Since I hurt my ribs I haven't been out to the golf course much lately but Lisa decided to go out with "the girls" instead of fixing the bacon and corn on the cob she had promised so I decided to go out and grab some fish.  I also don't get into the clubhouse restaurant as I used to so the cook, Deloris, took care of me and fixed a nice container of fish to take home.  She also threw in a few fries but they don't hold up well on the ride home.  The catfish was excellent and really hit the spot.  Lisa had managed to make some of her better than store bought tartar sauce and it really complimented the fish.  She'd also made some really good slaw a few days before and for some reason slaw and catfish go together well.
All in all an excellent meal and if you get the chance head out to Hickory Ridge and tell the cook I sent you.  They have really good burgers too.

We got there early yesterday to make up our game against Boobs, Booze & Bocce.  In typical Roll'em fashion we got off to a poor start and fell behind 5-0.  This time we came roaring back behind a three spot and several other good frames.  The game became a tight back and forth before we finally got the last point for a 9-8 win.
In the second game we played maybe our best game of the season against No Beer, No Bocce.  We strung together good frame after good frame and finally closed out a 9-1 win.
In the last game we moved to the third court and played Money Balls.  We kept hot and jumped out to a 5-0 lead but suddenly went cold.  They started making one or two good throws per frame and finally passed us.  We had a chance to close it out but finally lost on another last ball point 9-7.

Roll'em If Ya Got'em braved an air quality warning and heat advisory to make up it's week 2 game against Holly Ballz.  This was Roll'em first ever Tuesday night game.  I chose Tuesday because they don't have any 7pm games on the schedule.  We got there a little before seven and shortly after a game got over, great timing.  Or so I it seemed but another game was called.  No worries another game got over but once again a game was called and finally another game got over and another game got called.  So much for good timing.
We finally got under way and needless to say we got off to a typical Roll'em start when they got three points right off the bat.  We fought back and took a 4-3 lead but then it all fell apart and they scored six straight points and we lost 9-4.
I was surprised that several Tuesday night players stayed around to watch our game.  Thanks to Danny for letting us make up the game and thanks to Holy Ballz for agreeing to make it up instead of a forfeit.

We had the grandkids yesterday morning, we took them up to the Farmers Market and they got to throw a quarter into the fountain.  They had a hard time deciding if they wanted to throw the quarter or keep it. 
Our plan was to take them to the unveiling of the Big Muddy Monster statue but it was too hot so we went to Mike and Debbie's pool.  I went to get snacks and sodas and almost got to see the unveiling from the road.  There was a nice crowd and uptown traffic was Applefest like, meaning it was crowded.  Good to see a lot of people uptown going through the shops.
Saturday afternoon we said goodbye to long time friend and de facto family member Brownie down at Riverside Park.  Several people had some very nice things to say about Tim and there was quite a nice crowd.
So Long Brownie, you will be missed.

We decided on another ride yesterday.  I wanted something a little different so I went to the Big Muddy levee but once again it's not open all the way down so we just took off down route 3 to Ware.  We stopped at the little produce stand that has a lot more than produce.  Really cool place.  Lisa picked up some cherries and peanuts and I got a pack of sala meats from Venegoni. 
Next stop was the Revlon, mainly to use the bathroom.  We got a couple beers and an order of fries to go.  A couple guys there had taken a train to Carbondale and were bicycling all the way to Arkansas but not all in one day obviously.
We left there and the original plan was to try out Captain D's but we decided on Pita Alley instead.  We both got gyros since we'd been wanting them for a couple days.  In a word they were disappointing.  Way too much white sauce for me and Lisa mentioned they didn't have any onions.  No where close to El Grecos or even Hamps.
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After missing last week game Roll'em was back in action last night, playing the 6 and 7:30 game.  I don't like playing with that much of a gap and to top it off we played both games on the third court.
In the first game we played Bertha's Ball Handlers.  We jumped on them right out of the gate and continued to pile it on finally winning 9-0.  The third court usually isn't too bad in the first game but our next game was different.
In the second game we played Muddy Rollers.  We started out with a point but they got the next six before we got a couple more but they finished out the game giving us a 9-3 loss.  The game would have been different but they had a lot of last throws that scored a point with none of their other balls close.

The power of tv, yesterday there was a show on and they were eating a gyro.  That really looked good to both of us so we decided to go to Pita Alley but they were closed on Tuesdays.  We settled on Sam's Cafe not sure if we would eat in or bring it home.  We hadn't had the Freedom tops off the jeep in a while so we took them off and went for a ride around Giant City.  On our way I got a call from Danny wanting me to sub and of course I said okay.  This probably saved me from misbehaving quite a bit since the ride was feeling so good.
After driving around the train tracks detour we finally got to Sam's only to find out they were closed.  We didn't expect this so we didn't have a backup plan but finally settled on picking up Dale's Burger Shack.  I was torn between a burger and italian combo but decided on a double burger.  Lisa went with a small roasted beef.  I also got a large fries for us to split.  We carry a pizza type hot bag in both vehicles for situations like this.
When we got home the food was still nice and hot.  The bag of fries was enormous, too much for us to eat.  They were very good and I think they would be even better if they were fresh.  The burger was supposed to be two half pound burgers but it seemed bigger.  The burger was also very good, one of the best if not the best around.  Lisa's roast beef was also very big, stuffed with meat and she seemed to really like it.
Sometimes the best things happen when something else doesn't.  It's also nice that it is on the west side of carbondale.
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Lisa decided yesterday would be a good day to break in Mike and Debbie's pool so she invited herself over and then they invited me, Fred and Cathy and Bailey and family.  I still have trouble believing that the pool was ready to go after seeing it a few days ago.  I had to make a second trip to walmart to pick up a suit.  I hadn't needed one since we sold our boat several years ago.
Greyson was the first person to get in the pool and he was the first person to go off the board.  Mike went off the board but it took a while to get Brinley to go off.  Most people stayed in the shallow end except the twins.  Dax even to in for a while and seemed to enjoy it.  I got in for a while but mainly stayed in the shade on the deck.  They had just got finished filling it in the morning but it wasn't as cold as I expected, once you got in it was nice.
Mike broke out his smoker and made burgers and dogs and Debbie had a build your own salad along with several snacks and side dishes.  I've never rated a persons cooking and I'm not going to start now but:
🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 for the hospitality and attractions
I'm still tired from the Giant game so I took it home early but so did everyone.
Overall an awesome day

Shad got eight tickets to yesterdays Cards-Giants game so Shad, Bailey, Brinley and Greyson went in one car while me, Lisa, Mike & Debbie went in the other.  We hit a traffic jam and it took us a long time to get over the bridge.  I didn't think we would be able to meet them but they ended up behind us.  We parked in a lot that I think used to be Hraboskys and got a free drink ticket at Patty-O's so that's where we went.  I was pleasantly surprised to find they had Yuenglings so that's what I got.  We ended up having a second round and running into some guys from Murphysboro there.
We met the others and got in the stadium while the first inning was underway so I missed one of the Giants get a hit in his major league debut.  We ended up having really nice seats that were under the second deck so we were shaded the whole game.  Lisa got us a couple 25oz Ultras and by the time I was ready for another it was already the seventh inning.  I did get a pretzel to soak up some of the beer and it was pretty good.
The Giants got a two out two strike homerun to tie the game in the top of the ninth and then won in the 10th.  After seeing a game in person I have to say I'm a fan of the new efforts to speed up the game.  The flow was so much better without as much dead time.  The only rule I'm still undecided on is the ghost runner in extra innings.
After the game we stopped at Skootrs to grab a bite to eat.  I got the rueben with house made chips.  Lisa got chili while Mike got pulled pork and Debbie got nachos.  The chips were nicely cooked but not much seasoning on them, I'd ordered mine with seasoning so they were a lot better.  My rueben was disappointing mainly because of the corned beef being tough and hard to bite through.  Lisa said her chili was good and Mike liked his bbq.  Debbies nachos were big and looked pretty good.
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Yesterday we went to the newly reopened Blue Boar to give it a try.  First we went to farmers market in carbondale which made Lisa feel like a traitor since we didn't stop at Murphysboro's at all.  I really hope Murphy's picks up soon, there were only 3-4 booths there.
On to Blue Boar.  The place is just so cool, all kinds of different items hanging on the wall and sitting on the floor.  The place was almost empty but had a few more people come in as we were eating.  We decided to order a rack of ribs with a side salad, mashed potatoes and some sort of corn and veggie based slaw/chow.  Mike got a burger with chips and Debbie got a shrimp po' boy.  We also got some chips for the table.
The chips were nice and hot with a nice crisp snap but needed some seasoning on them.  The salad was good and there was plenty of it for us to share.  The ribs were okay, nothing special but not bad either.  The mashed potatoes were nice.  I really don't know what to make of the chow, it was different.
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After we left we stopped by Havisham House for a couple and drinks, Mike and Debbie really like it.  Then it was on home via some back roads.

We were in Harrisburg yesterday for my eyeball shot (yes they are as bad as they sound).  I noticed a sign that advertised pre hung doors.  I'd seen that many times over the years but this one got me wondering "what is a prehung door?".  Is a pre-hung door like a pre-owned car which really means used.  I couldn't imagine that much market for a used door so I finally googled it.  It just means the door has hinges and is already attached to a frame so I guess pre-hung makes sense it just sounds weird to me.  Maybe pre-framed would be better.

Roll'em If Ya Got'em open its summer season last night without the self proclaimed Glue of the team.  She was in St. Louis at the zoo with our daughter and her family.  I didn't make the trip due to concerns stemming from my recent health problem.  We once again turned to Mr Reliable Danny to fill in for us.
In the first game we played Mission Imbocceball on the first court.  Wow, they couldn't miss at the start and we once again got off to a typical Roll'em start.  Tammy and Mike were both red hot and were getting their first balls next to the pallino causing us to use all or most of our balls usually to no avail.  I think the score got to 5-0 before we scored but we gradually clawed our way back in.with all four of us contributing.  We got the score to 8-7 them when they put their ball an inch or two a way from the pallino but Mike made a great throw to knock it away and we tied it.  That paved the way for us to escape with a come from behind 9-8 win.
In the second game we played Dark Side of the Pallino on the third court.  This time we started hot and jumped out to a 7-1 lead but we stalled.  They battled back t0 7-5 before we closed it out for a 9-5 win.
First time we've swept a night since Herb and Lissa retired.  We're also half way to last seasons win total.

Yesterday Mike & Debbie threw me a curve by saying the wanted Mary Jane's, I thought for sure we'd go to Lisa's Market Street.  They were swayed by Mary Jane's hurricanes, no big deal so off we went.  I was the only one who ordered beer, I started of with Old Tom Porter from Piney River and finished with Southern Pecan from Lazy Magnolia.  Both were really good.
I ended up going with the tenderloin sandwich over the tricky ricky burger, mainly because of the waitresses suggestion.  I almost got sprouts but went with fries instead.  Lisa got wings and a half salad. 
Debbie had ordered an appetizer of fried curds.  Not normally my favorite but these were probably the best I've had, even in Wisconsin.  Don't get me wrong I still prefer fresh curds that squeak when you bite them but these were good.  The sirracha mayo dipping sauce was a nice complement them.
Maybe I'd ate too many cheese curds but my tenderloin was just okay, nothing special.  Same with the fries.  I only finished about half the sandwich and fries but I was stuffed.  Lisa's wings were special and I mean that in a good way.  Once again probably the best I've had outside of Lisa's wings she makes at home. 
Dual ratings for this visit:
tenderloin & fries 🍺🍺🍺
wings and curds 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺
After we left we walked down to J Street Eats, formally Jackson Street Brewing.  I wasn't aware of the change until I saw the sign.  It's still the same people as Mary Janes but their beer is brewed elsewhere.  I saw Yuengling on tap so I went with that.  We sat outside and Scott that I used to work with walked by, I thought I'd seen him at Mary Jane's but Lisa didn't think so. 
After that we headed to grocery store a couple blocks away so I could pick up some Yuengling to take home.  Mike found some PBC from Big Muddy that he hadn't been able to get around here.
Lastly we stopped at the Landmark, one of Mike's favorites.  I had a maibock first then a porter next.  Once again the others had mixed drinks.  The waitress told us about a piano upstairs so when we were done we went upstairs to see what was up there.  It's really nice up there with a great view of the river.
Really fun day.

I had a follow up appointment to my hospital stay yesterday afternoon so afterwards we decided to go somewhere and grab a bite to eat.  After our normal where do you want to go and eliminating options we decided to try Bennie's Italian Food in Marion.
I went over trying to decide on pasta or a sandwich, they had interesting options in both categories.  When Lisa decided against salsiccia pasta italiana  I decided on that with a lettuce side salad and house dressing.  Lisa ended up with baked mastaccioli.  She wanted baked manicotti but neither of us could remember what she actually ordered.  Regardless she said it was good but was disappointed.  My pasta was really good and there was a lot of it.  What can you say about a lettuce salad, it's lettuce but the dressing was also really good. 
Overall a really good choice and it's got me wanting to try their pizza.
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Afterwards we decided on a trip around Giant City, it was eventful but I'll leave the rest up to your imagination.