After not having power after Thursdays storm from approximately 7pm until 9am we decided a little Friday road trip sounded good.  We also wanted to check on our nephews house in Alto Pass since they were in Florida. 
We decided on Von Jakob since it was on the way to Alto and then check out the Little House Of Tacos in Cobden.  At Von Jakob we decided to split a brisket sandwich.  While we were sitting there our granddaughter Kaylynn's boyfriend Keegan, who is a cook there, happened to come up front.  He had told us about the brisket there and I wanted to see if it was that good.  I have to say it's one of the best briskets I've had in a restaurant and the potatoes and slaw were real good too.
After checking our nephews house we headed to Taqueria Pepuena for a couple tamales and tacos.  Unfortunately the were out of tamales so we settled for a couple tacos and a quesadilla.  We went over to Fuzzy's so we could have a beer with the tacos.  The tacos were ok but I like El Paisano's tacos a lot better.  The quesadilla was ok but nothing special.  Friendly people at both the taco place and Fuzzys.
The barmaid at fuzzy's said there was a bar at the new pizza place so we stopped in Downtown Abby to check it out.  Baileys classmate Alee was tending bar and offered us a small piece of pizza that she had so we could try it out.  Next time we want to try out a different pizza place this will probably be where we go.  The small sample of pizza tasted really good.

After several days of pop up thunderstorms the hot and humid weather returned last night as the Roll'em team played their week 4 games.
In the first game Roll'em took on the Corner Bocce Ballers.  Roll'em got on the board first and followed that up with a couple more points to lead 3-0 before the Corner could get on the board.  Roll'em followed with a couple more points and then they got a two point frames and the score was 5-3.  The score moved to 8-3 and finally to 9-3 in a game where all four Roll'em players made some good shots.
In the second game we took on Can't Be Trusted on the new court.  Can't Be Trusted had played their first game on the new court while we'd played on the middle court so we were at a disadvantage starting out.  They started the game with a one point frame and then followed that with a four pointer against Roll'ems boys.  They then got a three point frame against Roll'ems girls and we were lucky they didn't go out.  We finally got on the board with a three point frame to make the score 8-3.  Can't Be Trusted wasn't about to let us get back in the game and they finished us off the next frame giving us a 9-3 loss.  The court had a little to do with the loss but ultimately they outplayed us decisively.

After looking around on the internet for a different place to go for pizza I stumbled across a place in Harrisburg called Morello's.  After "researching" the place for a bit I put it on my checklist of places to visit and then decided to go there yesterday afternoon, setting a record for the shortest time on the checklist.

We got over there a little after one, just missing a chance to try their buffet not that the Glue would have anyway.  Their menu has a wide variety of choices in addition to pizza.  After our normal deliberation we decided to get a small pizza, wings and toasted ravioli while enjoying one of their house brown ales made by Schlafly.

We had the bar area to ourselves and while the waitresses did a good job it was almost like we were an afterthought.  The food got there pretty fast and looked good.  Neither of us cared much for the toasted ravioli and marinara.  The marinara was supposedly homemade and it didn't taste much like other marinara I've had.  I thought the pizza and wings were ok but the Glue didn't care for either one.  She said she would prefer Totino's frozen pizza to the one we had there, ouch.  The wings were a smaller than at Kretzer's butnot tiny like some others we've had.  The vibe in the place just seemed blah for some reason, maybe being there at an off hour.  It's a place we'll give a second chance to but won't be in any hurry to go back.
As we left the Glue spotted a beer sign and a second story deck across the street so of course we had to give it a try while we were there.  It's called the Wooded Hills Bar & Grill.  The main floor has a sports bar type of look and there were several people around the bar eating or drinking.  We got a couple drafts and went upstairs to check out the deck.  There's an outside deck and the inside has garage type doors around most of it so it can be open on three sides. 

It's a good thing that no place in Murphysboro has a similar deck or me and The Glue would probably spend way too much time there.  We went back downstairs to the bar area for a final beer and then it was time to head home for some Otis time. 
I got a surprise when I checked my garden, one of the cherry tomatoes was red and the Glue got her first homegrown tomato of the year. 
Two adventure days in a row after a bocce night wore an old guy out but I managed enough energy for my Saturday golf game.  Fred and Rod ended up tied in the pitcher bet and my 81 got my handicap in single digits for the first time ever (9.9).

Yesterday me and the Glue decided to go to the Nashville Il. area and mark off a couple places on our checklist. 
Our first stop was The Blue Room in New Minton which is a straight shot up Route 127. 

Wow, what a place.  There's names on the walls and ceilings, the floors are uneven and the corners don't appear to be square.  We got there a little after noon and there were quite a few customers eating lunch.  They had $10 buckets of beer so, why not?   While we were there a pretty intense storm blew in and it was really coming down hard.  Once the storm cleared out so did most of the lunch crowd and we got a chance to talk to the bar tender a little.  She asked if we were "virgins" which we were so we got to put our names on a post by the bar.  The manager (or maybe the owner) said the building was built in the 1840's and was originally a hotel and she showed us a picture of it from the early 1900's when it was one. 
We then headed to Hoyleton to eat at Kretzers which had been recommended to us a few weeks ago.  Kretzers is a newer looking place but there's not too many buildings left from the 1800's.  There's lots of Cardinal memorabilia decorating the place but no Giants stuff which seems odd considering Kirk Rueter is from there.  After much deliberation we decided to split some wings and a rack of ribs which is always a hit and miss proposition with us.  The food came out very hot especially the wings.  The ribs ended up kind of strange.  For restaurant ribs I thought they were real good while the Glue wasn't as wild about them.  She said hers were burnt while mine had some of the sauce caramelized but not burnt.  We got lucky with the wings as they were all flats which both of us prefer and they were very good size.  I really liked them but the Glue said they were ok.  The tater tots were good but the baked beans seemed like they were poured out of a can and heated up.  As we were finishing up I decided to try a rib from the Glue's portion and after tasting it I got a burnt taste in my mouth that took a while to go away.  I think the Glue got that burnt taste is what caused the Glue to not be as wild about the wings too.
We took some back roads to get to Nashville and went to a bar recommended by a couple at Kretzers, The Fuzzy Duck Saloon which is owned by the same people who own Kretzers.  They had Alaskan Amber on tap which is a beer I really liked so we ordered two of them.  The only food they serve are homemade pizzas.  It seemed like a nice friendly place with a lot of regulars.  The bar maid and a couple younger guys at the bar gave us some more ideas for places to go.
After the two beers is was time to head home.  All three places are worth a return visit but especially The Blue Room and Kretzers.

In the first game Roll'em took on Boccelicious who is fresh from their win in the women's division of the Flag Day tournament.  Roll'em jumped out to an early 5-0 lead before they got on the board.  Roll'em got a couple more points followed by a couple for them to make the score 7-3.  At this point it seemed like they were starting to roll and we needed to close it out before they could make a run.  They had to use a couple balls to get inside Herbster first throw but then he got another one closer.  They then used their last two balls but couldn't find the range and we closed it out on the next throw and a 9-3 win.
Controversy arrived in the second game against the Biotches.  The Herbster and I had discussed having the Biotches try and find a sub if they were shorthanded which is how they've played most of this year.  Between games we went over to them and told them they had to try and find one.  This went over like a lead balloon.  Eventually they did go over to the Corner Bocce Ballers and Bobby agreed to play. 
The biotches were moving from the new court to the middle court and they were rolling long to start with as we got out to a 3-0 lead after two frames.  We increased the lead to 5-0 and I was thinking they would start making their run.  The Glue then had a ball two feet or so away with them only having two balls left.  With the ball on the rail they went for a knock on the pallino and in a bit of bad luck the pallino bounced off the back wall and went back about twelve feet to almost the exact position it was in previously.  With their last ball they make a good throw, almost on the pallino.  Clutch then rode the side board and hit their ball out and followed that up with another for three points.  This took the wind out of their sails and we finished them off with the last point and a 9-0 win.  Between switching courts and having to get a sub it was obvious that the Biotches were rattled and off their game but all four of us were throwing real well too.
It's Roll'ems opinion that playing with three people is an unfair advantage and that teams that rotate are being rewarded for something that is penalized in the tournaments.  By rotating a teams best player can play four of the first five frames and six out of the first eight.  The other players on the team play three out of the first five frames and five out the the first eight frames.  A four person team will have two people who play three of the first five frames and two people who play two of the the first five frames and all four will play four of eight frames.  The rotating teams repetitions is a big advantage over four player teams. Roll'em has always found subs to play even at the expense of skill level and going forward it is our intention to have teams make an "reasonable" attempt to find subs also.

My Father's Day weekend started on Thursday when me and the Glue finally decided to go to Southern Que again.  We were there once when it was in carbondale and got it to go once when they moved to Murphysboro and neither time was a positive influence.  In fact the only reason we gave it another change was it was on the Top 20.  We got a surprise when we walked in and they now serve beer and as we all know beer and bbq go together like peas and carrots.  I ordered the fish with sweet potato fries and greens while the Glue got wings and tips with baked beans and potato salad.  My fish was real good and the sweet potato fries were good too but the greens were kind of bland.  The Glue's wings and tips were good but the wings were better IMO.  She said her potato salad was good but the beans weren't very good.  As we were finishing up a couple guys came in and they asked about other places in Murphysboro which then led to a discussion on other places in So. Ill..  Basically this was a make or break opportunity and we'll be back.
Friday was our brother-in-laws retirement party at Tres Hombres.  I'm not a big Tres fan or crowds but it was enjoyable seeing Kelly cut loose a little more.   The Glue was sitting at a table to give Bailey and Shad a hand with the grandtwins.  After some socializing I sat down with them and  our nephew Josh and his wife Nicole sat down with us.  We don't get to see him very much anymore and they haven't seen the grandtwins much.  I ended up staying later than I'd anticipated and the beer went down a little too fast so I wasn't at my best the next day.
I did manage to make it to the golf course on Saturday and while Rod ran away with the skin game I managed to edge out Fred so he had to buy the pitcher. 
On Sunday morning Joe and his buddy WJ joined me and Rod for golf.  Rod wasn't on his best game but I started on fire and overall played pretty well going 38/43 for an 81.  Joe had an up and down game but finished with three birdies, narrowly missing a fourth on 17.  In the afternoon Bailey, Shad and the grandtwins came by for the Glue's famous wings which was what I requested for my Fathers Day meal.  As is the norm, they were awesome and the cheesy potatoes real tasted good which isn't something I'm normally wild about..

Week 2 started off playing Muddy Rollers in a battle of early season undefeated teams.  The Muddies started off struggling on the new court and Roll'em jumped out to a 4-1 lead.  After an exchange of points they found their range, especially Jay who was money on his throws.  The score moved to 6-6 and Roll'em didn't score again, losing 9-6.
In our second game we played the revamped 2 Boobs and 2 Girls with us moving from the slowest court to the fastest court.  We scored the first point but then the change of court caught up with us and they scored five straight points.   We got on a roll and took the lead thanks in big part to a three point frame from me and Herbster.  They tied the score and had a ball pretty tight with the pallino close to the wall and several balls in front.  Clutch had two balls left and the first one caught one of the front balls which opened it up some.  With her next shot she moved the pallino enough so that we got two points and a 8-6 lead.  With us having one ball left their last throw got inside of ours.  With my last throw it was on target until the last little bit but when it went past it hit our closest ball.  Disaster was averted when a our ball was just inside theirs for what would have been a third point.  With the score 8-8 and the pallino long the Glue put her throw about a foot or so away.  Their last three throws weren't on the mark and we walked away with a 9-8 win.
After two weeks Wednesday no longer has an undefeated team as Muddy Rollers lost their second game and Can't Be Trusted lost their first game.  I'm not sure what that means other then Wednesday is a very competitive night.

After playing a round of golf with our son at Pine Lakes on Friday me and the Glue decided to go to The Blue Boar for what we call a one meal day.  Our one meal days are usually in the mid afternoon around 2 or 3pm.  The last few times we'd been there we hadn't been overly impressed but the place is so cool we go back occasionally.  This time was different, the food was very good.  The Glue had been wanting cajun so she went with the Crawfish Etouffe.  It was on point and very good.  I got the fried fish and shrimp which came with two sides so I picked baked beans and red beans and rice without thinking about having two bean dishes.  The fish and shrimp were outstanding as were the baked beans.  The red beans and rice had a good flavor but were a little dry.  Both dishes also came with a side salad and both of us got the house dressing which was also very good.After leaving there we went through Alto Pass and our nephew was out weed eating so we stopped in and had a drink with him and his son then headed back to the house.
On Saturday I had my weekly golf game with Rod and Fred for a pitcher of beer.  I was on fire, hitting 11 of the first 15 greens but none after ending up shooting a 78.  I ran away in the skin game while it came down to the last two holes for Fred and Rod to see who bought the pitcher.  Rod didn't have a very good round while Fred did but in the end Rod got a skin on 17 and Fred had to buy.

On Sunday me and Rod had our golf game and I came back to earth some with an 87 due to a few really bad holes.  Rod outplayed me but I won the skin bet so he had to buy.

We decided on sharing toasted ravioli appetizer and an Italian Beef sandwich with sides of baked beans and seasoned fries.  The only thing that really stood out was the seasoned fries.  The sandwich and toasted ravioli were ok but nothing special while the baked beans were disappointing. 

After we left there we decide to go for a ride which ended up going through the Scatters and Snack Road which gets closed twice a year so that snakes can migrate from the bluffs to the swampy area on different sides of the road.  If I've been on that road it's been a very long time and it was really nice going under the bluffs.  I wanted to go up on the bluffs but the road was closed which didn't stop us from going up to where it is closed then coming back down.  After working our way back to route 3 we did a quick trip around the marina and camping area and then back home.  While the food was disappointing the ride was awesome and we'll have to make it one of our regular routes.

Roll'em If Ya Got'em started off the summer 2018 season missing Clutch and Herbster who had conflicts so once again we turned to Roberto and Ted as our subs.
In the first game we took on ever dangerous Holy Ballz Batman featuring ex-super sub Fred.  Roll'em got on the board first and strung together some frames rolling out to a 5-0 lead but Holy Ballz heated up.  They got the next four points to pull to within 5-4 when disaster struck.  With their ball in but with one of ours close Roberto went for a kill shot on his last throw but instead of hitting their ball it hit ours and left the court wide open and Holy Ballz took advantage with four points to make it 8-5 them.  Momentum had turned when they were in with us down to our last two throws but we got one pretty close.  Mick had both his balls left and as the Glue said later it's a bad feeling with it being game point and seeing him with a ball in his hand.  This time both his balls barely missed and rolled long and we got our last throw in to move to to 8-7.  The Glue had a good ball which caused them to use all four of their balls however they left a little room for Roberto who redeemed himself by getting both his throws in and we got a 9-8 win.
In between games I got a call from my old buddy George who is having some intestines removed today.  Good luck old buddy.
In the second game we took on Boccilism and my old track relay partner Mike.  The Glue and Roberto got us started with one of the easiest four pointers that you will see, they didn't have anything within ten feet or so.  Boccolim answered with a single point against me and Ted.  The Glue and Roberto then got another four pointer and we were up 8-1.  Things got interesting then.  They got a four banger against me and Ted to make it 8-5.  They were down to their last throw with us having point but on the side board.  They went to knock us out but missed and hit the pallino which was actually better for them and they had an easy two.  Measuring for the third point was interesting because there wasn't enough string but we about an inch past while they were about two inches past.  With the score 8-7 Ted made his first really good throw of the night and put it almost on top of the pallino.  They made three attempts at hitting and all of them were within a few inches but we escaped with a 9-7 win.
Ted didn't have his best game and I didn't have a great night either but the Glue was good and Roberto was on fire.  Two tough games and two wins to start the season! 

Both of us were tired on Friday evening so we decided to order Mi Patio for pickup.  I got there a little early so I was going to have a beer while I waited.  I ordered a Dos Equis draft but there were problems with the keg system so I ordered a Dos Equis Amber bottle.  The waitress couldn't find that in the beer frig so I saw a Montejo and ordered one of those.  I'd never had it but it tasted good.  When I walked in I saw one of my old neighborhood gang, Theresa who helps out there now.  I had the fish tacos and the Glue had a spicy shrimp thing.  The tacos were real good and the glue like the spicy shrimp. 
On Saturday after a hard fought battle with Rod and ex-super sub Fred to see who had to buy the picture (Rod did after I covered his putt on the last hole) we decided to go somewhere and grab something to eat.  We decided on Marlow's in Herrin, formally the Frenchman's Widow and Berra's Tavern.  As is typical with us we got there after the noon crowd and there weren't many people in there.  One good thing about the place is they have Stag on draught so I went with that while the Glue went with Shiner Bock.  In a change from my original thoughts I had the Italian Hero and the Glue had the Italian Beef.  My hero was good and the bun was real good.  The Glue's Italian Beef was excellent but needed a little more au jus as it didn't have much on the sandwich itself.  The Italian Beef was very similar to what the Glue makes at home.  It's a limited menu and make sure you're smart enough to look at the pizza on the back of the menu, I wasn't or I may have ordered one.  A friendly place that we'll go back to and try the pasta and pizza.
My plan after we left was to stop by Route 51 on the ride home but wanted to take a little different route.  In looking at Google maps I saw that Christopher wasn't very far a way so I decided to go through there and stop at The Hop brewery for the first time.