Friday, 4/28

Okay...no talk about how much money I save by walking to work each and every day, if only because it's raining outside for the second day in a row and these are the days that walking to work isn't the greatest (or driest) thing in the world.

8-)

Instead, how about a gag I didn't get to use on TV this week? You see, when write my “Life in the 906”s each and every week they're invariably long, and I have to cut a bunch of stuff out. Recently, I found that I've been removing a lot of gags from the script, if only because, while they're funny, they really don't add to what I'm trying to say.

That's right. I'm removing jokes for the sake of making a point. I may actually be turning into an adult after all these years.

Anyway, the topic was camps and how Yoopers love them, and the line I cut referred to how that love was just carrying on the tradition of European nobles, who would escape to their “camps” every summer to get away from, you know, royal-ing. While talking about their “camps” I was then going to have this picture (of an actual summer castle, by the way) pop up--

Yes, the gag would have been goofy (and historically accurate), but it didn't add anything to the local aspect of the piece, and by removing it I then only had to cut an additional 20 seconds of copy (as opposed to the 40 if I had left it in). When I started doing these seven months ago, if you had told me that the things I'd be cutting from the pieces were some of the gags, I would have looked at you like a German peasant looking at the castle pictured above, and wondering just how crazy you were.

But you know what? You would have been right. I mean, I know the past few years have been strange, but so strange that I start cutting gags out of what I write?  It really IS a topsy-turvy world these days.

On that note, have a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com), hopefully not turning into an adult TOO much...

Thursday, 4/27

You know, I didn't think to include those numbers. Thanks for the suggestion.

After writing yesterday about how I've saved a little over $16,000 in gas costs by being able to walk to work for the past twenty years I received several notes from people, either telling me how lucky I was or asking that I share some of the windfall with her (hi, daily blog reader Carly of Marquette!). But I also received a note from someone else who pointed this out--

“Along with the money you've saved on gas, maybe you should have also included all the other costs that go along with owning a vehicle, such as insurance and maintenance. That way you'd have a true idea of just how much you've not shelled out”.

That's a good point, and I might even take it a little farther. Aside from insurance and maintenance costs, I also haven't had to buy a car in those two decades. So let's do a little more math here, and remember that until 2010 or so I DID own a car, even if I didn't use it. Starting with that assumption, here's what I came up with--

I actually pay half of the insurance and any needed maintenance on Loraine's car. But since SHE also walks to work every day and doesn't drive, that amounts to an oil change a year, as far as maintenance goes. So...let's just take a wild guess and say I've saved $100 a year over 20 years. That's another $2,000 saved.

Insurance? Like I said, I pay half of hers, so over the time span I haven't had a car (2010 or so) let's say that works out to another $4,000 I haven't had to shell out.

Finally, there's the big ticket item. Not having a car means I don't have to replace a vehicle when it wears out. I have no idea how many cars I would have had to buy, but for the sake of argument let's say that I would be on my second car after getting rid of my last one in 2010. That's just an arbitrary call; you might be on your third or even fourth in that time span.

So...two vehicles that would (and I'm just spit balling here, based on the kind of (small) car I would have purchased) have cost around 14 or 15 grand each. Let's split the difference and say $29,000 right there.

Now, this will be dangerous, because I'm doing math. So you may want to step away from your computer, phone, or tablet, lest it go up in flames. But take the $16,000 in gas, the $2,000 in maintenance, the $4,000 in insurance, and the $29,000 in new cars, add it all together, and that means that's I've not spent...

$51,000 in twenty years. Now THAT number's even more impressive that the one I came up with yesterday. In fact, it's a bit stunning when you stop & think about it, especially considering that I'm very low-end and low-key as far as cars go. I can just imagine what that number would be if I wasn't and went for all kinds of gizmos and stuff.

But $51,000 is nothing to sneeze at. So to whoever sent me the (unsigned) note about totaling EVERYTHING up, thanks. Now I know. And now I have to go figure out what to do with that extra fifty grand.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 4/26

I was astounded by the total.

I was getting my hair cut Monday and somehow the topic of my walking to work came up in the course of conversation. It's been 20 years and seven months since I've actually had to drive to work, and a comment was made as to just how much money I've saved by not having to buy gas for that one score and seven months.

So, me being me, I thought about it for a bit, and sat down to figure it out. Wanna know how much I've not spent on gas the past twenty years?

Well, first let me explain the methodology I used. I'm basing all this on my old driving patterns, so I'm assuming that I'm not driving 150 miles a week in a car that would (hopefully) average 30 miles a gallon. I'm factoring in the fact that I still do buy gas on occasion for Loraine's car, and that I (on occasion) do have to haul the car out for various errands or work-related activities. And I'm making the (very big) assumption that over the past 20 years gas has been averaging 3 bucks a gallon (I know; it's higher than that now, but remember, this goes back 20 years to when gas was probably 2 bucks or so a gallon).

So how much money do I estimate I've saved in the past one score and seven months, since I've been (thankfully) able to walk to work instead of drive? Well, based on all that, it's my rough estimate that I've not had to spend $16,068 on gasoline the past twenty years and seven months.

That's not a bad chunk of change, is it?

Now, that number could be higher, especially if I was off on my estimate of the average of gas prices since the end of 2002. But I think that's a good starting point. Add to that the exercise I've gotten walking back and forth to work, along with the pollution I've not spewed into the atmosphere since then, and I think I've come out on the winning end of this whole deal.

I think.

I realize I'm very fortunate.   I realize that not everyone is either lucky enough or healthy enough to be able to walk to work every day. I realize that I'm very out of the ordinary in this regard. But I've noticed that there are benefits of living three blocks from where I work.

And that $16.068 is certainly one of them.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/25

After all these years, I still don't like it.

I used a picture on last night's “Life in the 906” that had my TV co-workers laughing. Specifically... this picture--

It was used during my bit on how Yoopers love their camps, and how even I, during my youth, didn't mind heading out to Big Shag Lake, where I spent many summer weekends despite the lack of indoor plumbing. That, however, was not what made my co-workers laugh. What made them laugh was the typically “surly teenager” attitude I was showing in the picture, and I had to disappoint them by saying that it WASN'T attitude that came through in the shot.

Instead, I believe, it was taken before noon...way before I was ready to wake up.

I've written in here many times about how I'm not a morning person. I never have been, and I never will. As I've gotten older I've learned little tricks to work around the fact that I simply don't function before a certain time. I'm pretty sure, though, that I did NOT know those tricks 40 or so years ago when that picture was taken.

So any attitude that comes through in that picture is simply due to the fact that I wasn't yet awake.

Seeing as how it was 4+ decades ago I have no certain idea if that's the actual reason behind my surliness. It is, however, an educated guess and, I believe, a good one. Even today, when I first wake up, I just sit in a chair and stare at the wall while trying to get my bearings. I can't do anything else. I just don't have it in me. And while I've tried to get better at it (after all, 20 weeks a year I shoot a TV show at 9 am), there are days when it simply doesn't happen. And I have no reason to think that, at my (ahem) advanced age, that it will EVER happen.

I'm just not a morning person.

So if you ever see a picture of me being, you know, “surly”, just realize that how matter how old it is—no matter if it's me as a teenager or me as an adult—it was probably taken before noon, the time before which I really don't function.

We all have our own personal demons. That one is mine.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 4/24

It's been almost thirty years. I wonder how much longer it'll take before people stop referring to K.I. Sawyer as “The Base”?

I had a caller on Friday tell me she's at “The Base” when I've asked her from where she was calling. And that's not unusual. In fact, it probably happens every week or two. Oh sure; many people who call say they're either from “Sawyer” or “K.I. Sawyer”, but almost 30 years after the base closed, some people still refer to by either “The Base” or its old name, “KI Sawyer Air Force Base”.

Curious.

I can see why there are some people, especially old-timers, who still call it that. After all, if you've grew up saying “K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base” it's probably ingrained in your brain that way. But the person who called it “The Base” last week was younger. In fact, from the sounds of it she was either just a kid or not even born yet when “The Base” closed and K.I. Sawyer became just “K.I. Sawyer”, minus “Air Force Base”, so I'm pretty sure she didn't grow up calling it “K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base”. Yet almost three decades after the fact, they're still referring to it that way.

Like I said...curious.

Of course, it's not just K.I. Sawyer that falls into this category. Just a couple of days ago I heard someone talking about “the new school” in Harvey. The school they're talking about is, of course, Cherry Creek School, a building that opened over 35 years ago. But because it was built AFTER Silver Creek, which is actually no longer a school, it's still referred to as the “new” school. And don't even get me started on how long people will keep calling Tadych's “Econo”.

Because, sad to say, I kinda do that myself.

8-)

Anyway, if you happen to find yourself innocently referring to K.I. Sawyer by using any phrase which includes the word “Base” in it, you're in good company. And, the way it's going, you'll probably be in that good company for another thirty or so years!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 4/21

Wanna know why today's a rather big day around the Koski apartment?

It's our anniversary.

Yup; Loraine and I have now been married four or five years, give or take a few (dozen). In fact, on a MUCH nicer spring day than today, during that mythical time known as “the 20^th century”, we stood on the steps of the Marquette County Courthouse and jumped feet first into that very strange state of living called “marriage”. And in the years since we seem to have defied all odds and at least a handful of expectations. Somehow, in our little universe of friends, we’ve managed to become the one couple that a). got married and 2). stayed married, proving once again that we somehow manage to be “normal” while in no way actually being “normal”.

It’s a gift, that power of ours.

I sometimes wonder if that’s actually the secret to whatever relationship success we’ve had. . .the fact that we don’t try to be “normal”. We’re just “us”, for better or worse. We don’t do or buy a lot of the things that “normal” couples do or buy. We live a lifestyle and have hobbies that, while unique to some people, seem to fit us perfectly. We’re comfortable with who we are as people, and our personalities are different enough so that we compliment each other quite well. For instance, Loraine’s organized, and I’m, uhm, not. Loraine can be serious and quiet, while I’m, uhm, not. And Loraine’s uncomfortable in heat while I’m, uhm, not. But that seems to work for us; add in the fact that we agree on the big things, and I think that might be the foundation for us staying married for those four or five years, give or take a few (dozen).

So happy anniversary, Loraine. I don't think there's anyone else with whom I'd rather have spent those (ahem) four or five years!!

Love,

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 4/20

As always, I'm shocked at how it happens. Or that it even happens at all.

Every so often I get people asking me where I come up with all my ideas, either for this thing you're reading or the weekly “Life in the 906” thing I do for TV 19. And I have to admit—I have no idea. I mean, sometimes I'll see something or hear about something that I think might make a worthy entry, but other times?

The ideas seem to pop out of nowhere. I mean, literally—they pop out of nowhere.

I do my TV things on Monday night, and then try not to think about the next one at all for a few days. I need to figure out what I'm doing by Friday so that they know what to promote, and then write them over the weekend for Monday. So according to my schedule, last night the next “906” should have been the further thing from my mind. Well, someone might want to tell my brain that, because I woke up around 3 this morning with an idea fully formed in my head, including a large majority of the script just floating around in there, waiting to be written down.

So at 3 in the morning, I did just that. It took less than 10 minutes to spill out of my brain, and it's (mostly) ready to go. I have no idea where it came from or why it popped up while I was sleeping. All I know is that it was there, and I have next week's TV spot out of it.

Oh, and this blog, too. It's like the gift that keeps on giving.

Seriously; sometimes the creative process astounds me. There are times when I can work and work and work on an idea and it never seems to come out the way I want. And then there are times when I go to sleep and wake up a few hours later with every single word already laid out in my brain. It makes no logical sense, but then I guess that's not a surprise. Creativity isn't logical. It's, well, creative. It seems like it's conjured out of the ether. No matter how hard you try—and trust me, I've tried—you can't turn it on like a faucet. You have to wait for it to come to you.

Even if it comes to you at 3 in the morning.

You can see the end result of what came out of my brain next Monday night. I now, thanks to my little nocturnal epiphany last night, have some extra time this weekend when I won't have to write the “906”. So maybe just maybe, I can use that time to ponder where these ideas come from.

Because I myself have absolutely no clue.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 4/19

Nope...we won't be going anywhere this year.

That's not exactly the truth, but it's the response we give when some asks either Loraine or me if we're traveling anywhere this year. It's strange (at least to me), but apparently over the years people have thought of us as seasoned world travelers, and are always curious as to what our next plans are. We've been curious ourselves, but recently came to the decision that this year, we may just lie low.

As we found with our little getaway to Germany last year the travel industry is still trying to find its firm footing after several years of Covid-related slowdowns and shakeups. Add to that the fact that there's still a war going on in Europe, and it just seemed like maybe things just weren't aligning.

So, sad to say, we're not planning any big trips this year.

Oh, we're thinking of flying down to Chicago for one of our long weekends, but other than that it seems like we'll be staying put. And that's kinda...weird. I mean, every single year from 2006 to 2019 we went to Europe. But since 2019 there was only that one week jaunt last fall for a soccer match, and other than that?

Nothing.

In some ways, it feels like our habit of travel earlier this century was a dream. It seems almost impossible now, but back then airlines would have regularly scheduled flights to regularly scheduled places, and you could (usually) count on not having flights shifted or outright canceled. But these days? If you fly somewhere, especially overseas, it can be a crap shoot. Will your flight actually make it on time for a connecting flight? Will it actually make it at all, or might it be axed due to a crew shortage or weather or because the head of the airline woke up in a bad mood?

It just seems...easier not to do it. At least not for now.

Maybe—hopefully--in a year or two things will settle down and we can plan something, fairly certain that we'll get where we wanna go at or near the time we want to get there. But until then, I guess Chicago will have to do, even if someplace slightly more exotic beckons. Hopefully it won't disappoint our travel “fans', but that's life these days.

Trust me, travel fans..you're not the only one who's bummed.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/18

After three days of 80 degree temperatures, we were given this gift last night and this morning--

I shan't, however, say any more, because I really do think I've used up my quota of complaining about snow in the past month & and a half. And even if I haven't, why would I want to subject you to even more of it?

That's okay. You can thank me later.

One of the many things I DID do when it was nice out Saturday was to fully map out my upcoming “Burn Baby Burn: The Infernos of Downtown Marquette” walking tour for the Marquette Regional History Center. And while I was doing it something struck me, if only for the sheer...normality of it all.

The tour's not until July. That means I'm the middle of almost four months of not doing anything for the History Center. How the heck did THAT happen?

I mean, I'm not complaining. Not at all. It's just weird, though. After I did my North Marquette walking tour last September I immediately transitioned into working on “Lights, Camera, Marquette” with Jack, while at the same time working on “The Greasier The Spoon”. Once we did “Lights” at Kaufman in January the next six weeks were a history blur as I finished up “Greasier”, and since then?

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

Apparently, I didn't mind at all, as I didn't even realize that I wasn't doing anything for the History Center. Of course, I had the wrap up of “High School Bowl” and my weekly gig at TV 19 to keep my occupied. I just find it...weird that I didn't realize History Jim was in cruising mode for a bit. But then, I guess that's my life these days. There are times I don't know what I'm doing or why I'm doing it.

I probably really need to fire my agent.

However, never fear. Now that I have “Burn” ready to go and, apparently, have a couple of months without any other history things to do, maybe (just maybe) I'll start to play with the idea of putting together another season of those “Pieces of the Past” short videos together. After all, you wouldn't want me to sit around and, say, relax, would you? Would I even know HOW to do that?

Although, you know, it might be interesting to find out...

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 4/17

 Saturday night was the kind of night that proves just what an amazing place Marquette is.

Saturday afternoon wasn't too shabby in and of itself, the third 80 degree day in a span of four (in April!).  But it was Saturday evening that showed just what Marquette has to offer.  If you chose to go out, among all the usual places to go or all of the outdoors activities (like bike trails), you could have also tried--

The Festival of the Angry Bear beer celebration that shut down a block of Spring Street downtown

The Marquette Symphony at Kaufman

"Grease" on stage at NMU.

Most places would kill for just one of those events.  We had all three on one night.  Don't ever tell me Marquette doesn't punch above its weight when it comes to amazing events.

Admittedly, this was not a typical weekend.  But it also wasn't that far off from the norm, either.  More and more the people who call Marquette home try their hand at new events or new programs, and on occasion--like Saturday night--some of those events and programs collide, leaving residents who choose to participate with a difficult choice.

And it's not just weekends.  The Wednesday evening I debuted "The Greasier the Spoon" people could choose between that, an art exhibit opening, a band concert at NMU, and a wine tasting fundraiser.  Anyone who says "there's nothing to do" around here obviously either doesn't pay attention or doesn't want to pay attention.  If you're someone who doesn't want to go out, that's cool.  But if you are looking for something to do and then can't find a "something"...

Maybe you're just not looking in the right place.

This week promises more of the same, highlighted by a week-long poetry festival that starts tonight.  That means if you're looking for something new & exciting to do, you should be able to find it.  Why?  Because that's the kind of place in which we live.  We're lucky that way.

And, from the looks of it, we should just keep getting luckier and luckier.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 4/14

It's supposed to be nice out again today. Not the 80+ degree nice out like we had Wednesday, but still nice enough to take a few hours off of work and play outside.

And considering what we may be dealing with at the beginning of next week (you don't wanna know) that might not be a bad thing.

But the nice weather we've had the past few days has worked wonders on more than just our battered psyches. Yup; the nice weather has caused birds to start singing, grass to start turning green, and , perhaps mostly importantly, caused these to pop out--

That's on my favorite lilac tree on my walk to work yesterday. I realize they're still over a month from actually blooming, but seeing the buds start their long spring to life means that maybe—just maybe—there's still hope in the world.

At least until the snow (may) returns on Monday.

Have a great weekend; enjoy the weather while it's here!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 4/13

Of course I took advantage. I'm not insane.

8-)

In our quest to experience all four seasons within a span of a week we had our “summer” day yesterday, a glorious day of 80-degree sunshine that all but erased the memory of the snow day we had at the end of last week. I, as is my wont, went down to the beach, where I was not alone--

I took that picture when I first got there; by the time I left, I think I had been joined by at least 40% of NMU's student population and a big chunk of the Marquette community. I started counting how many people were on the beach between McCarty's Cove and Shiras Park; I lost count right before I got to 400.

Trust me—there were a LOT of people at just that one beach yesterday. I can imagine what all the other city beaches were like, as ell.

Then as I was (begrudgingly) making my way to work after being at the beach I came across a little sidewalk art. Someone has obviously been inspired by the summer-like day, and came up with this--

I don't think I could have come up with anything that more perfectly encapsulated yesterday than that piece of art. But I'm glad someone did.

Today we'll continuing our quest to experience all four season in a week when we have a very fall-like day of cold wind & falling temperatures. Then Friday it may be Spring-like before a chance of (gulp) snow pops up this weekend.

Hopefully, it won't show up. But if it does, at least we had a small window in which to shed off the gloom of our real winter before it returns for a potential unwanted encore.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 4/12

My jaw hurts.

As you may recall, I've inherited several things from my dad--his skin tone, a life long love of "Looney Tunes, and, unfortunately, a severe case of klutziness. While my case doesn't seem to be as bad as his--no knee surgery or neck braces for me, at least not yet--it's always there lurking in the background.

And that's why I have a sore jaw.

The background--a few minutes after I went into work yesterday we had a two-second power outage. No, I don't know why, but for some reason the Marquette Board of Light & Power seems to like to have little flickers on the block of downtown where the station sits (and, at the same time, not having the power go out at the bank across the street where Loraine works).

Anyway, the power went out for two seconds. In that two seconds, my office computer--the one that I use all the time, the one that contains all the backups of all the stuff I do--fried. Hopefully, it's in the process of getting fixed. If not, I have some stuff to do. But that's neither here nor there. I had to use other computers at work, which meant shuttling information back & forth on flash drives. One of the times I was grabbing a flash drive I was under a desk (because, of course, that's where all of our computers sit to keep them out of the way). While getting out from under the desk I banged my head on the shelf, which caused me jerk to the left, which caused me to slip, which caused me land jaw-first into the hard plastic arm of a chair, which is why my jaw still hurts almost a day later.

Fun.

Thankfully, my jaw still works. I can talk and eat and swallow, which means I didn't break anything. It is, however, bruised and scabby, as I tore quite a bit of skin off when the chair and I had our loving little touch. That, of course, means that some smart aleck will soon ask about the fight I got into, and that I can either explain what really happened or just play along with it.

Except, of course, no one would ever believe I would get into a fight.

Hopefully, this heals soon, and hopefully, so does my office computer. If not, well...that's life. At least now I know how to get up from underneath a certain counter without bleeding or breaking something.

Although, considering the gift I've inherited from my dad, I wouldn't put it past me.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/11

And once again, the rest of the story.

As you may recall, I had stuck a few pictures up yesterday, taken during our (finally) Spring-like weekend. I had also posted the pictures on Facebook, where hundreds of people have given them a “like” or a “love”. But I did not include one more picture I had posted on the social media site, a picture that seems to have become a tempest in a teapot.

Specifically, this picture--

I just thought it was a cool picture. I liked the composition of it, and thought it kind of a slice of modern-day Marquette life. It did not even occur to me that within a couple of hours the comments section below it would be filled with so much venom, vitriol, and sheer hate that I had to disable the comments and delete the ones that had already been left.

Sigh.

It started with people who believe climate change is a hoax leaving all kinds of wacko comments and conspiracy theories, and then gathered steam as people on the other side started to fight back. Pretty soon, it had devolved into a meme-spewing, four letter word “debate” that would make even the most hard-core of individuals blush with embarrassment.

All that just because of a picture.

Some of it may be my fault. I just thought it was a cool picture. I had no idea it would trigger a few people and lead to what it did. But the behavior that people show on the internet these days, where their identities are protected by either a false name or the fact that they're not face to face with whomever they're engaging, is deplorable. Yes, I get that you don't agree with someone on an issue. That's fine. But the way some people acted with the others with whom they were engaging was just horrid. There isn't enough soap in the world with which to wash their mouths out. There aren't enough corners on the planet for them to take a time out.

I was stunned. And, if I had to admit it, a little sickened by the whole thing, as well. I mean, I know just how bad people can be in the Internet. I have, after all, accidentally stumbled upon the comments section of a news story on TV-6's website, and I thought that people couldn't be any worse than on there.

Turns out I was wrong.

All I did was take a picture that I thought looked interesting. I had no idea that it would lead to, well, a whole bunch of online trolling, misogyny, and behavior better left to six year olds. That's not the purpose of art.

Lesson learned, I guess.

(jim@wmqt.com) 

Monday, 4/10

 Have a good Easter?

Hope you did.  Hope it was as good as ours; I made a ham with a blood orange/brown sugar glaze that turned out WAY better than I had any hope it would, along with the added bonus of it being over 60 degrees in Marquette for the first time since, I think, Thanksgiving.

So, along with (it seems) the other 24,998 people who call Marquette home Loraine and I went out for a walk in the sunshine, and I brought along a camera.  What did we see?

How about an iconic stretch of buildings--

A few of the new places that call Marquette home--

A busy stretch of road, not only for pedestrians but for cars, as well--

Some people taking advantage of the two new walking piers installed at Founder's Landing--

A view of Marquette that people who haven't been here in 10 years might not recognize--

And one that they would--

All in all, quite the nice day and, hopefully, the sign of many more to come.

Tomorrow, one more picture.  And the tale of why you should never--never--read the comments section of a web page...even if it's your own.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 4/6

Black jellybeans. Never, ever black jellybeans.

I had someone ask me about my favorite Easter candy a couple of days ago, and instead of trying to figure out which is my favorite, because that might be an impossible task, I told them which Easter candy I absolutely abhor--

Black jellybeans.

Unlike, say, the tale of why I don't like bananas, I've never ever liked black jellybeans. And I'll be the first to admit it's the taste of them. While I like anise in cookies, the taste of it in black jellybeans (and its weird cousin, black licorice) just turns my stomach. Unlike bananas, I don't know why it turns my stomach. It just does. And it's not even because I force-fed myself so many black jellybeans that I made myself sick. I don't think I could ever eat that many, because I just don't like the taste.

If that makes me a freak, so be it, because I know there are a LOT of people who love black jellybeans. I know of people who'll buy a bag of nothing BUT black jellybeans and eat them one after the other. But not me. Any other color of jellybean is fine; heck, I even like those bubble-gum flavored Jelly Bellys that make some people wretch.

But black jellybeans? Nope. I'll leave those for you.

So if you happen to see me being offered jellybeans this weekend (not that you would, but never say never), you can rest assured that I'll happy munch down on the red ones, the green ones, the yellow ones, the blue ones, and even the bubble gum ones. But the black ones?

I think I'll pass.

****

Since I'm off tomorrow and there won't be a new one of these, I hope you have a great Easter weekend. And I hope your black jellybeans are few and far between. Unless, of course, you like them...because if that's the case you can have mine.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com) 

Wednesday, 4/5

And now...the rest of the story.

Yesterday I was talking about how I have a few (okay, a lot of) dorky habits, among them waiting each and every year for the US Census Bureau to release their “Annual Estimate of the Resident Population of Counties” survey. Aside from city managers and a few statistic geeks, I'm guessing not a lot of normal people look forward to it.

However, as we all know, I'm anything BUT normal.

So just how DID I turn out this way? Well, when I was young—too young to go to school—I would look at all the kids walking down the street going to class and, apparently, get bummed out. So every day I was like that my mom would read to me—read to me from the encyclopedia or the world atlas, so I could learn something even though I couldn't go to school. Those little lessons instilled in me a life-long love of geography (so much so that I minored in geography and population studies in college) and a burning desire to look forward each and every year to things like the US Census Bureau's “Annual Estimate of the Resident Population of Counties” survey.

Yup. I blame my parents.

I don't mean to sound like a typical Gen X-er, so maybe the word “blame” isn't the right word. It's thanks to my parents that I given the gift of learning, a gift that I still use today (hence, the huge stack of books about geography and history and language sitting on my kitchen floor, waiting to be read). I often claim to be a big dork (an absolute truth, by the way) but it's a claim that I proudly carry. And part of that is because of what my mom did for me all those years ago. I was four years old and couldn't go to school, so she made a school for me, a school that probably had as much influence on me as any other one I attended.

The reason I'm bringing all this up—aside from the fact that I dorked out on TV Monday night—is that it's the birthday today of my original school teacher, my mom. I highly doubt she set out to teach me; I'm sure, after all, that she just wanted to shut me up. But those little lessons I was given back before I could even understand what was happening have stuck with me ever since, and have been one of the biggest gifts anyone could ever be given--

The gift of learning.

So Mom—thanks for that gift, as well as all the others given to me over the years. I know a lot of people say that they have the best mother in the world, but no one will ever convince me that anyone else does.

Because I know I do.

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Love,

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/4

Why yes, I AM that much of a geek. Thanks for asking.

Last night on “Life in the 906” I geeked out over some Census Bureau estimate numbers that were just released for U.P. counties. Afterwards, I had someone ask me if I really do pay attention to such minutiae as I mentioned last night, and I had to admit that yes, I do.

Tomorrow, in fact, I'll tell you the story as to WHY I do it. But to set that up, here's what I said last night. Actually, it's what I said last night and even more, what I wrote before realizing I had to cut 45 seconds to make my time limit.

Here 'tis--

We need to recruit five more people to live in Marquette County, and I'm gonna tell you why.

First of all, if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m...kind of a geek.  No really–it’s true.  And one of the many ways in which that manifests itself is the way I look forward to the US Census Bureau’s release each and every year of their “Annual Estimates of the Resident Population of Counties” survey.  It’s a fascinating read; they really SHOULD make a movie out of it some day.

I have no doubt it would be a blockbuster.

Anyway, one of the interesting findings in this year’s estimate is that Marquette County has grown by a little over 600 residents since the last official Census was taken in 2020.  According to the Census Bureau, Marquette County now has 66,661 inhabitants.  If we had just five more people living here, we would have hit the jackpot…sixes all across the board.

Yes, I need help.  What’s your point?

The Census Bureau actually had good news for several UP counties.  While Marquette had by far the biggest growth, several others also jumped.  Alger, Schoolcraft, Keweenaw, and Baraga all gained over 100 residents, and even counties that had been shedding inhabitants, like Iron and Ontonagon, managed to stay level with where they were 2 years ago.

Of course, these are just estimates; it’s not an actual count.  And that’s why UP counties that lost residents this time around shouldn’t be too concerned.  The Census Bureau estimates Chippewa County lost 500 people, Houghton County over 300, and Delta County almost 200.  Whether or not that trend continues, there’s still plenty of time for those areas to work on getting their numbers back up.

But overall, even though it’s just an estimate, it’s pretty good news for the entire UP, a place where population loss has become chronic.  Maybe it’s a sign that the brain drain might be easing.  Maybe it’s a sign that the rest of the world is starting to come to their senses and realize just what a special place this is in which to live.  I mean, it doesn’t matter.  What does matter is that, for some UP counties, decades of population loss have been mitigated, at least temporarily.  For those areas, that's a great thing.  And for those of us who are geeky enough to look at those numbers, it’ll make it a little more interesting each and every year when the annual Census report comes out, to see if that trend continues.

Now, if we could find those five extra residents for Marquette County, and have sixes all across the board–we’d be all set.

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

Like I said...tomorrow, the story as to WHY I geek out over Census Bureau estimates.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 4/3

Once again it was not as bad as we were led to believe it would be. But it would sure be nice if it stopped.

As you may recall, Friday I posted the “before” picture of what it looked like outside prior to the snow-rain/even more snow deluge we were scheduled to get between Friday morning and Saturday afternoon. This picture, to be specific--

I also promised to post an “after” picture, once everything was gone and we were finished shaking our fists at the sky, so here 'tis--

As has been the case all year, it was not the massive storm we'd been led to believe. But as has also been the case all year, it was just enough to have to once again have to spend hours cleaning up.

It's getting to be really old really quickly.

It's now April, and if this keeps going any longer I think a whole bunch of us will be ready to flip out, and not in the good way. Sadly, this isn't the first March & April in which we've felt like this, and that's prompted me to go back in the archives and find a “poem” I wrote eight years ago, the last time this happened. While the year has changed the sentiment is still the same--

I want to go outside and play again.

I want to be able to wear shorts and t-shirts.

I want to be able to lose my gloves and not give a rip.

I want to throw my car’s ice scraper away.

I want to forget about wind chill.

I want to forget about lake effect.

I want to not have to cringe every time I see a weather forecast.

I want to be able to talk to Laura, ask her if it’s going to be 80, and have her say “yes”.

I want to ride my bike.

I want to go to the beach.

I want to smell flowers and freshly cut grass and poplar trees along the bike path.

I want to see green.

I want to forget the color white even exists.

I want to be able to pull out my camera and take pictures of something, anything, other than the “after” picture I posted here.

I want summer.

Okay, April The ball's in your court. Don't disappoint us.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)