NATO - Experience Chicago's Neighborhood People Eddie Carrol Suggests

I met Eddie Carroll, the Morgan Park neighborhood Philosopher, Gad-about Swain and Roofer to the Stars in the very long lines at County Fair Foods at 108th & Western.  The after-Mass crowds of shoppers from Sts. Barnabas, Cajetan, John Fisher (east of California) and Walter parishes were especially active this Sunday.

Mr. Carroll is best known as the CEO of Carroll Roofing - the haberdasher to our homes. Eddie is to roofs as Optimo is to fine head wear.  Mr. Carroll is a committed bachelor often beset by toothsome young women intent upon his sole attentions. Alas, Eddie Carroll is cosmopolitan universalist with regard to affections - courtly though cavalier and considerate without constancy.


 I asked Eddie about the upcoming NATO Summit and what Chicago could do to welcome the salt-water Belgians, Brits, Spaniards Germans and Gauls.

Eddie said that Chicago has the most beautiful skyline, because of our lakefront and the imagination of the sons of Burnham, a world class playground for tourists complete with Beans and fountains old and new.
He grew more thoughtful than usual and soon decanted his latest vintage  of thought on this matter.

" Pat, this is one great town for kids, sport, art, literature, music and stand-up comedy.  I hope that our European guests will avail themselves of the first class wits and humorists featured at Chicago's fine light entertainment venues - Second City, Zanies, of course.  But they might also take in the laughs at blue-collar neighborhood taverns and saloons - Stash's Dot U Again?, Lou's Change, Bar Nun, the Flags, Fluke's Wrong Wit U? out here and  away from the dry Urban Center.  Here is some of the side-splitting drollery that our guests might hear here* from the likes of any one of the comic genius gents coming out of the head after leaving a bucket o' beer for the Water Reclamation District.  A McKinley Park MadCap, or Canaryville Cut-up, or Hegwisch Humorist  with a shirt-tail pecker protruding zipper high to play Panatloon- we are an earthy lot given to free expression and damn the outcomes and costs. I heard ourt own local wags offer these droll insights - exemplum gratia . . .


 

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats so they have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out.


Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

It is not only the English and French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased its alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." Two higher levels remain: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

Lastly, the Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish Navy can get a really good look at the Old Spanish Navy.

Pat, I sure hope that our NATO guests and all of the foreign and domestic journalists, Wobblies, Reds, Anarchists, Occupiers, Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Noam Chomsky, and other humorlessly worn-out folks get a chance to bump into real Chicagoans and get the full favor of this our City of Neighborhoods. We are a droll folk."

I thanked Eddie for the wholesome and thoughtfully pleasant use of  time in the line. Eddie stacked his selections onto Donna's check out converyer belt - organic vegetables, brown rice, Fava beans, soy curds, plain Greek yogurts, Perrier, and a 16 oz. bottle of Pepto Bismal marked down to $ 2.75.  Eddie remarked, "That is value, Patrick. That is value.  I see you have a basket full of empty calories, salty and sugary snacks, canned soup - Progresso naturally, Flamin Hotz, and Slim Jims. Looks like a five dollar Billy Buck's ( equal or exceeeding $ 100 in goods) day for the Hickey Household. Yet, no Pepto Bismal. No Pepto Bismal.  Think of that."

With that signal blessing we parted.




http://www.chicagonato.org/what-is-nato--pages-188.php

http://www.jokes.com/stand-up-search/jokes/?keywords=nato
http://www.countyfairfoods.net/

Chicago's Third Big Blizzard Day 2 - Neighbors 1: Weather 0

The thirty below Hawk froze the starter on the ancient but reliable MDT Snow-blower. Fifty- eight year old muscle and lard hefted chunks and blocks of white cake along with the younger bones and sinews of my fireman neighbor. Together we opened parking spots and driveways.

Western Ave. is as open as an old man's fly.

108th Street is open, thanks to 19th Ward Streets and San Superman Steve Riordan. The guy never sleeps. Troops of St. Cajetan eighth graders picked up some dough doing the stoops and stairs and gangways of the elderly and St. Rita bound 8th grader Joe Rohan's crew cleared driveways of single moms and folks caught out in the suburbs who have yet to make it home.

Morgan Park/St. Cajetan 1; Blizzard 2011 ain't no thang!

Neighbors take care of one another and kicked the Weather's Rump . . .again.

CPD in Morgan Park -Tickets for Block Party Don't Seem Right

Aside from water in the basements, downed branches and thorough drenching throughout most of Saturday, some of my neighbors were treated to parking tickets.

I learned this morning that the folks near my house who had moved their cars off of the street where there was yesterday's block party ( the yellow police tapes were up, when I headed to Mass at Sacred Heart Church). Several neighbors were ticketed for having their cars face the wrong direction and one for parking his car on the apron of his garage so as not to block traffic through the alley.

I know the City of Chicago is broke, but this seems a bit heavy-handed. Not even the very thorough Parking Ticket Geek website offers much counsel on wrong-way neighborhood residential parking. There are many, many offerings about

1. Tinted Windows -none of my neighbors have tinted windows, though I see hundreds of Chicago cars that do everyday.

2. The Boot ( Denver Boot is applied when a citizen has three or more unpaid parking tickets) - I have never seen the boot on a car on any block between 103rd/111th Streets nor between Western Avenue and Rockwell).

3. Permits and Stickers - All have those around here.

A Patrol car from 22nd District, that must have missed the attack by three thugs on the night manager of the Burger King when that young man walked home after work on 111th Street, helped increase City Revenue by ticketing the people who had a permit for a block party on the night of that block party.

Don't seem right.

Morgan Park Heroes of Kyle's Generations Barbecue Sauce

Four young guys from my neighborhood are heroes of the American Way. The quartet who gave our neighborhood Kyle's Generations Barbecue Sauce left private Morgan Park Academy, went on to higher education, but, instead of guzzling gallons of malted grain beverages in their spare time, formed a small business.

Kyle Earman – President of Kyle’s Grill Inc.

Bobby Churchill – Vice President and Head of Research and Development Department

Jeremy Madsen – Head of the Technology Department

Nolan Bielinski – Head of the Sales Department T

I met Kyle a few months back at County Fair Foods at 10800 S. Western, where Bill and Tom Baffes had provided the gents with a booth to hawk their product.

I have been a dedicated Agia B's Mumbo Sauce Man ever since 1969, when the late Thomas Foy (Leo '70) brought a case of Mumbo to a 'picnic' at Dan Ryan Woods. I'd eat a pair of Eddie Carroll's old Tighty Whities were they properly washed and then slathered in Mumbo. On that day, in County Fair, Lyle offered his product, which is remarkably sweet . . .and offers an after kiss of delicate spiciness.

I now purchase both fine Chicago based products - Mumbo to satisfy my John D'Conqueroo Self and Kyle's when whimsy overtakes me. I find Kyle's Generations most suitable for my Morgan Pork Masterpiece Sandwich.

Thus -

Two lightly toasted slices of Nature's Pride Oatmeal Bread
One thin slice of Red Onion
One layer of mixed greens
Three thinly sliced shingles of cold roasted pork loin
1/2 ounce of Kyle's Generations Barbecue Sauce applied liberally to both slices of bread.

You can purchase Kyle's Generations at these fine stores -

Available At:
County Fair Foods Randy's Market
10800 S Western Avenue 14250 South Ravinia Avenue
Chicago, IL 60643 Orland Park, IL 60462


Freshline Foods Bizios Fresh Market
5355 West 95th Street 3446 Vollmer Road
Oak Lawn, IL 60453 Olympia Fields, IL 60461


Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant Oak Lawn Farmer’s Market* (Weds 7 am – 1 pm)
15690 South Harlem Avenue 9446 Raymond Avenue
Orland Park, IL 60462 Oak Lawn, IL 60453

Vote Today for Our Representatives to Local School at Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences Council

Neighbors! Let's vote for five great neighbor citizens as our representatives onto the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences School Council.

Only Suckers Beef and only voting citizens act to make a difference. I'll vote before I take the girls to school and head over to Leo. Get a big cup of coffee at Kean on 111th Street and head over to Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and vote. This is our school and our neighborhood.

Our neighbor and Fire Department hero, Jim McMahon has been working to get us all to quit beating our gums and vote. Thanks Jim!

LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTION


I just voted for five neighborhood people at
Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences
3857 W. 111th Street
Chicago, IL 60655

Go get them on our council, Neighbors!

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO VOTE!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
From 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM

I urge you to support our local school and community by voting for these 5 great guys to be our representatives. All 5 of them are neighbors and co-workers of ours, and will treat everyone in OUR community with fairness and the respect they have earned.

 Mike McGrath ~ Parent Representative ~
 Carlos Soto ~ Parent Representative ~
 Keith Oliver ~ Parent Representative ~
 Dennis Riordan ~ Community Representative ~
 Kevin Helmold ~ Community Representative ~

All parents and community members of Mount Greenwood, Beverly and Morgan Park are eligible to vote in this election.

You’ll need 2 forms of I.D. to vote
POSTED BY JIM MCMAHON & Mile NeedhamAT 2:56 PM

Mike Klonsky wants you to stay at home. Vote, Nighbors!