Wednesday, 7/31

They really are two different places.

Having spent most of the past week down in Loraine's hometown, I get when she jokes about “The Awesome Flatness of Reese”--

Stand anywhere in Reese and you can see for miles and miles and miles. In fact, on a clear day, you can even see the top of the Zilwaukee bridge.

A bridge that's 13 miles away.

Contrast that with the place where I live--

Stand anywhere in Marquette and you can see, at the most, a half a mile or so. In fact, I put that particular picture up because when you stand on a hill you can, if you're lucky, see the top of another hill.

You can't do that in Reese.

Loraine often complained about growing up in the land of flatness, where everything looks the same no matter which direction you look in. And I think we're insanely lucky in that regard. You look in one direction and you see hills. Look in another direction and see water. Look in a third direction and see amazingly green forests

Not many places can say that.

So the next time you step out your front door, take a second and take a look. Not one lick of “Awesome Flatness” anywhere to be seen.

Take it from me--not every place can make that claim.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 7/30

 I'm back!

(And then, after a collective shrug of everyone's shoulders...)

The quick trip downstate went fine.  Or, at least, as fine as a trip for a funeral can go.  After all the official things on Thursday we were able to spend a lot of time together as a family, and tried to make a dent in all the food that was left over from the lunch after the service.

(Seriously--is that how much food every funeral lunch has?  Because there were a TON of people there and there was still enough left over that we ate nothing but leftovers throughout the weekend , following which Loraine's dad threw a bunch into the freezer)

While Loraine and varying combinations of her siblings took care of a bunch of family related things I tried to help her dad out by cooking, downloading Microsoft Word on his new computer, and doing one other thing that I actually really like doing but no one believes that I like doing--

I mowed his lawn.

It's a lot like snow shoveling, which aside from mowing lawns is something I haven't gotten to do since we moved into our current apartment 17 (gasp)  years ago.  When I did do it I had a push mower, and would tool around every little corner of whatever building in which we were living, making sure that every possible blade of grass had been snipped.

Yes, I know it's kind of a manly act and yes, I know I'm really not much of a man, but there are two things I like about lawn moving (and, by extension, snow shoveling).  The first is the geometry of it.  You have a surface, that surface needs to be cleaned, and how you approach it determines how long it will take.  If you look at it correctly, it's a puzzle.

And I like puzzles.

The second reason?  It's very Zen (which, of course, is not a very manly thing to say).  Once you've figured out your puzzle you just move the mower back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, until you're done.  You get into a groove, your brain locks in, and pretty soon, your mind is cleared as you suddenly realize that you're done.

I'm pretty sure most people who mow lawns don't do it for that reason, but since when have I ever been normal, right?

So, now I'm back, and ready to start hearing farm animal impressions as our "Fairground Frenzy" contest starts today.  It's been a weird past week.

I'm kind of interested to see what the next week has in store.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 7/23

I think I'll have everything done on time.

As I mentioned yesterday, Loraine and I have to head downstate for her mom's memorial service/lunch/inurnment/family gathering. We'll leave tomorrow, with all the official stuff on Thursday, and then just spend a very long weekend hanging out with various members of her family (and playing soccer) before coming back next Monday in time for me to do TV.

That means a couple of things. It means that I've had to get a couple of weeks' worth of work done in a week or so (which, thankfully, I seem to have accomplished), and it also means that there won't be another one of these here for a week. I'll try to write one as we're driving back next Monday. After all, there's two and a half hours of Loraine driving up I-75 before I take over once we cross the Bridge, and since I already seem to know every tree, exit, and junkyard off the freeway to begin with, I might as well do something a little more constructive with my time than just stare out the window.

Right?

So I'll be back here a week from today. It'll be a little summer vacation; perhaps not the one we were planning and certainly not one we wanted to have, but it'll be a little getaway nonetheless. So wish us safe travels and, if you would, keep Loraine's family in your thoughts.

I'm sure they'd appreciate it.

See you next week...

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 7/22

I don't get to be a dork this year.

Let me rephrase that, I guess, because as well all know I'm a dorky pretty much every day of every year.  This year I won't be able to, for the first time in over two decades, do my yearly counting of license plates n the week leading up to Art on the Rocks.  I've done it every year since at least 2002, and it always provides me with two things--fodder for these babblings, and an insight into just how popular Marquette has become and just how strong the US economy is.  Back in 2008 during the Great Recession I only saw plates from 17 other states, while last year I saw them from 45.  I'm guessing that with Marquette's exploding popularity and the continued strength of the US economy that I might top that number this year.

But I won't be able to find out.

The reason why?  Well, some of you may know this (although I'm guessing most of you don't), daily blog reader Betsy of downstate Reese--aka Loraine mom's--passed away earlier this month, and her memorial service (and a big family gathering) are set for later this week.  And since, as my sister is fond of reminding me, "family is the most important thing", I have places to be other than here counting license plates..

Betsy's passing, while not entirely unexpected, is still a shock. I feel not only for Loraine but for her dad, Floyd, who was married to Betsy for 60+ years, as well as their entire extended family.  We, of course, always try to get down there at least once a year and visit; it's just a bummer that this year's journey is under such sad circumstances.

But it's all part of the circle of life, I guess.

So the license pate count will have to wait until next year, I guess, unless I decide to just do it every year on another weekend; say, perhaps, NMU's "welcome back" weekend.  We'll have to see.  But for the first time in over two decades it won't be during Art on the Rocks week this year.

But that's okay.  After all, "family is the most important thing".

(jim@wmqt.com)

(ps--if you're in Marquette this week and see a strange license plate, pass it along.  After all, I'm still going to be curious about the whole thing!)

Friday, 7/19

A couple of days ago I had mentioned the randomness of Marquette, how, if you're on foot, you get to see things that most people in cars would just zoom by.

Well, since I posted those thoughts on Monday I have come across a few examples of that same phenomenon, so to wrap up the week pictorial proof that I'm not just making it up. For example...

Why is a single cherry tomato sitting n the street?

Seeing as how retainers are supposed to sit in your mouth, there are several questions I have about this one lying on a sidewalk. How did it get there? Shouldn't you notice it's not in your mouth. And, most importantly, just how much alcohol was involved in the retainer ending up on the sidewalk?

I assume with the leaf that you drew you're referring to cannabis and not the early 90's En Vogue song, right?

And finally...it's too bad hand signs don't come with spellcheck...

See? You'd probably miss most (if not all) of these by driving. But if you know where to look, the randomness (and the wackiness) of Marquette is all around you.

Hope your weekend is random and/or wacky!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 7/18

I think people need to rethink their definition of the word "legendary".

If you listen on the air, you know I do interviews with people on an almost daily basis. I did one a couple of days ago, and the person with whom I was speaking then put up a social media post saying that he'd be on with the "legendary Jim Koski" that afternoon, and everyone should listen to it..

First of all, thanks for the plug and telling people to listen. Second of all, "legendary"? Me? Are you quite sure about that?

8-)

I always have to laugh when someone calls me "famous" or, in this case, "legendary", because as both you and I know, I'm not. I'm just a dorky little kid who grew up into a dorky adult whose singular talent seems to be a bizarre propensity for showing up in the media on a daily basis. I would save the terms "famous " or legendary" for everyone from Jon Stewart to Princess Diana to Barack Obama. Those people are "famous" and/or "legendary". I'm just, uhm, a dork.

With a propensity for being in the media.

As I've gotten older, though, I have come to realize what might propel people to use those terms when referring to me. In this small pond in which we live I could understand why some people might believe me to be a big fish. I guess I get that, given my propensity for being on TV and radio and newspapers and walking tours. But when I think of the words "famous" or "legendary" I just have to laugh a little, thinking to myself "you really don't know me, do you?" In the grand scheme of things I'm neither famous or legendary, at least on a planetary basis. And to me, that's what's required to be "famous" or "legendary".

But...like I said, as I've gotten older I understand how those words can get thrown around, especially on a local basis. And in a way, it's actually kind of a cool thing. If I'm described as "famous" or "legendary" it means I've made a mark in the area. It means I've made some sort of impression on people. It means I've made a difference.

And in the end, isn't that the most important thing?

I'm guessing that no matter how "famous" or "legendary" I get locally, I'll still have the same reaction to being called those words. Between you & me, I'm neither. But I have gotten to the point where I do recognize how they could apply to a dorky kid turned even dorkier adult.

Even if we both know I'm really not.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 7/17

And just like that, another season is over.

Throughout the past couple of months I've been sharing many of the "Pieces of the Past" videos I've been making for the Marquette Regional History Center. It's hard for me to believe, but after today all 18 of them I've made since the beginning of the year will now be available to the public.

Series four of the "show" is now in the books.

I started these videos during Covid, when some people were stuck in their homes and looking for any sort of entertainment. Since telling historical stories seems to be my one and only skill, I figured I'd give it a shot, and voila--they were a hit. Since they're a little too labor-intensive to do them on a daily or weekly basis, I've just been doing a batch (or a "season", if you prefer) most Springs since, and after a hiatus for my restaurant documentary last year, I did it again in 2024.

And now, that season is coming to an end.

I'm still kind of on the fence as to whether there will be a "season" five, but then it's like that every time I finish a batch. I actually have interviews I did this year that I didn't use; plus, I have tentative plans to work with a Native Studies class at NMU to put something together about the peoples who lived here before Europeans showed up. So right there we have the basis for a bunch of videos next time around. or, we have the basis for a longer-length piece or two. What form that takes, I guess, will depend upon several different things.

I guess we'll just have to see how I feel next winter. If I'm bored and/or frustrated at being stuck inside because we have a real winter (unlike the one we had last year), at this time next year we'll be talking about how I'm wrapping up "season" five of the show.

We'll just have to see.

So on that note, I'll leave you with the season finale. It's actually pretty much a mirror of the season premiere, so because of that I'll say the same thing I said when I posted the first entry of "season" four--Watch it on as big of a screen as possible.

(jim@wmqt.com)