Ironica

Imagine if you will, a month with a graduation party, a block party, a high school post-reunion party, and a visit to the family cabin.

Hinsdale South vs. Hinsdale Central:
Drove by Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South during the most recent visit home. People are losing their houses and their jobs, gas is up to three dollars per gallon, and a greedy union has disrupted the football schedules for two conferences by going on strike. Many Chicagoland construction projects have been impacted by the stike, but to mess with schools and football seems so wrong. Recent articles in the Trib and Suburban Life have the football field at Hinsdale Central almost replaced, but Hinsdale South is still dirt unil October. The union should be ashamed. There are a lot more important contruction projects underway than football fields, but the actions of an arrogant union have inconvenienced a lot of people.

www.mysuburbanlife.com/hinsdale/news/education/x524159454/Game-on-at-Central-South-still-up-in-air-after-strike-resolved

Block party:
The block party in my old neighborhood offered a chance to meet the new neighbors. Because there are only three remaining residents from when I grew up back in the day, only a few faces were recognized. A little awkward a first. One of the houses on the block was build by a family from Willow Springs. They introduced us to Maple Lake, Argonne, Sag St. James Cemetery, and Little Red Schoolhouse shortly after we moved in. The widow sold the house a few years ago, and the new family recently lost the house due to foreclosure. The widow died in a nursing home this past week. A teardown lot across the street may finally have a new owner. Another teardown on the corner that had been on the market for quite a while now has a family.

Most people in Chicagoland assume I live in the Cities, just because of the Minnesota license plates. One of the neighbors spun around when I mentioned Rochester. Turns out they were moving out of Rochester when I was moving in. Filled them in on the new Trader Joe’s, the rebranded Redwood Room, and the Highway 52 expansion project. We jokingly agreed that Rochester is half townie and half transplant. Half of those transplants only stay a few years.

One neighbor that I did know at the block party lamented that her son’s band was not able to practice in their garage, due to complaints from a neighbor on another street. No idea what kind of band, but they apparently don’t play Freebird. Had to ask that. After cleaning up and heading out to attend my nephew’s graduation party, Freedbird was playing on the radio under the buffet table.

Freebird:
After the coincidence of hearing Freebird after mentioning it in passing, several other songs popped up on XM throughout graduation party and block party the weekend. Van Halen’s Jump (dolphin show at Brookfield Zoo), Motels (college girlfriend), and Survivor (Jim Peterik used to live on Stone Ave). After retuning home and getting Bella out for another walk, the block party was still going strong. From a few blocks away, we heard Don’t Stop Believing (summer of 1981) and Meat Loaf. Wow, that brought up some memories.



Paranorma activity:
One of my cousins introduced me to a neighbor couple at the graduation party. The wife was intrigued with my genealogy work after mentioning an afternoon was spent at the Berwyn Library looking up obituaries in the Berwyn Life. Her husband joined the conversation, and confided that there have been some strange goings on at their home. Apparently someone who had died in their house has never left the house. Not a lot of details, but they offered enough information for me to start a search on the resident. Genealogy and ghost hunting use many of the same tools.

Unknown Huskie:
Bella and I were out for one of our daily walks in the old neighborhood. A neighbor stopped on the sidewalk to greet her, then got into his car and drove off. Too late to realize he was wearing a Northern shirt and his car has NIU plates. The guys is obviously an involved alum, so we will have to introduce ourselves the next time we see him.

LT79:
No strange coincidences at the post-party. Jane has a lovely home, and put out quite the spread.

Rich Port YMCA:
Even after the early ‘80s addition, SRO housing made the place creepy. Demolition is underway, and LaGrange will soon have more shopping and dining choices. Sad to see the Y go away, but there are now more practical fitness choices in the area. Didn’t the Y not open on Sundays until around noon?

Cabin neighbors:
My cousins and I took a ride around the lake in the pontoon on a gorgeous afternoon. Stopped to introduce ourselves to a couple who were out on their pier. First names were exchanged, and the husband mentioned they had lived in elsewhere Wisconsin but now live year-round at the lake. Same first name, same town, was this the guy I sold postcards of the lake on eBay to a few years ago? They didn’t take us up on our invitation to stop by later that evening, so there is another question for another day.

Meanwhile, back in Rochester:
Maybe the Northern T-shirt I always wear at the gym gave me away, but a guy asked me if I am from Illinois. Turns out the guy is from Rockford, but went to ISU. My niece goes to Illinois State. One of my friends from Northern is from Rockford. He is apparently in med shool at the Clinic (Mayo Clinic), and seemed a little bewildered with the culture shock in Rochester after living downtown Chicago. I will need to get him the details on living in Rochester.

Enough random coincidences for one month. Please stay tuned for the next update.