like wings this is the place to go.
In the midst of another heat wave Roll'em If Ya Got'em took the to courts last night. We played back to back at 6 & 6:30, got to love that plus both games were on the middle court.
In the first game we played Dark Side of the Pallino who not only was in first place on Wednesday but was sitting in first place overall in all leagues. We got on them quick with a two point frame followed by a couple one point frames and a 4-0 lead. We upped that to 6-0 then 7-0 then finally finished them off with a two point frame and a 9-0 win. Holly Ballz had finished their game even faster so we played them as soon as our game was over. They jumped on us right away with a four point frame but then we settled down and played a little better but they still kept making shots or knocking us out and we never could overcome the start losing 9-1. We're starting to put it together some but still have a ways to go. Willie Mays died yesterday at age 93, another boyhood hero gone. He's the reason I've been a Giants fan since the 1960's. Such a great player and seemed to be a really nice person.
My dad wasn't really a baseball fan so I didn't really follow closely. One day Mike and Tom's dad was pitching to them a probably a couple other kids. They all wanted to be Musial, Mantle and such. I didn't know any players so I asked him who's good and he said Willie Mays so that's who I pretended to be. The rest is history as they say and I thank my lucky stars he didn't say Ernie Banks. Anyway I've been a Giants fan ever since that day almost 60 years ago. I've made it through the numerous bad times and the great times as a Giant fan. The worst time was the 94 player strike that turned me off on baseball for quite some time but I still followed the Giants, just not as closely. Luckily St Louis got ride of that monstrosity of a stadium and built new Busch and I really wanted to see it and that got me back into baseball just in time to see the best time for me being a Giants fan. The 3 in 5 championships were the highlight. Anyway I knew it was going to happen soon but it still hurts to lose another part of you childhood. Say Hey Willie. Debbie was off yesterday so we decided to do a little roadie. We talked about Waterloo but decided we needed an earlier start. After several other options were discarded it came down to Kretzers or Swamp Tales with Swamp Tales being the winner. I didn't want to drive so Mike took the wheel.
Swamp Tales has a really interesting interior with a couple stuffed alligators and some other animals around the interior. Mike and Debbie are becoming addicted to ettouffee like we are so they got that and fries while we went with etouffee and gumbo. We also got an appetizer of fried gator. The gator came out and then shortly behind the food came out with both being good and hot. As opposed to the other time we were there the waitress was very attentive. The etouffee was really good but not up to Broussards level but ahead of Broadway Bayou. The gumbo was a different story, it was a lot better than the other time we were there but still not a fan of the gumbo to rice that they use there. We probably won't get it again. The fried alligator was once again on point. Debbie had never had it and she said she liked it but only had a piece or two. When we gone by Blue Room coming up it was packed with something going on outside. We wanted to stop and by the time we came back the outside had calmed down. The inside was another story. We ordered some drinks and then saw they had hush puppies so they got ordered too. When the cook brought them to our table I asked what was going on and her response was it was f&&king nuts in there so the day was deemed f&&king nuts day. We were lucky to find a table away from the main noise but it was still loud and hard to hear. After we left we opted to head on home or at least a place in town. Brews Brothers was the first choice but then pickle shots got mentioned and it was Da-Nite, I also mentioned Big Muddy but pickle shots won out. Several pickle shots were done but I only had two, I'm just not a big shot guy. While we were there Mike tumped over an almost full drink and then had another small spillage. We also heard and bang and knew it was a wreck so we went out. Everyone was okay but I'm getting tired of these things happening around us. Over f&&king nuts day was a great time. We were getting ready to head down to the courts yesterday when I get a call from Fred saying Money Balls is forfeiting their games. One of those games was against us at 6:30 so we're hoping that our 7:30 game would get started early.
We couldn't be that lucky, they also had a 7pm game. When we went down to the courts No Beer, No Bocce was playing their 7 o'clock game early but ended up in a marathon. I filled in on Usual Suspects and we played a complete game quicker than the game we were waiting on. We finally got started on the middle court. We played competitive for the first half the game but they made shots when it counted and we ended up losing 9-5. We had our chances but they scored some two point frames where all ours were one point frames. We didn't play anywhere close to what we had the previous week. Our summer league started up last night with us playing 6&6:30 games, I'd take this every week. We only have 10 teams on Wednesdays for the summer so no 8pm games and only one 7:30 games, love it.
In the first game we took on Muddy Rollers and Debbie was on fire. The game started close with both teams exchanging single points but then we took off. Debbie and Lisa started putting the first ball on or close to the pallino. Me and Mike came through when needed and we started string together frame after frame of good throws finally winning 9-3. In the second game we played Bertha's Ball Handlers. One good thing about back to back games is you don't sit long and there's a good chance you'll stay on the same court. The game started the same back and forth but then they started making one great throw sometimes on the first throw, sometimes on the last. In a reverse of the first game they strung together frame after frame and beat us 9-3. The first game was probably the best all around game we've played with this lineup. The second game wasn't as good but wasn't as bad as the score in the score indicated. An encouraging start to the season. Because of various reasons we didn't get to eat much until late afternoon. By this time we just decided to go out but stay local. We finally decided on El Jalisco.
I tried not to fill up on chips and salsa but had a several, just not as many as usual. I ordered the mara y tierra while Lisa ordered carnitas. I got all rice instead of beans. The food arrived quickly and was very hot. On the mara y tierra it says great to share and I see why, it was gigantic. It had fish filet, shrimp, chicken, steak and chorizo all on a bed of peppers, onions and tomatoes along with the rice mentioned before and a salad which is just lettuce and cheese with sour cream on top. I wish I would have ordered without the sour cream. Lisa's carnitas are roughly Mexicos answer to pulled pork. I tasted the carnitas and they were very tender and good but I'll take pulled pork. I was surprised that my favorite thing on my plate was the fish. It tasted like it was blackened or something similar. The shrimp was my next favorite followed by the chorizo. These three were so good. Both the chicken and the steak were on the dry side but still decent. Lisa really liked hers and said she'd get it again. I doubt I get mine again not because of the taste but because of the size. Between the two we brought home a lot of left overs. Catching up from the weekend.
For some unknown reason I decided on Chili's on Friday. We wanted to stay close to home and off we went for maybe the most nerve racking trip to Carbondale I've ever made. First on new 13 two cars were playing speed up then slow down, one in each lane so it was an aggravating trip over. When we got to the stop light on Oakland we got to see a car run a red light and get hit by a car that was maybe going too fast. Luckily no one was hurt. Lastly when we were turning into the frontage road to go to Chili's the two cars in front of us unexpectedly came to a full stop. I didn't come close to hitting them but it added to the nerve racking trip. On to Chili's, I ordered a brisket burger with fries while Lisa went with a burger with a salad. Both sandwiches were big, neither of us could finish them. The brisket burger was surprisingly good. I say surprisingly because I don't expect a lot out of chain restaurants especially with BBQ. The fries were just okay, nothing special. After the bocce tournament on Saturday we went to Quatros. We ordered a small meateaters and split a large dinner salad. It seemed strange having a small but it was good. What I really wanted to mention is the salad. It was a very good size and really good especially the french dressing I got on mine. We need to this more. Playing as Game of Throws we took the bocce courts yesterday to defend our title from last year. We were at full strength this year with Lisa replacing Ted.
We played the first game against Teds son and daughter and spouses on the first court. For a team that hadn't played much they were pretty good but we pulled away and won 9-5. In the second we stayed on the first court and played Silkworm with a couple of just graduated wrestlers playing along with Bob and Mike from Big Muddy Monsters. We started out decent but about halfway through we hit a will and they took advantage losing 9-7. We played the third game on the middle court against the Raymond, Angi and their two kids With a win we would get in a roll off for the final playoff spot. They hadn't played in a while but are planning on getting in to it. We managed to pull off the win and get a chance to advance. I haven't been playing well and Mike has been wanting to try the roll off so no problem. His shots weren't bad but not good enough so our day was done. Our plans to visit Bay City, Elizabethtown and especially Cave In Rock were put on hold by a certain person (Debbie) and her fear of cicadas. We discussed several places before settling on a visit to Cape. We hadn't been there in a while so it was time.
We got off to a late start due to a person (me) getting behind shopping for the weekend. We still got down there early enough so we decided to stop at Katy O'ferrells for a drink. It's long been one of our favorites and me and Lisa really like the house red there. For a Friday afternoon the place wasn't really happening so we left after a drink or two for Mike. Next stop was Broussards for some cajun food. Me and Lisa decided to split etouffee and got an extra salad with house dressing. Mike and Debbie split etouffee, gumbo and red beans and rice along with salads. The house dressing was different than it used to more, it looked like cheese sauce where before it was much thinner. It was real good though as was the salad and the croutons are excellent. Maybe because we hadn't been there in a while but the etouffee was spectacular tasting. I'm ready to go back and get some more. I'm still amazed that Mike, who is a picky eater, likes the etouffee especially with it having crawdads in it. After a great meal we went down to Port Cape for a couple drinks before heading home. Yesterday was Bucks annual wild game feed. A lot of people I didn't know but there were plenty I did know. We both had a really good time, It didn't seem like there was as big of a variety as in the past but that's fine with me, most of it I wouldn't have eaten anyway. I ate a lot and I mean a lot of catfish. I also had a deer steak and it wasn't bad. Later on I tried some fried squirrel but wasn't a big fan. I also tried some wild turkey and it was really good. Not game but there was some lions mane mushrooms and they were tasty.
Also there was rabbit and it was done a couple different ways and also some turkey nuts, not my thing. I probably forgot a few things plus there were plenty of sides and desserts. Best things was seeing some people I don't see very often anymore. Wednesday we went to one of our favorites, New Kahala. I ordered a buddist delight with extra sauce and veggies. When I started eating it I realized I'd forgot to say no tofu. I'm just not a big fan but this time it was actually pretty good. The rest of the dish was up to New Kahala standards.
Yesterday we took Mike for his first visit to Joe's Pizza in Herrin. I was worried about the crowd because of Herrinfest so I asked my cousin Joey about it. He's on the Herrinfest committee and he said it shouldn't be a problem. I don't see Joey very often so I invited him to lunch with us. He had to eat early so we just met him there after he'd already got his food. We ordered Chicago style meat pizza. I really didn't expect Mike to like it that much to both our surprise he did. We had a really great visit with Joey while we were there and it was all around a great time. The spring season finally wound up last night with the Wednesday night towel tournament.
Roll'em played the first game on the first game against No Beer, No Bocce. We started up with a four point frame and followed up with a two point frame for a 6-0 lead. We followed that up with a three point frame and a rare three frame 9-0 win. In the next game we switch to the dreaded third court and played against Bocce & Brews. We started hot again and gradually built a 7-2 lead. Once again disaster struck when we gave up a three point frame to make it 7-5. This got them started and they either put the first ball on the pallino or made a money throw with their last ball and they ran out the last four points for a 9-7 loss and an end to our towel hopes. Congratulations to long time Wednesday rival Muddy Rollers with what a appears to be their first towel, way to go. |
Archives
July 2024
|