https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQuXuHBneOw

Oh and if you die fearing God
And painfully employed
No you will not go to heaven
You'll go to Champaign, Illinois 

Old 97’s “Champaign , Illinois”

I was told Wisconsin was off the schedule. 

Old 97’s are  an alternative- country band who are approaching 30 years of playing and making music.  One of those bands who consistently produce good music, but had no hits.  Their claim to fame was being the band in the Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston  rom-com vehicle, “The Break Up.”

This song about Champaign being purgatory was written without a guitar available so they literally just stole and sped up the melody of a Bob Dylan song, “Desolation Row.” After years of playing the song live, they contacted Dylan to get his permission, which led to it being put on their album in 2010.

                          "Stealing is a form of Creativity" 

Being “painfully employed,”  by Arkansas, Bret Bielema tried to bring Wisconsin to the SEC. He failed while being fired on the field after 5 years. 

In two years,  Illinois already looks like primordial Wisconsin:  Just like ripping off Bob Dylan.

Strong fundamental defense

Pounding Running game

QB who has trouble throwing a football beyond 50 feet.

He doesn’t have the decades of developing mauling offensive linemen, but it’s a good start.  Right in time for them to be on Michigan’s schedule!

          OMG!  SHIRTLESS! 

War of the Roses

Sorry I was going to be out of pocket early in the week, so chose and wrote this most of this last week.  Drink name doesn't make much sense now after 2 losses.  I was sitting in in the woods with book and a gun, I probably won’t use.  Here was my view Wednesday. 

Having some drink with champagne is some low hanging fruit, which is usually in my wheelhouse.  However,  a noon game in November doesn’t scream champagne, so we will look North to Chicago.

Up north in Chicago
Where booze makes no one blush
Memories come back to you
In a double bourbon rush

The cocktail was first made in 2010 by Mike Ryan at the Sable Kitchen and Bar in Chicago. 

Ingredients

1.5 oz  Pimm’s  (I’ve read there is a shortage of this too, my store had plenty last week)

.75 oz gin

.75 oz elderflower liquor  (St. Germaine’s is again bartender ketchup)

.25 oz simple syrup

.75 lime juice

2 dashes Peychauds bitters

2 sprigs mint (Nice side effect of the warm fall, my outdoor mint plant still had some produce left)

Take all the ingredients and place into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until ice cold.  Then take one sprig of mint and stir it in the drink. Stain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the other mint sprig.

Many of the times when writing these, the drinks I’m making for this first time.  Some are good, some are “mid."  This is the best new recipe I’ve made for these.  It’s worth hunting down the Pimm’s, it’s going right into rotation.

MgoSalut!