Saturday we had Greyson most of the day and all night.  He's been asking about when the garden would get torn out so we did that first.
Next he mentioned he wanted to go on a hike so off we went to Giant City.  I'd called to see if there was any hunting on Indian Creek Shelter trail and she said there were some archery hunters there so we finally decided on Devils Standtable.  It's a short trail but has a lot of bluffs and boulders that he enjoyed climbing on.  There were some kids learning repelling up and down the face of the bluff which was interesting.  
After a stop for him to go to his cousins birthday party we went to Southpaw mainly because he wanted to play the machines.  I got a mushroom swiss burger while Lisa got a Cesar salad and Greyson got some boneless wings and fries.  
My burger was solid and the tots I got with them were really good.  Lisa was just okay with the salad and Greyson surprisingly ate almost all his wings after having two pieces of pizza at the birthday party.
We went through way too much money on games for Greyson but it was enjoyable.

Wednesday we decided go to Emilys Eatery in Dowell since we hadn't been there in a while. 
I ordered the catfish special but subbed out a side salad for the fries. Lisa ordered their new Korean wrap special.  The waitress came back a little later and said the cook who knows how to make it was gone so they couldn't make it.  She then ordered a club sandwich and chose potato soup as her side.  I also had a Yuengling while she got an Modelo Negra.  
When mine came out were fries with it instead of the side salad I'd ordered.  The catfish was okay but nothing special.  The fries were your typical crinkle cut frozen fries.  Lisa's said her sandwich was good.  She said the potato soup was real good but not very warm.
After we left we went next door to the Vet for a quick beer then headed home so we'd be there in time for the twins to get there.

We hadn't been to Southpaw in a while so we decided to go there yesterday since we couldn't go anywhere very far from Murphysboro.  There always seems to be a few tables with people at them when we go not matter the time.
Anyway I ended up deciding on wings instead of a burger.  I ordered the wings plain with a side of bbq sauce.  Lisa wanted screwballs which is a corn ball filled with stuff.  I wanted some so we got an app instead of a side.  She also got a kids burger with tots.
Everything was hot when it got to the table, in fact it was so hot we had to let it cool off some just to eat it.  The screwballs were better than I remember but my wings weren't.  Don't get me wrong they were still real good but something seemed off from before, I guess it could have been I got them plain.  Lisa's burger was a nice size for her and the bites I tried were really good plus the tots were great.
We ended up with a lot of food left but when we got home the twins and Bailey took care of a lot of it.  As fate would have it they released a new menu today that had a few more options on it but I wish they would add a few more items to the menu.

Another octoberfest season is coming to a close, here are my thoughts from this year.  Here is last years www.roll-em.com/life-in-the-slow-lane/octoberfest-2024

Sam Adams - still my favorite and first out this year
Shiner - not tasting as good as previously
Schlafly  - first out but just ok
Excel - really good
Point - very good
Boulavard Bob's 47 - not that great
Breckinridge - very good, right there with Sam Adams
Civil Life - good
Founders - okay, not as good as last year
Yuengling - very good
New Glarus Staghorn - very good
Springfield - didn't care for it,avoid
Hand or Fate - not as good as last year
St Nicholas - really good local beer

We took a long overdue trip to Bottoms Up yesterday.  For a long time favorite we hadn't been there in a while.  No surprise here, we ordered chicken with side salads and an app of fried okra.
The fired okra is really good and so are the salads.  On the other hand the chicken was outstanding as it always is.  We got some chips to go for when the twins get home.
I asked Greyson how he liked the chips and he said they were okay but he really like the chips when we went hiking around a lake and on a boardwalk.  I had to tell him it was the same place.

We made a quick trip to the Landmark yesterday in big part so that Cathy could see the Mississippi.  They still had their octoberfest so that was a good thing but Mike said there was something wrong with his captain and diet coke.
We had an app of the pretzel sticks that were good and the cheese was surprisingly good.  I ordered the garlic mushroom burger with sweet potato fries while Lisa had the king candy blt.  Mike got his usual burger, Debbie got a turkey bacon wrap and I don't remember what Cathy got except she went with the sweet potato fries too.
My burger was real good and the sweet potato fries were on point.  Lisa was disappointed with her sandwich, it was more like a slab of side pork,  Debbie said the same thing about her wrap.  Mike didn't say much about his burger, I think he was so disappointed in his drink it ruined his visit.  Cathy really like the sweet potato fries.  The regular fries and spicy fries were good but I didn't notice much spice on the spicy fries.
While we were there it started raining hard.  We got a little break but by the time I got to the car it was raining pretty good.  I decided it was time to get home in case we got some bad storms.

Yesterday our day became unexpectedly open so we took the opportunity to go Herrin and eat at the Frenchmans Widow.  On the way there I said we should have called my cousin Joey and met him there.  When we got there a car was sitting out front with JOEY on it but I didn't think anything about it.
When we walked Lisa started pointing but my eyes were still adjusting but when they did there was my cousin Joey sitting at a table.  He was finished but he stayed and we talked for a while.  I ordered the cuban and on the advice of my cousin ordered the fries to go with it.  Lisa ordered a gyro with chicken noodle soup.  The cuban was different but was very good and the fries were too.  Lisa said her gyro was okay but didn't care much for the soup, she said it reminded her of progresso canned soup.
I brought half my sandwich and some fries home with the intent of eating the sandwich for breakfast this morning but when the twins got home Greyson took care of the sandwich. 
Great seeing my cousin and I really enjoyed my order, Lisa not so much.

With Cathy in town we decided to go to Ferne Cliff for a little hiking, of course we had to go through several options before deciding on where to go.  We did the Big Rocky Hollow and Rebman trails.  Of course with Southern Illinois in midst of a moderate to severe drought none of the waterfalls were flowing and none of the creeks were moving.  There was a little water in some of the creeks.  Weather was great and the trails weren't too crowded and it was nice to hike again.  
Afterwards we went to the Log Cabin in Marion.  Their special was a rueben with fries and I was tempted but went with a chopped steak with mushrooms and onions and a side salad.  Lisa got a BLT, Mike got his usual burger while Debbie got the special and Cathy got a ribeye but they were out so they subbed a flank steak.  Everyone else got the homemade chips.  My chopped steak was closer to well done than to medium but was still good and I loved the mushrooms and onions.  I looked like soup with a big piece of meat in the middle and was close to a salisbury steak type dish.  The chips were thicker than most places and I really like the ones I had, surprisingly Mike did too since he's a thin and crispy person.  Everyone seemed to like their order but I should have stayed with the rueben, it looked fantastic.

Yesterday we were invited to join Mike and Pam along with Steve and Amy to visit the Italian Club in Coello.  We'd talked about it during the BBQ contest so it wasn't a surprise when it came about.
We were the last to arrive but only about five minutes late.  They go there quite often and I wanted to let them get settled into their routine when we arrived.  Amy ordered fried pickles and Mike ordered mushrooms for appetizers.  The fried pickles were really good and the mushrooms were solid.
On the advice of Pam I ordered the pork tenderloin with pickles,onions and mustard with a side of vinegar based coleslaw,  Nice that they also have creamy coleslaw there.  Lisa wasn't very hungry so she ordered an egg roll.  My tenderloin was nicely done and quite tasty but the star was the coleslaw, it was really good.  Lisa liked her egg roll but the small taste I had wasn't enough to pass judgement.  I also tried one piece of catfish and I liked it and will probably get it next time we go there.
After that we went to Backroads Bar in Buckner for a few drinks.  It's a small hole in the wall type place but had a nice vibe and the beer was cold plus I like hole in the wall places.
That concluded our small town tour for the day and we headed home.

After a pumpkin buy trip to Herrin and the grandkids positioning the pumpkins we decided to grab a bite to eat.  I didn't want to go too far so we decided on St Nicholas MDH mainly because the special was italian beef and they had their octoberfest on tap.
When we got there they said their specials don't start until 5:00 but there wasn't anything about that in their post.  Oh well, I mentioned drinking our beer and going elsewhere but we decided to stay.  I ended ordering brisket tacos and Lisa got their taco of the week, a big mac taco.  We both ordered chips and salsa as our side.  The brisket taco was good and Lisa really liked her big mac taco even though it sounds awful to me.  I didn't care much for the salsa and the chips needed salt.  The octoberfest was really good, probably the best local octoberfest I've had.
I probably should have gone for a burger but for some reason the taco jumped out at me.  Overall kind of a disappointing stop but not bad, just really wanted the italian beef,  

We'd been trying to get together with Buck and Debbie since early summer and yesterday was finally the day.  They hadn't been to Kretzers and both really wanted to go so off we went.
First stop was the Blue Room of course.  They hadn't been there so they got the full blown first timers experience.  It was so much fun we had to have second beer especially after Lisa knocked over a small cup of their hot sauce that went all over the place but managed to miss all of us somehow.  The place got real crowded and we had trouble getting our bill paid and our pint of hot sauce.
On to Kretzers were first times aren't as unique.  We got an appetizer of mushrooms since Buck said he like them.  I got catfish of course while Lisa got wings.  I got onion rings as a side and also a salad bar so that Lisa could have it.  Buck and Debbie also got catfish while the other Debbie got chicken livers and Mike got a bbq. 
I know, why would anyone get chicken livers.  I tried one and didn't care for it.  The mushrooms were excellent and the catfish was it's normal goodness.  The wings weren't as good as I hope but by the time I tried one I was getting stuffed.  I think everyone enjoyed their food and a good time was had but the place started filling up so it was time to go.
On the way home we stopped in to Slip on In for a drink mainly so I could show Buck the Packer and SF Giants stuff on the wall.  Once again the place started to crowded so we were on the road again,
Buck wanted to take a look at Aces and Eights so made a stop there and it was the most crowded and fun time I've had there.  
We finished off the night with a quick drink at the Da Nite mainly for old times sake.  We probably should have skipped this stop and possibly the previous one.
Good time and Buck and Debbie got to experience a few places they hadn't been.

Wednesday was our anniversary so naturally we decided to go out and eat.  I had to pick up my SIU parking sticker from the Durango so I wanted to go in that general direction.  We finally decided on Logans Roadhouse.
I went over wanting a steak and stuck with the plan.  I got a 16oz ribeye knowing I'd bring some home when the grandtwins got home and Greyson is a steak fanatic.  I got a salad and baked potato as sides.  Lisa got grilled shrimp with a salad and mac and cheese.
Both salads were nicely done but had some of the lettuce that looks like tree leaves mixed in.  My steak was surprisingly great.  I got it blackened but it tasted more like just extra seasoning, whatever it was it was very good.  The baked potato was solid, tasting like a baked potato should.  Lisa's shrimp were also good but nothing really special.  She brought the mac and cheese home in case Dax wanted it.

Roll'em wrapped up our 2025 fall season last night on a warm humid night.  We were supposed to play at 6&8 but Bertha's Ball Handlers agreed to move our 8 o'clock to 5:30.  Thanks again to them for agreeing to do this.
In the first game we took on Bertha's Ball Handlers.  Ian asked what court and we both agreed the middle court and neither team took warmups.  We were hot right off the bat when we got a four point frame to start the game.  They got one and we got two then finished off a 9-1 win.
In the second game we played Mission Inbocceball on the third court.  Once again we struggled with the speed change and didn't play well and we lost 9-2 taking any hope of making the tournament away,
We've had a lot going on and I was ready for the season to end.  I'm sure in a few weeks I'll really miss it though.

It's been a hectic few weeks that I expected to slow down some but we couldn't have that could we?  I've been looking at new vehicles to replace my trusty 12 year old Durango that's done everything we asked of it.  Anyway after a morning filled with car dickering we decided to forego the mudrun at Riverside and go for a ride.  
I was dragging when we set out so I knew it wouldn't be a long ride.  I didn't feel like making decisions so I threw out some suggestions and we decided to go down to Trail of Tears and check it out.  Mike and Debbie hadn't been on one part of it but had on the other.  Nice little ride and helped ease my draggyness.
Once again I threw out suggestions on where to eat and Mike finally said Sinisis since they hadn't been there.  I've been craving one of their italian beef so I went with that and parm garlic fries.  Lisa for some reason got a deluxe tamale while Mike got a beef and cheese and Debbie got a burger.  After ordering I started to pay but my wallet was in my back pocket.  Oh shit, did I lose at one of the stops on Trail of Tears?  Did I leave it at home?  I thought about calling Bailey but finally decided to call Sam our neighbor who went over and confirmed I'd left it at home.
Anyway the italian beef was very good, probably my favorite in the area of that type beef.  The parm garlic fries appeared to be the typical crinkle cut out of a bag.  The garlic parm topping was good but the fries needed to be hotter, barely warm.  Mike was very high on the beef and cheese while Debbie said her burger was good.  Lisa like her tamale which surprised me.

On a rainy night we played the 6:30 & 7:30 games.  
We played Bocce & Brews on the third court.  The game started great when we got a four point frame.  So much for the highlight.  They kept making key shot after key shot and pass us by before we scored again to make the score 6-5.  Unfortunately they hit a three spot to win the game.
In the second game we played Corner Bocce Balllers on the first court.  As always happens we struggle with the change from third to first however we did jump out to a 2-0 lead.  Once again they strung points and made the score 6-5 them.  Sound familiar?  They then hit a three point frame for the win, Deja Vu all over again.
Our chances at making the tournament took a big hit with a three game losing streak.  Big frames once again killed us.

Last night we played the 6:30 & 7:30 games on a warm but nice night.
In the first game we played No Beer, No Bocce on the third court which was rolling erratic.  The game was back and forth the whole game we got a three point frame but they came back and with the score 7-7 and the ball close to the wall they took all four shots and didn't get inside us but they did get one close to ours.  Debbie took her second shot and hit their ball and we won 9-7.  We really owed them, they'd beaten us the last few times we'd played.
In the second game we played Ball Busters on the first court.  It's always tough going from the third to first court but you have to adjust.  They jumped out to a 2-0 lead but we came back but then they did too and with the score 6-5 us we made a giant mistake.  We left a wide open court and they walked in with a four point frame and their first win of the season.
We only had one big score frame against us but it was a costly one.

Yesterday was Lisa's birthday and there was no bocce so it was the perfect storm, yeah right.  We both had doctors appointments and we had to be back when the twins got off the bus so we had to keep it fairly close.
After throwing out several options she decided on Red Lobster.  I haven't been there in at least 10 years.  They don't have a great draft choices so we both got Blue Moons, tall of course.  It too a while and a few biscuits to decided what to get.  We had decided on what to get when we were told that Lisa's came with four choices instead of two so we regrouped and decided to split it.  We both got lobster from one section and Lisa got shrimp scampi while I got fried shrimp from the other.  We also split a baked potato and I got some slaw as sides.
Their biscuits are dangerous, too easy to fill up on them.  The lobster was good but I'm not overly versed in lobster.  Both shrimp dishes were also really good.  The baked potato really hit the spot but the slaw didn't, we should have got two baked potatoes.  To top it off they brought out a caramel ice cream dessert for her birthday that was really good.
Overall a nice return to a place I hadn't been in a while and it wasn't as expensive as I expected.

Late start yesterday meant staying somewhat close to home so we finally decided on Sergios.
I ordered chicken with broccoli and cauliflower.  As always the chips and salsa were really good plus Mike got guacamole for everyone and it was good.  I ordered my dish with no cheese on it and it was lacking.  It needed something but I'm not a fan of cheese over everything.  On top of that Lisa's dish had a bug in it.  She mentioned it to the waiter and nothing, I'm not sure he understood.  
Not overly pleased with Sergios yesterday, may be time to give it a break.

Earlier this week we were over towards Marion so we took the opportunity to go to Sam's and stock up on some things.  Since we were over there we decided to eat at Logans Roadhouse.  I just don't have a good too there so after a lot of back and forth we decided to split some fried ribs and a kickin chicken salad.
The ribs had a nice rub but were overcooked, typical fall of the bones stuff you get in most restaurants.  I know better but every once in a while I order ribs knowing they won't be that good.  On the other hand the salad was really good.  The chicken slices was nicely cooked and went well with the rest of the salad.
Yesterday we picked up China Buffet.  It had been a long day for both of us.  I got broccoli and pork with pork lo mein.  Lisa got garlic chicken with beef lo mein and we got an order of egg drop soup.  
The soup was really good and hit the spot for Lisa who has been cold a lot.  They gave us white rice instead of the beef lo mein so that sucked.  The pork and broccoli was okay, not great not bad.  The pork was somewhat overwhelming to the dish.  I need to quit getting pork there.  The chicken and garlic sauce was really good but had a kick to it that may be too much for me if I ate a lot of it.  The pork lo mein was very good but needed to be hotter and as opposed to the broccoli dish I didn't really notice the pork.

Week 5 saw us playing the 6&7 o'clock games on a very pleasant night.
In the first game we played Rolling Thunder on the middle court.  We started fast and didn't look back winning 9-0.  
In the second game we played Blue Collar Ballers on the first court.  The game started close but then we gave up a four point frame and were down 6-2.  We came right back with a three point frame to make it 6-5.  We got the game to 7-7.  We went deep with the pallino but couldn't get anything close but neither could they.  We had the point and they were down to their last ball still with nothing inside of 3-4 feet.  Their last ball went long and hit the back wall and suddenly we noticed that their previous ball had moved our back ball enough for it to count too and we got a much needed 9-7 win. 
Me and Lisa couldn't come close the second game but we got the win and we're finally back to .5oo at 5-5.

With Lisa vacationing in Florida I've take the opportunity to eat out.  I can cook some things but I'm not near the cook she is.
Tuesday I went to Southpaw and got a BLT to bring home.  I'd been wanting to try it and it's only on Tuesdays so why not.  I was really wanting to see how the fried green tomato tasted on the sandwich.  Overall the sandwich was good but very sloppy and it kind of fell apart at the end.  The chips were good but could use more seasoning.
Wednesday nothing sounded good but then I saw that Pat's had turkey and dressing.  I didn't really expect much from the dressing and it was not the greatest but better the Lisa's gasoline dressing.  The turkey was good and the beans were surprisingly good.  The mashed potatoes and gravy were decent.  Overall a good meal.
Yesterday I met Ted at Hickory Ridge golf course for lunch.  We'd ate there last Friday and they only had one fish order that M had while me and Ted got burgers.  When I got there yesterday there was only enough fish for one order and since I got there first I had the fish and Ted got a burger.  The fish there is outstanding maybe the best in the area.

On a really nice night we played the 6&7:30 games.  Lisas in Florida so Ted subbed for her.
In the first game we played Money Balls on the first court.  We started off with two one point frames then a two point frame for a 4-0 lead before they scored their first point.  We followed that up with a three point frame and a 7-1 lead.  They scored again but we finished them off with a two point frame and a 9-2 win.
In the second game we once again played on the first court but this time against Boccelism.  We got the first point but they followed with a two point frame and a 2-1 lead.  They followed that with a four then a three point frames and we took a 9-1 loss.

Week 3 saw us play the 6&7:30 courts, luckily the weather cooled down and it was almost pleasant out.
In the first game we played Boobs, Booze & Bocce on the middle court.  Our end couldn't score but it wasn't from bad play, every good shot we made they knocked out or made a better one.  Even with this we were tied 5-5 before disaster hit.  Their other end hadn't scored all game but this time it was them that made the great throw which ended up with all their balls in and a 9-5 defeat.
In the second game we played Usual Suspects who had trouble getting their players there and had to use two subs.  I don't remember the score but it wasn't very close and we walked away with a split for the night.
We played a lot better than the resulting split.

We played in the For Pete's Sake yesterday with Ted and David as partners.  It was brutally hot day and we managed to find an open area with a fan blowing on us.  We ended up in a three man pool with the Wops and the Eclectics.
In the first game we played the Wops on the middle court.  We jumped out to a big lead and went on to win 9-3.
In the second game we played the Eclectics on the first court.  We got two points the first frame and then didn't score again losing 9-2.
The third game was played on the third court against the Wops again.  It was basically a win and in game.  We once again jumped out and won by a 9-1 score.
In the forth game we played the Eclectics again.  We played again on the first court but that was all that the same about the game.  We played a lot better and won big but I don't remember the score.  In the final game in our pool the Wops upset the Eclectics giving us first place in the pool.
In the playoff game we played a team consisting of several players we'd played before but not as a team.  I don't remember the name of the team.  The throws we'd been making all day deserted us and we went down to defeat in a game we could have won.  Oh well,
The ac sure felt good when we got home.