Friday, 12/29

As our shared calendar draws to an end for yet another year (really...where did 2017 go?), here's a story about a gift I receive every year for Christmas.

A calendar. Specifically, a calendar that makes he laugh my head off.

As I have every Christmas for a decade and a half now, I received my annual edition of the “365 Stupidest Things Ever Said” calendar and as I’ve done for the past decade and a half I read each and every page of it in one sitting. This accomplishes a couple of things--there’s a point where the cumulative effect of all that stupidity catches up with me, and whatever control I have dissolves in a big puddle. I start laughing uncontrollably, with tears running down my eyes, and for the next couple of minutes, I’m unable to do nothing else. Loraine then just stares at me for a second, and shakes her head the way she’d shake her head at a puppy trying to chase its tail and accidentally running itself head-first into a wall.

Except I do it on purpose.

The page that set me off this year? Read by itself, it’s not necessarily that funny, but when you consider I’d just read 200 or so other pages of stupid stuff; well, like I said, the cumulative effect was just something else. It was a newspaper headline about people concerned about a forthcoming ordinance in their community--

“Stiff opposition expected to casketless funeral plan”.

Get it? “Stiff” opposition? To funeral plans? Okay. Maybe it's just me. I mean, in and of itself it’s not gut-busting, but when placed near the end of a long line of stupid quotes, sayings, and newspaper headlines, it was the trigger that set off my annual bout of self-induced hysteria.

I know. . .I need help. What’s your point??

On that note, have yourself a great holiday weekend and a very happy New Year. Party smartly, and if you can't do that, party safely. See you Tuesday!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 12/28

If, when everything thaws this Spring, you happen to see a right ear and part of a lower lip lying somewhere on the street, would you please pick them up?

They're probably mine.

I can't believe how cold it was when I went out running this morning. Of course, I can't believe that I actually went out running this morning in a windchill of about 150 below, but I did. In a concession to the weather I did actually wear long pants (several layers of long pants, in fact), but I did go out running. Call me crazy, if you'd like. You wouldn't be the first person to do so.

It's probably a good thing schools aren't in session this week, either. After all, with cold like this, I'm assuming schools would be shut down for the entire week anyway. And that got me to thinking. I really do not wanna sound like one of those people who start off every sentence with the phrase “Back when I was a kid”, but (ahem) back when I was a kid, I don't remember having school canceled because of something like the bitter cold we're currently experiencing. I remember being at school on days when the air was frigid and the wind chills were extreme. In all honesty, I don't recall if the conditions were as harsh as they are now, but it seems to me like they were, and yet I was still in school.

Now, though? Not so much. At least it doesn't seem like it.

I realize that there are legitimate (and very good) excuses for keeping schools closed when it's colder here than it is at the South Pole (seriously...McMurdo Station at Antarctica has been warmer than Marquette the past two days). I mean, the fact that I seem to have lost two parts of my body while out running today is basically the best reason for closing schools. Still, though, it just seems (at least to me) that they close and cancel things quite a bit more than they did (ahem) back when I was a kid. I don't know if it's true, I don't know if my perceptions are just askew. But all through my life—when I was a kid, and now that I'm what passes for an adult—I just seem to think that many more things went on as normal despite the bad weather.

Like I said, I don't know if that's actually the case or if my perceptions have been warped by whatever's been warping my brain since I was young. But I tend to think that it might actually be the case. After all, if I'm stupid enough to go out running on a day so cold that you lose body parts, I must've picked up the habit somewhere, right? There must be something in my brain that tells me it's okay to go out on a day when the wind chill's around 150 below.

Well, it's just a thought. Hopefully, some day soon, it'll start to warm up, and we won't have to ponder things like butter temperatures and the cancellations they cause. Hopefully, some day soon, I'll be able to run without losing parts of my face. After all, with only one ear and no more than one and half lips left, I'm rapidly running out of body parts left to fall off.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 12/27

Please don’t laugh, but I don’t think I got my fill of Christmas music this year.

See, you’re laughing, aren’t you? I don’t blame you, because by the time Christmas actually rolls around most normal people have heard enough Christmas music to last them for the next 11 months. But as we all know, I’m anything but normal, especially this holiday season.

Hence, the Christmas music I could still probably listen to.

Aside from what we played on the air leading up to the holiday, I really didn’t get a chance to listen to a lot of Christmas music this year. I listened to the usual discs when I was making cookies, and I listened to one of my favorites--“Soul Christmas”--a couple of times while wrapping gifts Friday afternoon, but that was about it. I just didn’t have time to listen to anything else. By my reckoning, I only heard “The Christmas Song” twice, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” three times, and in a stunning reversal from normal, I don’t believe I heard “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” or Vince Gill’s sublime version of “White Christmas” even once this year.

Not once!

Unfortunately, the two “Christmas” songs I heard the most (and you did notice the quotes around “Christmas”, right?) were “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” and “Rusty Chevrolet””, if only because those are the two holiday songs for which we received the most Instant Requests. Those don’t really get the spirit of the season across, unless you consider the spirit of the season to be vehicular homicide or the need for a new car. In that case, those songs are fine; in my case, not so much.

I don’t think I’ll bust out any Christmas CDs any time soon; after all, holiday music isn’t the same after the holiday’s actually over. Maybe, though, it means I’ll look forward to it just a little more than usual next Christmas, and get a chance to listen a greater variety of artists than Elmo & Patsy and Da Yoopers.

That’d be okay with me.

                                                                  *****

Before I leave I do want to mentioned how saddened Loraine and I were to hear the news of yesterday's death of Tom Baldini, the mayor of Marquette.  I've known Tom since high school, when I was a student in his Advanced Political Science class, one of the things that helped turn me from a fledgling political junkie to a full-bore political junkie.  When he worked for Bart Stupak he was a big champion of Loraine's WWII research work, offering help if she ever ran into bureaucratic road blocks.  And he was also a fan of "High School Bowl".  When we passed each other on the streets he'd always make a comment about something he noticed during the previous week's show.

He was one of the good guys.  He will be sorely missed.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 12/26

No, they're not quite gone yet.

Among the notes I received from you guys over the last few days was one from daily blog reader Holly in Marquette, who wanted to know if the 31 or so dozen cookies I baked during the last week and a half are still floating around. With the exception of a few of this kind and few of that kind, Holly, I'm glad to say they're almost gone.

And about that, I couldn’t be happier!

I don’t bake the cookies for me to eat; in fact, Loraine often expresses amazement and/or disappointment over the fact that I make the cookies but don’t eat them. But while I do munch on one or two (mostly to make sure they turn out okay), I make them mostly to give away. After all, the holidays are all about giving, right? Especially if you’re giving (what did we figure out) 11 extra pounds of weight through all the cookies you bake?

Right??

One of the reasons I don’t eat all the cookies, and one of the reasons that I’m glad they’re almost all gone, is that I’m not sure if I wanna gain the extra two pounds the average American gains during the average holiday season. Now, I’m sure some of you are asking how I can be worried about gaining two pounds when I don’t eating my own baking, and I can safely answer this way—while I don’t eat my own baking, I sure do eat a lot of other people’s baking.

Once again, those of you who read this on a daily basis know what I’m talking about—ever since Thanksgiving, it seems like I’ve been writing about nothing other than trying to go to bazaars and holiday festivals and open houses and bake sales and cookie swaps. And while I don’t eat a lot at any one of those events, the sheer number of them that Loraine & I attend makes it inevitable that, like almost every American, I’ll gain those two pounds during the holidays.

Now, one of the reasons Americans have gotten so large over the past two decades is that, studies show, they never lose the two pounds they gain each holiday season. And while a pound or two might not make much difference in a year, you add them up over a decade, and you’re eventually 15 or 20 pounds heavier than you once were.

That’s why I don’t eat the cookies I bake. I make up for it in eating the stuff that OTHER people make and give to me. And that’s why I hit the ski trails and the running routes and the weights with added vigor during and after the holidays. I want to get rid of those two pounds I may have picked up.

Of course, now I need to apologize for giving all those cookies away and causing other people to gain their two pounds. I’ll admit it’s an imperfect system; all I have to do now is figure out how to make calorie-free Christmas cookies, and then EVERYONE can be happy!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 12/21

Say hello to my little friend--

I'm not a big fan of Will Ferrell or the movie “Elf”, but I got to spend the day with Buddy the Elf yesterday, and it wasn't too bad. For those of you who don't know what's going on, our friends at the Delft Bistro in Marquette have their “Delft on a Shelf” promo happening through Christmas. They stick a life-sized cardboard cutout of Buddy the Elf in various places around Marquette, people take selfies with him, and they then have a chance to win goodies from The Delft.

Yesterday, Buddy spent the day at the station. For the most part, he was quiet and stayed out of the way, showing none of the manic tendencies for which he's known. However, I think he became bored sitting in our window, because he insisted on spending the afternoon with me in the studio. He was still behaving himself in there, at least until he started giving me the stink-eye when I wouldn't play “Baby It's Cold Outside”. Fed up a little, I told him that if he didn't stop I'd stick him out in the snowbank outside, where several dogs had just passed by to, uhm, take care of business.

He quit giving me the stink-eye after that.

I have no idea where Buddy's going after he leaves us, but hopefully it's to a home that welcomes him just as much as we did. Hopefully, he behaves himself there, and hopefully, he won't end up in someone else's snowbank

Although with him, you never know.

****

By the way, I'm off most of the day tomorrow to enjoy a three and a half holiday weekend, so there won't be a new one of these up. However, if you get really bored and really desperate to read something, you can also click HERE and check out the story of a Christmas Eve tradition for Loraine and me.

Have a great Christmas weekend. See you again Tuesday!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 12/19

I’m a guy, and I like it. Is it THAT big of a surprise?

Perhaps my favorite movie of the last 15 years is “Love, Actually”, a movie that kind of flopped when it came out in theaters but has now taken on a second life as a modern-day holiday classic (in this regard, it resembles “It’s a Wonderful Life”, something I’ll discuss in a bit). Anyway, it’s the tenth anniversary of the film’s release, and because of that there have been a slew of articles released about the movie, many of which deal with the same topic--

Did you know guys like “Love, Actually”?

Speaking as a guy, just let me say this--yes, some of us DO like “Love, Actually”. In fact, some of us LOVE “Love, Actually”, and I’m not quite sure why all these writers are surprised. I mean, sure, it doesn’t have any explosions, farts, or fights, and it’s filled with heart and humor, but that doesn’t mean guys don’t like it. In fact, I’ve always been a fan of Richard Curtis, the guy who wrote and directed the film, if only because his movies DO have heart & humor, and conspicuously lack explosions and farts, and when he does include fights, they’re usually between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, and they’re hilarious.

So there.

Another of my favorite articles on the movie is one that asked people which of the nine subplots they liked best (for those of you who haven’t seen the movie, [and shame on you, by the way, if you haven’t], the movie juggles nine inter-related subplots in the 5 weeks leading up to Christmas), and that’s almost like asking someone which of their nine kids or puppies or classic cars or whatever they like best. I don’t know that I could pick my absolute favorite, although I will admit that I have a fondness for both the Hugh Grant and the Colin Firth story lines. The one that always gets to me, though, is the plot with Keira Knightly and the guy in love with her. Once again, I don’t wanna spoil it for anyone who’s never seen it, but if you aren’t in some way affected after watching that plot line, you’d better check to see if you have a pulse!

So there you go. I’m a guy, and I love “Love, Actually”. Think they’ll write an article about me, now??

8-)

*****

Okay, I mentioned how “Love, Actually” has pretty much followed the arc of “It’s a Wonderful Life” by being a box office failure at first, only to then become a beloved holiday classic. Well, that reminds me I need to check on something. A couple of years ago, there were plans afoot to make a sequel to “Wonderful Life”, in which the ghost of George Bailey’s youngest kid, Zazu, comes back to haunt George’s bratty grandson by showing him how much better the world would’ve been if he was never born.

That sounds like it’s full of holiday cheer, doesn’t it? And the actress who played Zazu in the original, Karoline Grimes, is coming back for this film. Why, why, why? And if this is the case, what’s next--a sequel to “The Wizard of Oz” in which Dorothy’s granddaughter skips out of rehab to join a doomsday cult?

I’ve been joking on the air the past few years about how the movie business has run out of ideas. Guess I wasn’t that far off, was I?

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 12/18

Well, at least the cookies are done.

I've mentioned in here about how I've yet to accomplish basically anything to do with Christmas. I mentioned that I had hoped to tackle a big chunk of it this weekend, and you know what? I did. I baked 31 dozen cookies.

Why yes, I do wonder about my sanity, just like you do!

It did turn out to be a two and a half day process, Friday night & Saturday at our place and Sunday at my parents. And if I'm gonna be totally honest I'm not completely done yet. There are still a few cookies that need to get frosted. But they're baked and (for the most part) ready to go. And that's what counts.

Speaking of counting, I have this bad habit every year of trying to figure out how many calories I'm inflicting on friends and family by baking (in this case) 31 dozen cookies. So let's do a little math, shall we? If I baked 31 dozen cookies, that's 372 cookies. I'm gonna guess here, based on the different kinds of cookies I made, that each cookie contains 110 calories. That might be slightly higher than average for a cookie, but I make a couple of kinds (like my Grandma Cookie) that has some high-calorie stuff in it. So if I made 372 cookies at 110 calories each, that's 40,920 calories.

For that, I apologize in advance.

Let's see...if it takes 3,500 calories to gain a pound, I'm gonna be personally responsible for family and friends gaining a net total of 11 and two thirds pounds. While I generally think of myself as a thoughtful and kind person, one not prone to evil impulses, I take a look at that 40,920 calorie figure and wonder if, somehow, I've gone over to the Dark Side and don't even realize it.

Oops.

And I don't help things, either. I may make 372 cookies, but I probably only eat a dozen or so of them (at most) myself. As I mentioned, most of them are given away. After making that many cookies, I'm really not that hungry for them. It may seem weird, especially because I love baking cookies, but after all that work, I just don't feeling like eating them.

I can't explain it. That's just how it goes.

But at least the cookies are done, and the pounds are waiting to be gained. Now all I have to do is wrap my gifts and stick them under the tree. Once, of course, I head down into the basement and actually get the tree. But I'll get it done. Honest...I'll get it done!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 12/15

I don't know if I can wait two years for the conclusion!

First of all, the movie ("Star Wars: The Last Jedi") was amazing. It was pretty much everything I hoped it would be. The critics, unanimous in their praise, were spot on. In fact, it might—might--even be the best “Star Wars” movie yet.  I can not wait to see how it all turns out, even though I'll have to.  But, like I promised yesterday, that's all I'm gonna say about that.

Of course, that doesn't leave me much to talk about, and since I have to go shoot the third “High School Bowl” episode we've shot in the last week, I'll just leave you with this random thought--

If you see me at all these weekend, odds are I'll be covered in cookie dough. This is the weekend I hope to get all the baking done that I've been writing about the past month. It'll be double duty, too; I'll be doing it at our place Saturday and my parents' place Sunday. By Monday I'll probably never want to see another cookie again.

Until, of course, I start eating them and giving them away, and remembering WHY I bake them all in the first place.

And finally of all, did I mention that I saw “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” last night? And that it was good?

Just wanted to pass that along.

8-)

With that, have yourself a great weekend. If you're joining me in trying your own Cookie-thon, good luck and have a great time. If you were smart enough to get all this done weeks ago, congrats. You deserve every second of freedom you get this weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 12/14

Tonight's the night.

At 7pm tonight, I will be sitting inside theater 1 at the Thomas Theater Group's Tri City Cinema 8 in Marquette, eagerly awaiting the finish of 9,000 commercials and trailers. At the conclusion of the 9,000^th, the theater goes dark, the anticipation builds to an unbearable crescendo, and the world rocks slightly on its axis.

Either that, or “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” begins. You take your pick.

I had to laugh slightly when my friend Deanna bought our tickets over two months ago. After all, who figured that you'd need to buy tickets that far out just to see a movie on an opening night, right? But I'm glad she did; if she hadn't, I can guarantee we would not actually just be able to walk up and buy tickets to the film. That's how sold out the movie is. And I think we'll be in good company. I've spoken with many people I know, everyone from friends to “High School Bowl” team coaches, who'll be there.

It should be a blast.

One of the things I'm enjoying about the build-up to the premiere is how many people are trying to make it a spoiler-free event. People who've already seen the movie are going out of their way not to spill any secrets, just like the people who made it. And I'm going to honor that. For the next week, I'm not going to mention anything about the film—expect for incessantly gloating about how I saw it opening night—so that people who haven't had the chance to see it get to go in and experience it for themselves. I know that's how I'd want to do if if I didn't have a friend that bought tickets two months ago.

Have I mentioned I how much I appreciate Deanna's foresight?

As a result, you'll be able to come back here tomorrow and know that this will be a spoiler-free zone. Of course, I have the feeling that the vast majority of you—people much more grounded in reality than I—don't really care about what happens in the new “Star Wars” movie. But just in case, I'll write about something else. I mean, I don't know what I'll be able to write about, seeing as how I'll (hopefully) still be locked in a “Star Wars” high, but we'll see. I'm sure I can some up with something.

It's the least I can do.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com), uber-nerd.

Wednesday, 12/13

Okay. Even I think they have have gone a little overboard.

As you may have heard, the most anticipated movie of the past two years (and I'm only being slightly sarcastic here), “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” opens tomorrow night. And as you may have heard, there are a few people (me included) really looking forward to it. They had the world premiere Saturday night, and everyone who saw it seemed to love it. The (spoiler-free) reviews I've read say it may be the best of the films, and that's saying something. But you know who probably really loves it?

Merchandisers.

Sunday morning, Loraine was looking through a few newspaper flyers and noticed that there seemed to be Star Wars licensed merchandise EVERYWHERE. I can't say I'm surprised; after all, the franchise was heavily merchandised even  before Disney bought the rights to it, and you know what Disney does when they get their hands on things. This, though, seems to have become almost a parody of itself. Just about anything you can buy you can now buy with a tie-in to Star Wars” included.

Don't believe me? Here's a list, taken from store flyers from this past Sunday's Mining Journal (so I think I'm missing quite a bit)--

“Star Wars” toys of all kinds

“Star Wars” puzzles

“Star Wars” books

“Star Wars” video games

“Star Wars” action figures

“Star Wars” toddler clothes

“Star Wars” kids clothes

“Star Wars” junior clothes

“Star Wars” adult clothes

“Star Wars” pajamas

“Star Wars” underwear

“Star Wars” makeup

“Star Wars” watches

“Star Wars” rings

“Star Wars” necklaces

“Star Wars” wrapping paper

“Star Wars” tree ornaments

“Star Wars” Life Savers

“Star Wars” Pez dispensers

“Star Wars” cereal

“Star Wars” sleeping bags

“Star Wars” boomboxes

“Star Wars” night lights

“Star Wars” Bluetooth speakers

“Star Wars” luggage

“Star Wars” shower curtains

and, finally,

“Star Wars” waffle makers

What? No “Star Wars” Home Pregnancy Test? Or does that come out nine months from now?

Now, I don't mind SOME merchandising; after all, the thought of a waffle in the shape of the Death Star does seem intriguing. But “Star Wars” luggage? “Star Wars” shower curtains? “Star Wars” eye shadow and concealing cream? Somewhere, in an alternate timeline, the teenage version of me who saw the original movie when it first came out is rolling his eyes.

Or kicking himself for not getting in on the action.

But what do you expect? While many of us think of it as more than just a movie franchise, Disney paid four billion (with a “B”) dollars for the right make more movies in order to be able to sell this stuff. I guess I can't begrudge them that. But still--”Star Wars” waffle makers?

Sometimes, the mind boggles.

(jim@wmqt.com), at T-35 or so hours and counting!

Tuesday, 12/12

Oh, those Germans. Those wacky, wacky Germans.

Some of you may recall that Loraine and I are going to Germany next year to follow in the footsteps of 'ol King Ludwig II, whom I once described as “the Brian Wilson of Bavaria”. In her research to put the trip together, Loraine discovered that there's a musical (called “Ludwig 2”) that's based on his life. As it turns out, the musical is being performed in the town of Fussen the night that we're there, so it looks like we're going to see a musical (in German) while we're in Germany.

We have no idea what we'll be seeing, but we've been promised a spectacle.

We were able to download the tickets after we purchased them, and we had to laugh when we saw them. Germans, in case you don't know, are sticklers for following the rules. A few years ago, when walking around a German town with a local resident, I made the mistake of of trying to cross a street in the middle of the block, and not in the marked crosswalk. I was told that I really SHOULD cross in the crosswalk, which I them did. The lady who told me that wasn't being mean or snotty or anything; Germans just follow the rules and laws of society. That's what they do. And they feel it's their civic duty to point out if you cross the street in the wrong place or drive too fast down the street or make noise when (or where) you're not supposed to.

Many days, I wish more Americans were like that.

Anyway, we downloaded our tickets, and had to laugh a little when we saw what we needed to do with them. When you present your tickets to get into the musical, you can't just give them the piece of paper upon which they're printed. Nope; you need to give them the tickets folded. And to make sure you fold them properly, they included some rather detailed instructions (in English, of course) on exactly HOW to fold the piece of paper.

Not only are you told EXACTLY how to fold your tickets, but the printout actually has helpful lines printed on the ticket so that you fold it correctly. And fold it correctly, you must; after all, it does say that if the ticket isn't folded exactly as described, you can be denied entry to the production.

And we wouldn't want that, would we?

Knowing just how much of a stickler for rules most Germans are, we both had to laugh. I mean, we knew they were tough, but instructions on how to fold a piece of paper? That makes being told where to cross the street child's play. Thankfully, we printed out several copies of the tickets. After all, if we make a mistake we wanna make sure we can start over again, and do it right.

That, after all, is the German way, right?

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 12/11

I'm saying this with a smile, but geez...kids these days.

When I last left you I was about to head over to a taping of “High School Bowl”, and that's where this story takes place. We were doing a couple of practice questions before taping starts, a necessity when you have a dork as the host of the show. The practice question I asked regarded a luminary in the history of pop music, someone so important that his music has been sampled on hundreds of songs, a movie has been made of his life, and an entire generation of singers, everyone from Prince to Bruno Mars, has called him a major influence on their careers.

Yet none of the eight students to whom I posed the question, eight of the brightest young people on the planet, had any idea who James Brown was.

I know, right? How can you NOT know who “The Godfather of Soul” was? “I Feel Fine”? “Papa's Got a Brand New Bag”? Even “Living in America” if you around during the 80s? But nope; the question had all of them stumped, and out of the corner of my eye I could see the coach of one of the teams just put his head in his hand and shake it a few times, as if not believing what he had just not heard.

I felt his pain. I really did.

Now, I guess have two thoughts about this. Part of me really can't blame teenagers for not knowing exactly who James Brown was. After all, his last big hit was 30 years ago and he himself died a decade ago. But the other part of me just wants to shout out “You HAVE to know who James Brown was. His musical DNA is part of almost every song recorded since the 1960s. How can you NOT know who James Brown was?” The students knew who Prince was, because I asked. They certainly know who Bruno Mars is. But they had no idea about from whom those two artists drew (or draw) their inspiration.

I did leave them, though, with the promise that they'd Google James Brown, and find out a little about him. Maybe, just maybe, they'll then realize what an influence he was on pop music the last 50 years, and maybe, just maybe, they'll be ready to then answer a question about the Godfather of Soul should it ever pop up again. That's the least I could do.

Kids these days...

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 12/8

Because I have to go shoot what is now the first of three episodes of “High School Bowl” in the next seven days in a few minutes, I'm gonna leave you with a topic that crossed my mind as I was out running yesterday, a topic I wrote about almost four years ago to the day.

I guess it proves things never change, right?

Have yourself a great weekend. Back Monday with something brand new!

(jim@wmqt.com)

***

(as originally posted December 10^th, 2013):

I wonder how many are given out on any particular night?

Now that winter’s here some of my usual running routes are curtailed, and I find myself running more and more on city streets, instead of the usual Fit Strip or bike path or Park Cemetery or other off-road areas. While I’m usually not keen on street running (especially with the way people drive these days) I do get to notice one thing that you never see while running during the summer.

And that’s tickets on cars that have violated Marquette’s overnight parking ban.

Depending upon where (and for how long) I run I’ll see anywhere from 2 to 5 or 6 cars with tickets on them, but I really noticed it Saturday morning when I went out and saw 4 tickets on just one block. That made me pay close attention; by the time I got home, I counted 14—fourteen—cars with tickets on them. And while I didn’t check each individual ticket, I can say with a fair amount of confidence that those cars were ticketed for violating the overnight ban.

Especially the car that had been plowed in for what looked like several days, as evidenced by the multiple tickets stuck under the windshield wiper. Someone’s gonna have fun paying those tickets, and also paying for getting their car plowed out!

I don’t wanna sound like I’m stereotyping a whole group of people, but I notice that a large majority of people who seem to have ticketed cars get those tickets in neighborhoods with a lot of college housing. I mean, I live I one of those neighborhoods, and that’s where I saw those four cars in one block with tickets stuck under their wipers. On one hand, I suppose I hafta give credit to whomever the cars belonged; I’m guessing they got a little too carried away with their celebrating, realized they weren’t in any condition to drive, and just left their cars where they parked them. That’s great. But after spending what I’m guessing is an amazing amount of money on booze, do you really want to add in another $50 (or whatever the price is) for a ticket, as well?

I’d be curious to know how many of those tickets the Marquette City Police give out on a nightly basis during the winter. I’d also be curious to know how many of those tickets are actually paid, and how much money the city makes off of them on an annual basis. I’m guessing it’s not a small amount, but who knows. Maybe the tickets can pay for a new patrol car or breathalyzer or bulletproof vest. At least something good would come out of it.

For now, though, I’ll just look at the tickets I see as one of the (few) perks of running in Marquette in winter. Sure, you’re slipping on ice, and dodging cars that are driving too fast, but at least I know that when I get done I won’t see that little yellow envelope stuck under my windshield. Because that, I would guess, would not make a run (or going out to your car) very much fun at all.

Wednesday, 12/6

They're on their way there. See? It isn't that hard.

I know I've probably railed about the misuse of the different forms of “there” in the past, so forgive me if I'm babbling babbles that I've already babbled. But there was a meme going around on Facebook this morning in which someone posted that people join an organization because “there to stupid to do anything else”.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have the very latest definition of the word “irony” right there.

I'm starting to wonder if this whole “there/their/they're” problem is the latest version of the “chicken & the egg” quandary. Are people just grammatically stupid overall, and we notice it more these days because they post everything they write on the internet? Or has technology—the internet and spell-check—made people stupider, so much so that they don't actually know which “their” to use here and there?

Some days, I just don't know.

Now, I make a lot of grammatical & spelling errors when I write, as those of you who read this are no doubt aware. I rely too much on spell-check, and each and every one of these could probably use an extra round of proofreading, the time for which is, unfortunately, limited. So I'm not claiming to live in a glass house. I'm not claiming to be a perfect writer myself. But if I were to post something accusing someone else of being stupid?

I'd make sure I wasn't an idiot myself. But then, that's just me.

I'll shut up about this now, as my schedule for today has been thrown a bit askew and I have to figure out what to do. You see, I was supposed to go hang out with people who, I'm guessing, actually DO know which “there” to use, four teams of some of the brightest young people on the planet, who were to be taking part in another action packed edition of “High School Bowl”.  However, the weather in the western UP (from where two of the teams were coming) has pushed that back to Friday.  Hopefully, the weather will have cleared up by then, and the teams can make it to here from there.

Just not their. Or they're.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 12/5

I was able to do one of them yesterday. Unfortunately, I couldn't do both.

Another birthday has come and gone, and first of all I'd like to thank everyone who sent along their best wishes, whether in person or online. I do appreciate each and every one of them.

I was kind of surprised when a small yet sizable subset of those people asked if I was going to repeat “Birthday at the Beach” yesterday. For those of you who don't recall, two years ago it was 60 and sunny in Marquette on my birthday, so I spent a little time at the beach that day. After all, if you have a December birthday, you don't often get to spend that birthday at the beach. When I did it, I was SHOCKED by the number of people who thought it was an amazing idea; even Loraine had a bunch of her co-workers ask if I went to the beach that day. And based on the comment I received yesterday the concept must've made quite the impression.

So sorry to disappoint everyone, but rain and temperatures in the 40s (and skies so dark the streets lights stayed on all day) wasn't exactly beach weather, even for someone who would go to the beach every day if he could. But trust me—if it's ever warm & sunny again on my birthday, we're ALL going to the beach.

You have no choice in the matter, apparently.

However, I was able to do one thing on my birthday that's just as quirky and just as strange. Remember last month when I wrote a blog about wearing shorts to run at least once every month this year? Well, I completed the cycle yesterday morning; since, as I mentioned, it was 44 degrees, well above the 32 degree minimum for wearing shorts while running, I did something I never thought I'd be able to do (or, at least be able to do while I was still in possession of most (if not all) of my faculties)--I have now run in shorts at least once a month every month of a calendar year.

Who would've thought.

Finally, before I go, I have to thank my young friend Jaxon for one of the most unique gifts I've received recently--

How many of YOU have a hand-made cow Christmas ornament? I thought so!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 12/4

Well, I made it through the weekend. And I didn't explode!

That's right; those two days of (basically) non-stop gnoshing and snacking that I wrote about Friday are now over. The Greek food was, as always, amazing, the baked goods we picked up at sales and ate at the Library Open House were yummy, and the (early) birthday treat of pumpkin bars and mint chocolate chip ice cream was scarfed down with abandoned.

Now, I just need to figure out how I'm gonna eat all the extra pumpkin bars I brought home.

A couple of years ago someone asked me why I have pumpkin bars instead of a birthday cake when the anniversary of my world premiere rolls around, and I have no real answer for them, other than to perhaps say that I don't like to do what everyone else does. I know that's not a real answer; the answer is that I just really like pumpkin bars. At one point in my life my mom made pumpkin bars instead if a birthday cake, and it's stuck ever since.

Not that I would have it any other way.

I in no way mind taking all those extra pumpkin bars home; I would eat them every day if I could. I'd probably be 1,000 pounds heavier than I am, but I'd eat still eat them every day if I could. I just wish, on occasion, that church bazaar day, the day on which I eat more food than perhaps any other, wasn't so close to my birthday. It'd be nice to spread it all out a little, you know? And there have been many years when church bazaar day falls on my actual birthday, so in one intensive 24 hour period I'm bombarded with all the food I've been describing the last few days. That always take a while to get over.

Luckily, though, not this year. Now, I have a couple of days to rest, recover, and eat nothing but fruits and vegetables in a vain attempt to clear my body of all the delicious yumminess I've been consuming. And yes, I DO remember I have all those leftover pumpkin bars to finish. The good thing about that?

Pumpkins are technically a fruit, so I can try to convince myself I'm actually eating with my health in mind. I'm just not so sure I'd actually believe what I'm trying to sell.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 12/1

Tomorrow's one of my favorite days of the year.

Tomorrow is what Loraine and I jokingly call “church bazaar” day, but it's so much more than that. Tomorrow, the Greek Orthodox Church in Marquette is holding their amazing annual Greek bake sale, filled with some of the yummiest food you'll ever taste. Meanwhile, St. Paul's Church is holding an international craft fair (and bake sale), while the First Presbyterian Church is holding their annual holiday bake sale. Tomorrow afternoon, Peter White Public Library's holding their annual holiday open house & cookie fest (where you can see Loraine's usual Gold Star tree). Then Sunday I get to celebrate a day early by eating birthday pumpkin bars and mint chocolate chip ice cream.

By Sunday night, I'll be uttering those infamous words--”I'm never gonna eat again”.

I don't know what it is about the confluence of all those events that makes Loraine and me celebrate like we do when it rolls around, although you may have noticed that food probably plays quite a huge role. But there is something else to it, too. All of those events that I described? The bake sales, the open houses, everything? They all occur within a four block radius of where we live. We hop out of our apartment Saturday morning and just wander through all of these really cool events before strolling home with whatever we've picked up. For some people, picking out a Christmas tree or visiting Santa or singing carols is how they get into the holiday spirit.

For us, it's spending the weekend walking to all of these events and just seeing what there is to see. And that's not even counting some of the other events that occur within that four blocks radius—performances of “The Nutcracker”, visits with Santa, and much, much more. Remember a few days ago when I wrote about how lucky I realized we are living where we live? Well, this is just another example of how it's true. Sure, this time it doesn't involve a beach. It just involves Greek food, baked goods, and birthday ice cream.

What more could you want?

On that note, I hope you all have a great weekend. If you're in Marquette, I hope you get the chance to check out some of those events I mentioned. If not, I hope that your community gives YOU something to help get you into the holiday spirit!

(jim@wmqt.com)