Friday, 5/22

There's a difference between the two. There's a HUGE difference between the two.

I'm finally starting to get caught up on all of my stuff at work and, if I'm being honest, I'm once again working ahead just a little, as a three-day weekend and a long-awaited visit from Loraine's dad will be occupying my time the next few days. All of this has come with some effort on my part, and more than once the past few days I've uttered a phrase that I usually do when plowing through things, a phrase that if nothing else allows me to vent a little, if only to myself.

That phrase? “I need a vacation”.

Normally, co-workers & friends will laugh if they hear me utter that phrase, although uttering it the past few days got me a few disbelieving looks and a phrase uttered back at me--”you were just on vacation”.

No, I was not on “vacation”. I was on a “trip”.

There IS a difference between the two. Vacations are when you sit on a beach or go on a hike; things that rejuvenate your body and your mind. A trip is when you spend hours in an airplane, then drive on foreign roads, and spend your time navigating through a land where your first language is only the second or third language of the area.

There's a huge difference between the two.

Don't get me wrong—I LOVE our trips. I'd do one every month, if I could. But they're not “vacations”, nor do I expect them to be. My “vacations” are those warm summer days we (usually) get around here when I skip out of work and go play in the sun. They're two different things. And I haven't had a “vacation” recently. I had a great trip, but I really could use a vacation some time soon.

Hopefully Mother Nature provides it. And hopefully she realizes there's a difference between a “trip” and a "vacation”.

Because that difference is quite a big one.

Have a great holiday weekend. I'm off of radio for three days, although I do have my TV gig Monday night. See you then!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 5/21

I'm not going to weigh myself this weekend.

One of the first things I usually do on a Saturday morning, right before I go on my long, meandering run, is to weigh myself. I do so at the same time every week; that way, I get a pretty good idea if I’ve been a bad boy the previous week, a good boy the previous week, or, as is usually the case, an average boy the previous week.

But I won’t weigh myself this Saturday, and I believe you could guess the reason why—German chocolate, lots of bottles of German Dr. Pepper (the kind with sugar, and the kind that tastes like Dr. Pepper used to taste when I was a kid), and several very yummy German (or Italian, or Indian) dinners.

Germans do several things quite well. Raising your cholesterol level is one of them.

After our first two trips to Europe both Loraine and I weighed ourselves the weekend after we returned, and after being shocked out of our minds, vowed ever since to wait a few weeks before measuring our weight again. Sure, a week or two really wouldn’t seem to make that much of a difference, but you’d be surprised at how much 10 days of healthy eating and exercising can lessen the shock of stepping on the scale the first time after returning. It may be cheating a little, but it’s cheating in a good way.

Kind of like some schools do in college football.

If I had to guess, I’ve venture to say I gained two pounds while I was over there this year. I don’t base that guess on anything scientific, other than the fact that I “feel” two pounds heavier. As far as I know, I could step on the scale Saturday and find out I haven’t gained anything at all, or I could step on the scale tomorrow, and find that I shot up five pounds. The possibility of it going up five pounds is the reason why I haven't yet weighed myself since returning, but if I had to guess, I’d guess two pounds.

We’ll see if I was anywhere in the neighborhood when I step on the scale a week from this Saturday. If I’m back to what passes for normal, we’ll know my guess was fairly accurate. If I step on the scale next Saturday and see I’m still three or four pounds over what I was before we left, we’ll know that my guess was wrong, that I saved my system a shock by waiting a week to weigh myself, and that I probably shouldn’t eat too many dinners at restaurants or drink too much Dr. Pepper in Germany any time soon.

I'll just have to make sure I don't go back there in the next couple of months.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 5/20

I finally had a chance to get the pictures, no thanks to my Chromebook.

If you were reading along with our trip blogs, you may remember how on the Friday we got to Saarbrucken I had shot a lot of pictures with my big Nikon camera, but because the Chromebook I was using seemed to have a problem with an SD card as big as the one I had in my camera, I couldn't get the pictures off it it. I bought a smaller SD card the next day and had no problem the rest of the trip.

I just couldn't transfer (and use) the pictures I shot that particular day.

Last night I finally had a few seconds to stick the card in my laptop, where I was able to transfer them with no problem (what that says about Chromebooks? Well, that's a topic for another day). I was glad I was finally able to take a look at them, because I seemed to recall that they were pretty good.

And, for once, I was almost correct.

What kind of shots was I not able to share on our trip blogs? Well, several of them were taken on the Willi Graf Ufer, a riverside trail--

It was a nice night in Saarbrucken, and everyone seemed to be on that trail, just enjoying the evening--

In fact, looking down on the trail from the pedestrian bridge over it, it almost appeared as if you were in a painting--

Other shots I couldn't post? This one--

This one--

And a picture that really doesn't make much sense without context, this one--

So...here's the context. This was a guy who just walked into the middle of Saarbrucken's St Johannes Market Square, pulled out a boom box, played Simply Red's “Holding Back the Years”, and began an interpretive dance to it.

Because, you know, why not, right?

Anyway, I'm glad I finally had the chance to see the pictures (and about 70 others that I took at 1 FC Saarbrucken's practice that afternoon for Loraine). Now, I just have to lecture my Chromebook on the importance of actually working when I need it.

Because computers always listen when you do that, right?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com) 

Tuesday, 5/19

I thought it would be easier this way. I, apparently, was wrong.

I'm starting to get back into the swing of things after our little visit to Germany. I thought it might be a little different this time around, as we came back last Friday and, for the first time, had a whole weekend to ease back into the real world. And while the weekend was fine for getting our body clocks readjusted, it really didn't help as far and anything else went.

I mean, it's probably my own fault, but still. We had a whole weekend!

8-)

I used to the weekend to do laundry, unpack, write my TV piece from last night, go through pictures, go through chocolate, and just try to get ready to get back to “normal”. Of course, when I went to work yesterday we had technical issues that took a while to fix, I never did get into the swing of things on the air, and I'll get to deal with the fallout from that this morning, aside from heading over to NMU to set up the schedule for next year's “High School Bowl”.

Although now that I think about it, aside from the technical issues I probably have no one to blame but myself for the insanity, right?

Hopefully things start to slowly work out today. Hopefully I can get things back on track. Hopefully, I can even work a little bit ahead because, wouldn't you know, we have a three day weekend coming up.

Hopefully, I'm not being too optimistic. We'll see, I guess.

*****

Speaking of the TV spot I write this past weekend and did last night, it talks about something cool I think we should do around here. Check it out if you dare--

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 5/18

 Hey...I'm back!

I don't have a lot of time to write anything right now, as I'm trying to get caught up with, you know, everything, including two of my jobs (radio & TV-19) today, and my other TV job (High School Bowl) early tomorrow, plus a three day weekend looming.

So I'm not taking the easy way out, but I'm, uhm, going to take the easy way out.  Here's what i saw on my way to work this morning--

And that's all I'm gonna say about that.  Well, at least for today.  I promise nothing at all the next three or four weeks.

8-)

I'm off to try & get caught up.  A full one of these tomorrow!

(jim@wmqt.com)

While Jim's in Germany...

All you need to do is head to jimkoski.org (or simply click or tap HERE) and you can read along with whatever fun and/or mishaps come his way!

Tuesday, 5/5

It looks like all systems are go.

With but one day left before we (hopefully) hop on a plane and blow this Popsicle stand, it looks as if everything I need to get done is either done or will be finished today. It's something upon which I always cast a wary eye; after all, I've been working ahead on certain things for almost three months now, and it would not be cool if something (a dead computer, a mental breakdown, and/or the like) got in the way of all that work.

But thankfully, it appears as if fate has once again cast a loving aura upon everything. So thanks, fate!

Here's what's going on. There won't be a blog here tomorrow or (maybe) Thursday, and starting either Thursday or Friday afternoon (your time) I'll start posting on our trip blog. You can just keep coming back here to get to it; I'll make sure I leave a link right above this blog so all you need to do is click one extra time. Hopefully, it won't be too much. And if it is, you have my sincere apologies.

Really, you do.

As always, I plan on posting every day we're there, and based on past experience, I should have no problem. However, you never know if a new hotel we're staying at will have bad wi-fi, or if I'll have some kind of technical problem with the equipment I bring along, or if—like I've joking all along—we get stuck in the middle of somewhere because a flight's been canceled or the world's falling apart. It hasn't happened yet, and I hope it won't this time, but with the way the planet is these days I wanna put that out there just in case. I'm also hoping on send back radio reports on certain days, so you can listen for those, as well.

Well, I think that's it. The next time we speak I'll (hopefully) be a quarter of the world and (just as hopefully) munching on some really good chocolate.

See you then. And keep your fingers crossed. We're counting on every bit of luck possible!

*****

Before I leave...how did my “Star Wars” bit work out on TV last night? Check it out for yourself--

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 5/4

Happy Star Wars Day!

Wait...you don't celebrate Star Wars Day? But it's May the 4^th...you know, as in “May the force (or, in this case, the 4^th) be with you”. You really don't celebrate?

Oh, that's right. You're normal.

8-)

Every so often when I ask a movie trivia question about a “Star Wars” film I'll get someone who has never seen one. Several times, I've spoken with people in my TV job and they'll admit not being a fan of the films. And over the years on “High School Bowl” I've even had one or two of the brightest young people on the planet say that they just don't get “Star Wars”.

And that kinda blows my mind. I mean, I know I'm a dork and I grew up with the original films, but in a macro sense I'm also aware that those movies are a cultural phenomenon. Even if you're not a fan of the films—and, apparently, there are a lot more people out there like that than I ever imagined—you're at least aware of the significance of the movie series.

You may not celebrate the holiday today, but at least you're aware of it.

But I get where some people are coming from. Obviously, I'm a “Star Wars” geek Like me, there are people who are also geeks for a series of films, but in their case they're “Harry Potter” geeks. They grew up with the films, and they'll drink butter beer and play Quiddich. And when I tell them I've never seen a “Harry Potter” film and could care less about ever seeing one, they give me the very same look that I'm sure I give people who say they're just not interested in “Star Wars”.

To each their own. And, by the way, I hope you don't think any less of me because I really don't care about Harry Potter. We all have our deep, dark, secrets. I guess that's mine.

So if you celebrate today, enjoy yourself. If you don't, that's fine too. Just don't be surprised if you do hear “May the Fourth be with you” a time or two today. In fact, if you're watching TV-19 news at 6 o'clock tonight, and just happen to come across a “Star Wars” dork doing something that will either be a huge success or fail miserably...

Well, some of us just can't help ourselves.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 5/1

T-5 days, and all systems are still go.

Yay.

A few weeks ago I wrote in here about whether or not I should blog during the trip, and based on the comments I received and questions people have asked, I guess I'll be doing it. Apparently, there are a LOT of people who travel with us vicariously, and really look forward to seeing what we do.

So...blogging during the trip it shall be.

In fact, we're going to once again put the word “repurpose” into practice here. I've written a pre-trip blog (also available at jimkoski.org), and to wrap up the week here we'll share it with you.

Have a great weekend. Everything from packing to finishing my either really good (or really bad) TV piece await me, so I know what I'll be doing.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

*****

To quote some old dude who once wrote a thing (or two)...once more, unto the breach.

Loraine and I are heading back to Europe for the first time in two years, and we're hoping—hoping--it all works out well. So many things have changed since we last visited one of our favorite places in the world, and there are many issues that could cloud our visit. This is just a partial list--

--What does the ongoing DHS/TSA shutdown mean for us trying to leave or get into the country?

--We're renting a car over there, so what will sky-high fuel prices do to our budget?

--Will tighter border security across Europe's Schengen Zone mean extra hassles in trying to cross from one country to another?

--And how will we be treated over there? Europeans once thought of America (and Americans) as a shining beacon on a hill. Now, they think of us—or at least our government—as bullies.

See? It's not like any of our past trips. But you know what? We'll take it as it comes. And, as always, you're invited to join with us.

Where are we all going, in fact? Well, we're going to Germany for what will be our shortest ever trip (if only by a day). We're flying into Frankfurt, picking up the aforementioned rental car, and then spending a night in Kaiserlautern (where we stayed last time) before heading to the city where we'll be headquartered the rest of the time--

Saarbrucken.

Saarbrucken is a city of about 70,000 people on Germany's extreme western side. In fact, it's one of those places that, during its long history, has been part of France, Prussia, France (again), Germany, France (yet again), and Germany (yet again). It has hills, water (in the form of a river), and a history of mining, so we should feel right at home. And we've chosen this place for two very important reasons, reasons that anyone who knows us (and we count you as among that group) will fully understand.

The first reason—Loraine likes their football team, FC Saarbrucken, and because it's a team in Germany's third tier league (3 Liga), their practices are open to the public, and we can check out her favorite player on the team, Tim Cevaja (he's the one on the left)

The other reason we chose Saarbrucken? It's only 15 or so kilometers to the French border, and only 60 (or so) to the Luxembourg border. So do you know what that means?

In one car ride, we can buy chocolate from Germany, France, and Belgium (which they sell in Luxembourg). Is Saarbrucken a great place, or what?

8-)

The whole adventure begins on Wednesday, May 6^th. Assuming none of the issues we discussed come to fruition, we should be ready to roll (and blog) the day after, having a blast before we (hopefully) head back to Marquette on Friday, May 15^th. And you know what?

As always, we hope you'll join us!

(jimkoskimqt@gmail.com)