MICK KAHLER'S WORLD

So many tributes to the late great Bears legend Mike Ditka have been shared and I’m enjoying many of them.  Da Coach was beloved in Chicago because he was so much like the character of the city and its people.  Tough, hard-working, no nonsense-straight shooter and what we saw (good & sometimes not so good) was what we got.

Here are my 4 Downs with Coach Mike Ditka.

1^ST DOWN. October 14th 1985.  I was producing the Larry Lujack morning show on WLS AM &  WLS FM.  We were just about to go on the air when I picked up a call from a tipster who said Coach Ditka had been pulled over for a suspected DUI in the last hour or so.  The guy calling could not stay on the phone but he sounded legit.  His details fit. I rushed into the studio to tell Larry before he opened his mic about what I learned.  Lujack was hesitant to share the news worrying it could be a phony call but I pushed for it.  Larry got on the air and hinted that a local sports name was arrested for a DUI but stopped there. In the background I called out “He’s a coach.” Larry chuckled and said that was true.  Then I said, “Just won a big game yesterday”, again Larry laughed and finally named Ditka.  A couple minutes later newsman Jeff Hendrix got on mic and confirmed our reporting. 

Now I wasn’t out to nail Da Coach, I was and still am a huge Bears fan. But we had an exclusive story here!  And most important, 3 months earlier we got the very first tip that Bruce Springsteen had just married Julianne Phillips which was huge news at the time. Larry thought it was a fake deal and missed that exclusive) I wasn’t about to let this big story slip through our hands.

2^nd DOWN.  November 2^nd 1988.  Coach Ditka suffered a heart attack while working out at Halas Hall.   Again, anything Mike Ditka did was major news and while working at WCKG FM we rallied into the story.  Our promotions department put together a huge poster sized “Get Well Coach Ditka” greeting card.  Our station logo was on the card and for the next few days we got hundreds of signatures from listeners on it.  Next, morning show host John Howell, myself and a couple of station promotions workers drove up to Halas Hall in Lake Forest to deliver the get well card.  Cameras from The NFL today were there and our little stunt earned us about  15 seconds of exposure during their Sunday pregame show.   By the way, Ditka was so tough, he was back at work with  the Bears 11 days later.

COACH DITKA’S HEART ATTACK WAS A BIG STORY IN 1988.

3^RD DOWN. November 29^th, 1990.   Riding shotgun in a large panel van on the way to O’Hare Airport to pick up Bruce Hornsby and his band.  I was producing the Murphy in the Morning Show at Q-101 and Hornsby was set to play a private show for our listeners that night at Park West.  The van driver was a well seasoned airport pick-up guy and he asked me to guess which Chicago celebrity was the one who was top priority and granted all special access when traveling to and from O’Hare.  I first guessed Oprah.  Nope.  Michael Jordan?  Nope.  Mayor Daley?  No.  Then he told me, it was Mike Ditka.  Drop Da Coach’s name at O’Hare and all gates, access, parking privileges, etc. were granted. Carte Blanch for Coach Ditka.  I’m sure that practice continued throughout the totality of Mike Ditka’s traveling until his passing.

4^th DOWN- April 6^th, 1999.  Opening Day at Wrigley Field and Coach Ditka was scheduled to sing the 7^th Inning stretch at the game.  The summer before, Ditka was running late to Wrigley to sing “Take Me out to the Ballgame” and blew in at the very last second for a rushed and out of breath version of the song.  There was speculation if this year’s 7^th inning stretch would be different.  Producing the Ramblin’ Ray and Trish Biondo show at US*99, I arranged for a phone interview with Ditka set for the morning of the Cubs opener.  I had a specific time and number to call Da Coach.  He was great with Ray and Trish and assured them he would not be so rushed to sing this time.  Mike Ditka was a media pro like few others and that’s how he was with us.  However, when calling the coach at that number, I mis-dialed three times!  I was all jacked up to have Mike Ditka on with us and a little intimidated.  Now, as a 14 year Chicago radio veteran I was no rookie with famous people.  I had shaken hands with two sitting U.S. Presidents, met and hung with countless music stars, actors, actresses, models, athletes and was even on the phone with British Royalty. (Duchess Sarah Ferguson if you must know) But the idea of talking to and setting up Chicago icon Michael Keller Ditka was almost too much for me to handle. 

Tens of thousands of folks have their Mike Ditka stories, these are mine.  Rest in Peace Coach!

NEXT BLOG: Great Opening Songs at Concerts.

“With a friend at hand you can see the light, if your friends are here then everything’s alright.”  (“Friends” by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin)

It’s not Thanksgiving but I need to give thanks for the plethora of friends I have in this life.  I’m not sure what I did to deserve what these folks have brought to me but I sure am grateful!

My oldest friends being the Swain-Mitchell boys whom I’ve known going back as much as 60 years ago.  My best friend Bobbo and I just marked 53 years of being close as family.  Marko is another dear one, and we’ve been tight since college. 

There’s also another middle school buddy Phil who’s a great sounding board when talking about sports, movies, politics and more.  To be invited to both of his daughters’ weddings was very much appreciated. We’ve had plenty of other great times too.

There are so many others.  Girls I’ve known since grade, middle and high school, guys the same, as well as guys from Elmhurst Baseball, YMCA Hockey and York Baseball as well. 

I have my former radio co-workers, many of who I still stay in frequent touch with.  Too bad college radio pal Jim Turano and I could only muster a few on air collaborations when he was on WGN AM. Maybe in the next life, we’ll do more together.  There are also colleagues turned friends from schools where I’ve taught. Others are neighbors, former neighbors and many mutual Elmhurst residents. Irene, Judy and Joe and Rosalie lead that list.

There’ve been great mentors in my life who are no longer with us. with my parents and sister Marianne taking the lead influence there.  Then there was Lee Swanson, Larry Lujack, plus education guides like Paul Murphy and Jason Vanderwoude.  The teachings I got from these folks and others could fill the Grand Canyon.

Later in life, the working friendship I’ve formed with parody song pal Al Flash has been another special one.  Then there’s the extended summer family I have at East End Pool.  Our core group of 10 to 15 water walkers and then other lap swimmers, floaters and sun bathers who I’m friendly with each warm season.

These folks I’m thinking of and writing about have shared experiences with me; Hirings, firings, parties, concerts, movies, dinners, drinks, weddings, funerals and everything else in between.  These times were spent together and I wouldn’t trade them for all the money in the world.

The favors, errands and care shown to me over the years has been overwhelming and I go to bed at night hoping I’ve been as good to those who’ve been good to me. 

There are plenty of others who I’m probably leaving out in this post. Put it this way, if I ever won an Oscar, my name-dropping acceptance speech would last over an hour.  Maybe it would be best to just say, “Thank you to all those I know, you know who you are and you’re the best. 

This post isn’t any kind of goodbye.  I’m not sick or dying or anything like that.  I just thought it was time to express my gratitude to the salt of the earth people who I count as friends. 

John Mellencamp put it best when he wrote, “My family and friends are the best things I’ve known, through the eye of a needle I’d carry them home.”

THIS ELTON JOHN OLDIE SAYS IT BEST.

NEXT BLOG- Great Songs That Opened Concerts.

I have never…..

Had a Red Bull or any energy drink.  Ditto for any Latte’s or cappuccino.

Eaten even one Taki.  My students live for those snacks.

Taken any psychedelic drugs.  Zero interest in losing my mind.  

Gotten a tattoo.  Might be good for others but not for me.

Had a manicure or a pedicure.  A mani, maybe someday but nobody is ever toughing my feet.  Ugh!

Worn a pair of Crocs.

Told a woman, “It’s not you, it’s ME!”  Though I have had a couple women throw me that blow-off line.

Danced the tango.

Driven a car over 80 mph.

Gone zip-lining.

Done stand-up comedy at an Open Mic Night.  Maybe someday.

Swam naked.   East End Pool and my gym kind of frown on that. Bunch of uptight prudes!

No tango for me. (I wanted to use a pic from “Scent of a Woman” but could not find one that could be re-posted)

NEXT BLOG- Thanking my many friends!

This coming week Garth Brooks’ “Blame it On My Roots” concert tour comes to the Allstate Arena for four shows.  (Thursday through Sunday) It’s a big deal and social media will be loaded with lots of coverage not to mention numerous video clips of Garth’s concerts will be posted on YouTube.  I’ve seen this country mega-star’s live show several times so I won’t be attending this week.  However, anyone who gets to these shows is guaranteed a fun time.

Thanks to my years of working at US*99 I got to meet Garth twice as he recorded stations promos for us.  He was nothing less than outgoing and helpful and fun to be around.   Much has been said about Brooks’ smart marketing strategies since his early days in Nashville which is true. However, if you don’t have the music to  back up your business plan, then forget becoming an icon. Country music fans are not easily fooled.

Great songs and high energy is what you’ll get at a Garth Brooks concert.

Over 35 years ago, Garth was part of the so-called Class of 1989. It was him, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt and Mary Chapin Carpenter.  These artists all broke out that year and proved to have staying power through many years of music releases and sell-out tours.  I loved and still love all those stars, met them often and they brought me endless memories.  

Can I pick a favorite of the Class of 89?  Ehh,.it’s a tough call but it would probably be Alan Jackson. I choose A.J.  because up until his recent retirement from touring due to health issues, he has been the most prolific producer of great country songs.  Alan Jackson in my mind and ears is the closest we have to a modern-day Hank Williams Sr. Clint, Travis, Mary Chapin and Garth Brooks run a tie for my second favorite from that Class of 1989.

Garth & me in Nashville 1995. Met up with him a couple of times and he was cool as can be.

One point about Garth’s current tour.  I’ve seen live clips of it on You Tube; but I  think he overdoes the “What a surprise, aw shucks you all still love me?” expressions and comments made from the stage.  G.B., you are and always will be a beloved star so maybe cool off the ‘overly humble’ approach to the fans’ adoration.

I don’t mean to make this post a put Garth Brooks down message.  Besides his music there are other good points about the native Oklahoman.  First, there’s his lovely wife Trisha Yearwood.  Great singer and another fun star to be around.  I always found Trisha to be the cool cousin in your family and when she treats you as an equal, it’s so warm and wonderful.  Trisha is a “bonus mom” to her husband’s three daughters and is a great match for Garth.  (Damn, I’m jealous of that union.  LOL)

Garth and Trisha are a fine match. Great both in music and in their marriage.

Also, Garth is a man of his word.  In 2001, he announced his retirement from live performing so he could do his part in raising his three daughters.  I figured that time off would last a year or two then he’d hit the road again. Nope! Garth really did spend constant time with all three girls, cooked for them, went to their sports and school events and came up with projects for them to do with him during their summer vacations. One time they even spent a summer constructing a large bridge over a stream on Garth’s land. He did not get back on a live stage until his youngest daughter Allie finished high school. Being a dad meant more to Garth Brooks than selling out stadiums of adoring fans. Well done, sir!

One more fine point.  Garth is faithful to the Allstate Arena, once known as the Rosemont Horizon.  Brooks could easily sell out concerts at the bigger United Center but he often notes that it was in Rosemont where some of his most vital and memorable shows happened.  He remains loyal to that venue when playing this area. In his mid-60’s Garth Brooks is still a major concert draw and I expect his four shows at the Allstate Arena will be met with rave reviews.

You might be wondering what’s my favorite Garth song.  So many to pick from, “The Dance”, “Friends in Low Places”, “Rodeo”, “That Summer”, “Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House,” “Shameless”, “The Thunder Rolls”, etc.  But for me, it’s hands down, “Much Too Young to Feel This Damn Old.”  Just a timeless song. Every time Garth sings that song live he hits a peak with the line, “A worn out tape of Chris Ledoux, lonely women and bad booze seem to be the only friends I’ve left at all.” Then he shouts out “God bless Chris Ledoux!”  A tribute to a departed star and pal of his.  God bless Chris Ledoux, and God bless you too, Garth!”

Well played every night!

Next blog- When I know, you’ll know.

Just this past Saturday morning the plantar fasciitis in my left foot was really acting up and I woke up to a horrible burning sore throat.  I can handle headaches, stuffy noses, stomach issues, etc. but a raw throat leaves me beyond miserable! Plus, I had a huge pile of laundry to finish.  Being on summer break meant doing minimal washes since I live in my swim suit, a couple pairs of shorts and 3 or 4 t-shirts.  Now that we’re back in school, I have loads of slacks, shirts, socks and underwear to wash. Feeling sick and overwhelmed I was in a pissed off foul mood.  Why was all this coming down on poor me?  A pity party for 1 please!

Then a quick web surf to Facebook healed me.  I saw a video clip of a woman taking her young cat crazy niece to an animal shelter to visit kitties. That girl was so sweet and taken by the many felines there.  Then I popped into the Marklund Homes Facebook page and saw pictures of their multi-needs residents who enjoyed a recent field trip to Rate Field, the home of the Chicago White Sox. The beaming smiles of those folks with developmental disabilities and serious medical needs were a strong wake up call for me.   I thought to myself, “Dude, you have a normal, healthy and pretty much trouble-free life.  Stop acting like a whiny baby!”  Message received, loud and clear.

THE GOOD FOLKS AT MARKLUND HOMES HAD A GREAT DAY AT THE HOME OF THE WHITE SOX, RATE FIELD.

We’re closing in on the start of the regular Bears season which should be a fun one.  Ben Johnson’s team won’t be surprising opponents like they did last year and they have a much tougher schedule.  My prediction, the Bears will win 10 & lose 7.    

Regarding the back and forth over whether the Bears will move to Hammond Indiana or build a new home in Arlington Heights; I don’t think the Mc Caskeys really want to move out of state.  But they may have to if their desired incentive requests from Illinois legislators don’t happen. 

Here’s how I see this mess.

To the Bears, Arlington Heights was the beautiful rich girl who they thought they could easily land on their terms but the team learned that she’s not so easy. Hammond is the tipsy girl who’s draped all over them as closing time at the club approaches.  The tipsy girl could win this battle.

By the way, the Elmhurst History Museum has a new exhibit on the long history of the Bears that I’ll definitely check out.

CH. 2 NEWS DID A NICE FEATURE ON THE NEW BEARS TEAM EXHIBIT AT ELMHURST HISTORY MUSEUM.

Last week marked the 40^th anniversary of the release of Paul Simon’s landmark album “Graceland.”  I like all the songs on that record and the title track has one of the best opening lines of all time.  “The Mississippi Delta was shining like a National Guitar.”  How Paul Simon came up with that line I’ll never know but I love it!

PAUL SIMON’S “GRACELAND” ALBUM IS 40 YEARS OLD AND IT HAS AGED WELL…

This coming Labor Day weekend marks the last three days East End Pool will be open for 2026.  It’s been a fun but weather messed up summer. During this season, I went through two tubes of Banana Boat 30 SPF which yielded me a dark tan and no sunburns.  Also, my Reef brand flip flops started falling apart in the last couple weeks but I was still able to wear them through the season. The countdown to next year’s pool opening starts the day after Labor Day.

LABOR DAY WILL BE OUR LAST DAY OF THE SEASON AT EAST END POOL.

NEXT BLOG- Party on Garth!

It was a good six-week break.  Here’s what I was doing.

School work- Despite being on ‘vacation’ I completed all 51 training tutorials that our staff was assigned.  They weren’t due to be done until the end of August but I wanted that stuff out of my way.  I also outlined the first book my students will be reading in the new school year, “Crush” by Gary Paulsen.

Personal Reading– For fun, I read Clint Black’s recently released autobiography, “Killin’ Time.”  I learned new things including his father’s suicide and the throat surgeries Clint underwent a few years back after a bad bicycle accident.  One GLARING omission- Clint gave no mention of the out of wedlock daughter he fathered back in 1990.  Fact- Clint fully supported his love child financially until she turned 18 but had nothing to do with her.  This now woman, Chelsea Bain, is an aspiring singer herself.

The other book I read was one that came out in 2023, “Life in the Fast Lane” which is the third Eagles biography I’ve consumed.  Many of the same tales from the first two were in it but also other unknown facts.  This book seemed to have less of an axe to grind than former Eagle Don Felder’s did and also “To the Limit” which was written by Marc Eliot.

Someone needs to make an unauthorized movie about the band’s long and storied history.  However, the biopic idea might scare some studios because both Don Henley and the band’s mogul manager Irving Azoff are lawsuit happy.

Clint Black’s autobiography was a fast and fun read. In my radio days i got to hang with Clint a few times and always found him to be a good guy and very funny with a dry sense of humor.

I saw NO movies at the theater.  Nothing interested me.  I read The Odyssey in high school and am not into the giant epic style films.  There are some late summer/early fall flicks I do have interest in seeing.

On the small screen I re-did my membership to Netflix and really liked the Martin Short documentary “Life is Short.”  I also streamed the newly issued three-part series “The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare” on Netflix. This one has interviews with the friends and families of the young murder victims along with the police who were on the scene from that very first day when the crimes were discovered.  It IS a heartbreaking watch but as I’ve said before, these kids deserve to be acknowledged.  I taught high schoolers who were about to graduate and move forward with their young lives, just as these college kids were moving forward in theirs.  Heck, we ALL have been that same age, (early 20’s) and can recall the dreams and expectations we hoped to make happen.  Maddie Mogen, Kayla Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin never got to do that.

I also was blown away by “A Toxic Love Story” on Netflix.  It’s a ninety-minute true story documentary that has more twists than you can imagine.  Here I thought I’d seen it all in relationships… I was wrong! 

This 3 part series is worth seeing and those 4 kids deserve our attention and respect.

I watched plenty of Cubs and White Sox games on TV and even geeked out by keeping scorecards for some of those contests.

Odds & Ends- Back in late-April I had a slight fender bender and needed to get the hood of my car repaired along with getting a new front headlight.  That finally happened in early July with help from A-Z Auto Body in Villa Park.  Excellent work done at a very fair price from those folks.

I got my teeth cleaned for the first time since before the pandemic. No cavities but my poor hygienist (who’s also a neighbor of mine) had some serious work to do when clearing and polishing my choppers. From now on, I’m seeing my dentist every six months with the next appointment set for January.

A former co-worker of mine was in need of a new teaching job and asked me to be a reference which I gladly did.  She got the job so I may have been a small part of her landing that position, a job I know she’ll do so very well.

I also was the conduit for helping my cousin Linda get in touch with a reputable breeder of Boston Terriers and this fall she’ll get the pick of a new litter of pups.  Boston Terriers are a great breed of dogs; Linda had one years ago and she is thrilled about welcoming another to her home.  I could not be happier for my cousin who I love dearly.

Pool It. Of course, most of my days were spent doing early morning lap swimming and mid-day water walking with my summer family at East End Pool. 4^th of July’s weekend was rained and power outage out and we lost another day due to the Canadian wildfires smoke but most other days were good.  We still have 3 more weekends to enjoy at East End.

I spend so much time at East End Pool so maybe I should have my mail forwarded there.

At the midway point of my break, I started personal and professional projects that are in their infancy.  More details on those will be shared in the coming months.

My Summer Break 2026 was graded a B+ and hopefully 2027’s will be even better.

NEXT BLOG– When I know, you’ll know.

Summertime and the living is easy, even if I’m not on a beach.

Wanna know how I spend most of my summer break days?   No?  Too bad, here it comes.

4:30- a.m. I’ve always been an early riser and I’ll be up and tuned in to get news from “Way Too Early” with Ali Vitali on MS NOW. My favorite part is when Ali shares feedback pics from viewers who explain why they are up so early.  Most often, it’s because their dogs or cats wake them and want breakfast.

From there I’ll flip between Sportscenter on ESPN to catch last night’s game highlights, also the Channel 9 Morning News and a little CNN.

While snacking on a honey-crisp apple I drive to East End Pool for lap swimming.  I’ve been getting in a little over a mile in swim strokes, plus some dog paddling and water walking.

Back home I’ll click into my DVR and review the rest of the Channel Nine  Morning News.  At this same time, I’ll check out my emails, TMZ and Daily Mail websites and post something new on my Facebook page.

10:00 a.m. I’ll have breakfast.  It’s either oatmeal with blueberries and a small bowl of grapes or 2 scrambled eggs with a piece of toast and the grapes.  While eating, I’ll tune into some CNN or a rerun of “Friends.”

Next up, I’ll to prep for the mid-day swim by putting on my sun screen (Banana Boat Sport SPF 30) and get back into my swimsuit again.

The mid-day swim/water walking takes place at East End with my summer family.  Our little pack of friends ranges between 5 and 15 fellow walkers.  I’m the only guy in our group but other men are welcome to join.  Topics discussed include movies & TV shows to check out, places to eat, sports, family goings on and the latest things the women have bought at what we know as “The Bin Store.”

East End Pool is my summer home away from home.

After pool time, I have a late lunch, usually some cooked salmon or lean burger with vegetables and a serving of watermelon. I also favor the chopped salad from Portillo’s. I’m off all soda pops so it’s either milk, ice water or a Gatorade Zero to drink.  While eating, I’ll watch reruns of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Mary Tyler Moore” which were DVR’d.

3:00 – 6:00 p.m.  More T.V. time as I watch “Inside Edition” then “Jeopardy” followed by Channel 5’s afternoon news and NBC Nightly News.

6:00 p.m. Dinner is a mixed bag.  Sometimes a frozen meal, chicken or salmon and vegetables with dessert being more fruit and a handful or two of almonds.

7:00 p.m. Play ball! Time to watch the Cubs or Sox or both teams depending on their schedules.   Sometimes I go full sports nerd and keep scorecards for the game I’m watching.

10:00 p.m. More news to watch, a little web surfing and when the mood strikes me, some karaoke singing to a tune or two on You Tube. My poor next-door neighbors has to endure my off-key warbling.

11:00 p.m. By now, my day is pretty well done.  Time for flossing, brush my teeth and hit the sack. 

Not the most exciting life. No fancy places to check out, no exotic trips but this pattern suits me just fine.  This is the time of year to re-charge myself and prepare for my 11^th year of teaching at Parkland Preparatory Academy.

So, to quote an old Jackson Browne song, “And when the morning light comes streaming in, I’ll get up and do it again. Amen.”

NEXT BLOG- When I know, you’ll know.

You can’t go on Facebook or You Tube without seeing video clips of seventy-four year old John Mellencamp playing live on his current “Dancing Words: The Greatest Hits Tour” which kicked off July 10^th.  The Hoosier rocker can still bring it live and the crowds are loving the fact that he’s doing ALL the songs that made him a star.  No offbeat or unfamiliar tunes.

FOR THIS TOUR HE’S DRESSING CASUAL WITH SIMPLE T-SHIRT AND BAGGY SLACKS BUT JOHN MELLENCAMP STILL DELIVERS THE HITS.

I did not go to Mellencamp’s show in Tinley Park last week.  The main reason being since 1986, I’ve witnessed his hits played live at over 10 concerts. Seen JM at Summerfest, Farm Aid, the Horizon, Tinley Park, the Chicago Theater, etc.

But my FAVORITE Mellencamp show was back on a Friday night in October of 1991 when he was the ‘surprise’ (not really a surprise) opening act for label mates Material Issue at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre.

Earlier that day John Mellencamp was our in-studio guest at Q-101 while I was producing the Murphy in the Morning Show. He was promoting his new “Whenever We Wanted” album and the lead single “Get a Leg Up.”  As prickly as Mellencamp can be, I found the guy to be affable and cooperative. He even accepted Robert Murphy handing him an acoustic guitar to give us a snippet of “Small Town” which segued into a verse of John Prine’s “Dear Abby” which Murf joined in on. 

Our guest posed for pictures, signed a photo for me with the words “Minutes to Memories” as I asked, since that’s my favorite song of his and made a quick stop at a Q-101 sales staff meeting.  It was a good visit and then the word got out that John and his band would ‘open’ for Material Issue that night.

MELLENCAMP AND ME IN THE Q-101 STUDIOS. I THINK HIS EYES WERE CLOSED BUT NO MATTER. 3 MONTHS LATER I GOT TO INTRODUCE JOHN TO MY MOM BACKSTAGE. THEY SHARED THE SAME BIRTHDAY BUT A FEW YEARS APART.

In my radio days, being on a concert’s guest list was a regular thing for me and that night at the Riviera I landed a spot in the V.I.P. section of the theater in the balcony.  I often called that locale ‘The President Lincoln seats” like he had at Ford’s theater.   That’s always been my favorite place to watch a concert with a great view of a band in action.

THE RIVIERA THEATER. SEATS ONLY 2500 AND HAS GOOD SOUND AND SIGHTLINES.

The group came onstage and Kenny Aronoff’s opening drum stick tap of a cowbell made me realize they were opening their set with the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman” which was beyond cool.  The packed crowd went nuts and then John favored us with several hits like “Hurt so Good”, “Small Town”, “Minutes to Memories”, the new single “Get A Leg Up” and a searing cover of Free’s “Alright Now.”  There was also “The Authority Song” & “Crumblin’ Down” and then Mellencamp closed with the rousing “Pink Houses” for the best forty-five minute set I’d ever seen.

Despite this not being a full blown Mellencamp concert, this show was my favorite time I’d seen him live. I was seeing a seasoned singer and his band rock out in such an intimate setting with great hits and a couple of cool cover songs.  The Chicago based trio Material Issue followed with their show.  After an opening song, lead singer Jim Ellison asked the crowd how they liked that opening act then joked he’d try to help that guy get a record deal.

It was a long day for me so a few tunes into Material Issue’s concert I ducked out.  As I walked down Lawrence Avenue to get to my car, a large van loaded with John Mellencamp and his band slowly rolled by.  I waved to them and they waved back. Good night, folks and thanks for such a fun show.

Next blog- When I know, you’ll know.

The buzz over the 250^th birthday of the United States is winding down and it made me look back to the summer of 1976 when the Bicentennial was approaching.  Two hundred years as a country was a really big deal and everyone, of all ages was way into it.

I’ll share exactly what I did on July 4^th 1976 but first, there were other things happening during that summer.

I was 15 years old and finished my freshman year at York High School.  I was earning money doing weekly mowing of 6 lawns.  Three in my neighborhood and three on the northside of Elmhurst.  I’d load my lawnmower in the trunk of our Chevy Caprice and my mom would drop me off to cut away.  Then she’d come back ninety minutes later and I’d pack up with some freshly earned cash in my pocket.  Money for wiffle balls, movie tickets, pinball playing at the Game Room in Lombard, poker parties and I can’t forget slushes at the White Hen Pantry.

Mowing lawns was my source of income in the summer of ’76.

I was pitching for the Red team in Colt league that summer in the Elmhurst Baseball league.  It was my first time throwing from 60 feet 6 inches (just like the  pros do) and my final mound record was 3 wins & 6 losses.  Four losses came at the hands of the ultra-star filled Green team but in two of those games I HAD them beat but my fielders fell apart a bit in the last inning.  Still, I learned so much about pitching that summer and that led to three solid years pitching for the York Dukes and then American Legion ball.

Pitching for the Colt League ‘Red’ team was a big learning experience for me.

Mariott’s Great America in Gurnee opened that summer.  You could buy tickets in advance at Jewel for less than 10 bucks.  My mom woke me up one morning and said she wanted to take me up there to check it out.  This would lead to future visits to Great America in the summers after that.

Marriott’s Great America opened its first season in the Summer of ’76.

For the 4^th of July, the BIG day to celebrate America’s bicentennial, I hosted four friends for the day at our house.  We loaded up a laundry basket full of water balloons and had a massive balloon bout. A pizza dinner followed then my sister Marianne drove us to see the fireworks. Since a late night poker party was happening at our house afterwards, we convinced Mary to buy us cigars to smoke during the card playing.  My pals slept over that night and I recall we had some bottle rockets and firecrackers to light up too. Nobody lost any fingers that night.

What better way to celebrate our nation’s 200th birthday than with a big water balloon fight?

At the end of July, I attended my first ever rock concert, Elton John’s 4^th and final night at the Chicago Stadium.  We landed tickets 2 months earlier and the countdown to this show was a constant focus for me. Marianne took me, her boyfriend at the time, me and two pals as we rocked out to the hottest act at the time. This was the first of many times I’d see Elton John in concert.  What a blast that first experience was!

Elton John was the first ever concert I ever saw and it rocked big time back in late July of ’76.

One downer of the summer of 1976 was the passing of our beloved part German Shepherd dog “Coach.”  Coach was our first ever dog and a beloved member of the family for 12 years before incurable kidney issues happened.  He was gently put to sleep the second week in August and it devastated all of us.  Even our pure white kitty Miss Priss mourned Coach as she kept vigil by his backyard dog house for 2 days after his death.  Rest in peace Coachie.

Losing our beloved dog Coach was the one downer of the Summer of 76. He was a great member of our family.

When the summer of ’76 wrapped up, I was about to start my sophomore year at York where I’d be on the Yearbook staff, struggle through Geometry with Mr. Urbaniak, go 2 and 0 for the Dukes of York with a team leading E.R.A. of 1.54. (I told you I learned lots about pitching in ’76) and would move on to summer baseball at York plus my first part time job at White Castle.

This all went down fifty years ago.  Fifty years. And yet, it sometimes feels like it just happened.

NEXT BLOG– When I know, you’ll know.

“He said I don’t drink but sometimes I want to pop that top, take a swig and make the world stop and watch it fade away.  He said I don’t smoke but sometimes I want to light it up, yeah when things get tough, sometimes I need a smoke break.”  (‘Smoke Break’- sung by Carrie Underwood) Folks, I can’t put it any better than that.

We are just about halfway through 2026. Long story short, it was a rough year at school from mid-August of 2025 until the end of the summer session. It was not just in my room but in other classrooms at our therapeutic school. We are understaffed and often over-taxed with crazy challenges. The search for staffers is constant but it is very difficult to find worthy people who want to do this kind of work with our Special Ed kiddos.  As I’ve often said, this job ain’t for sissies.  

However, things are being worked on to ensure the 2026-2027 school year is a more positive one.  That’s all that needs to be said about that.

The kids can be a challenge but they’re alright. I think.

On Monday June 29^th at 2:30 my summer break starts.  So then it’s time to rest for the next 6 weeks.

I have a couple of household things to take care of: Water seal my front and back steps, paint the front trim of my garage, and book the sealcoating for my driveway.

As expected, I’ll be spending the bulk of my time swimming laps and sunning with my ‘Summer Family’ at East End Pool.  We’ve already been together for a few weekends but going full blast daily is very much looked forward to!  Thanks to sunny late spring days my tan is really going well and it’ll only get better.

Just some of my ‘Summer Family’ who I swim and water walk with. Great folks!

OTHER STUFF– My cable TV package was upgraded so I can watch most Cubs and White Sox games.  I’m happy when either team wins; no more Cubs Suck/Sox Rule stuff for me.  I just want to see good baseball played. And my sports nerd ways kick in when I keep scorecards of various Cubs and Sox games.

Movie wise, I have interest in seeing “The Odyssey” but haven’t looked into many other film offerings.  I’m sure I’ll find some decent flicks to watch.

“RAISED ON THE RADIO” UPDATE- My radio memoir continues to collect dust.  The final edit was done last year and all the photos have been selected. I still need to hire someone to format it to the specs via paperback and e-book for Amazon.  But the real hold-up is the energy and time I need to properly promote the book.  That means social media postings, interviews, public readings and all other points of selling my story.  I don’t see me ready to launch until at least the Spring of 2027.

However, there’s a couple of side projects smaller in scope that may actuallygo public before “Raised on the Radio.”

Not much else to report on.  I just want to take things slow and easy and re-charge.

My mantra for the next month and a half can be found in a new song from Kenny Chesney titled “Carry On” which was co-written by Chase McGill, Matt Jenkins and the great Jessi Alexander who is a fine singer in her own right.   

Here’s the song and happy summer to all!

Kenny Chesney’s song covers my summer outlook.

Next Blog- When I know, you’ll know.