By John Grochowski
November 15, 2024
Good group today for a Downers Grove stop on the Tour d'Omega at the Omega restaurant on Ogden Avenue in Downers.
Sometimes the Downers outings are just me and my pal of 65 years Jeffery Myers. Today, it was a crowd of eight, with Lisle Class of '70 compatriots Jack Pripusich and Peter Blazek joining Jeff and me, along with David Tyznik and Don Krause from the Class of '72, my brother Jay Grochowski from the Class of '77, and Jeff's video guy Bruce Shipyor.
Jay is doing a signing for his two novels Saturday in Lisle, and Jeff and Bruce will be there to shoot video.
Many, many tales were told over a two-hour lunch. I won't even attempt to capture it all, but I'll throw a couple out there.
Jack, Jeff, Pete and I talked about the Constitutional Convention our class held as part of American History our junior year, All the students in all the American History sections divided up into delegations and wrote a new U.S. Constitution. One resolution that was passed: Evict history teacher Barney Niehaus from the convention. Barney actually thought it was very funny.
Lots of talk about sports personalities. Blackhawks players used to drink at Andy's Steakhouse in Oak Brook, where my grandmother was a hostess, my mom and aunt were waitresses and Jay worked the coat room. One of Jay's tasks: Call a cab to get defenseman Gilles Marotte to the Stadium for a game when Marotte had more than a few too many. He managed to skate somehow.
Jay told of being at Disney World at the same time baseball's winter meetings were being held. He was mistaken for Terry Kennedy by many baseball folk throughout the stay. I countered with my own mistaken ID story. I was covering the National Sports Festival at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. I walked out of an arena, wearing my media credentials. Two kids were autograph hunting and spotted the plastic badge. One kid said, "Is he one?" The other said, "Does he LOOK like one?" I resemble that remark.
With such a large group, I didn't track everyone's food. I started with mushroom barley soup, then had a hot turkey sandwich. Brought some of that home for tomorrow's lunch.
Splendid time with my Lisle peeps. Next Tour stop will be back in Niles on Dec. 2 with Gerry Labedz and perhaps other Daily Illini comrades. Cheers!
November 15, 2024
Good group today for a Downers Grove stop on the Tour d'Omega at the Omega restaurant on Ogden Avenue in Downers.
Sometimes the Downers outings are just me and my pal of 65 years Jeffery Myers. Today, it was a crowd of eight, with Lisle Class of '70 compatriots Jack Pripusich and Peter Blazek joining Jeff and me, along with David Tyznik and Don Krause from the Class of '72, my brother Jay Grochowski from the Class of '77, and Jeff's video guy Bruce Shipyor.
Jay is doing a signing for his two novels Saturday in Lisle, and Jeff and Bruce will be there to shoot video.
Many, many tales were told over a two-hour lunch. I won't even attempt to capture it all, but I'll throw a couple out there.
Jack, Jeff, Pete and I talked about the Constitutional Convention our class held as part of American History our junior year, All the students in all the American History sections divided up into delegations and wrote a new U.S. Constitution. One resolution that was passed: Evict history teacher Barney Niehaus from the convention. Barney actually thought it was very funny.
Lots of talk about sports personalities. Blackhawks players used to drink at Andy's Steakhouse in Oak Brook, where my grandmother was a hostess, my mom and aunt were waitresses and Jay worked the coat room. One of Jay's tasks: Call a cab to get defenseman Gilles Marotte to the Stadium for a game when Marotte had more than a few too many. He managed to skate somehow.
Jay told of being at Disney World at the same time baseball's winter meetings were being held. He was mistaken for Terry Kennedy by many baseball folk throughout the stay. I countered with my own mistaken ID story. I was covering the National Sports Festival at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. I walked out of an arena, wearing my media credentials. Two kids were autograph hunting and spotted the plastic badge. One kid said, "Is he one?" The other said, "Does he LOOK like one?" I resemble that remark.
With such a large group, I didn't track everyone's food. I started with mushroom barley soup, then had a hot turkey sandwich. Brought some of that home for tomorrow's lunch.
Splendid time with my Lisle peeps. Next Tour stop will be back in Niles on Dec. 2 with Gerry Labedz and perhaps other Daily Illini comrades. Cheers!
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