My favorite new "old" band

There was that great radio station in DC known as WHFS. It exploded with the New Wave songs of the early 80s and introduced me and many others to the rising number of fun bands. It also inspired me to go to many concerts in the DC area. And of course I was making tons of tapes of the station so I could listen to these songs while driving around town.
But I never wrote down who the performers were. Flash forward to my move to Chicago. I sent some of my tapes to a guy in California and he identified some of the performers.
The Chemeleons UK? Who in the heck was that? So on Sunday night, I drove down to Chicago to see the Chemeleons at the Bottom Lounge. I brought the GPS just in case but I still listen to tunes while driving. When I got close, my directions failed so the GPS got me to this place. It was a good bar with a fine beer list and plenty of TV's to follow Sunday night football. Of course, the concert was supposed to start at 9 and the Chemeleons officially took the stage shortly after 11. It was great. Here I'm thinking I'm the only one who ever heard of this band and there were plenty of young folks singing to every song.
I officially pulled into the driveway at 1:37 a.m. It was worth it. Plus, I'm still able to hear after that most loud event. Am I getting too old for this kind of an adventure? Let's hope not

Piels gives you piles

I hope this isn't slander. But for some reason, I recall the statement, Piels gives you piles from college. It had to be uttered by Crazy Tommy or Mark. Even a certifiable beer snob like myself began drinking cheap beer to start with. I had no money so cheap beer was the way to go.
The first beer was the cool taste of Schlitz beer. And then Miller and Old Style. I moved quickly on to foreign brews.
I can't recall if I ever tried Piels. Of course now, I wouldn't go within 20 feet of it. But that didn't stop me from buying this Piels glass that I spotted today. I couldn't wait and poured a Spotted Cow from New Glarus into the Piels glass and drank it down easily. Hmm, it wasn't even 4:00 yet. No matter.
Why buy a punk beer glass to drink fine ales out of? Will this make me bring home Miller and Bud glasses? Nah, it's just Piels. Piels gives you piles after all. What the heck does that mean?

I told you I was sick

I first heard the expression, "I told you I was sick" at Harper College. The head football coach John Eliasik, gave me the slogan for a gravesite and it really stuck in my head. Can you imagine putting that on a grave? The guilt of the remaining family would be incredible. Gosh, was he really that sick? And he must have had such a grudge not to put his name on the grave.

Wait, I really wanted to tell my favorite Eliasik story here. Recall, I'm from DC where egos are really out of control. Well, coach Eliasik had a giant-sized ego but he was fun.

So I pull into his office as sports information director (1989-1998). I was there to interview him for a press release. Football was kind of fun to cover at Harper because there were good players and the coach was crazy.

So then phone rang. I sat down. Eliasik answered and here it goes.

"What you are quitting,'' he asked the person on the phone.
"Well this is what I want you to do. Do you have a mirror in your house? I want you to go to the mirror and tell yourself five times, that you don't have the guts to be a football player. And then come back and talk to me."

Yeah, right, I'll do that and then drown myself in the bath tub, you nut case. Oh, that's what I would say.

How many curse words did I count during my time covering this coach? Let's go with 12,245.