This could be called — OK I’m the one calling it so, like you would an election winner, as in Joe via AP — the tale of a trio of Fridays. How so Joe? As you all do know everything goes in threes, whether it be bad luck or a good power trio, or as a bad-is-good metalhead would note, theologically. And as we go through those through-out the rest of the month, it gets more intense.
Interestingly as an interlude, Irish Cream — a twist on egg-nog? — as you will see below, has not been baled on locally, as a pre-holiday-array-display that’s still by dozens well-stocked by trips to the back cooler, has hanging all kinds of Christmas-cute blue bows (where is the green and red?)

— In the span of less than 60 days, we’ll welcome three big holidays. But running down a theme, which is the fave color among them? Too close to call, a tint or a hue, but there is green and gold. (Squash can have a tint of just about any color, making the vote closer, and their size is just as variable, as it is with orbs that can be as big and bright as … follow the bouncing ball). And is black — rather the browns of oak and other subtle colored leaves — as in Lemmy’s daggered Motorhead hat, a color? Or is it in other ways, also just back to the basics, like spritely spruce.) I muse about a few rather vocal and visual and local solutions. See Notes From The Beat. —

However to start, and since war just will not go away, there will always be veterans, and they’ll get their holiday due, in the form of well deserved freebies. These typically are free meals, although tax and tip may or may not be extra, and they usually come from places that are family oriented, (no surprise), and more about food than drink, are low to moderate in price range anyway and still feature heaping portions, have standard American fare (again a theme that could be seen as patriotic) and although tasty none-the-less rely more on a solid recipe foundation moreso than creativity, and are part of a larger chain so there typically is more than one in your vicinity. The participating restaurants are large in number and all have their different versions of the offer, so the specifics are too many to offer here, so you can check out their websites or better yet what they tout on their signs. This goes beyond TGI Fridays, and that may help you plan because you could have lunch at one spot, dinner at another … as there is no central database saying who indulged where, unlike in so many other situations, even in this time of Big Brother, one thing you fought to guard against concerning the practices of those you fought.
And you can still continue the celebration on the eve of, by taking in a band or two that who knows might sign songs supportive of your service, although I’m guessing most of you, based on the wars that you fought in, are a bit older and might need a nap after the meal(s) as they likely were large enough in size and carbs and just overall short-term gusto to bog you down later. More on music choices, now and what’s been the norm, at the end this post.

But on to the next Friday and a new favorite.
It’s not just the usual wine or craft beer tasting, as Dick’s Market chimes in again with their more and more frequent samplings, and this time we’re talking Bailey’s Irish Creme, with an ample time frame to fit it in, 4-7 p.m. And on the 18th, you can bring home a bottle for a discounted $23.99 and perhaps share it with your Thanksgiving guests. Me-thinks (my new buzz word) that one of the bestest bartenders in the region and plying her trade at more than one bar, is that the event and even the “brewing” of it as its called, is the brainchild of Bailey herself. Dick’s has some other events coming up that will feature several quite different styles to taste, but still along a common theme at a single get-together. Whenever you come in, regardless of day, it seems they have a new crew of brew for you to sip, making them different then the other venues that do this because of the frequency, (although The Cellar’s in Hudson comes somewhat closer, and for some time has been on-and-off-again but recurring more than once a month, and again its often on a Friday).
This time around, based on the volume you are indulging, you might be more up for a band, and I just have to add the group Distilled plays the Wild Badger that night, and other area venues other nights, this time in New Richmond. But is liquor, as in creme, actually distilled, to rehab an old joke? Do the Irish do this fermentation beyond whiskey? There also was an apple sample on a recent day, as part of a name brand liquor that’s new and improved, taking the cake with sales. Since when does watered down, to lessen the strong taste, been a popular thing in Wisconsin? But as far as actually buying more, at those prices, especially, the brew has been known to fly off the shelves. Broadly speaking, the marketing is working. And for Dick’s to do this, their store that is a branch off of the grocer by the same name, had to recently build a new but again adjoining facility that is more than four times bigger, and gut out the other. Is tearing down a liquor store actually legal in this booze-swilling state?
Then the last offering on this Friday.
Deer hunting will be going full boar, and Fleet Farm starts Black Friday ahead of time on the 18th by opening at 6 a.m. for those hunters are used to cracking the crack-of-dawn, saving on all things buck-like. You can get up to 50 percent off, and that’s much better than having just 50 percent of a set of antlers. And prize entries abound. You can even show you cool you are by a free 2022 (not really vintage) collectors cap, with the choice of a logo of more than a dozen gun and stuff providers, so cool that in their multi-word brand names, thus no supermodels out in the woods, there is not a single term that is mentioned twice. They go as far afield as Scent Thief.

A sorta disclaimer, involving the bands you might seek out on these or any weekends. There has been less of a band namedropping for a while, as there are not too many truly news ones with gigs to reference. What’s out there are those who, yes, are veterans of the scene for a number of years, but not many true Warhorses. The range of styles is of course, heavy on classic rock, all types of country, dance and maybe a little folk and funk. And the definitely new may, or may not, be given a gig or two to show the quality of their stuff before they get a mention here. But in addition to the music clubs already out there, which generally have been around for a few years, there are other such venues opening, or getting new owners, one in each of the main western Wisconsin cities or other population centers. More on those as hey come about.

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