Mid November and the leaves are falling off the near naked trees. I take daily walks and the brisk air feels good after a long workday or a quiet weekend morning/afternoon. Though I can deal with the weather I’m having some issues with myself., I have severe acid reflux almost 24-7. I’ve managed it for 2 decades with Prilosec and Tums. They no longer seem to be able to keep it at bay. My bladder is bursting and by that I mean I am constantly urinating. I went to Mariano’s to shop for Thanksgiving and pee’d 3x. Once when I arrived, once mid shopping and again prior to departing. I can barely get up my stairs at times before heading directly to the bathroom. I have no idea what’s going on. I see a doctor in a few weeks for my annual checkup and will address this as well as the fact that I am exhausted everyday. After work the sun is already down and its dark. There are days that I am in bed by 630PM. Completely unlike me.
“What a drag it is getting old”.
Posted at Irving Park and Sheridan sponsored by AARP no joke
My neighborhood since 2005 Buena Park/Uptown/Lakeview beautiful in the summer and autumn. Spring tends to be rather sloppy.
Sunday November 19th I commute to the Brig for the first. Eric Mills a co owner is old friends with most of the LA bands that I still like. Especially the Hollywood strip bands. The first thing I’m asked was how was the Faster Pussycat show that I was scheduled to attend the Friday prior. I did not go and there were no more questions. I’ve learned again and again some things don’t always go as planned.
I hung out at the bar for a couple of hours chatting with Eric and his wife who make some of the VERY BEST Bloody Mary’s I’ve ever had. I met some locals and before long my old friend Jackie would meet up with me. She would also attend Thanksgiving dinner along with her son Phoenix and his father Timmy
The Brigadoon, Longtime Jefferson Park Tavern, Reopens As The Brig With Rock-And-Roll Vibe Under New Owners
The Brig, 5748 W. Lawrence Ave., which was formerly The Brigadoon, reopened this month after being closed for nearly 10 months. The bar has been remodeled with a rock-and-roll theme with all-new floors, bar equipment, seats, artwork and a fresh coat of striking red paint.
Owners Mike Shamoun and Eric Mills took over in June after its previous owner died and left the property to his family, who decided to sell the building, the owners said. The two friends, who have decades of experience in the hospitality and bar industry, had been thinking about opening a bar together for several years, they said.
“We’re a neighborhood bar with a little bit of rock and roll in it. … We still have the neighborhood vibe where people can come in and get to know everybody,” Shamoun said.
Although the two didn’t expect to own a bar this year, the real estate opportunity popped up and they decided it was a good fit after touring the spot, he said.
“It took all of probably 10 seconds of me walking through the door, just seeing it and I was like, ‘This is it,’” he said.
The two have enlisted their partners and other family members to help run the bar and bring it to life again, they said.
The Brig felt like a natural yet modern name for the revamped bar, which departed from its signature green awning for a stronger red one that matches its interior walls, the owners said. It turns out that neighbors already called the bar “The Brig” as a nickname, they said.
The Brig hosts a daily happy hour from 4-6 p.m. with rotating specials and $1 off drinks for teachers and first responders.
The duo, who live in Logan Square and Lakeview East, are excited to give the Northwest Side a boost in nightlife options and more activity while also fulfilling a longtime goal — one that has benefits for everyone.
“We’re sort of picking up where COVID left off. … If we are the first ones in the neighborhood to do that, great,” Mills said. “We may not be everybody’s cup of tea but I think a lot of people are going to appreciate and enjoy it. Everybody that has come in so far has.”
Walking home from Jungle Jewel around 8 AM Thanksgiving morning. This statue I named the Hunchback of Buena Park at Saint Mary of the Lake and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish |4220 North Sheridan Rd. Chicago. Bobby T calls it Agualung!
Thanksgiving Thursday November 23 2023: I was up and out the door at 730 AM to purchase a few last minute items. Cheesecake (thanks Mrs. Hoeksema) cranberry juice and rainbow sherbert (thanks Gramma Craft). I got the bird dressed and in the oven around 1030 and it has be be tended to for 4.5 hours.
I got a distressful message from Vickie who took the Van Gelder down from Madison and she made a bunch of sides and somehow her and Mario got into it and she came solo via CTA. Jackie,., Timmy and Phoenix also arrived with a bunch of sides and we had some drinks and chatted a bit. Phoenix seems to enjoy the array of memorabilia and box fans around the flat.
It was a revolving door mostly and my friend Jonny Wolf dropped in twice. We stayed up late swapping rales and drinking vodka cranberry’s. Vicke did her best to try to clean up. Thanksgiving is hard to clean up. Turkey grease, mixing bowls. anf the flour. Oh hell the flour.
My favorite dish but I suck with flour.
This is how the table looked. Thanks BH
With Jackie and Timmy
Katrina and Phoenix
Jackie and a visibly tired AZ
BLACK FRIDAY
Friday November 24th 2023 – There was a lot of cleaning to do and I did very little of that. most of the day I stayed in bed and the weekend, well, what are vacations for. Rest so I did not feel guilty. I also avoided phone calls, texting and above all social media. My mnd was numb and all I wanted to do was sleep and I was in and out of bed till around 9 PM when I ordered an Uber over to my old hood from over 20 years ago and to the Empty Bottle. I had purchase 2 Lydia Loveless tickets and was excited to see her perform again. I would be attending alone.
I went in just before the first act took stage at 10 PM sharp. I had a drink in one hand and two LL vinyals under the opposite arm to get signed and I had a story to share with Lydia after the show. I met a few people and at 11 PM sharp Lydia Loveless took stage. I made it about 5 songs in and was so worn out I had to order an Uber home. It was just too late for me. Too dark and too cold. What a wuss. Tired from what? As I mentioned earlier it’s been this way since the time change. I crashed.
Some nice peeps I met at the gig who asked to share my bench.
And now the next show is fast approaching. I think I’m more excited to see my friends than anything else. Yers, I’ve put the band back together for our annual December hellabration.
BABY IT’S FUCKING COLD OUTSIDE
HE J.J. GARGANTUAN® you get 5 kinds of meat. One kind of cheese and loads of toppings
SALAMI, CAPOCOLLO, TURKEY, ROAST BEEF, HAM, PROVOLONE, ONION, LETTUCE, TOMATO, MAYO, OIL & VINEGAR, & OREGANO-BASIL
730 – 1080 | 2160 cal it’s big enough to feed the hungriest of humans. Featuring salami, capocollo, turkey, roast beef, ham & provolone cheese then topped with onion, lettuce, tomato, Hellmann’s® mayo, oil & vinegar and oregano-basil.
IT MADE 4 MEALS!
By Tuesday night the house was cleaned and the tree is up. Now I gotta box up gifts and hit the USPS for fucks sake.