Well. It looks as if I'll be busy next
summer.
We've figured out the programming
schedule for the Marquette Regional History Center for 2017, and it looks like I'm doing three programs. There's
nothing unusual about that; after all, I did four this year. What's
unusual is that the three I'm doing are all during the summer, and
they're all outdoors.
Good thing I like fresh air, huh?
I'm not quite sure how things worked
out that way, but they did. For the first time since I started doing
History Center programs—and I did the first one when they started
doing them back in 2005 (2005??!!??)--I don't get to be indoors.
That wasn't the plan; I went into the meeting with the idea that at
least one of them would be indoors. But as it turns out, I'm the
outside guy this year. I guess it's not THAT out of the ordinary,
when you consider the amount of walking tours I do, but it just
struck me as strange.
Almost as strange as the fact that I'm
doing the three of them in a two and a half month span.
The first one, in June, should be easy,
as it's just a re-do of the bike path riding tour I did earlier this
year. Turnout was so good for the original, and demand seems to be
high for it again, so that one should be no problem at all.
The second one, the July tour, has an
interesting genesis. When we went into the meeting someone had
suggested a walking tour of the old docks of Marquette, and had
written on their proposal “perhaps Jim Koski could do it”. Well,
guess what everyone thought was a good idea? Yup; so that's the
second summer tour I'm doing. That one shouldn't be too hard,
either. During various waterfront and neighborhood tours I've told
enough stories that I should be able to put that tour together in my
sleep.
Besides, the dock area was where all
the seedy people, my favorites in Marquette history, hung out.
Hooker, bootlegger, and killer stories, here we come!
The final show is one I've wanted to do
for a long time. It basically involves me showing some amazing
pictures I've come across during my research into other programs but
have never been able to use. I figured I would tell the stories
behind them, or about what was going on in the area around the time
they were taken. I had always envisioned it as an inside show; after
all, you need to show the pictures on something, right? But since
everyone seems enamored with the outdoor, late night shows I've done,
it was decided in that late one August Friday we'd do the show the
same way I did the “bar” show I did this year, projecting the
pictures on the side of the History Center. I was even told to make
it PG-13 or worse, if I wanted.
I'm thinking that, just maybe, they
shouldn't have suggested THAT as part of the show.
8-)
So that's what I'm doing next summer.
I'm actually gonna start working on them soon, so I don't have to
waste my entire summer doing research. Because, while I don't mind
doing outdoor shows during the summer, I certainly don't wanna be
indoors trying to find out what I need to find out. As we all know,
summers around here are fleeting enough as it is!
***
And before I go, I have to wish a
“Happy Birthday” to my absolutely most favoriteist person in the
whole wide world! That's right; the Costello to my Abbott, the
Livingstone to my Stanley, the ying to my yang, is celebrating her
big day today! So Happy Birthday, Loraine. Enjoy your day off,
enjoy your treats, and above all, revel in the awesome-ness that is
you on your birthday!!!!!!!!
Love,
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