Friday, 7/30

 The timing's interesting. But I'm not gonna let it stop me from going.

As you may be aware, Loraine and I are hopping on a plane for the first time in over two years next week and spending a few days in Savannah, Georgia. We've both been looking forward to getting away for a while, and all systems seem to be a “go”.

Even if the city of Savannah just reinstated their mask mandate.

First of all, just let me say I have no problem wearing a mask. I know the science behind them. I know they work. And I don't have some weird problem with my “personal freedom” being infringed upon. If by wearing a mask I'm protecting myself and other people around me I'm 100% okay with that.

I've never understood, in fact, why some people aren't.

In Savannah you now have to wear a mask if you're in public institutions, and it's strongly recommended that businesses require them, as well. The reason for this is because Savannah is just a short drive away from northern Florida, where perhaps the worst outbreak of the Delta variant of the Covid virus is running amok. While cases have been rising in Chatham County, Georgia—the home of Savannah—the city itself is fairly quiet, with high rates of both mask usage and vaccination. However, the city's surrounded by many areas with low rates of vaccination and mask usage.

So, as in many places around the country, people who got the vaccine and have been safe through this whole thing are, in effect, being punished because of the people who didn't.

But like I said, that's not going to stop us from visiting. Heck, we're planning on spending as much time as possible outdoors there—who wouldn't when it's supposed to be in the upper 80s every day?--and science has shown that very few cases of the disease have been spread outdoors. Like responsible people, we'll mask up inside. After all, our vaccines are 95% effective, and I would really be sorry if, for some reason, I happened to be in the 5% and accidentally passed on the virus to someone else.

That just wouldn't be right. It's one souvenir I don't think anyone would want from a little weekend getaway.

On that note, have yourself a great weekend. I know I'll be spending a little bit of it packing, masks included.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 7/29

 I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the sight.

The sight I’m referring to is this--

I’m not talking about the breakwall or the old dock pilings; no, the sight of which I’ll never get tired is the sight of Lake Superior on a sunny day, the sight of a lake with light bouncing off the waves like a million glistening diamonds. I don’t know if that exact image comes through in the picture, but that’s the sight of which I’ll never tire.

Because we live among them every day, there are many things I think a lot of us take for granted, the sight of Lake Superior on a sunny day among them. Because we see these things every day, we don’t think they’re anything special; those things are just part of our normal, every day lives. For us, they’re just things in the background. It’s only when we move away and don’t see them everyday, or we’re able to see them through the eyes of people visiting to the area, people who don’t get to see them every day, that we realize just how special many of the things around us really are.

You know, special on the order of the summer sun glistening off of Lake Superior.

And it’s not just the sun glistening off the Lake. I’ve spoken with people who’ve moved away from Marquette and who all of a sudden miss the hills, or the trees, or the friendly people, or even the smell from the Sara Lee Bakery (when, of course, there actually WAS a Sara Lee bakery). When they lived here, all those things just formed a part of the fabric of every day life. But after they left, these people realized that that “fabric” was actually a mosaic of something really special, something you can get just everywhere.

That’s why I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the summer sun bouncing off of Lake Superior. I did my time away from Marquette, so I know what it’s like to live without a Great Lake (or hills or friendly people or the smell from a defunct bakery) as part of your life. I hope I’ll never take those things for granted again, if only because I know what it’s like to live without them. They’re really special. Not every place has the things we have. We shouldn’t take them for granted. Instead, we should make note of them on a daily basis, and realize that we’re among the most fortunate people on the planet.

Because we get to live among things like the summer sun glistening off of Lake Superior.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 7/28

It's good, I guess, that some people are getting outdoors and enjoying nature. They are, however, doing in the most American way possible.

It's summer, so I'm outdoors as often as possible, with a majority of that time spent on my bike. This year, I have noticed there seem to be a lot more bikes on the streets and on the trails, which is a good thing. Well, a good thing, perhaps, until you realize that almost all of those new bikes are e-bikes.

E-bikes--electric bikes, for those of you who aren't aware--are bikes with electric motors in them. That means that the person riding them doesn't even have to pedal, unless they choose to. Now, for me, being on a bike is all about getting some exercise and burning a few calories while I'm getting from place”A' to place “B”. When I'm on a bike, I work. So (and let me preface this by saying about to sound like a Cranky Old Man in Training) when I see someone on a bike zooming up Front Street hill without even pedaling, my first reaction is “get a real bike”.

Yup. I'm turning into my dad.

I know; I should just be happy that people are actually out of their cars and into the fresh air, right? But, like I mentioned, they're doing it in the most American way possible—letting machinery take the place of actual human exercise. Think of riding mowers instead of pushing an actual lawn mower, or using a leaf blower instead of, you know, raking. I'm usually a champion of progress, so I'm not quite sure why I have this reaction to e-bikes, but every time I see a person on one I just shake my head.

And I really shouldn't.

I mean, biking's hard work. Just because I'm a masochist and use my legs doesn't mean that everyone has to. Like I said, an e-bike gets people out in the fresh air. And if it gets people out of cars, that's a win for the environment. Just because they don't do it the way I do it doesn't mean they're wrong. And is using the advantage of mechanics (in this case a battery) really “cheating”? Next thing you know I'll go off railing on people who use cell phones because they don't have to dial the numbers by hand.

(By the way, if I ever DO do that, please have me committed. You have my permission in advance for that).

So I guess I have my work cut out for me. Next time I see someone scooting up a Marquette hill without pedaling I will have to remind myself not to utter phrases like “get a real bike” or “typical American” under my breath. After all, at least they're enjoying the outdoors in a relatively pollution-free manner.

And these days, that's a good thing.

(jim@wmqt.com), cranky old man in training.

Tuesday, 7/27

 My week of being a geek is now over. Pop the cork on the champagne if you’ve been chilling a bottle.

First of all, I had a great day off, thanks for asking. Because yesterday was actually the sunniest day of the three day weekend I took full advantage of it, and found myself at the end of the day actually wishing that every day could be like Monday.

And that’s not a phrase you often hear people using.

One of the zillion things I did was to review my week of being a geek--i.e. counting the number of different state license plates I saw in Marquette the previous week. As you know I’ve been doing this for (gasp) almost twenty years now, and if nothing else it always provides an interesting snapshot into the kinds of people who visit this place. Normally, I’ve done it during Art on the Rocks weekend. However, for the second year in a row there was no Art on the Rocks, so any kind of year-to-year comparison isn’t statistically valid.

I mean, I’m pretty sure that no one aside from me cares about that, but still--any year-to-year comparison isn’t statistically valid.

So with that in mind here’s what I saw last week--plates from 40 different US states other than Michigan (well, actually, 39 states and the District of Columbia, but that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms). Once again, with the proviso that year-to-year comparisons aren’t statistically valid, that’s a lot more than I saw last year, just as we were coming out of the first wave of Covid, and within a few states of what I normally see during an Art on the Rocks years.

So all in all, not too bad for Marquette’s tourism industry.

There was one kind of big surprise in the numbers. As always, I saw of TON of Illinois and Wisconsin plates, and this year there was a rather large number from Minnesota, as well. I have to laugh when I see that happen; after all, aren’t Michigan and Minnesota pretty much the same state. Isn’t that pretty much like living in Negaunee and then deciding to take your summer vacation in Ishpeming?

That wasn’t the surprise, though. That was in the state I seemed to have noticed more than any other, aside from the big three. That state? Texas. I didn't keep track of how many plates I saw from the Lone Star State, but I know it was in the double digits. I don’t know if it was people escaping the heat of Texas, the strange political climate there, or if Marquette was just featured in a newspaper article or blog post in Dallas or Houston. But everywhere I went I saw a bunch of white Texas license plates.

Who knew?

So the week of having my head on a swivel, trying to look at every last license plate on every last car I walk past, is now over. I don’t know we can take away from the week, other than the fact that Marquette is rapidly becoming one of the prime tourist destinations in the US. Oh, and than I’m a geek. But we already knew that, right?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 7/23

 You know what? I think I'm going to take a vacation before my vacation.

As you may recall, Loraine and I are gearing up to fly away for a few days, down to Savannah. We leave two weeks from yesterday, and I have to admit I'm looking forward to not only flying somewhere again, but flying somewhere where the average daytime high is 90 degrees.

You know—perfect Jim weather.

Being me with the job I have, in order to go anywhere for a few days I have to work a lot of days ahead of time, making sure computers know what to play and making sure that everything's ready to that needs to be ready to go. Well, I've been toiling away working ahead to get ready to go to Savannah, and I've noticed I've been toiling  away so efficiently that I'm a couple of days ahead of schedule. I also noticed that the weather forecast for here in Marquette Monday is calling for sunny skies and 85 degrees.

Hmm. A perfect Marquette summer day, and me actually being ahead of schedule for once in my working life. You know what that means, right? Uh-huh—a vacation before my vacation. I'm taking a three-day weekend!

So when you come back for one of these on Monday there won't be one here. Instead, I'll be playing out in the sun, and actually using eight hours instead of four in my never-ending attempt to use up my vacation time.. And if nothing else, it'll be good training for Savannah in two weeks. After all, in order to enjoy something you have to be in prime shape, prime condition before you do it, right?

Well, consider Monday my “training” for vacation.

Have a great weekend, no matter whether it's two or three days. I'll see you Tuesday!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 7/22

 Wow. When you sit down and figure out the number, it's really, really high.

Now, before I get into anything, just let me say the number to which I'm referring isn't anything important. It's not Earth-shattering, it's not deep or consequential, and it's not a number that will change anyone's life, much less your own. It''s just one of those numbers that popped into my very weird head.

That being said, Loraine and I are coming up on the 14^th anniversary of living in our current apartment. As I may have mentioned in a blog about a year ago, it's actually the place in which I've lived the longest my entire life, which is saying something. Of course, one of the reasons we've lived there so long is that it has a perfect location. We both get to walk to work, we have (almost) everything we need within a radius of a few blocks, and apart from neighbors who like to light campfires, set off fireworks, and use leaf blowers all day long, it's been a great place to live.

We live three blocks from where I work, and I hike along that three-block long patch of sidewalk quite a bit. So when I was making hike home from work yesterday I started to wonder—just how many times HAVE I walked upon that sidewalk? So I started thinking (which, as we all know, can be a dangerous thing), and this is what I've figured out.

On average, I make two round trips a day, either to & from work or heading downtown. I actually think it may be higher than that, but let's go with with the average of twice a day, just to be safe. That's 730 trips down that sidewalk a year. I've lived in my current apartment 14 years, so if my math is correct (always a dubious affair) I've walked down the same piece of Front Street sidewalk 10,220 times.

10,220 times!!!

My mind, for some reason, can't wrap itself around that number. I mean, it knows that I've walked down the sidewalk, past the lilac trees and the lawyer's office and Peter White Public Library a lot, but over 10,000 times? That's just too high of a number to comprehend, for some reason. Yet it's true. Even if I haven't noticed it myself I've walked down the same patch of sidewalk over 10,000 times in the past 14 years. And without realizing it I've probably absorbed more information about the walk that I've realized. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if I could make the entire walk blindfolded and know exactly where I was or exactly which crack in the sidewalk was coming up.

That's something I'd actually like to try some day, except for the idiots driving through the 4-way stop sign at Arch or skidding through the intersection at Ridge. Close off the streets and I'm sure I could walk to work no problem at all.

It's funny; I'm sure there are many other things I've done more than 10,000 times in my life, and haven't given those a second thought. But for some reason, I now know I've trod upon the same sidewalk for 10,220 times. And on that note, I must wrap this up, and get ready for the first leg of my 10.221^st round trip.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 7/21

 I wonder what the 12 year old me would think of me today?

I'm sure the 12 year old me would think of a couple of things, the first being that the me of today is really, really old. Heck, the me of today thinks I'm really, really old, so that's something the two of us have in common. But the other might cause the 12 year old me to be shocked.

When I was a kid—6, 12, whatever--I was a kid who was not an athlete at all. I couldn't really do anything well. I had no muscle or no coordination. I was tall & skinny and a dork. I would rather read a book or watch “Lost in Space” than try to do something physical. And, to be a stereotype, I was always the last person picked for a team. One of the happiest days of my life was when I was in eighth grade and found out that I since I was in a band class I didn't have to take a gym class anymore.

That day was heaven on Earth.

Flash forward forty-some years. This past Sunday I spent 45 minutes in the morning lifting weights. Then Loraine and I went out and played soccer for almost two hours. And because I'm not enough of a glutton for punishment, I then rode my bike out to my sister's grocery store and back, a total of about 12 miles.

And that was just one day.

I don't know what's changed over the years. I think it's a combination of a lot of things, including me growing into my body, the fact that I married an actual athlete (who was actually on sports teams in her youth), and enough passage of time to erase the trauma of being picked last for every single thing. No matter what the change, I think the 12-year old me would be flabbergasted by the way he's changed over the years.

Now, I'm not in any way an elite athlete. I can't set records, and I'm sure that if you put me next to an elite athlete I'd probably perform much like I did when I was that 12 year old kid. But I'm actually okay with that now. I'm not big into competition with other people. I don't do organized sports or big races.  But I try to compete against myself. I strive to be a little faster or ride a little farther or lift a little more than the previous time. I'd like to think I don't suck quite as much as I did way back then. And unlike all those decades ago, I'm actually having fun doing what I do.

That's probably the one thing about which the 12 year old me would be the most astounded. But I'm guessing he would be astounded in a good way.

A really, really good way.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 7/20

 Happy moon landing anniversary day!

Okay; now that that's out of the way I can get to what's turned out to be an annual feature in here. Last summer, because it was 2020, I didn't do it until August when someone noticed and sent me a note about it. I won't make that mistake again, so without further ado here we go--

This summer's flower pictures!

Now, before we get to the pictures, note that there don't seem to be as many flowers out as usual, at least really colorful ones. I don't know if that's because of the hot temperatures or lack of rain or, you know, Covid, but it took me a little longer than usual to find what I was looking for.

But find them I did, in colors like purple--

Red--

Pink--

Yellow--

And (it seems) just about every other color under the sun--

You know how I mentioned there didn't seem to be as many flowers as usual, perhaps because of the rain? Well, maybe this is a sign of the times--

And finally, even if I didn't see quite as many flowers as usual, I DID see just as many signs of the night before--

It's nice to know some thing never change, right?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 7/19

Since I have two things I m doing today (which I'll tell you about in a second) I'm going to make this quick, but...

Those of you who've been reading this forever will be happy to know it's “Jim's a Geek” week.

I know; when is it NOT “Jim's a Geek” week? But this is special; this is the week when I count license plates for a week and how many different state shave residents visiting our fair city. I usually do it the week of Art on the Rocks, but for the second year in a row that event won't be held. So, much like last year when the world was just opening up again, I don't know that I'll be able to do a year-to-year comparison about how our tourism industry is faring.

However, like I wrote around the Fourth, I have the feeling it's faring quite well, just due to the fact that it's INSANE around here. I'll be curious to see if the numbers back that up.

Now, the reason I'm keeping this short. Well, it's supposed to be yet another gorgeous (albeit hazy) day, so I'm taking a half day to go play in the sun. And it's supposed to be yet another gorgeous (albeit hazy) evening, so I'm gonna do another Pop-Up tour for the History Center tonight, this time talking about parking lots and what used to be there.

It gets underway at 630 at the History Center if you're interested...hint hint.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com) 

Friday, 7/16

 “If elected, I promise to mandate three day weekends for everyone the months of July and August.”

Think that would get me a few votes?

8-)

First of all, don't worry. I'm not running for any sort of office anywhere at any time. But after whining about the fact that as of yesterday summer's half over, I decided to do something constructive about it. Well, constructive is perhaps a relative term in this case, but while I was out running this morning I was mulling over an idea that someone could probably use to get themselves elected to office by making a promise—that, by law, everyone gets a three day weekend during the nicest months of the year.

After all, we deserve that, right?

It's probably a better idea on which to run than the other I once espoused, when I said that if I ever ran for something like the Marquette City Commission I'd work to ban dogs pooping in public. I can see why that one wouldn't get someone elected, but a guaranteed three-day weekend during the summer?

I could actually see something like that working.

Now, depending upon where you stand on the economic spectrum I have two arguments to make. If you're a business owner who insists your employees work forty hours a week, that's fine. I would have no problem working four ten hour days to have a three day weekend. But is that really needed? After all, many countries in Europe only have a 32 or 35 hour workweek as it is, and they're among the most productive workers in the world. So for the eight or ten weeks where people would only work four days, businesses could cut out all the meetings that waste time, the gossip shared around the coffee machine, and the busy work that only exists to make a boss feel like they're doing something.

Spend those 32 hours concentrating on work and nothing but work. You might be surprised by the results you get.

Of course, all of this is just a pipe dream. But it's a pipe dream borne out of the fact that we're now in the second half of summer. And what is summer for, after all, if not to enjoy it to its fullest, correct? Now we just need a politician or two to see if that way.

Have a great (summer) weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com), creator of weird ways to try to extend summer

Thursday, 7/15

 Hey, you guys—summer is half over.

Let's observe a moment of silence, shall we?

I'm actually kind of serious about this. If you consider summer to be the months of June, July, & August (what weather professionals call “Meteorological Summer”) then today, July 15^th, marks the half way point of the season. 50% of the days are behind us, and 50% still await us.

Today, summer is half over.

It barely seems like it's begun, at least to me, but it seems like that every year, so I may not be the best person to judge. But the past two years, with everything that's gone on, seem to have exacerbated the situation. Days and weeks blend into each other; you go to bed in early May and then you wake up the next day to find out that it's mid-July.

And you know what that means, right? It's gonna snow next week.

Okay; that MAY be a joke. But like I said, the way days and weeks are blending into each other means it's not that long until we wake up one morning to find out that summer isn't merely half over but has somehow made the jump into November. I shudder at the mere thought, but I know it's coming.

Of course, summer's never long enough around here, and those weeks in June when temperatures didn't get out of the 50s didn't help. But at least now the weather's where it's supposed to be (the rain of last night & the breezy north wind of today perhaps excepted) so maybe, just maybe, that'll help slow down time just a bit.

I mean, I'm not counting on it, but a boy can dream, right?

So get out and enjoy the second half of summer while it's still here. After all, you don't want to leave anything undone on your summer to-do list, lest you wake up tomorrow and realize it is, indeed, November.

Because you know that IS going to happen.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 7/14

 My ex coworker is really, really pissed.

Don't believe me?  Take a look for yourself--

If looks could kill, right? But almost four months after the doves started to roost in the awning at the entrance of the station, they have been kicked out, thanks to plywood, caulking, a fishing net, and the determined labor of employees of the people who own the building.  Look--no more holes in the awning!

However, it did take two people over an hour to get rid of the three birds who had actually found a way INTO the building. Not just into the awning, but into the rafters of the building itself.  They had to run out, buy a fishing net, and then gently remove the doves using said net. We were all surprised that there was no nest to be found; with some of the ruckus you heard from the birds I could have sworn there were a dozen of them. But nope—there were just the three.

And now there's no way to get back in.

That didn't stop one of the birds—the one in the picture—from flying around for an hour or two, trying to poke his/her/its way in. Apparently, birds can be quite stubborn, which is probably the big lesson I've learned from having them for office-mates lo these past few months. But I think it finally gave up and has moved on to an easier area in which to roost, which means that I now get to continue working alone again.

For the seventeenth straight month.

So if you happen to be in downtown Marquette the next few days and happen to see, well, three homeless birds trying to peck their way into another building, you'll know where they came from.

They used to be my coworkers.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 7/13

 The latest public “art” project seems a little more aspirational.

Yesterday, I wrote about the “Priority Mail” artist, who used those Post Office labels as a canvas and then sticks them on stop signs. Today, I wanna point out another artist, this one whose canvas is the light poles on the Washington Street bike path between UP Health Systems and McClellan Avenue. Loraine and I first noticed the work while walking to Walgreen's on Sunday--

That message, the first we saw, caught my eye, and pretty soon we saw a whole bunch of them with positive messages--

They're only on that particular stretch of the bike path, and (mostly) seemed to be accompanied by visitor stickers from the hospital. I don't know if the art is done by someone who works at UPHS, someone who had a loved one there, or just someone who found the stickers lying around. I just know that the messages are kind of nice to look at, especially in a world filled with rancor, division, and spite.

I don't know if the city of Marquette would agree with me, seeing as how their light poles were used, but I think they're kinda cool.

There was one other message, as well, a hashtag stuck to each and every work--

I put “#projectseven” into both Twitter and Facebook, but didn't come up with much, especially local. That doesn't matter, though. All I know is that there are positive messages on a bike path near a place where, sometimes, sad things happen. I couldn't think of a better place for those messages.

Maybe all graffiti—excuse me, “public art”:--should aspire to that.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 7/12

 He, she, or they are back.

I don't know if you remember this or not, but 11 or 12 years ago there was a mystery artist in Marquette. This person's canvas of choice was a priority mail label; they would draw something on the label, stick it on a stop sign, and repeat. I wrote a couple of blogs about the work, and in response my name started showing up in some of the artwork, as well as on utility poles--

Then, as soon as they appeared, they disappeared, and I never found out who was behind them. I have no idea if it was one person, or several people acting in concert. That was a decade or more ago. Then, a week ago, on a stop sign right near the station, I saw this--

The same canvas of choice, the same style, the same everything. They're back, if only temporarily!

I've only seen two of them so far, on either end of the 100 block of West Bluff Street right around the corner form the station. I have no idea if they were placed there on purpose, or if there are more of them I just haven't seen yet. But, in a way, it's kind of nice. Kind of like, oh, running into an old school classmate on the street. You can say “hey” and catch up, but then go your own way.

So, to whoever's behind the mystery art, “hey”. Nice to see you again. Hope things are going well. And keep up the good work.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 7/9

 It's not the fault of your radio. At least I can tell you that much.

For the past couple of weeks we've had a vexing problem here in Radio Land. For anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes, at various times of the day and various days of the week, our signal drops out. Or, to be more precise, the signal from one antenna at Morgan Meadows to another on our transmitter tower in Ishpeming drops out, rendering us with absolutely no sound coming out of your radio.

And since our business is, you know, sound, that's not a good thing.

We get our signal from downtown Marquette to Ishpeming via two Studio to Transmitter links, or STLs, if you wanna be one of the cool and/or nerdy kids. STLs are basically radios. The one from Marquette to a relay station at Morgan Meadows works fine, but it's the one between Morgan and Ishpeming that's giving us headaches. We don't know what's causing it. We THINK it's interference from another radio source, but because it happens at various times at various days and during different weather conditions we can't narrow it down.

And that's the frustrating part.

We'll keep working on it. If you're in Marquette and listen to us our signal on 93.3 works perfectly, so you can always switch over to that. But if you're anywhere else in the UP, this problem may be a problem for a while, either until we can figure out what's causing it or until whatever's interfering with our signal stops interfering with our signal. And, of course, all that is out of our control.

Just let me apologize in advance for any listening difficulty that may cause. And trust me—you're not the only one frustrated by that!

Have a great weekend. I hope ALL of your radio reception, wherever it is, is interference free!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 7/8

 I wonder how many people would recognize the place if they were plopped right in the middle of it?

One of the zillion projects I'm working on this summer is a short video for the 50^th reunion of the Marquette Senior High School class of 1971, showing just how Marquette has changed in the half-century since they graduated. It's a compare and contrast piece, looking at how things have evolved around here (as an example—the Spear Coal Yard to Lower Harbor Park). But while working on it I've started to wonder--

If you took someone who lived in Marquette 100 years ago—1921--and plopped them in the city today, would they even know where they are?

It's actually a serious thought, and one that pops up every once in a while when Loraine and I are strolling through the city. If you took someone from 1921 and put them at the entrance to UP Health Systems, would they even know they're in Marquette? Aside from a few hills, there's nothing they'd recognize—no DSS&A Roundhouse, no Our Own Bakery, not even a visible Whetstone Creek. All they'd see are multi-story buildings, a multi-lane highway, and a bike path where a rail line once ran.

And that's just one place. What would residents of 1921 think of all the coffee places on Third Street? All the dispensaries on the outskirts of downtown? Or even (gasp) all the condos on the lakefront where docks and dirt used to be? Can you just imagine what would be going through their minds?

Assuming, of course, those minds weren't totally blown.

Of course, the fact that things have changed so much over the past century isn't necessarily a bad thing. In many projects I refer to Marquette as a constantly evolving organism. It's always changing, and always growing, which is the sign of a healthy, thriving community. I think that's one thing that people who reflexively oppose any kind of development don't understand.

You can't have the same city you had in 1921, or whenever it was that you were a kid. That world doesn't exist any more. And the city that was built for it wouldn't last (in a healthy way) for very long.

After all, a lot of change takes place in 100 years. It's a statement with which I'm sure any one of those mythical visitors from 1921 would agree.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 7/7

 It took three weeks to read it. I just wish it had gone on another three.

I think I've mentioned in here numerous times how “The Martian” is my favorite movie of the 21^st century (so far). The film was based on a book by Andy Weir, and I have a feeling that when it comes out (and I can almost guarantee it will) the movie version of his new novel “The Hail Mary Project” may be my second favorite movie of the 21^st century (so far).

Because if the movie is anything like the book, it'll be amazing.

I started reading it three weeks ago, and it's the kind of book that I could normally devour in a day or two. But because of the insanity of my life I've been having to grab a page here and a chapter there. I finally finished reading it (and I'm not kidding here) eating breakfast this morning, and I actually just had to sit and stare at my oatmeal for a few seconds afterward.

It was that good.

The story's sort of along the lines of “The Martian”, in that one individual has to science the s*#t out of a situation that (this time) threatens the entire human race. Unlike “The Martian” he does (mild spoiler alert here) have a little help, but there are also several things in play that stand in the way of saving humanity. The ending, which I devoured along with my breakfast, was a little unexpected, but seemed perfect for the story as it was told.

If you liked “The Martian”, I highly, highly recommend it.

I also have to wonder if the way in which I read it contributed to how much I liked it. In way, reading just a page or chapter a day stretched it out, and made me appreciate the story even more. It was kind of like watching an old movie serial, where you were left wondering what was going to happen next. I know that, after reading a few pages before going to bed the previous night, I'd spend part of my run the next morning pondering either what had happened or what was going to happen next.

It was almost like I was living the story in real time. And I don't think I would've gotten that if I had devoured the story in one reading.

So, if you're looking for something fun, scientifically accurate, and, above all, thought provoking this summer, I can't recommend “The Hail Mary Project” enough. For those three weeks, it was one of the best things I've ever read.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 7/6

 I kinda miss doing the 4^th of July parades.

First of all, hope you had a GREAT Fourth of July weekend. I did; the heat sure helped in that respect. We were joined by Loraine nephews and did almost everything there was to do in Marquette (and trust me, that's a LOT).  One thing we didn't do, though, was to watch the return of Marquette's Fourth of July parade Sunday on its new route down Third Street. I heard it went well and that people enjoyed it, and I also realized something.  I kind of missing being in the Ishpeming and Marquette parades myself.

Or, at least, one aspect of one of the parades.

Let me explain--the one thing I actually miss the most is the walk up to the beginning of the Marquette parade route, the second parade I would have done on the Fourth. I'd get home from doing the Ishpeming parade in the morning, give Loraine a kiss and grab a bite to eat, and then walk to the beginning of the Marquette parade. Why did I do that? One, there was no place to park at the start of the old parade route, and B, the parade ended just a few blocks from where I live, so if I had driven to the start of the parade route I'd have to walk back there to get a car anyway. This way, when the parade was over, so were my responsibilities, and I could just stroll the few blocks back to my apartment.

Why did I like the walk? Well, for one, because it was closed to traffic I could walk up the middle of Washington Street and not have to worry about getting hit by a pickup. Not only that, but I'd get a chance to talk to people along the way, to actually have a conversation with them for a second as opposed to just yelling “hey” as I ran past. That was nice, and a big part of why I enjoyed that stroll on a yearly basis.

So that's why I kind of miss doing the parades on the 4^th. However, as I re-discovered over the holiday  it was also quite nice to have the day off, a day to just laze around and not have to head through two U.P. cities at a full sprint. And like I said—it just added to a very nice weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 7/2

 Now we get to see just how insane it really is.

Last week I wrote about wondering just how busy things will be around here on the weekend of the Fourth, and we're about to find out. The three (or four)-day weekend has arrived, with most (if not all) of the usual activities are awaiting everyone, and with an added bonus--

No rain and temperatures in the 80s & 90s. Because, you know, this weekend won't be weird enough as it is.

8-)

Just remember one thing as you're out doing things the next few days—the people working and trying to get you (and everyone) taken care of are going to be overwhelmed. With things strained as it is and with the influx of people for the holiday waits, shortages, and more waits may be the norm. Just remember—it's not the fault of the people who may have to tell you “no”. They're just the messenger.

And you know what you're not supposed to do to messengers, right?

Keep that in mind as you're out and about doing things, and have yourself a great time, as well. Adding to the crush we're expecting, two of Loraine's nephews are coming up today, with everything from jumping off Black Rocks to watching the fireworks on the agenda. That means I'll be knee-deep in the insanity, and it should be a blast.

See you Tuesday!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 7/1

 I wonder what it's gonna look like next year at this time?

First of all (because I know you're waiting with bated breath) the pop-up dock history tour did go off as scheduled last night, despite the rather wacky weather (sunny & hot in the morning, cold & thunder in the afternoon, weirdly foggy but warm & rather humid when we actually did it). I had no idea how many people would show up, so when 35 or 40 people showed up--in 36 hours notice--I was quite satisfied.

By accounts a good time was had by all, so I think we'll have to do it again!

Now, onto the question I was pondering. During the sunny & hot part of yesterday I played hooky for a bit to play in the sun. And when I was down at South Beach I noticed that work has begun on demolishing the old decommissioned Shiras coal power plant--

The picture's from my phone, so it's not the best in the world, but some of the out buildings are already gone and the big crane is getting ready to take the two big towers down. The work seems to be going quite quickly, which means that by this time next year there will just be a dock and a transformer farm left.

But I wonder what the rest of it will look like?

The Marquette Board of Light & Power is in the process of deciding what to do with the rest of the land. They may need to keep it for their use. They may give part of it back to the city. They may donate part of it for an expansion of South Beach. Since that hasn't been decided yet no one's quite sure what it'll look like on, say, June 30th, 2022.

We just know it'll look a whole lot different. And in this case, that's a good thing. A real good thing.

(jim@wmqt.com)