Friday, 3/29

I think I still need a nap.

After waking up at 5 am the past two days I was finally able to sleep until a normal (730 or so) hour this morning. It doesn't feel like I got all the sleep I needed—in fact, it NEVER feels like I got all the sleep I needed—but it'll do.

And if I'm tired tomorrow; well, the weekends ARE for loafing around, right?

8-)

This is actually good practice for three and a half weeks from now, when my body will have to undergo a six-hour time change. Loraine and I usually handle the jet lag pretty well, and by the second or so day we're on European time with no problem. I'll be curious, though, to see if the shorter length of the trip this time around (nine days instead of the usual 12 or 13) leads to any adjustment problems when we get back to Marquette. I don't think it will. I, in fact, don't know why it would. But we're heading into uncharted territory.

And I guess I'll be using myself as a guinea pig. It should be a blast.

That's about it for now; I have a busy day today, with a funeral visitation, an interview with Michigan's new Secretary of State, and all the normal stuff I have to do to get ready for the weekend. Not only that, but I have the spectre of jury duty next Tuesday hanging over my head, so I have to start working ahead for that so it can be canceled the day before, leaving me with a bunch of work I've already done and don't need, just in case.

The next three weeks will be fun.

On that note, have yourself a great weekend. Take a nap or three, if you feel like it. Trust me—you deserve it!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/28

Well, it took an extra day, but we finally have the tickets.

Greetings from the wrong side of 5 a.m., a time at which I have woken up the past two days. Don't worry; I haven't gone insane and/or become an insomniac. I've woken up at 5 a.m the past two days because that's when it's 10 a.m in Germany and that's the time that the tickets for the soccer match we're planning on attending in a few weeks went on sale.

I hope Timo Werner and Willie Orban and the rest of the team appreciates the sacrifices we're making.

8-)

As you may recall, yesterday was supposed to be the day we got our tickets. Like the good troopers we are we woke up at 5am, turned on the computer, and tried to buy them. However, due to either a miscommunication on the part of someone in Leipzig or a misunderstanding on my part (or, most likely, both) we weren't among the group allowed to purchased them ahead of time. That means Loraine had to set her alarm for the most ungodly hour of the day yet again, and for the second day in a row we stumbled around like zombies trying to figure out what we needed to do and where we needed to go.

At least this time we were allowed to buy them. The tickets for April 27^th are ours.

That means everything is now set for our departure in a little under four weeks. Well, I should say, everything as far as tickets and paperwork and reservations are set for our departure in a little under four weeks. There's still the matter of pulling all the little things together and packing and (ugh) jury duty to worry about. We also realized that we need a ride to and from the airport, seeing as how our usual chauffeurs (hi, mom & dad!) will still be in Florida when we're gone.

But all that can be taken care of. We have the tickets. That's the important thing. Anything else after this is gravy, to mangle a phrase. I'm happy, Loraine's relieved, and we're getting excited about visiting Berlin, Leipzig, and the game day action at Red Bull Arena.

Now, I just need to figure out how to function after two mornings of waking up at 5 a.m. Wish me luck.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/27

I can't decide if it looks like a doorstop or a piece of cake.

Some days it seems, at least to me, that I've taken every picture there is to be taken in Marquette. I'll walk around with my camera yet take few pictures because I've already taken the exact same shot of the exact same thing several times before. So when I come across some weird lighting or a new angle of a building I've shot many times before, I smile a little smile and make sure I get the shot. That happened over the weekend, when I was practicing for our upcoming trip to Germany and took this picture of the Savings Bank Building.

I've shot this particular building before, but never from this particular angle. And I don't think I've ever been able to get the whole building into one shot. But thanks to the upper level of the Range Bank parking deck, my freakishly long arms, a wide-angle lens, and a willingness to lean over a railing forty feet above the ground, I have the shot.

And I think it looks...different.

For some reason, to me, at least, the building in this shot looks even narrower than it does in person. I mean, you can stand behind it in real life and see how it tapers to the narrow back end, but for some reason this picture really makes it stand out in a way I've never noticed before. When I first saw it the first thought that popped into my head was “kitchen scraper”, those narrow things you use to clean dough off of a counter-top. But after looking at it a little more, I've come to the conclusion it resembles either a doorstop or the last piece of cake left after an all-night birthday party.

Now if the owners would only let me put over-sized candles on the roof. THEN think of the shot I could get!

8-)

One of the many things I love about Marquette is the fact that you can wander around, even after however many years I've been doing this, and see things you never noticed. This is a great example. I see the Savings Bank Building every single day of my life. I thought I had looked at it from every conceivable angle, and in every conceivable light. But I was wrong, and it wasn't the first time. No matter where you go or what you look at, you might notice something you've never noticed before.

Even if you do think it looks like a piece of giant leftover birthday cake.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/26

“What are you, 9 years old?”

Believe it or not, that’s a phrase that comes from Loraine’s mouth with some regularity. What prompted it this time around? We were out walking in the sun this past weekend and apparently, when the snow’s melting, I do something without even thinking.

You know how, on the side of the street, water runs under the piles of frozen sand, erosion carving out a big brown “shelf” under which the water runs? And you know how, if you jump on the “shelf”, it cracks and caves in? Well, apparently, whenever we’re out walking and I see something like that, I walk over and jump on the “shelf”, caving it in with a satisfying “thud”.

I didn’t even realize I do it until it was pointed out to me, but once it was pointed out to me, it made perfect sense. You see, when I WAS 9 years old, I remember jumping on those “shelves” like that. I also took advantage of the arrival of spring to play out on Norway Street in Marquette (where I grew up) using snow to build dams and catch the water as it was flowing down the slight incline on the street.

When you stop to think about it, it’s amazing how much of your childhood carries over with you into your adulthood. What’s even more amazing is that so much of it comes with you subconsciously, like, oh, jumping on ice shelves. It almost makes you wonder just how much other stuff is off lurking in some dusty corner of your brain.

Oh—and I might add that as our walk progressed Loraine joined in the jumping and the “thudding”. Guess it's kind of contagious!

****

Okay, speaking of stuff when I was nine years old, I received a letter from my third grade teacher, Ms. Johnson, at work yesterday, congratulating me on that History Center award I received last month. She sent me a nice note and the newspaper clipping about it, and I do appreciate it. And I had to laugh when I looked at the envelope and realized that can probably never stop being a teacher.

Why? Well, like all good teachers, she made sure I had a sticker--

So thanks, Miss Johnson (and trust me, she'll always be “Miss Johnson” to me). I appreciate the thought!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/25

It's a joke. I should know—I wrote it.

A couple of days ago I took a picture of one of the 17 zillion potholes in Marquette and posted it to Facebook's “You Know You're From Marquette If” group. Here's a screenshot of the post--

Most of you who know me know that I wasn't being that serious about the post, and for those of you who REALLY don't know me the second hashtag on the post--”sarcasm to the nth degree”--should a tip-off. Yet, in a sign that people either really don't read posts all the way through or really don't pay attention to hashtags, most of the comments under the post were along the lines of this one--

“Leave it to Jim Koski to see the positive in a horrid situation”.

A comment that, by the way, that had six or seven “likes” given to it. So I'm glad I was able to see the positive in a horrid situation. Even if I was trying to be a smart-*ss about the whole thing.

I know I have the world's driest sense of humor. I know certain things I've said or have done have gotten me strange looks. I know I can say or do things with straight face and actually have people believe me, up to the point where I have to say “it's a joke” to let them know what I'm trying to get across. And this post is, I guess, another perfect example of this.

Subtlety is, I guess, not my friend. Or at least not my friend in this case.

And then there's another thing to consider here, as well. Apparently the general public has discovered my personal secret of being an eternal optimist, about seeing the sunny side of any bleak situation. Those of you who read this know I've been blessed in that regard; I guess I struck the genetic and/or emotional jackpot, as far as that goes. But, apparently, the secret's out. I don't know why, I don't know how, but it is.

Although if you're gonna have a public reputation, it's not a bad one to have.

And, of course, by writing this I'm proving the lady who wrote the original comment right. I took a bad situation—no one got my joke!--and turned it into something positive in the form of this blog. And I didn't even have to leave a hashtag to do it.

Of course, if the original post is any indication, no one would've read the hashtag in the first place, so it really wouldn't matter, would it?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com), dry wit, eternal optimist.

Friday, 3/22

The final piece of our trip puzzle has finally fallen into place.

One month from tomorrow we leave for our nine-day soccer trip to Germany. Everything has been in place for months with one exception, an exception that some might consider kind of important considering our whole reason for going over there is to see a particular soccer game.

That one exception? Tickets to the game.

It wasn't our fault; the Bundesliga (the German soccer league) hadn't released the times and days of the final few games of the season for their teams. They were waiting to see how a couple of those teams fared in the Champions League, along with which games they wanted to put on Friday nights (their version of “Monday Night Football”. Well, it's now all been decided, and we will be watching RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg play in Leipzig on Saturday afternoon, April 27^th.

We can't wait.

We actually haven't purchased the tickets yet. We can't until Wednesday morning at 10 Central European Time, which is (at the moment) 5am our time. I know I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how it's impossible for me to function before noon, so I'm hoping Loraine has no trouble clicking on whatever she needs to click on to get the tickets, as I'll probably be standing behind her with one eye open and 95% of my brain power still in sleep mode.

But at least we'll have our tickets.

Now that we know the exact day (and time) of the game, we can set firm times for some of the other things we wanted to do in Leipzig, including hopping on a train and heading over to the nearby town of Weissenfels, where Loraine and the town's mayor held a joint press conference six years ago, to see some friends. We also want to explore Leipzig itself, something we haven't had much of a chance to do. When we first settled on this trip we knew we'd be able to do all of that; we just didn't know when.

Now we do.

I won't know for a couple of weeks, but the game we're going to may be on TV here in the US. Fox Sports shows Bundesliga games, and with RB Leipzig being in 3^rd place in the league there's a good chance it may air here, especially considering that league powerhouse Bayern Munich (the evil Bayern Munich, as they're known around our apartment) playing the next day. If so, I'll let you know, not because we plan on being on TV but so anyone who's interested may get a glimpse of the raucous atmosphere we're subjecting ourselves to.

Now that the tickets are set (if not totally finalized) that's the last thing that needs to be taken care of, aside from the usual last minute stuff like packing. But we still have 32 days left for that.

It's gonna be cool.

On that note, have yourself a great weekend. If you're waiting for YOUR tickets to go on sale, I hope it happens soon!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/21

Wow. I can't believe we're done for the year.

I'll have to keep this kinda short, because I'm off to NMU in a bit to tape the final episodes of “High School Bowl” for the year. We're doing two shows today, the semi-finals and the finals, and it puts the wraps on another fun season, a season that seems like it just started yesterday.

But now, it's over.

I don't why it seems like it's been a short season, especially considering all of the weather related crap we went through. Maybe it's because we shot shows in groups this year; five shows in three weeks here, three shows in three days there. Maybe it's because after five years I actually kinda know what I'm doing. I'm not sure. It just seems strange, but that's how it goes. It has been a blast this season, and despite all of the challenges I'm very sorry to see it come to an end. Some familiar teams have made the semis, while there are a couple of surprises in there, as well. I can't wait to see how it turns out later today. You might have to wait a few more weeks to see it for yourself, but trust me when I say this—there are some amazing moments still to come this season.

The season that, like I said, wraps up shooting in just a few minutes.

With that, I'm off to make sure my tie is straight. Tomorrow, the final piece of the puzzle falls into place.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/21

And happy first day of “Spring”!

Actually, it's been almost (early) Spring-like around here the past few days, which means that the snow is melting and leaving in its wake a bunch of stuff no one should have to see. So with that in mind I dug out a blog that I used to post every year around this time (although not for the past half decade or so). Here it is, as originally written March 24^th, 2003 (back, apparently, when I felt I needed to capitalize almost everything for emphasis).

It's kind of sad things really haven't changed in the 16 years since.

****

I’ve discovered the one bad thing about snow melting in Marquette—dog crap.

Piles of dog crap EVERYWHERE.

You know, if I ever run for Marquette City Commission, I know I may be the biggest loser in the city’s electoral history. Why? Because some days, I feel like one of the main platforms of my campaign would be to ban dogs in the city.

Now, I know MANY people will not agree with that sentence, but it’s the truth—a city really IS no place for a bounding, fun-loving, full of energy animal like that. Farms are GREAT for animals like that. Suburbs with big back yards are GREAT for animals like dogs. And I really do think dogs can be a valued member of a family, especially with a single person looking for companionship or a family with kids. But to try and keep them cooped up in houses or chained up in a yard…that’s really not fair to the animals, is it?

Marquette has three specific laws regarding dogs, and while 90% of the people follow them to the letter, it’s the 10 percent that DOESN’T that made we want to write this column.

First of all, let’s specifically address the dog poop issue. There is a pooper-scooper law in Marquette. If you dog goes, you have to clean it up. However, just look around any sidewalk in Marquette where the snow has melted. You see piles of the stuff EVERYWHERE. You have to jump over it, walk around it, detour by it…and all because some people refuse to follow that law. And if you point that out to someone whose dog does their natural business and doesn’t clean it up, they get defensive, like you’re persecuting their poor pet for no reason at all.

Maybe we should just put mounds of bacteria-breeding material on every street corner and be done with it.

There’s also a leash law in Marquette, one that states you must keep your dog on a 6-foot (or shorter) leash. Yet every time I go running or walking (especially in the summer, near a park) there ALWAYS seems to be a loose dog running toward me, fangs bared, often times nipping at my heels or jumping on my leg. When I yell at it or push it out of the way, the owner once again gets defensive and says “my dog won’t hurt you”. Well, how do I know that? It’s an animal showing its teeth and running at me. What do you THINK goes through my mind at a time like that?

Finally, there’s also a law that says your dog isn’t s’posed to be outside between, I believe, 11pm and 7am. That way, your animal won’t bark, whine, or whimper, and keep everyone in the neighborhood up. Now, I may be a little sensitive on this issue, seeing as how I have a neighbor who keeps TWO dogs out and vocal every night, but isn’t common courtesy an issue in this matter? If your backyard (or wherever you keep your dog) connects with 6 or 7 other backyards, SHOULDN’T you think about others before putting your dog out? My neighbor has said they put the dogs out because they bark inside the house and keep THEM awake.

After hearing THAT, I just kept thinking “HELLO…if they’re loud in your house, whaddya think they’re like OUTSIDE”?

I know that I’m in a VERY small minority on this issue. I know that no one wants to get rid of their dogs, and I know that no one wants to see more restrictive laws placed on them. Maybe if that 10% of people I mentioned at the beginning of this column would just realize that their pets can be and sometimes ARE a problem, and would do something about it, maybe we could ALL live in peace.

jim@wmqt.com.

Tuesday, 3/19

Who knew Anne Murray had it in her?

Over the past couple of months on “Upper Michigan's Favorite Friday” we've been doing this little competition to find out Upper Michigan's favorite “forgotten” singer of the past 40 years. By “forgotten” we mean people who had huge hits through certain decades and then kind of faded from the spotlight. Some of the winners for particular decades included acts like Gerry Rafferty and Sade. We then pitted them against each other last Friday, and the ultimate winner was...

Anne Murray?

I kid you not. We had six people in the finals; winners of the favorite “forgotten” singer for the 70s, 80s, and 90s, both male and female. When we started we had this list of favorites which we posted for people to peruse before voting. Anne Murray was so far off of our radar that we didn't even include her when putting together the list for “forgotten” female of the 70s, yet she won that competition hands down. And then when we had the finals last weekend it wasn't even close.

Anne Murray once again won hands down.

There are two things to consider about this, the first being that Anne Murray was so far off of my radar when putting this together that something may be wrong. In one of my many radio jobs I'm supposed to have my finger on the pulse of Upper Michigan's musical tastes. Obviously, I blew this one big time, in that I didn't even consider that Anne Murray would rank anywhere near the top. That one's totally one me.

Hopefully, it's not a mistake I make again.

The other thing to consider is WHY Anne Murray seems so popular. When asking some of the people who voted why they cast their ballot for Ms. Murray something interesting popped up. A lot of people voted for her because their parents or grandparents used to listen to her music, and they have great memories of listening along. That I can understand. Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, especially when it comes to activities shared with people who may no longer be with us. I guess I just didn't realize that Anne Murray was part of that nostalgia.

My bad.

So the title is now hers. It probably won't be enough to make her come out of retirement, but if Anne Murray ever decides to mount a comeback tour, I have a pretty good idea of one place where she might sell out a show or two.

At least based on last Friday's vote.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/18

Go ahead. Help them out if you can.

As you may know, the Westwood Girls basketball team is heading downstate for a state Division 3 title run. They play in the quarterfinals tomorrow night in Gaylord; if they win, they then play Thursday afternoon in Grand Rapids, and if they win that game they play for all the marbles Saturday afternoon. Now, sending a team hundreds of miles away for the potential of almost a week costs a lot of money, and that's why we're doing out part to help them out. Here's how--

I'm gonna have several members of team on the air with me today, talking about both their trip and the need for funds for it. We'll also see if we can separate some listeners from their money in the form of payment for an Instant Request. I'm also thinking that we could put a spin on it, as well. Say, as an example, someone pledges $100 to hear “The Macarena”. It would seem to me that someone else may be will to pay $200 NOT to hear “The Macarena”, and last time I checked, $200 was better than $100, so it would be a win-win.

The team would get more money, and Upper Michigan wouldn't have to listen to “The Macarena”. What's not to like, right?

I don't know if we'll get THAT involved, but I do know that we wanna raise awareness throughout the afternoon about both the great job the team has been doing this year, and the fact that their greatness actually needs a little money to continue. If we can do that, then we've done our job, whether or not we have to listen to “The Macarena”.

That's happening from one until four today, so if you have the chance, check it out. And if you'd like to help out yourself, the team has set up a Go Fund Me page to take donations. Just CLICK HERE for more information.

Thanks!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/15

Beware the Ides of March!

Sorry; I just always wanted to write that and actually have it make sense. And since today IS the actual “Ides”, I can now rest happy. I just need to figure out what color to wear. After all, if tomorrow (St. Urho's Day) is purple, Friday (St. Patrick's Day) is green, and yesterday (Pi Day) was the color of (duh) blueberries, what does one wear for an “Ide”?

I'm going for black. I'm assuming Julius Caesar would agree.

And yes, I do need to know I need to get a life. You don't need to remind me.

8-)

Today's gonna be one of those days, I think. Maybe some of that is because it's Friday and I have to get everything around here ready for the weekend. And maybe some of it is that fact that I was woken up early this morning in perhaps the one way I don't mind getting woken up early—by the chirping of birds. I don't know if you've noticed it, especially with the warm & wet and now cold & icy weather of the past few weeks, but at least in my part of Marquette there's been an increase in the number of song birds plying their trade during the early morning hours. In fact, after being awoken early today, I went running without my usual iPod, and was astounded by the amount of bird chatter I heard all throughout my little jaunt (which included a lot of downtown Marquette, believe it or not).

In fact, sometimes the birds were even louder than the cars, muffler-less pickup trucks, and Marq-Tran buses that usually interrupt whatever I'm listening to.

I also have to admit I'm enjoying like the fact that evenings that are now longer, thanks to the time change last weekend. Instead of walking home in the dark I get to walk home in the light., and for some reason it just seems to make the three-block jaunt a little easier, even through what I'm sure will be a chilly & slippery walk tonight. It may just be a perceptual thing, but to me at least walking home against a bitter north wind is slightly less cold with a little daylight hitting your face.

Not only that, but now that it's light out when I walk home I can see the proto-buds on my favorite lilac tree, and know that Spring will be here for real sooner rather that later. And who doesn't want that?

Okay; seeing as how I've already accomplished so much waking up a few minutes early I'll stop babbling now, go find something black to wear, and get ready to head to work. And with any luck, I won't run into anything (or anyone) I'll need to “Beware” of today. Wish me luck!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/14

And happy Pi Day, a perfect day to discuss this particular topic--

Just what's wrong with you people???

And by “you people”, I don't mean the fine, intelligent, and tasteful group that reads this on a daily basis and goes about leading upstanding lives. Nope; I'm instead referring to the people who, in a survey by the American Pie Council, left blueberry pie off the list of the five favorite pie flavors in this fine country of ours.

Once again, what's wrong with you people????

I'm serious here. One of my “Weird Facts” on the air last week was how the American Pie Council & Crisco did a survey that found out 92% of Americans enjoy eating pie. That in itself is not cause for any concern, unless you're like me and wonder why 8 percent of the country doesn't like pie (that, though, may be a pondering for another day). The survey then went on to survey the five favorite pies of Americans. To perhaps no one's surprise apple topped the list followed by another solid choice, pumpkin.

It's then that it started to get weird.

Pies number three through five were, in order, pecan, sweet potato, and chocolate. And while I applaud the concept of pie number five, how could any of those rate ahead of blueberry? Blueberry pie is, like, one of the gifts we're given for being human and being able to combine ingredients together so that the sum is waaaaay more than the whole of the parts. It turns a bad day good, and a good day even better. It's nothing short of manna from the heavens.

And yet it didn't even make the top five.

I don't know if this survey was skewed toward people living in the southern US, where pecan and sweet potato pies are popular, or if (once again) I'm just so far out of the norm that when I like is what no one else would like. But to only have one fruit pie—apple--in the top five (and yes, I know pumpkins technically are fruit, but that's not the point here) just doesn't seem right. Even if you don't think blueberry pie should make the list, what about cherry pie, or raspberry pie, or strawberry pie, or key lime pie?

Fruit and pies go together. Don't believe me? Ask a company like Hostess. You don't see them selling sweet potato pies in their collection of hand-held fruit pies, do you? Nope. You see apple, you see blueberry, you see cherry, and, at least according to Google you also see lemon. But sweet potato? Nope.  Pecan? Nada.

Hostess obviously knows something about pies. So what's wrong with the rest of the country?

(jim@wmqt.com), firm believer in (and lover of) blueberry pie.

Wednesday, 3/13

For once on my walk to work I didn’t mind turning around and going back home.

You see, I seem to do that (turning around and going back home) quite a bit. I get a block away from my apartment, realize I forgot a CD or a document or a flash drive that I’ll need, and go back to get it, all the while muttering under my breath. In fact, some weeks, I hafta chuckle to myself if it DOESN’T happen, because it just doesn’t seem right.

Yesterday morning, though, was different. I had everything I needed, hopped out of my apartment, and began the long 3-block trek to work. It didn’t take me long to realize, though, that I hadn’t planned on something, and that “something” almost made me jump for joy. You see, as soon as I stepped outside, my retinas screamed and I had to close my eyes.

The sun was out. Not only was the sun was out, but it was high enough in the sky--and bright enough both in the sky and reflecting off the snow--that for the first time in 3 or 4 months I actually needed sunglasses to step out my door.

It was glorious, and it was a JOY to turn around, head back home, and dig out those long-neglected sunglasses. Why? Because (with any luck, although this year you never know) it means I’ll now be wearing them for the next 8 months. Because despite the snow, despite the cold, despite the freezing rain, despite the weeks upon weeks of clouds, and despite everything else that's been thrown at us since (my gosh) the end of September, there are 2 unstoppable forces on the way.

We know those two forces as Spring and Summer. And especially with schools being closed today because of icy roads, I have the feeling that I'm not the only one who can't wait for them to appear.

******

Tomorrow, I talk about something vitally important, not only to me but to the best interests of our nation, as well. Make sure you don't miss it.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/12

Some people just don’t understand how hard it is to wake up by 8 in the morning.

Believe it or not, whenever I utter that statement to someone I often get a look that I imagine I’d also get if I were to walk up to that someone, stick out my hand, and say something along the lines of “Hi, I’m Jim, and I’m from Mars”. It’s often accompanied by a snort of derision and a rolling of eyes, and then the person to whom I’m saying it responding with the time at which they have to wake up, a time that is usually several hours before mine.

All that being said, though, it IS hard to wake up by 8am. At least it is for me. And that's why I wrote yesterday's blog about being a fan of Daylight Savings Time, even if you a few of you thought I was insane.

Well, I may be, but not for that reason.

You know how everyone has an internal body clock, a clock that regulates when they’re at their peak and when it’s time to shut down for the night? Well, for as long as I can remember, mine’s been set on, oh, Hawaii Standard Time. For whatever reason (and this goes back to when I was a teenager) I’ve always had trouble waking up in the morning. Even if I get to bed at a reasonable hour (and living with someone who has to get up much earlier than I I usually DO get to bed at a reasonable hour) I’ll just stagger out from under the covers in the morning, stare limply at the wall for several hours, and go about my business with the lowest expenditure of energy possible. Believe it or not, this can last until noon or so, until something kicks in (probably sunrise in Hawaii), my batteries finally turn on, and I join the land of the living.

It’s weird.

Even if I’m out running or skiing in the morning, it always starts off as a listless crawl until the endorphins (or whatever they are) kick in and I actually seem to develop a burst of energy. But even then there have been a few mornings where, when I’m finished, I don’t remember a thing about the run (or the ski). Like many people, my mind tends to wander when exercising; unlike many people, my mind doesn’t always come back from its meanderings when I’m done.

Luckily, I work at a time of the day when I can take advantage of the fact that my batteries kick in later than for most people. On those rare occasions when I’ve had to do something on the air early, it just hasn’t worked out. Oh, I’ve tried, but after several instances of going home after an early morning, taking a nap, and waking up in total disorientation, not knowing where I was or when I was, I gave that up. I’ll stick to afternoons, thank you very much.

So if you ever see me early in the morning, and happen to notice I’m not my usual manic self, you now know why. Because it really IS hard waking up before 8 am!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/11

Once again, some of us are obviously separated by denominational differences.

I guess I didn't realize it, but there's a sizable contingent of people out there who are opposed to Daylight Savings Time, at least based on what I've seen on social media once we switched our clocks ahead yesterday morning. There are people out there who don't like the jet lag associated with it, there are parents out there who don't like how it affects their kids, and there are people out there who are just philosophically opposed to it because we're no longer a nation of farmers.

So, of course, I have to be one of the people who actually LIKES Daylight Savings Time. But you wouldn't expect any less from me, right?

The reason I like Daylight Savings Time is probably the reason others don't. Because of my schedule and my lifestyle, I like it darker in the morning and lighter late at night. During the summer, if it's light until 10 pm...great. It means I can play outside when I get off of work. But if we didn't have DST, it'd be getting dark an hour earlier, which means that, if I had to work late, I couldn't enjoy an extra hour of evening. And if we didn't have Daylight Savings Time, the sun would start coming up, at least here in the U.P., before 5 in the morning, which means that around half of my sleep cycle would be disrupted.

And that, on a purely personal level, would suck.

But if wouldn't be as bad as it would be for our friends 60 miles from here. If we didn't have Daylight Savings Time, during the summer the sun would start coming up in Dickinson County, which is in the Central Time Zone, between 3:45 and four AM.

That's right. Without Daylight Savings Time, during June the sun would rise in Dickinson County at 4am. In what world is THAT right?

Now like I said, the reasons I like Daylight Savings Time are purely personal. I'm probably in the minority, at least based on the vociferous complaints I saw over the weekend. And I realize that because we're quite far north and because we're right on the edge of a time zone, that not having Daylight Savings Time would lead to us having to deal with amazing sunrise and sunset extremes. But still...

Who wouldn't rather have the sun set later at night instead of at (gulp) five (or even four) in the morning?

To quote a coffee mug I have somewhere...it's hard not being a morning person.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/8

Just a couple of nonsensical things today before I head off to TV land, things that probably only I care about.

The first? While I commend the city of Marquette for the great job they've done in removing the 800 feet of snow we've received recently, I do have a question about their priorities in cleaning sidewalks. For instance, I live on Front Street in Marquette, one of the busiest streets in the city, just a few blocks from not only an elementary school but a fire station, as well. Our sidewalks still have that 800 feet of snow on them, which means that parents walking their kids to school and dorks walking to work have to walk out in the street, dodging traffic and fire trucks. Yet two blocks to the east, the sidewalks on Pine Street are fully cleared off. You can walk on them safely and easily.

Now, I realize Pine Street is another busy street, but I don't believe it's busier than Front. And I know for sure it has neither an elementary school nor a fire station on it. Yet that street's sidewalks are cleared off while the sidewalks on Front aren't. So if you happen to be driving up Front Street and notice a lot of pedestrians try to get where they're going (and get their alive), don't mutter under your breath at us.

It's not out fault.

The other thing? It has to do with the TV I'm about to shoot. I've been hosting “High School Bowl” for five years now, and never once have I noticed that the buzzer that sounds when the students ring in for a question sounds different depending upon who's buzzing it. Seriously; when we were getting ready to shoot half a show Wednesday we were testing it out and noticed that if a student from the top row buzzes in the sounds goes up on the scale, while if a student on the bottom buzzes in it goes down. There were a bunch of us standing around just amazed by the fact that we've never noticed it.

But then, I guess, we're easily amazed. Next time you watch an episode check it out and see if you notice it quicker than we did.

Okay; I'm off to the place where the buzzer sounds different depending upon who buzzes in. Have a great weekend; don't forget to set your clocks back, either!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/7

Welcome to the world, Calum!

My brother and his fiance welcomed their second child to the world yesterday. Calum Lee Koski made his planetary debut a little after noon, which now means that poor Tiffanie will have to live in a household with four dudes, ranging in age from 40-something years to 40-something hours. I feel for her. I really do.

8-)

I have two wishes right off the bat for my youngest nephew. I hope he's able to lead a long, fruitful, and happy life. That goes without saying for all of my nieces and nephews, and so far they've all been able to do that. Secondly, I hope he's not like his older brother in one very important aspect--

I hope he doesn't cry every time he sees me.

I may have mentioned this before, but Calum's brother Abel, would, for the first year and a half of his life, cry every time he saw me. We never did figure out why, although we're pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that my brother and I look a lot alike (except I still have hair) and the young man may have just been a little confused. I get that. I don't get a lot about kids, but I do get that. Thankfully, in the last few months that changed, and every time I see Abel I now get a big hug & a kiss, even if it's in the middle of a grocery store.

So I have that going for me.

The one thing that blows my mind about both Abel and Calum is that, odds are, they'll both be alive in the year 2100. They may be semi-doddering old men, hitting each other with their walkers as brothers are wont to do, but they'll be around for a year that many of us still consider to be science fiction. How much will the world change during their lifetimes? I mean, when you consider how much things have changed since even their dad was born, the possibilities are endless. And I hope, for their sake, the possibilities are all positive.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. After all, young Calum now has his entire lifetime (minus, of course, one day) for those possibilities to unfold.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/6

Even if I did have a bad day, why would I bother anyone with it?

Over the past few years I've received comments from people regarding something I do on the air, and it happened again yesterday. It's something I never really thought about, but it must make an impression on some people. The comments have to do with how I never seem to have a “bad day” when I'm on the air, how I always seem “to have a smile in (my) voice”. Apparently I always sound like I'm happy and having fun when I'm on the air, and people notice that.

And from the sound of it they appreciate it, as well.

Trust me, I do have bad days. Some days, I'm dealing with recalcitrant equipment, other days, it's dealing with a personal situation. And since September, who HASN'T had a bad day because of the weather? So I do have bad days. But I don't let it affect my on-air performance. My job is to entertain people, to make sure they have a good time getting through their days. They may tune in to try and make their own bad day better; why would I add to their troubles with troubles of my own?

I mean, I'm really lucky. Being an optimist by nature I really don't have a lot of bad days, and even if something is weighing upon me I have this freakish ability to compartmentalize. I seem to be able to shove whatever's bothering me to the back of my head for a few minutes when I need to do something else. I don't know if I'm lucky in that respect or if it's a sign of some serious mental instabilities (neither would surprise me). All I know is that if people are tuning in for fun or to relieve their own troubles, it doesn't do much for them if I'm a major bummer.

And it's something, apparently, that people notice.

So, if you don't mind, I'll just continue being me on the air. In all honesty, I wouldn't know how to do it any differently, anyway, so I guess you're stuck with an optimist with a smile in his voice.

Even if I am having a bad day.

And speaking of which, I KNOW I won't have a bad day today, if only because I'm now off to shoot (half) an episode of “High School Bowl”, and the only bad news about that is we only have a few more left to shoot for the year. So until tomorrow...

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/5

It’s sad. It’s just really, really sad.

Here’s a short clip of the blog I wrote four years around this date; in fact, right as "The Streak" was beginning--

“All it took was a 15-minute span around 1pm, when I went out and took a walk around downtown Marquette, a downtown Marquette filled with sun and a temperature approaching 60 degrees.

It‘s been a long time since I was able to do that, to just go out and enjoy the sun and the “heat”. Now, I realize that compared to, say, July, this was nothing, but after 5 long months of temps below 50 (with very low seasonal sun angles) it was nice to get out and “feel” the first taste of the summer to come.

And I know I wasn’t the only one enjoying it, The people I passed on the street all had an extra spring in their steps, and I noticed things I haven’t seen in months, like the young lady with neon orange hair sitting on the steps of old City Hall, the young couple walking down the street, hand-in-hand and oblivious to everything but love, and the guy running up Front Street hill without a shirt, but wearing a hat & gloves.”

That’s right. Four years ago almost today, the temperature pushed 60. SIXTY. Six-zero. Within 20 degrees of 80. Or, if you wanna think of it this way. . .

50 degrees WARMER than it’s scheduled to be today.

Sigh.

For once, I know I’m not the only one sighing heavily. Even if I had 6 hands, I wouldn’t be able to count the number of people who’s mentioned to me that they’re sick & tired of the cold, they’re sick & tired of the snow, and they’re just ready to have something. . .else. Something like the day we had four years ago. Definitely nothing at all like the weather which we’ve lived through for the last several months.

Once again, sigh. And that’s all I’m gonna say about that, at least for now!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/4

You know, maybe I need to enunciate a little more clearly.

I’ve now had two people come up to me at entirely different times and ask the exact same question--“How come, when you’re taking Instant Requests, you ask the caller about their station for “More Music, More Fun, and and Instant Request? Why do you say ‘and' twice”? Well, I actually don’t. I ask them about their station for “More Music, More Fun, and AN Instant Request”. And once I explain that to the person asking the question, they realize what’s going on, and nod their head in acknowledgment.

However, as I’ve found out many times over the hundreds of years that I’ve been doing this, if more than one person notices something, then a LOT of people are noticing that same exact thing. Therefore, I guess I need to enunciate a little more clearly.

In all honesty, I don’t even pay attention to stuff like that, and I’m sure I should. I’m sure a vocal coach could come in and explain dozens of things I’m doing wrong (like not enunciating clearly and being overly dependent on the words “okay” and “like”). I’m sure a real radio “professional” would point out that I don’t punch the right words or phrases, and that I often just sound like I’m talking to someone, instead of having a voice that sounds like I Should Be On The Radio.

My bad. I guess I just don’t really have a radio voice, something that’s been pointed out many times when people meet me for the first time and say, “You sound just like you do on the radio!” Well, yeah. . .that’s just because it’s me talking. I’ve never approached it like I should sound like I Should Be On The Radio; I just always figured it’s just me talking to you guys, and why should I have a “radio voice” to do that? Yet there are so many people in this business who are what are known as “pukers”; people with big RADIO voices that make themselves sound like their tonsils are coming out of their throats. I’m sure you’ve heard them before, and I know that’s what some people expect when they turn on the radio.

But that’s not me, and it’s not something to which I ever aspire.

However, maybe I SHOULD work a little on the enunciation, especially if people keep wondering about the double “ands” at the end of an Instant Request. I do tend to speak rather quickly, and maybe, sometimes, on occasion, my words tend to run together, especially if they have the same sounds, like “and” and “an”. So I’ll try and work on that.

Like I said, my bad.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/1

Well, this could make things interesting.

As most of you know, I'm going to Germany at the end of April. And as most of you know, I have to do all kinds of work ahead of my trip to Germany to be able to leave. Well, I received a letter in the mail yesterday from the fine folks at the 96^th District Court in Marquette informing me that my presence is requested for five Tuesdays in April for jury duty.

Uh-huh.

I won't even be here for two of those Tuesdays, something I'm already working on with the court. And as for the other three Tuesdays; well, I'll willing to do them. After all, jury duty is one of the prices we pay for living in a participatory democracy. And I know that if I were ever accused of a crime, I’d want a jury of my peers to judge me, and not have some official with an agenda or some military tribunal do the job. But open-ended jury duty during the three weeks when I'm already working feverishly to get ready to head over to another continent?

Sigh.

This is the same kind of set-up I had to deal with a few Decembers ago, when I was given six dates in and around the holidays and told to be ready to hear a case. Thankfully, five of the six were canceled, and the other was shut down just as I got to the court house. But that was a month of heck, pardon my French. I had to work ahead at night and on the weekends just in case I was called, and then when I wasn't called I spent too much time bemoaning all that wasted time. I'm hoping that because I'm already working ahead that my schedule won't get so screwed up, just as I'm hoping that there won't actually BE a case on any of those Tuesdays and I can just keep getting ready for Germany.

Like I said, I'm not opposed to jury duty. But to be called one year during the holidays and then again as I'm getting ready to go to another country? Well, the timing could be better.

Yes, I know. When you consider that millions of people have put themselves in harm’s way over the past 240+ years so that I actually have the privilege of sitting on a jury, something you can’t do in so many countries across the globe, my little bout of whining seems, well, little. And I realize that there’s never a “good” time fur jury duty. It’s just something you need to do, a little act that allows you to play a small part in the big experiment of democracy.

But still. If you would, keep your fingers crossed that there won't be court cases on April 2^nd, 9^th, or the 16^th. Or, if there are, that they cause minimum disruption. I'd appreciate it.

Have a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)