Thursday, 8/31

Welcome to the “Awesome Flatness of Reese”--

That phrase was coined by Reese native Loraine, and it's what we'll be seeing the next few days when we head down there for a long holiday weekend to visit her parents. There are many differences between Marquette and Reese—population, industry, political makeup—but by far the biggest is that Reese (literally) does not have rise in elevation more than three feet (and that's for a railroad crossing). For someone who grew up where hills rule, the first time Loraine took me there I was stunned.

And that's when she first uttered that amazing phrase.

However, her family is down there, and that's the best thing about Reese, which is why we're taking an extended weekend to visit. We'll be gone tomorrow through Tuesday, and then when we get back Wednesday I'll get to do my “Happy Hour” tour for the History Center (about which I haven't written yet and about which I haven't (ahem) totally put things together yet). But I will have a drive downstate, a drive back, and five days in one of the flattest places on the planet to finish it, so I have no worries at all.

I'll tell you more about the “awesome flatness” and the tour Wednesday when I'm back. You have yourself a great weekend, and enjoy the warmth while I'm gone!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/30

You hafta laugh at the irony. If you didn't, you'd go insane.

As some of you may recall, I've spent the past month and a half complaining as to how we haven't had much of a summer here in Marquette. And it's true—we've been below average for temperatures and above average for clouds, as evidenced by our 56 degree rainy day yesterday. Yet this weekend we finally get our “summer”, with four days of sun & temperatures in the 80s.

Which means, of course, it's the one weekend that I won't be here this “summer”.

It's true; Loraine and I are heading downstate to see her parents Friday, which means that summer will show up the weekend that we're not here to enjoy it. I'm smart enough to know that it's just a coincidence; after all, we have no control over the weather. But I'm also enough of a whiner to shout WHY ME???

Mother Nature must really have it in for me.

I just have shake my head at the timing of it, and it's not the first time it's occurred. There have been several years when Loraine and I have headed to Europe just as the weather finally ends up nice here. Most of the time when that's happened we missed out on the warmth entirely, as it was cool & rainy when we got over there. At least this time it's also supposed to be warm downstate, as well, so maybe we'll actually get our “summer".

Even if it's not hanging out around the greatest of all lakes.

Hopefully, the weather forecast will hold and hopefully, we'll not have “summer” yanked out from underneath us as it has so many times this year. But if we DO end up getting our “summer” this weekend, enjoy every second of it that you can.

And, by the way, you're welcome. Because you know "summer" wouldn't have shown up if we were actually going to be here to enjoy it.  It's the least we can do for you.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 8/29

Yes, the number was true. And sadly, it'll just keep on growing.

Last night on TV I talked about the omnipresent Canadian fire haze that has marked the summer of 2023 here in the UP. When I was writing it I did a little research on just how much of Canada has burned this year, if only so I could compare it to the UP and make it a little more relatable. I had no idea how much the Canadian fire had consumed, so when I saw the figure of 38 million acres I guess I wasn't too surprised. But then I looked at something else for that comparison, and found that the UP as a whole is ten and a half million acres in size.

That means the fires in Canada this summer alone have consumed a land mass three and a half times the size of the UP. I guess that kind of puts any complaining about the smoke from those fires in proper context, right?

I mean, the smoke HAS been a pain this year. There are many days where it blocked out the blue, and while I don't know if it contributed to our lower than average temperatures this year, I wouldn't be surprised. And it also wouldn't surprise me if it didn't keep getting worse as climate change batters our weather around more and more. Who know...maybe in 20 years we'll look back at this summer and think to ourselves "Wow...what I wouldn't give to have the comparatively minor amount of smoke we had back in 2023".

Because both you and I know that could very well be the case.

When I started thinking about writing the piece I was figuring it would be a light-hearted jab at our friends up north. Once I saw how much had burned, though, I changed the tone of it. Because, as we all know, Canadians are really nice people. They wouldn't give us all this smoke if they had a choice in the matter.

And with 38 million acres burned (and counting) I'm thinking they deserve our sympathy, not our sarcasm.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 8/28

I understand why they did it. But that doesn't make it any less painful.

The city of Marquette, being such a beautiful place, has a problem. The city has planted a lot of trees everywhere, and seeing as how trees have the termidity to grow unfettered, you end up walking down a sidewalk and find yourself having to run a gauntlet of branches and leaves.

Kinda like this--

While it can be a pain in the butt, I don't mind, as the trees are green and living and, you know, part of Marquette. Every so often city workers will trim back the branches, which is something I noticed they did to my favorite lilac tree--

Like I said, I understand that the branches were impeding upon the sidewalk and yes, I understand that they needed to be trimmed. However, the parts they cut off had some of the biggest blooms on that tree---

And now they're gone.

I know; it's just one lilac tree in a city with thousands of them. But it was "my" lilac tree, the one I walk past every day, the one whose buds I use to determine how far away the tree is from blooming, and the one into which I shove my nose and inhale with all my might once those blooms are out.

And now, part of it's gone.

Like I said, it's just one of those things. I know it needed to be done, and I'm sure that people will find it easier to use that portion of the sidewalk. But still...it's sad to see something that gives such beauty and such joy taken away, even if it's only a portion of it. Sure, the tree will still have plenty of blooms come next May, but it won't have all of them.

And for that, I (weirdly) mourn.

(jim@wmqt.com), lilac freak

Friday, 8/25

I'm embarrassed to say I was wrong about The Spinners.

When I was out running this morning the song “One of a Kind (Love Affair)” ) popped up on my iPod. I have a bunch of Spinners tunes loaded on there; they’re one of those groups I grew up listening to, and one of the groups that gave me a lifelong love of Philly soul. But when I was listening to “One of a Kind (Love Affair)” I immediately had this flashback/ epiphany that somehow, some way, my brain tried to convince me that The Spinners = the summer. My brain tried to tell me that, for some reason, every Spinners song ever released came out during the summer. I don’t know why, but my brain was trying to argue that The Spinners were a summer, and a summer-only, group.

But as we all know, my brain’s wrong quite a bit.

When I got home, I pulled out my handy-dandy “Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits”. Not only was I wrong about “One of a Kind (Love Affair)”, which was a spring release, but of their 6 top 10 hits during the 70s, only ONE was a summer release (that being their only number one song, “Then Came You”). Not only did my brain fail me, but it failed me big time.

Yay for my brain!

One of the things I love about running is that my brain just wanders off on its own. Because I’m just paying attention to what’s in front of me and I’m listening to music, I don’t have a leash on my subconscious. It can go wherever it wants, and it usually goes someplace that I had no idea existed, like trying to make this connection between The Spinners and summer. There’s no logical reason for my brain to try and make the connection; something just sparked between a couple of neurons, I guess, and there it was. Is it because I heard a song like “One of a Kind (Love Affair)” once during a nice summer day? Is there something in the string or horn arrangements that make me think of summer? Does the magisterial work of the great Thom Bell (the producer and arranger behind the song) just transport me to sunshine and warm temperatures?

I don’t know. In fact, with the way my brain works, I’ll probably never know. The one thing I DO know is that despite everything, The Spinners do NOT equal summer, at least not on the charts. In my brain...well, that’s a completely different matter.

*****

Don't know what song I'm babbling about? Here 'tis!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/24

I promised you pictures, and I'm delivering you pictures!

Yesterday I posted one of the (several hundred) shots I took while I was wandering around the west side of Marquette this past Saturday. Without realizing it I've developed this tradition of taking pictures of a different Marquette neighborhood on what might be the last nice day of the year. I don't know how it started—I suppose just a way for me to be outside when it was hot—but looking back I nice I've been doing it for five or six years now. This time I chose the neighborhood around the old Nester school; basically, Bluff & Washington Streets between 7^th and Lincoln. It's a part of Marquette that has changed dramatically over the past 20 years, and thought it would be a good place to stroll around this year.

And boy, was I right. So what did I see?

I saw new buildings

And old buildings.

I saw a bike path

And a park wall

I saw, no surprise, a lot of flowers

And something I WAS surprised to see

I saw interesting patterns--

Something you might expect to see in Marquette--

And something you never thought you'd see in Marquette

So if, indeed, this past Saturday was the last nice day of the year, at least I was able to get out and enjoy it. And, apparently, also carry on a long-standing tradition of mine that I didn't even know I had.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/23

I do believe I may have done my job

I don't in any way consider myself an artist, especially when it comes to photography. If I get a good shot it's mostly because of luck. Yet this past weekend I fulfilled one of the primary jobs of an artist, which is to have people look at something from a new perspective. In my case, apparently, I did it literally, with this picture--

That's taken on the west side of Marquette, standing near the corner of Lincoln & Bluff and looking southwest toward the Harlow Farms development. It's an angle that most people usually don't see; after all, most people don't stand on the sidewalk at the corner of Lincoln & Bluff. I stuck it up (along with a few other pictures) on the “You Know You're From Marquette If...” Facebook page, and out of all of them this one received by far the biggest reaction.

If only because most people had no idea where it was.

Several people recognized either the Admiral gas station in the foreground or the Blue Cross building the background. However, because of the perspective of the picture (or the lack thereof) they couldn't figure out exactly where those buildings sat. It's interesting, too, because I'm guessing a lot of the people who couldn't figure out where the buildings were drive past them every day. But because they don't look at them from the same angle from which I shot the picture, their sense of perspective was all skewed.

They knew what they were looking at. They just couldn't tell why it didn't look right. So I guess that, without even trying, I fulfilled my purpose as an artist with the picture.

Even though both you and I know I'm anything BUT an artist.

Tomorrow—more of the pictures I took Saturday!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 8/22

I did not see that coming

Yesterday, of course, was the busy day when I spent the afternoon doing radio, then ran around the corner to do live TV, then ran down through Lower Harbor Park to do a history show with Jack. All three of those events did go off as planned, although there was one hitch.

Jack didn't make it to the history show.

He called me around 230 yesterday telling me about a little mishap he had suffered Sunday. He was gonna try his best to make it, but he was still suffering from his injury and wasn't too sure if he could be his usual, bubbly self.

Thankfully, the show we were doing last night--”Lights, Camera, Marquette”-- consists of a lot of old movies he recovered from a dumpster 40 years ago. So it didn't require the usual back & forth banter of a Jim & Jack show.  If one of us had to hurt himself and miss something, this was the show to do it.

And that's why it turned out okay.

I mean, it really ISN'T a Jim & Jack show without,. you know, Jack. Especially because he's the one who rescued the movies from a dumpster and especially because he knows the history of the reels and how they were saved. But you know the old saying about the show going on, so it did.

Even if it was a lone dork on stage.

Mostly, all that meant was I had to rush over to the theater when I finished TV at 615 to set all the equipment up. After a few hiccups (one thing you may not know about Jack & me is that we're separated by denominational differences—I'm Windows, he's Apple) everything worked well (having Bob Buchkoe playing piano really helps), and the show did, indeed, go on, if not quite as smoothly as it could have with both of us bantering back & forth. As I was making the ten minute walk back (up the hills) from the Lake Superior Theater to my apartment I tried to process what had just occurred in the past seven hours, and I just had to shake my head.

As I said yesterday, my life is weird. And getting weirder by the day.

That was my Monday. Hope yours was as equally exciting.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 8/21

All three? All in one day?

First of all, hope you had a great weekend and, if you were in Marquette Saturday, were able to take advantage of what might be our (sigh) last 85+ degree day of the year. I spent most the weekend playing outside and recharging my batteries which, considering what I have to do today, may have been a good thing.

You know how I have that weekend in late January where over the course of two days I have to do radio, TV, and history stuff and it all kinda blurs together in one big whirl? Well, that's nothing compared with what's on my schedule this afternoon and this evening. I'll go to work as usual this afternoon and do my radio thing, then I'll finish that, walk around the corner, and do my weekly TV gig. When that's done I'll stroll through Lower Harbor Park and over to the Lake Superior Theater where Jack & Bob Buchkoe and I will be doing "Lights, Camera, Marquette" in front of what we hope will be a sold-out crowd.

Have I ever mentioned my life is weird?

I'll say the same thing I say every January, that any one of those experiences is something following which most people would sit back and say "...that was cool". But to do them all in one day--in fact, to go from one to the other to the other without even stopping in the matter of a few hours--is kind of surreal. When we're young, we all wonder about how our lives will turn out, about what we'll be doing when we're "old"...

And I don't think I ever imagined anything like this.

So if you think you see me everywhere today, you're not imaging it. Hopefully, my presence won't be too intrusive. If it is, I apologize in advance. It's not fault.

It's just the fault of my increasingly bizarre life.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 8/18

If I actually had any talent, I would have added more to the project.

Showing just how far behind I am this week, last Sunday I was out shooting B-roll for this upcoming Monday's "Life in the 906". As I was walking from one place to the next I saw an invitation on a sidewalk. This invitation--

Someone had started a mural, and left chalk for anyone who wanted to add to it. Since I have absolutely no talent at all when it comes to drawing, I just left the smiley face you see in the lower right hand corner. But since I was invited to add my contribution, I didn't want to disappoint whoever had asked in the first place.

Hopefully, people with more talent left more than I did.

I often comment upon how Marquette is a magical place, that you never know what you're going to come across, and this was just another example. Here I was, strolling down a residential street in south Marquette, and I was invited to be an artist. I mean, that doesn't happen everywhere. But here, it did. Someone started a project, and then left the tools for someone else to add to it. Sure, the project is probably gone now, fallen victim to rain of this week, but for a moment it was a piece of Marquette.

A piece of Marquette to which I was able to add my (very) little contribution.

Hope you have the chance to make some art (of any kind) this weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/17

Could today finally be the day that I have time to write something? Hang on a second...let me check here--clear. And then there—clear, as well.

Guess what? I don't have to be anywhere. I can write.

Yay.

You know, I don't even remember half of the things that I wanted to discuss with you. But the other half is rather clear, including why I didn't have time to write on Tuesday. That's when I sat down to be a Talking Head for a documentary.

And even for me, that was a first.

A "Talking Head" is someone you see in documentaries or TV shows, people who are offering their opinion or stating the facts on whichever topic the show is spotlighting. Well, a couple of months ago, I received a phone call from a filmmaker in Traverse City who was putting together a project on the old Delft and Nordic theater marquees, and wondered if I knew anything about them. While I really don't know a lot about that particular subject, it turns out I do know a little about the history of downtown as a whole, which they seemed to think was important, which is why I spent an hour in front of a camera answering questions about the subject.

Have I ever mentioned my life is weird?

Having made documentaries myself (although not on this scale or with (gasp) a budget), I know how important Talking Heads are. They're the meat clinging to the subject's bone. So if I was able to help out even just a little I was glad to do my part. If nothing else, you can think of it as paying it forward for the next time I may need someone to appear on camera. As it turns out, the filmmakers have been speaking with several other people, but I was the last. You see, they needed a little extra context, and, hopefully, I was able to provide it.

Why, you ask?  Well, I answer, if for no other reason than they'll be premiering this at Fresh Coast in October and really need to get it done. And if there's anyone who knows what it's like trying to finish a documentary on a tight deadline (hello, "The Greasier the Spoon") and just how much that one last Talking Head can help, it's me.

Hopefully, I was able to help them out. And hopefully, it'll show up on screen in October when they come back to Marquette with the finished project. I myself can't wait to see what they've come up with.

Tomorrow, another one of those things I remembered I wanted to talk about...this one about a different kind of art.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/16

Well, this is awkward.

Remember yesterday when I left you with a few pictures because I had to run out and do something? And how I promised I'd tell you the story of what I did? Well, I have to run out and do something AGAIN this morning, so I'm going to have to leave you with something old again today.

Sorry.

However, I'm hoping that this doesn't happen again tomorrow (although, after this week, I'm not making any promises). THAT'S when I'll tell you what I did yesterday.

Hopefully.

On that note, here's an oldie but goodie. And very appropriate for today.

(jim@wmqt.com)

*****

(as originally posted 8/16/17)

I'm curious. How many of your celebrate your date-i-versary? How many of you even know what, assuming you're part of a couple, your date-i-versary is?

How many of you are wondering just what the heck a date-i-versary is?

Like I said, I'm curious. Loraine and I are celebrating our date-i-versary today, a date-i-versary (aside from being a word that no spell check program ever recognizes, much less authorizes as being a proper word) being the anniversary of your first date. Loraine and I went out for the first time (as a couple, as opposed to in a group of friends) on August 16^th, so that's our “date-i-versary”. And I'm curious because to the few people with whom I've discussed the subject, they either give me a blank look because they don't remember, or they give me that “Jim, you're weird, you know that?” look I seem to get a lot in my life.

It's funny, because if you're part of a married couple or in a long-term relationship, your date-i-versary is a big part of your life. It's when the two of you became “the two of you”. In fact, I would even posit that it's more important than an actual wedding anniversary. After all, that's just marking the date that you signed a piece of paper, whereas your “date-i-versary” marks the beginning of whatever kind of relationship you're in.

Yes, I'm weird, I know that. But that's why August 16^th is always a big date for me.

What's more, you can't walk into a store and buy a date-i-versary card. You can buy a crapload of anniversary cards, but nothing that marks the real beginning of your relationship. It's not fair to people who celebrate that milestone, and it's certainly not fair to people who've decided that marriage just isn't for them. I know people who've been together for years, who are incredibly happy, and yet who can't buy a card that marks the beginning of their relationship because no one seems to think that a date-i-versary is a big thing.

And in case you're wondering...yes, I have been pondering the design of a line of date-i-versary cards. Seems like it would be a home-run idea of a business decision.

I'll shut up now. After all, when I get home from work I don't want Loraine to give that “Jim, you're weird, you know that?” look that other people give me when I start talking about things like date-i-versaries. Just let me say that Loraine is an amazing woman for putting up with someone who goes on and on (and on) about things like date-i-versaries.

So happy date-i-versary, Loraine. Thanks for being someone who actually knows what something like a date-i-versary is!

Tuesday, 8/15

I'm gonna go do something interesting this morning.

In fact, just a few minutes from now I'll be heading over to be a “Talking Head” on a documentary a downstate crew is making on the old Delft Theater marquee. While I'm not an expert on the marquee itself, I guess I know enough about the history of downtown Marquette to be of some use to them.

Who knew, right?

It'll be interesting, and I'll share the experience was like once it's done. But like I said, I do have to get over there soon, which means I'll take the cheating way out and fill the rest of this with pictures.

But, because they DO seem to be a big deal, they're flower pictures, so that has to count for something, right?

Right?

 

Back tomorrow...

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 8/14

I did not think that that would be a lingering effect of our Covid Crisis three years ago.

First of all, hope you had a great weekend. I did myself; I didn't seem to butcher too many names Saturday at the Ore To Shore and, given my track record over the years, that's a good thing (although, in my defense, I did announce around 800 names in just over an hour and a half, so...). I went running when I got home from the race Saturday, and that's when I discovered that lingering effect of Covid.

Now, if I was an evil human being, which I'm not, I'd just end the blog right there. It would be a great cliffhanger; I get in the shower, and discover that lingering effect of Covid. If I ended it there, you'd be hanging. What WAS that lingering effect? And just why did I discover it in the shower?

Thankfully, I'm not evil. When I stepped into the shower Saturday I realize that, at least for me, the lingering effect of Covid is that I now have become a soap connoisseur. Specifically, I will no longer use any soap except those from this family--

You may recall my plan when we got all that stimulus money three years ago. Since I didn't need it for things like rent, I used it for its intended purpose—once stores opened, I spent every single cent at locally owned businesses. So when I was in Gathered Earth in downtown Marquette and saw the Vanilla Basil soap (along with its siblings Rosemary Hemp & Orange Fennel) I, just out curiosity (and because I was spreading money around) bought them. Since them, I have become addicted to them. If I even try to use another kind of soap, my skin (and my sense of smells) wonders why I'm torturing it.

So, I guess, it's that family of soaps for me from now on.

You know, it's weird. People were changed during the Covid Crisis, some in major (and not good) ways. Me? I became addicted to a certain soap. I guess, when you think of it, that's not the worse way to have come through that crisis.

Although, I will admit, it IS one of the strangest.

(jim@wmqt.com), soap snob.

Friday, 8/11

I wonder how many names I'll butcher tomorrow?

That's a thought that always pops into my head anytime Finish-Line Announcer Jim makes an appearance, as he will tomorrow at the Ore-To-Shore. I mean, there are people coming across the line all the time, usually in groups of three or four. Their names pop up on a computer screen and then are replaced by names from new people coming across the line. So that only gives me a second or two look at the name, decide how I'm gonna pronounce it, and then spit it out.

So to whomever gets their name mispronounced tomorrow, I apologize in advance. I really do!

Actually, after 20+ years of finish line announcing at both the Noque and the O2S, I feel fairly confident that I'll get many more names correct than I'll screw up. Practice, after all, does help, and I've had plenty of practice over the years. But I think I've also had good training in the matter in another way. After all, I used to host a telethon on TV, a telethon where I'd have to read pledges from people throughout the U.P. And if you can correctly read names from throughout the U.P., I'm guessing you can read names from anywhere in the world.

So wish me luck!

If you have the chance, you should make sure you get to one of the mass starts for the race tomorrow in Negaunee. They're like nothing you've ever seen; each has over 1,000 riders getting their race underway at the sound of a gun and a trumpet. It takes over five minutes for all of them to go by, and it's just an amazing sight. The Soft Race race (with, ahem, a dork announcing the start) begins at 9 at Lakeview School, while the Hard Rock gets underway at 945 in downtown Negaunee (although on Rail Street this year, as they're rebuilding the usual starting point of Iron Street).

Trust me—you won't be disappointed!

And with that, I have to head to work to put together a couple of CDs of music to play during the festivities. Have yourself a great weekend, and like I said, if you have the chance, check out part of the race!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/10

This is the weekend our differences once again come to the fore.

Like most married couples, Loraine and I are different people. We act differently, we do things differently, and we have outlooks that are different, as well. Usually, we compliment each other, but we have discovered that in one very small way those differences may be a little too big to bridge.

And that's knowing who wins soccer matches.

As you know, our preferred team is RB Leipzig. Because they play in Germany their matches (usually) take place early in the morning over here. We'll record them to watch later that night. And that points out the big gap between my dear life partner and I. You see, I prefer to watch the recording not knowing what's happened, while she wants to know what occurred, when it occurred, and why..

See what I mean?

With it being a sporting event, I want to watch it like it's live, so I can get into the spills, thrills, and emotions of the event. Loraine doesn't. And that's okay; every person approaches things differently, and her way is just as good as mine. But after she spends hours pouring over the event and what occurred during it, sometimes I'll be able to pick up, even through the tone of her voice, what may (or may not) have happened.. So sometimes I'll go into the event knowing the outcome, if not the particulars of it. Of course, sometimes her habit comes in handy, especially on those rare occasions when they lose badly and she'll say “we don't have to watch the game”.

Thankfully, those occasions are few and far between.

Saturday, though, might be one of those occasions, as they open their season in the German Supercup against their bete noire, Bayern Munich. Leipzig has only beaten Bayern twice in their eight year existence, and as someone who spent the 00s watching the Indianapolis Colts constantly losing to their bete noire, the New England Patriots, I have a little case of PTSD each time the two German teams hit the pitch.

Hopefully, the match won't be one of those where Loraine says “we don't have the watch the game”. But if it is, it'll be one of those rare examples when that one big difference between me and Loraine could actually be a good thing.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/9

I don't think I like getting old(er).

As I mentioned a week or so ago, I've been giving out directions to a lot of visitors to Marquette this season. It helps them get where they're going, and, I hope, also leaves them with a good impression of the city and the people who live here. I must say I'm left with a good impression of the visitors, as well, as they'll always say "thank you" or "thank you very much".

It's only when they add the word "sir" to it that I feel my heart begin to sink.

Now, I realize they're just being respectful. But (as in the case of the person who said yesterday) Dude, I'm not a sir.  A "sir" is an old man, someone who deserves your respect or someone who has accomplished lofty things during their existence. I'm the type of person who should be saying "sir" instead of being addressed "sir".

I mean...this can't be happening, can it?

Some people age with grace. And then there's the Koski family.

8-)

I mean I know they're just being polite, and I appreciate that. I know they're not saying "thank you, old man". But to someone who still acts and feels like he's in his 30s (or, on a good day, 11) it just doesn't seem right. It just doesn't seem natural. It just doesn't seem...

Like I'm old enough to be called "sir". But reality, sometimes, sucks.

I wish I could say I'm one of those people who ages with grace, but we both know that's not true. I'm pretty sure I'll be one of those people who, on their 100th birthday, does something to prove that I'm not old, like go skydiving or get on stage with the 125-year old Keith Richards (who, I can almost guarantee, will still be alive when I'm 100). Despite what reality says and despite what the kind people on the street say, I'm not old, especially not old enough to be called "sir"..

Even though, it appears, I really AM.

Sigh...

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday. 8/8

I should know better than to point to the wrong side of my face.

Long-time readers of this will recall my infamous bike accident of a decade ago, something about which I wrote on the 10th anniversary of it happening this past May. Last night, my TV thing was about bike riders and, as a running gag, the injuries they sometimes suffer. In fact, it was this--

“Six stitches, a smashed finger, and a broken tooth.

In the UP, there are two ways to get those kinds of injuries.  One would be after a really interesting night at Big Bon’s the opening day of deer season.  The other?

If you’re a mountain biker.

This is the week over 2,000 mountain bikers descend upon Marquette County for the 24th annual Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic.  This is the biggest mass start race in the state of Michigan, and you owe it to yourself to head to Negaunee Saturday morning and watch a non-stop stream of riders roll past you.

In a way, the race–actually, the whole trend toward biking–is very emblematic of the way the UP has changed over the past 50 years. If you had told city leaders in the 1970s that people would be moving to Marquette just for the chance to ride their bike every day after work you would have been called crazy.  But you know what? There’s a reason Bike Magazine named Marquette County as one of the 5 best places to mountain bike in the entire United States.  We have an amazing set of trail systems up here.

If you’re into mountain biking there’s the RAMBA trails or the north and south Noque trails.  If you enjoy something a little more mellow, there’s the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. And if you just wanna ride to work every day or get your kids started on their bikes, the city of Marquette has a world class multi-use path system.

And it’s not just Marquette.  You head to the Copper Country or Ontonagon or any place in the UP with hills, and you’ll find mountain bike trails.  Summer or winter you can go for a ride, get as muddy or as icy as you want, and then join your friends for a beer, swapping stories about your ride and just which one of you has been banged up the most.

So if you see a lot of people on bikes this weekend, say “hey”.  Ask which trail system is their favorite.  And if you’re curious, find out just how banged up they’ve been.  Because they’re mountain bikers.

And they’re kinda proud of that.

By the way…those random injuries I mentioned at the beginning of this piece?  Six stitches, smashed finger, broken tooth.

I’m Jim Koski, and that’s another slice of “Life in the 906”.“

At the end, when I was talking about those "random" injuries, I was pointing to the locations on my body were I picked up those random injuries in my infamous bike crash. Only for the stitches, I think I pointed to the wrong side of my face.

Oops.

I mean, thankfully, you can't see where I had the stitches any more, unless you look REALLY close near my eye (not something I'd recommend any sane person do, by the way).Unlike my broken tooth, about which I'm reminded every day when I brush my teeth, and unlike my smashed finger, about which I'm reminded every time I put on my wedding ring, the stitches (or at least their location) have just kind of faded away.

And that's why I may have pointed to the wrong side of my face on TV last night.

I mean, it's one of those things no one would ever notice; heck, even I didn't notice it until I watched a replay of it. But still, you'd think that if I were to destroy my face like that--and then joke about it on TV--that I'd get my facts straight.

You'd think. You'd be wrong, but you'd think.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com), bike accident-free since 2013 

Monday, 8/7

I'm not quite sure I liked what I saw.

First of all, happy Monday (assuming, of course, that's not an oxymoronic statement). Hope you had a great weekend, and were able to enjoy the nice weather we had Saturday. I myself was out most of the day, and when I walked past something that I saw out of the corner of my eye, I stopped. I looked. I sighed in disgust. And I whipped out my phone and took a picture.

This picture--

I know it's not the best in the world (it IS a phone picture, after all) but I'm pretty sure you can see what made me stop, look, and sigh.

Should leaves REALLY be changing color at the beginning of August?

I know we've had wacky weather this year. I know we've broken the planet. Heck, I write about it enough. But to have a bunch of leaves start to change this early?

That's kind of freaky.

Because it IS so freaky, I actually looked to see if they were on a broken branch or in some other way distressed. And as far as I could tell, they weren't. They felt like they were getting enough water, the branch on which they sat wasn't broken, and, as far as I could tell, they just decided to change color now, like they hit the lottery at the age of 40 and decided to retire early.

Really, really early.

Hopefully this was just a freak occurrence. Hopefully, I won't be coming across any more leaves changing color, at least for a few weeks. Our summer's been short (and cold and wet) enough as it is. To actually see a sign that's it's drawing to an end is just a little too much.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 8/4

I found the picture fascinating.

A couple of days ago someone sent me a picture they had found while going through some old belongings. They figured the picture would interest me for several reasons, and they were right on all those counts.

Here it is—the block of Front Street in downtown Marquette where I work, but from 1958--

The brown building on the right hand side of the picture is indeed the Pythias Building, the building where the station's been located for 20 years. The big white building next to it? The old (second) Clifton Hotel, which burned to the ground seven years after the picture was taken. And on the left hand side of the picture? The would be the old Union National Bank, where Range bank is now located, as well as one of the old Spears buildings, which is now where the Range Bank parking lot now sits.

Yup. That picture DOES interest me.

I've written in here before about a dream of mine that will never come true, the dream of being able to travel back in time a century with a modern DSLR camera and just take pictures of everything that used to be here. While I can never do THAT, a picture like this is almost (almost) fulfilling the dream, allowing me to get a glimpse (in color) of what the city looked like years before I was born.

And that is so cool.

So thanks to the individual who sent me the shot (they wish to remain anonymous). I'm honored that you thought to share it with me, and providing me with the chance to, in a way, live a dream I know I'll never be able to live in real life.

I appreciate it!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/3

I didn't know it was a tradition, but you know what?

We'll make it one.

I received a note from daily blog reader Holly in Marquette, who wondered where my flower pictures were. I wasn't quite sure of what she was speaking, so I sent her back a note asking for a little clarification. As it turns out, every summer Holly looks forward to seeing pictures I take of flowers as I wander around. I hadn't done it so far this year, if only because I haven't been out just wandering around much this year, but Holly's note provided the impetus for me to get out and take pictures.

Trust me. It wasn't much of a sacrifice on my part.

What did I see on my stroll? How about reds...

Yellows...

Oranges...

Purples...

A mix of colors...

Another mix of colors...

And even a third mix of colors...

So there you go, Holly. Your annual summer flower presentation. Next year, I'll do it without your prompting (he says optimistically). Thanks for the note!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/2

I don't know if this is ever gonna get any better.

Yesterday was supposed to be a nice day, with sun and temps in the mid 70s in the forecast. Naturally, I decided to take a half day off of work to play in the sun. And naturally, as soon as I woke up, I realized that, as has happened quite often this year, the forecast would not be accurate.

The haze is back--

That's not the best picture, but it's from my phone and there's really nothing for it to focus on except haze, more haze, and a yellow ball trying to break through. This must be the 25^th or so day out of the 62 we've had so far this “summer” with haze in the sky, and it IS getting rather irritating. We only get so many days of summer up here, and every time one has haze in the sky is one less we can enjoy.

But (and please don't drop dead of shock here) yesterday I realized that, while our summer is getting cut short, our friends up in Canada have it a whole lot worse. Sure, we can complain about the haze that's blocking our sun, but isn't the haze much preferable to what they're dealing with—the actual fires putting the haze into the air? Last time I checked a chunk of Canada comparable in size to the state of Kentucky has burned, with more to come.

So yes, the haze IS putting a crimp into our summer. But at least we have a “summer” that's not gulping up chunks of our territory in a daily inferno.

And, I guess when you look at it that way, we really don't have too much to complain about, right?

(jim@wmqt.com) 

Tuesday, 8/1

It took me a few days, but I think I figured it out.

The Great (and dorky) License Plate Count of 2023 is over, and I must report that it was a success. I saw plates from 43 states and two Canadian provinces, which means two things—Marquette's tourism business is thriving, and just what the heck is wrong with people from North Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Delaware, and Vermont, the states I didn't see??

(And for the record, I'm giving people from Hawaii a pass on this one. Until they build a bridge I'm thinking it's kind of hard to drive from there to here).

I did see something I've not seen in twenty years of doing this, though. Throughout the week I kept seeing multiple cars—over a dozen each-- from certain states. So many, in fact, that I started keep track of all the different vehicles from Texas, Florida, California, Colorado, Missouri, and Washington. At first I was wondering if Travel Marquette had just been spending a ton of money in those states, and then I realized there might be another reason--

All of those states (with the possible exception of Washington) are dealing with extreme heat situations this summer. Is it possible that I'm seeing the beginning of a “climate tourism” trend, where people are vacationing up here because it's not as hot as it is at home?

You have to wonder.

I mean, Marquette has made just about every list I've seen of “climate refuges”, places where the worst effects of the massive climate change we're currently undergoing won't be quite as bad. And maybe this is just the start—people escaping the heat and humidity of places where climate change has run amok, and coming somewhere (like here) that's not as intolerable. I don't know if that's the case, but it sure seems like it could be the case.

You have to wonder.

No matter what, though, the past week has shown that's it's clear people from all over the country enjoy coming to Marquette the last week of July. So if it's seemed insanely busy around here that past week or so, you now know why.

(jim@wmqt.com), the dork.