So as I had already planned to attend the LA GUNS show at the Forge in Joliet it turned out to be even nicer with Melanie aka Beans, Emily Sifrit and Nick Huffman’s daughter Hayley Faulkner would also be attending as a tribute to Nick. Dave Ganz would be meeting me later at the Harrah’s Hotel and Casino where I booked a room for the night., I worked till noon that Thursday and made my way downtown to be on my way to Joliet aka Toilet. In a rare event it was the first really bright and sunny day in weeks. All looked promising but I was not looking forward to my commute downtown to the once thriving financial district of Chicago.
The following social media posts are all 100% true and the CTA is worse than ever.
The Brown Line is normally a breeze. Normally a guy isn’t on board swinging a sledgehammer.
It’s not all that hard buying tickets from the machines on the platform but thinking of how many jobs are lost over this. Of course the system crashed
Metra is closing its remaining ticket windows and repurposing some of the agents as customer service representatives, including at all of its downtown Chicago stations. Agents at outlying stations on the BNSF line stopped selling tickets effective Jan. 8 and agents on all other lines, including at downtown stations, will stop effective February 1, 2024. Tickets will be available for purchase through the Ventra app, new ticket vending machines that have already been installed at the busiest stations, and conductors on the trains. For more information on Metra’s 2024 changes visit their website: https://metra.com/2024FarePlan#Ticket%20Windows
I got to my room and had a pleasant check in and my room was large and very clean. I set up my laptop and put on some music and waited for ‘Dave Metal Dad’ Ganz to arrive. It was worth the wait to see my good friend.
One very negative thing about thsi casino is the lack of any place to eat. There is a diner that is only open till 9PM and most of all of the food is microwaved. I had a horrible Chicago Hot Dog. They did not have any unsweetened iced tea so I accepted water. A few moments later a lady brought me an unsweetened iced tea from Starbucks. The staff especially my cashier were very “nice” but the food options were limited. There is a high end restaurant in the casino but we weren’t in that mode. Not much in downtown seemed appetizing. There is an Italian place but I don’t like Italian food. Back at the room we had a drink nd made the short walk over to the venue where we’d see a lot of friends.
Tatiana Laurent aka “Natasha Nice”
The menu at the Forge has been reduced to appetizers since my last visit and from what I recall the sandwich I had when I saw LA GUNS here years ago was pretty damned good. But I tell ya the staff are so polite and helpful. The security at the doors don’t yell at you the way they do in Chicago which is annoying. I was outside with a lot of people I know from other shows and that was a big plus of going to a Joliet show. I didn’t want to use my card so I took $120 out of the ATM in the casino but it gave me a $100 bill and a $20 bill. When I walked into the venue I was one of the first to order. I asked for a double Jamo on the rocks and a beer for Beans. It was $25 but they couldn’t break a $100 bill yet. I was told not to worry about it. Moments later I noticed an ATM inside and removed $20 and told the bartender to keep $10 after I gave him two $20 bills for my drink order. The evening was already up to a nice start.
SIGN at the Metra Lasalle Train Station
My room with a view
ACE VON JOHNSON in Joliet at Hopeful Tails Animal Rescue
A Gang of Five: AZ, Beans, Hayley, Dave and Emily
Two of my favorite ladies from Bradley IL Emily and Melanie aka Beans
Soundcheck
Emily gets a shot of my silhouette with hat on head
Live photos and video courtesy of Robinette Jacqueline
I paid an extra $15 for checkout hoping I could find a good breakfast, As it turned out the Route 66 Diner is closed on Mondays and Fridays and THAT MAKES NO SENSE. So I had to settle for a crappy microwaved sausage egg and cheese muffin which was so terrible the cheese didn’t even melt. When I got home I had El Palmar and then went shopping at Mariano’s.
The west loop view up at the Sears/Willis Tower on my way home.
I really do like the Adams CTA Red Line Station for a nostalgic feel
WELCOME BACK ZANDER
Finally a really good meal at El Palmar
Some of my work at Walgreens
Make the biscuits
Taste the biscuit
Taste the goodness of the biscuit
Taste the honey sauce
Taste the goodness of the biscuit with the honey sauce
Don’t get that honey sauce on me
I don’t like the way it tastes with my chicken wings
Taste the biscuit
Taste the goodness of the biscuit
Taste the butter spread
Taste the goodness of the biscuit with the butter spread
Don’t g?t your butter spread all on me
I don’t lik? the way it mixes with my mac ‘n cheese
‘Cause when you’re at KFC
You got that special sauce to stir my curiosity
Just gimme a five-piece meal, oh what a deal
A big ol’ box that’s all for me
You know I’ll take coleslaw on the side
I could tell you wanted to try the potato wedges
Taste the biscuit
Taste the goodness of the biscuit
Taste the honey sauce
Taste the goodness of the biscuit with the honey sauce
Don’t get your honey sauce on me
I don’t like the way it mixes with my chicken wings
Don’t get none of that honey sauce on me
I don’t like the way it tastes on my chicken wings
Text Message from Detroit Jason regarding my upcoming trip to Detroit for his birthday
SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!!
Slash says you should come to The Brig tomorrow!!! We will have bloodies and football and pizza and all other sorts of shenanigans ALL DAY!
Yesterday was a GREAT day. Did a podcast, spent a couple of hours at the Brig with Eric Mills and went to Output Wrigleyville for wings with Jackie Jockell.
