Monday, 8/24

This is going to be one of *those* weeks.

To whit--

Tonight I go on TV like I usually do (although tonight's edition is a milestone event, so there's a little added pressure for that).

Tomorrow, I work. And go to a family event. And maybe do TV again to plug what I'm doing the next night.

Wednesday, I give my "Happy Hour 2" tour.

Thursday, I work and have a bunch of meetings.

Friday, Jack & I are doing "Legends & Lore III" to wrap up the season of the Lake Superior Theater (aka the boathouse).

Saturday and Sunday, I'm thinking I just might pass out. Although I WILL have to write another two TV spot for next Monday and for Labor Day, because Loraine and I are heading downstate over the Labor Day weekend to see her dad.

So...see what I mean when I say it's going to be one of *those* weeks?

It's weird; I get one of *those* weeks every so often. I don't know why and I don't know how, but it seems time and the plane on which I live conspire to throw everything they can at me. Two or three weeks a year I can count on having to be in six places at once, and rolling out every available permutation of Jim--Radio Jim, History Jim, TV Jim, and then, in the end Exhausted Jim. In fact, I think this upcoming week probably ranks right up there with the week I had in late January where I did both “High School Bowl” and a TV appearance on Wednesday, the debut of “Legends & Lore III” at Kaufman on Thursday, "High School Bowl" again on Friday, and then announced at the Noquemanon Saturday.

And that was a blast (he says sarcastically).

I'm not looking for pity; after all, I bring this upon myself. And, truth be told, it's much preferable to just sitting around looking for something to do. It's just that when presented with a week like this one I'm about to face, a small part of my brain goes "Really"? Like things couldn't be spread out a little more?

But alas, it's not to be.

So wish me luck this week. If you see me literally (which I'm allowed to use in this case) running from one place to another, know there's a reason for it.

It's one of *those* weeks.

(jim@wmqt.com) 

Friday, 8/21

You know what I haven't done recently?

I haven't re-purposed anything recently.

You may remember one of our favorite words around here, "re-purpose" It's when you take something originally produced for another reason--like a newspaper article or a video--and and stick it in something else (like a blog) to save yourself from having to write said blog.

That's "re-purposing" something.

Because I've been creating so much content these days, and because time is running out to legitimately re-purpose some of it, I'm going to share a teaser video I made with my pal Emily at the Marquette Regional History Center for my bar tour coming up Wednesday night. We've been doing this kind of thing for the past five or six tours--I stand up & babble, she shoots me doing it, and then works her magic to make it presentable. If she's inspired, she'll even re-purpose it herself into something like the Tik Tok video she made of me a few years ago that garnered over six million views (and counting).

So with that in mind, here's today re-purposed piece of content. Have a great weekend; hopefully, you don't get rained on too much. And remember, if you're not doing anything this upcoming Wednesday night...

Maybe the video will tempt you to join us!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/20

Above all, I really admire his determination.

I think I've mentioned before how working where I do--in the heart of downtown Marquette--allows me to observe people as they pass by up & down Frost Street. It's especially interesting this time of the year, when you can watch the tourists with their heads on a swivel or buried in Google maps. But you also develop a sense of the "regulars", the people who live & work in the area and make their way here and there on a daily basis.

Like the elderly gentleman who passes by each morning with the walker.

Now, I have no idea who this individual is. I'm guessing he probably lives at Pine Ridge, and that he heads out every single day on a journey downtown. Whether it's for exercise or for chores, I have no idea. All I know is that I'll see his slowly make his way down the hill with his walker, and then an hour or so later he'll be back going up the hill, oftentimes moving a little slower than on his journey down, but he makes it.

That is one bad-ass dude.

As you may recall, we've had some nasty weather this summer. And even on the days when it's been 95 degrees or there's been smoke so thick you couldn't see four blocks away, he was out there, making his way up & down Front Street. I was glad to see that on the smokiest of days he was wearing an N-95 mask, but he was still out there.

And that was impressive.

Like I said, I don't know who he is; in fact, the closest I've come to talking to him has been the several tines we exchanged greetings as I was standing outside the station eating and he was coming up the hill with his walker. But that doesn't stop my admiration for what he's doing. He's obviously had some health issues in his life recently, yet he's doing his darnedest to to get out there and continue enjoying life. Whether his walk is for rehab or just for fun. I think it's something that we should all emulate, at least if we're ever in a situation like that.

Maybe one of these days I'll run out while he's shuffling by, and let him know how much I admire what he's doing. But he's working hard when he's out there, and I don't know if I want to interrupt him. I guess in the end it doesn't matter; as long as he keeps doing what he's doing, we can put him on the list of one the reasons why it's so great to work in downtown Marquette--

To see people like this gentleman (and his walker) setting an example for the rest of us.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/19

I wonder which side of the story is actually true?

As you may recall, I'm giving an updated version of my "Happy Hour: The Legendary Bars of Marquette" tour coming up one week from today, August 26th. Last year's version was maybe the most successful I've ever done, with around 300 people following me though an evening of Canadian fire haze (Social District drinks in hand) to learn all about the wild episodes of debauchery that have occurred in Marquette bars & taverns over the past 177 years.

It was a blast.

One of the things I mentioned, though, caused a bit of confusion amongst not only me, but several people in the tour. Just as an aside, when we passed the law office on Spring Street that used to be the home of an old bar called Antler's, I repeated a story that several people have told me--namely, Antler's was Marquette's last brothel, even up and including the 70s. When I mentioned that fact--shared to me at various times by a lawyer, a cab driver, and the person who bought the building after the bar closed--someone in the crowd said I was wrong.

If only because his grandparents owned Antlers.

So one of the things I'm working on for this tour is to determine, once and for all, which version (if any) is actually true. And in the year since, you know what kind of concrete evidence I've found for any of the stories?

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I mean, I've come across some great tales of prostitution during the 1880s and 1890s. Heck, I've even found out that area women would host (and get arrested for) paying gentlemen from the then-KI Sawyer Air Force Base into the 1960s. But do you think I could find anything that, one way or another, could establish what the story of Antlers (or the building it was located in) was?

Nope.

One of the issues I've run into is conflicting timelines; in other words, when people said certain things happened don't match up with the time the bar was in existence. I'm still checking, though, and who knows...maybe someday I'll actually uncover the truth about the bar and what may--or may not--have happened there.

Because no matter which side of the tale you believe may have happened, the truth is actually a big part of Marquette history.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 8/18

You know...I don't even remember the last time I was at the UP State Fair.

I mention that because it's State Fair week in Escanaba, when (seemingly) half the UP heads down to check everything out and eat their weight in fried food. Because it's such a big deal, I even did my TV spot about it last night, and while I was in the middle of doing it the thought crept into my head--

When was the last time I was there for the Fair?

As a kid, I was down there quite a bit. In the 90s I was there on an almost yearly basis, because we would sponsor some of the concerts (like Eddie Money and Robert Palmer, among others). But in the 20-plus since then?

Nope.

I suppose that one of these years I SHOULD go down there, if only to see how much it's changed since the 90s, and so I have a new frame of reference when talking about it. But going down to Escanaba and then going to the fair takes time, and what do I NOT have a lot of these days?

That, of course, would be time.

So I just have to add “fair” to the list of eleventy-thousand things for which I need to find the time. After all, it IS an iconic UP event, and I guess it's kind of hard to consider yourself a Yooper if you haven't checked it out at least once this century, right?

8-)

Here's the TV bit from last night--

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 8/17

I would like to introduce you to my summer friend--

Okay; right about now I'm sure you're wondering why I posted a picture of the 100 west block of Bluff Street in Marquette, a street populated mostly by parking lots and parking decks. Well, as you know, it's been a hectic summer, and as it's slowly coming to an end I wanted to give credit to one of the things that has kept me sane this season.

And that would be the 100 west block of Bluff Street in Marquette.

Let me explain. On those days when I had 8,000 things to do and just needed to escape them for a few minutes I would leave the station, walk around the corner, and come upon the 100 west block of Bluff Street. Because it's mostly a parking area I could walk up & down the street and not be bothered by much other than sunshine and the occasional glances of people who were returning to their cars. If it was a particularly sunny and/or hectic day I'd take a cup of tea (usually one from Germany) and sit for a few minutes at the picnic table someone had thoughtfully placed in the grassy area at the end of the parking deck.

It allowed me to enjoy a few extra minutes of summer weather the past few months. And that's something that everyone deserves.

It's also one of the few places in downtown Marquette where there hasn't bee a lot of construction this season. Between hotels going up and streets torn apart and parking lots left and right being redone, there's a LOT going on here this summer. But aside from work on a building on the corner of Bluff & Washington, it's been (relatively) quiet in my little “sanctuary”. And these days, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

So just let me say “thanks” to the 100 west block of Bluff Street in downtown Marquette. I know our friendship was unusual, but I'm sorry it'll be coming to an end. You made this summer just a little bit better than it could have been.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 8/14

Wow. It really is almost over.

Sunday is the 16^th of August, and noon on Sunday marks the exact halfway point of the month. If you consider “summer” to be the months of June, July, and August (which I think most of us do) that means we are now about to enter the final half of the final month of summer.

Summer is 5/6ths (or 84%) of the way over, and it doesn't even seem like it's started yet.

I know I wrote about this a few weeks ago, but where the heck has the season gone? Just those few weeks ago (or so it seems) we were dealing with increasing hours of the day and (slightly) increasing temperatures to go along with it. Now it's dark at 9 pm and, in some places in the UP next week, the possibility exists that a few overnight lows could get down into the 30s.

The 30s. Summer, we hardly knew ye.

When I was young, my grandfather told me many things. I, being young, didn't think he knew what he was talking about, and promptly forgot most of them. But two things he did say stuck with me, for whatever reason. One was that sardines out of a can were delicious. The other was that as you get older, time goes by more and more rapidly. Being a kid, I didn't believe him, but as it turns out he was 100% correct. And that's why, even to this day, when I'm speaking with someone who's much younger than I (like a couple of days ago, with two young people who I know from “High School Bowl”) I always preface my “wisdom” by saying “you may think I don't know what I'm talking about, but in a few years you'll get it”.

Just like I now realize my grandfather was right, at least about how time flies as you get older. I'm still pretty sure he was way off base about the sardines.

Hopefully you were able to get something out of summer, and not have had it (like for some of us) slip by in the wink of an eye. And if you didn't? Well, there's still 16 percent of it left, and hopefully, some of it will still be summer-like.

So enjoy it with all the gusto you can.

Have a great weekend,

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/13

To me, the picture just seems like summer. But maybe that's just me.

I was going through pictures I've taken on my journeys the past few weeks, and one popped and just made me stare at it. I don't necessarily remember taking the exact picture, although I do remember walking along the South Beach bike path and snapping a shot here and there. But when I looked at it again last night, the first thought that popped into my head was that this image takes all that's good and right about summer and encapsulates it in one shot.

That picture?

Like I said, I don't remember shooting that particular image. But to see the flower, the bug upon the flower, the beach, the lake, the sun, and the sense of warmth that it all invokes; well, to me, at least, it's the perfect picture of a summer day.

And somehow, I was lucky enough to capture it.

That's the funny thing about photography; even if you have no skill at it, every so often you'll get lucky, be in the right place at the right time, and capture something unexpected. As I said, I don't remember taking the picture, and at the time didn't think much of it. I probably didn't notice the bug, or the shoreline, or anything other than the flower. Yet, some how, some way, it all came together in one shot.

Thankfully, it came together for me.

The both path along South Beach is one of my favorite places in Marquette, for several different reasons. However, until the past week or so, one of those reasons was NOT because you could take amazing pictures there.

However, after this shot, that reason is going on the list.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/12

I wonder how rich you have to be to afford a toy like this--

This is a mega-yacht that's berthed in Marquette's Lower Harbor this week, a leviathan that's been visiting various ports on the Great Lakes this summer.. I don't know who owns it (although there has been a LOT of conjecture on various social media sites), nor do I know why they're tooling around the lakes.

All I know is that it sure has people talking.

I know nothing about the construction of mega-yachts, aside from reading an article or two over the years in Vanity Fair, talking about rich people and their toys. Based on those articles, I would guess that the ship probably costs 8 figures. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if it hit 9 figures. Now, I could be wrong--like I said, I'm basing everything I know on magazine articles--but to have enough spare change to build something like that means you probably have a little too much spare change lying around.

If you know what I mean.

Let say, for the sake of argument, that it costs 80 million bucks. It's your money; you can do what you want with it. But is the world REALLY a better place by sticking a mega-yacht on the Great Lakes? Couldn't you feed, say, a million people for eighty days instead? Isn't THAT a better use of the money? Once again, it's that person's money. They can do what they want with it. All I know is that if I had 80 million bucks in spare change lying around, I sure wouldn't buy a yacht.

But then, that's just me.

I hope the yacht's owner enjoys their time in Marquette. Maybe they can look under the boat's cushions and find a couple of thousand extra dollars lying around to donate to Room at the Inn or some other organization that provides help for those who need it. Because I'm guessing that if you spend that much money on a yacht...

A donation like that is, to use the word I use to much, literally pocket change.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 8/11

Now, I get to see on which side of the issue everyone falls.

While my TV piece last night did, as always, contain a few jokes, it dealt with an issue that seems to bother a lot more people than I thought it would--the issue of dog owners letting their animals run unleashed.

A couple of weeks ago, on one of my half days, I took my bike and a soccer ball out to Kaufman to run around, and while I was there a car (a blue Subaru, if you're curious) pulled up right in front of a sign that says "no dogs allowed". The back door of the car opened, a dog ran out unleashed and unsupervised, bounded onto the pitch, squatted down, left a big fat calling card, and then ran back into the blue Subaru, after which the car drove away rather quickly.

I was stunned by what I saw; not just the violation of three city ordinances within 30 seconds, but also by the sheer braziness of the people in the car. I'm pretty sure they knew that what they were doing was wrong; after all, they hid in the car while all this was happening. So when I got home I put three hypothetical situations in which someone does something ignorant (like an unleashed dog) on social media, asked people which was the worst, and waited to see what would transpire.

Over 200 responses later, I had my answer.

And that's what led to yesterday's TV piece. Because I was doing that podcast last night I didn't get the chance to post it right away, so I'm gonna wait until later today and stick it up. I'll be curious to see if TV 19 fans are like the people I know on Facebook, or if they're of a different mindset. All I know is that the whole adventure has opened my eyes a little as to what people say is or is not acceptable, and it's nice to know that (for once) I happen to be in the mainstream of acceptability.

Here's the TV piece, so you can judge for yourself--

(jim@wmqt.com) 

Monday, 8/10

I think today's going to be an interesting day.

I mean, it's actually been a couple of interesting weeks what with a bunch of events (like Ore to Shore this past weekend) adding to the chaos of every day life. But today, I have the feeling, is going to be one of those days when I say "my life is weird", because I have a full day of radio to start with, then a TV piece that I have the feeling may rub some people the wrong way, then the taping of a video podcast where I talk about the history of Marquette's harbor.

So yup. My life is weird.

I'll talk about the TV piece (and the story behind it) tomorrow, but I'm curious to see how the podcast turns out. It's being done by a local guy who's getting into the tour business, and one of the things he wants to emphasis on the tour is local history. For some bizarre reason, when you think of local history, my name seems to pop up (really??? 8-)) and so I'll be his next guest, following the esteemed Jack Deo by just a few weeks.

Once I get a link to the finished product, I'll be sure to share it.

I'm also sitting down with a couple of individuals over the next few days to hear bar stories from the 70s as part of my upcoming "Happy Hour II" tour. One would think that, after a while, I would have heard all there is about the bar scene in Marquette during that magical decade when the drinking age was 18, but you know what?

There seems to be no limit to the debauchery that occurred those mystical eight years. And you know what? I'm all the luckier for it.

So wish me luck. It's gonna be a hectic week but, I think, a very fruitful one. And don't be surprised if, over the next few days, you hear me uttering the fateful line that now seems to be my mantra--

My life is weird.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 8/7

Six stitches, a smashed finger, and a broken tooth.

In the UP, there are two ways to get those kinds of injuries. One would be after a really interesting night at Big Bon’s the opening day of deer season. The other?

If you’re a mountain biker.

This is the weekend over 2,000 mountain bikers descend upon Marquette County for the 27th annual Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic. It's the biggest mass start race in the state of Michigan, and you owe it to yourself to head to Negaunee Saturday morning and watch a non-stop stream of riders roll past you. Not only that, but if you head to the finish line in Marquette you can hear the announcer butchering the names of a whole bunch of riders.

That, by the way, would be me doing that.

In a way, the race–actually, the whole trend toward biking–is very emblematic of the way the UP has changed over the past 50 years. If you had told city leaders in the 1970s that people would be moving to Marquette just for the chance to ride their bike every day after work you would have been called crazy. But you know what?

There’s a reason Bike Magazine named Marquette County as one of the 5 best places to mountain bike in the entire United States. We have an amazing set of trail systems up here.

If you’re into mountain biking there’s the RAMBA trails or the north and south Noque trails. If you enjoy something a little more mellow, there’s the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. And if you just wanna ride to work every day or get your kids started on their bikes, the city of Marquette has a world class multi-use path system.

And it’s not just Marquette. You head to the Copper Country or Ontonagon or any place in the UP with hills, and you’ll find mountain bike trails. Summer or winter you can go for a ride, get as muddy or as icy as you want, and then join your friends for a beer, swapping stories about your ride and just which one of you has been banged up the most.

So if you see a lot of people on bikes this weekend, say “hey”. Ask which trail system is their favorite. And if you’re curious, find out just how banged up they’ve been. Because they’re mountain bikers. And they’re kinda proud of that.

By the way…those random injuries I mentioned at the beginning of this piece? So, I personally am up to six stitches, smashed finger, and a broken tooth. Keep your fingers crossed the count doesn't go higher.

8-)

Have a great Ore-to-Shore weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/6

It's nice to know that for once I (hopefully) chose wisely.

Because of my Ore to Shore commitments this weekend I've been trying to take a little time off this week. As you know, I try and take time off when it's supposed to be nice & sunny, and yesterday morning I was faced with a forecast that called for mostly sunny skies both Wednesday & Thursday.

I had to choose one, and (hopefully), I chose the correct day. After all, yesterday was NOT the day to take off when you wanted sun. Until, of course, around 2, when I would have had to come into work. Then the sun came out--

Perfect timing, huh?

This is happened to me before, and it usually goes like this—I wake up on a day that calls for sun, and when it's cloudy I'm concerned but not panicked. After all, the forecast still calls for sun. I go to work for a bit, and when I leave the clouds are still around, so I go running. When I finish running and take a shower, only to find that there was still a lot of haze in the sky, I start to have my doubts. I'll then usually stand at my apartment window, staring at and silently cursing the clouds until it's time to go back to work. And as I walk down Front Street to the station, the clouds finally break and the blue sky with its inviting sunshine pours out.

Oh, the irony of it all.

Now, I could whine like a six year old about the unfairness of days like that, but I'm gonna try & take the high road. After all, I am (theoretically) an adult. I should realize that Mother Nature doesn't do that just to get back at me for some perceived slight I might have accidentally unleashed upon the universe. I should think of it unselfishly; instead of how it affected my day, I should think about how the skies cleared just in time for everyone who was stuck inside of work all day to get out and enjoy the nice weather. I should instead revel and chuckle ruefully at the timing of the clouds leaving. I mean, how often does something like that occur at exactly the time it happened? Not often. And I should laugh at that instead of complain about it.

So that's what I'm going to do. Even if it kills me inside.

Now, the forecast for today calls for sunny skies and warm temperatures, and as I write this is looks okay. Will it hold out? Fingers crossed, especially that it doesn't turn out like it did yesterday, and like it has in the past--

With the finally sun coming out at 2, right as I walk into work.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/5

I have got to stop using the word “literally”.

Literally.

It’s funny; every so often, I’ll notice that I use a word WAAAAAAY too often, and this time around that word is “literally”. I seem to do it a lot when I give tours; especially while explaining some of Marquette’s wonders. If you listen long enough you'll notice that in each description of a building or a person I seen to use the “L” word, and have to mentally make myself stop doing it.

(I WAS going to say I had to “literally make myself stop”, but see? I’m getting better at it.)

I don’t know how I get into a word rut like that. I just know that it happens every so often, and I usually don’t notice it. I’ll have Loraine or someone come up to me or drop me a note and say something like “have you notice you say (fill in the blank) an awful lot?” To which my reply would probably something like “really? I literally say it that much?” And the vicious cycle starts all over again, as I stop saying the offending word and start saying “literally” (or whatever) again.

Recently, though, I've been catching it myself, which means that maybe, just maybe, I’m becoming aware of my verbal faults. Maybe, just maybe, I’m starting to realize my dependence on certain words or certain phrases. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll end up as an erudite aging (even if he doesn't want to admit it) but still young man who no longer uses certain words as crutches and who no longer drives certain phrases into the ground.

And, while we’re at it, maybe I can get my own spaceship, too? That’s probably more likely than me ever dropping all of my verbal faults.

Literally!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 8/4

Sometimes I put the jokes in just for me. I hope you're okay with that.

My TV piece last night was one of those gag-filled bits I stick together every so often, prompted by “Jimothy”, a raccoon with a deformed spine that seems to have captured the fancy of half the people on the Internet. In response, I came up with five “Wild Creatures of the UP”, starting with real ones and slowly devolving into the land of the absurd. And as a bonus, aside from the gags I verbally delivered, there were also little ones written in the graphics I put together.

I wonder if anyone even noticed?

The gags were in the form of the scientific names of the creatures. The first, for a monarch butterfly, was scientifically accurate, while the rest were just figments of my twisted mind. They were, in a way, connected to the picture on the screen, but were not grounded in reality at all. While I was coming up with them I realized that were actually a play on the fake scientific names that Chuck Jones would always stick in Road Runner cartoons.

And if you're gonna rip off someone, you rip off a master of the form, right?

So check 'em out for yourself. While I don't think they approach Chuck Jones-levels of madness, just consider them extra bonus gags in a piece already filled with bunch of stupid gags to begin with.

And you get them with no extra charge!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 8/3

Who said it could be August already? No one asked MY permission.

I’m astounded at the speed with which this summer is passing. It seems like it was just a week or so ago that I was getting ready for Loraine's dad to visit over the Memorial Day weekend; it seems like it was just a couple of days ago that I was sitting on the street watching the Marquette Fourth of July parades. Now, it’s August. By the time I wake up tomorrow (or so it’ll seem) kids’ll be back in school, I’ll be back from downstate visiting Loraine's dad, and Labor Day will have come and gone. Then, we have nothing but falling leaves, cold temperatures, and 7 straight months of snow staring us in the face.

Can’t anyone do anything about that? Please?

8-)

The more ancient I get, the more I’m amazed by how much “older people” actually knew when I was a kid. They’d tell me things like, oh, time speeds up the older you get, but I didn’t listen. I didn’t think it mattered. After all, they were “older people’. What did they know, right?

As it turns out, old people know quite a bit. Now, I find myself trying to pass wisdom along to my nieces or the students I get to know on “High School Bowl”. But I always add this caveat—I always tell them that they’re not gonna believe me when I tell them something now, but in 10 or 20 or 30 years, they may find remember some obscure fact or piece of wisdom that crazy old uncle Jim passed along and realize that maybe, just maybe, he knew what he was talking about.

After all, I never believed what I was told until I actually got old myself.

So, anyway, where were we? Oh yeah. . .the fact that that it’s August already. Can anyone please make the summer slow down, even if just a little? Please?? I’ll give you a lollipop and a puppy if you can. Really, I will!!

Thanks in advance,

(jim@wmqt.com)