Monday, 8/19

Now. Now is when it's starting to feel weird.

As I may have motioned before Loraine and I are getting a lot of people asking us if it feels “weird” not to be getting ready to go to Europe. This is the first time since 2007 when we haven't gone over there at the end of summer, and for some reason our friends and family have been curious as to how we're handling it.

We've been handling it just fine. But thanks for your concern.

Leading up to now it really hasn't felt that weird, but I'm pretty sure it's starting to. If this was a “normal” summer we'd be leaving in the middle of next week, which means that I'd be spending countless hours at work getting ready for the 10 or 12 days that we're gone, Loraine would be spending her evenings making sure all her important stuff was up to date and ready to go, and we'd both be throwing things left and right into suitcases which, if this were a “normal” summer, would have taken over our living room floor.

But not this summer. Instead, I'm getting ready for another Jim Koski ™ walking tour for the Marquette Regional History Center in a few days, while Loraine is using her time to put together some of the research we've gathered for her on previous trips. And, perhaps most importantly, I won't be sitting in my office on a day like today, a day where it's supposed to be sunny & 80, silently cursing the weather gods for having such a nice day when I couldn't enjoy it.

Instead, I get to take a half day today and go play at the beach, if I want. That's definitely something I wouldn't be able to do if this were a “normal” summer.

I actually think the weirdest part of this whole thing will come Labor Day weekend and the weekend after. We've only been in Marquette one Labor Day weekend in the past twelve years, and we've never—ever--been in Marquette the weekend Beer Fest is held. I don't have any plans on going. It'll just be strange to be in Marquette when it's going on, and not simply see pictures posted on social media.

That may be when the weirdness hits its ultimate peak.

So thanks for asking. We're handling the strangeness of not going anywhere by, well, doing other stuff, and enjoying what's left of summer. Speaking of which, like I said I'm taking a half day, so that's it for today. And also, like I said, I'm putting together a tour for Wednesday. A strange ( a VERY strange) story that came out of it tomorrow!

(jim@wmqt.com)