Fall Sports Season

With public schools set to open up next week after Labor Day, that means the fall high school sporting season will also get underway, if it hasn't already. High school sports are huge in the Upper Peninsula - especially when you consider that the closest pro sports franchise from the U.P. is the Green Bay Packers, whom have a huge following up here. High school sports that take place in the fall here in the Upper Peninsula include football, girls volleyball, cross country (running), and girls tennis. The universities up here also have sports starting in the fall, with the biggest being (no surprise), football.

The school I attended when I was in high school was too small to support a football team. There was talk for a brief time of starting up a squad, but ultimately it never happened. Between getting all the gear needed to play the sport to having a field in which to play on - it just wasn't feasible. Then came the issue of having enough players to support a team. It seemed like there was enough interest, but as with starting any new sports program, money was a big obstacle. This year, my high school is starting a football program for the first time. However, it'll be a self-supported operation, meaning the school is not putting any money into it. It'll consist of an eight-man squad, which is smaller than the typical 11-man squad. It's supported by the Michigan High School Athletic Association as a means of allowing smaller schools across the state to participate in football, when they otherwise couldn't. It'll be interesting to see how the first inaugural season takes place for the old high school.

High School football has a huge following peninsula-wide. Despite declining enrollment for virtually every school in the U.P., high school sports continue to receive support from every community that has a school. I was never able to be a part of a football team at high school and never experienced the frenzy that exists while attending a high school football game. But I can tell from watching clips on television and on-line that it's an amazing experience. I think I would've enjoyed participating on a football team. I realize that it's a physically demanding sport and injuries are common. But you only live once - and I think I would've done quite well on a football team. How nice it is to see students from my high school finally being able to get that chance and to participate on a football program at the school. It was all but a dream when I went to school there.

As of now, there will not be a state-wide tournament at the end of the eight-man football regular season. After all, this is the inaugural season for the program in the state of Michigan. However, with declining enrollment continuing to be a problem not only in the Upper Peninsula, but in the entire state, more schools may consider having smaller football teams to make ends meet. I know of some high school teams that are struggling to attract players to an 11-man squad. This could provide an alternative for them and with more schools participating, then the MHSAA would considering holding a state-wide tournament after the regular season has concluded. It all depends on how this first season goes. And if there's growing interest from here on out, it may be a thing of the future for many smaller schools across the state.

Slow Computer

Lately my computer has slowed down to a crawl and it's getting to the point of being unbearable. I bought it three years ago and I figure it shouldn't be this slowed down already. Often when I first turn it on, I have to wait a good 10 to 15 minutes before everything is fully loaded. Even then, sometimes Firefox takes a painfully long time to open. I have to wonder if I have some sort of malware or virus stuck in my system. Whatever the case, this computer really needs some attention, otherwise I may be forced into a very evasive maneuver: throwing it out my window!

First things first, there may be a few programs that are causing it to slow down. My Adobe Flash Player was crashing pretty frequently until I downloaded the latest version yesterday. Now that program doesn't seem to be having an issue. However, my Adobe Acrobat reader has always malfunctioned, yet whenever I need to open a PDF file, it still manages to open. I do believe that when the computer is downloading automatic updates, that really slows the computer practically to a halt. Also, when I try opening a few different programs at once or try loading several different websites at once, it slows to a snail's pace. So obviously something is slowing it down. Yet at this point, I just don't know what.

I've tried the typical remedies, such as scanning for viruses, running my free malware software, defragging the system, and clearing cashe/cookies. Yet no dramatic results have occurred. The next step will involve removing unused programs and deleting or transferring large files. I have a few video clips saved so it just might help to save them to a disk. Heck, at this point anything should work, I would think. Yet one thing still is rather baffling to me - I still have a ton of memory on my computer, but it's still painfully slow.

Needless to say, one of these days I'm going to have to sit down and try working on this computer. I don't want it to get to the point where it's unusable, or the system completely fries itself. I had a laptop before that had similar problems and eventually, it never turned back on. I want my computer to last a little bit longer than three years. I'll try doing some research on the internet to see if there's other solutions I can try, otherwise if all else, I might have to bring it into a computer shop, which can sometimes amount to big bucks. But that is a last resort kind of situation as I'm going to try my best to resolve my computer issue. Wish me luck and if someone out there has any tips, please post them in the comments section!

U.P. State Fair

This past weekend, the annual Upper Peninsula State Fair wrapped up another successful event. This was a very monumental year for the fair as it went on without aid from the state of Michigan. The state government of Michigan made some very painful cuts last year that resulted in the loss of funding to both state fairs in Michigan, the one in Escanaba and the one in Detroit. But, with a committed and unified group, the U.P. State Fair lived on to see another year. And by all accounts, the revenue generated from this year's event exceeded what the fair organizers were expecting. It appears that the future of the state fair in Escanaba will be very bright for many years to come.

The U.P. State Fair here in Upper Michigan is a pretty big deal. People from all across the Upper Peninsula attend the event, many bringing exhibits to put on display while others enjoy the rides and games of the midway. It sounds like this year, many people from all across the country attended the event, even some from as far away as Saskatchewan, Canada. A few vendors who typically set up at the fair in Detroit made the trek up north to be apart of the U.P. State Fair. The State Fair in Detroit will not go on this year, unlike the fair in Escanaba. And the sad part is, the Detroit Fair had been around a lot longer and had developed such a rich history. Now, the Upper Peninsula State Fair is the only state fair in Michigan.

When I was a kid, it seemed like we always attended the fair each summer. I always enjoyed strolling through the Ruth Butler Building, checking out the free handouts the area businesses were handing out to kids and adults alike. Then we'd lug our bags of free stuff to the midway to check out some of the rides and play a few games. I was never all that successful at winning any of the games, but usually my one sister would win something. As for the rides, they certainly had a wide variety of them. From a Ferris Wheel, to the Zipper, to rides that take you up and down, round and around, and side to side. I am not a big fan of heights so the rides that went up high were never a huge favorite of mine. However, I often enjoyed the ones that would make it feel like your belly was about to flip around. And even if I did have some trepidation about a certain ride, eventually it would subside as I rode along.

Its been several years since I made the trek to the U.P. State Fair, but one of the years I'll definitely need to go and check it out again. I am sure there are plenty of different things to see at a present-day U.P. State Fair. However, I'll be certainly looking forward to a few traditions I once enjoyed before, such as eating elephant ears, snow cones, cotton candy, Norms Fries, and a plethora of other great fair foods. As you can see, it's probably a good idea to attend a fair on an empty stomach! Like I said before, it'll be neat to walk through the Ruth Butler Building and see what businesses are on hand and what they're giving out. And hopefully I'll go on a night when there's an interesting group performing in the grandstand. This year, bands such as Everclear and Orianthi performed. Sure beats the country acts that often appeared year after year in the past. So, despite the fact that the fair in Escanaba is over for this year, at least here in the U.P., we can look forward to it coming back again next year.

Oldies Music

Through the years, I've learned to enjoy many different varieties of music. When I was a kid, my dad listened to a healthy dose of oldies music, which consisted of songs from the 1960's and '70's. And so with that exposure to those songs, I've come to enjoy many songs from that era. In this week's edition of "Music Thursdays," here are a few artists and some of their songs in which I enjoy. Obviously there are a lot, so here is just a small sampling of those artists and their songs.

Tommy Roe - One great memory of my childhood is seeing my dad sing along to some of Tommy Roe's biggest hits like "Dizzy" or "Sheila." Our family was even lucky enough to attend one of his concerts when he made an appearance at one of the casinos here in the U.P. Roe seems like such an honest, down-to-earth guy and it's really nice to see that he had such great success from his songs. A few other of his more noticeable songs include "Sweet Pea" and "Hooray for Hazel." Definitely true classics.

Tommy James and the Shondells - In my opinion, one of the all-time classics from that era of music is Tommy James and the Shondells' song "Crimson and Clover". I remember hearing it many times while my dad and I visited my uncle at his place when he had oldie's songs blaring from his radio. I prefer the shorter version of the song myself but either way, it's still one of those songs you'll always remember. A few other songs made famous by the group are "I Think We're Alone Now", "Crystal Blue Persuasion" and "Mony Mony".

Hermans Hermits - This is another group we had the pleasure to see in person a few years back at a concert, and they're still going strong touring. A couple of my favorite songs of theirs include "I'm Into Something Good" and "There's a Kind of Hush". Peter Noone even made an appearance on American Idol during season six when the contestants were doing a British Invasion week (not totally positive on the theme, but something like that). If you want a taste of the honest, feel-good music of the 1960's, listen to Hermans Hermits songs. A couple other of their most famous songs are "I'm Henry the VIII, I Am" and "No Milk Today."

The Animals - Here's another classic group from that era of music with an incredibly distinct sound. A couple of their biggest hits were "House of the Rising Sun" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place". I think back to American Idol this past season when Siobhan Magnus sang "House of the Rising Sun" during one theme week. It just goes to show you that even today, music from that era is still very much relevant. It'll live on for many years to come. They're also known for other hit songs including "It's My Life" and their cover of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

I hope you enjoyed this look back at a few great artists/groups and their songs. I know I mostly cover hit music from today on "Luke's Ponderings" - so it was nice to change it up a bit and look at a few classic oldies. And you can be sure we'll delve back into music from the 1960's and '70's again soon.

The Price is Right

So any "The Price is Right" followers out there? I'll admit to being a game show fan overall, and "Price" is one of my favorite game shows. Some of the luster of the show was taken away when Bob Barker retired. But honestly, it's still the same show - no matter who's hosting. "The Price is Right" actually goes beyond 1972 when Bob Barker first began hosting the show. The late, great Bill Cullen hosted the first rendition of the series - and it was actually quite a different show from what's on the air now. But the basics of the show overall stayed the same. Yet, the show in which we've all grown to love continues to this very day - and it's returning this fall for its 39th season.

There will be a few noticeable changes heading into the season premiere in late September. For one, Drew Carey will look remarkably different. He lost an incredible amount of weight in a rather short amount of time. 80 pounds total, in fact. When looking at some of the pictures on-line, it's a pretty shocking transformation. I think we've all come to love the bigger Drew over the years, when he first appeared on his television series that aired during the 1990's. Gone is the over-weight Drew and now we have a very slim and trim MC of "The Price is Right." I think seeing the new Drew will take some getting used to, however, it's great that he was able to lose the weight for his better overall health.

Another noticeable change is the absence of announcer Rich Fields, who was asked not to return to the show. You first began hearing his voice in 2004 when he took over for the late Rod Roddy, who died from colon cancer. Rich's voice had become somewhat of a staple of the show, and I for one will miss his presence. I think his announcing style had gained mixed reactions from the loyal "Price" watchers. You either liked him or loathed him. And I'm sure the casual viewers couldn't care less. From the sounds of it, the production staff on the show are going in another direction with the announcer's role and are hiring an improv comic. They are looking to transfix the show from a game show into more of a variety show with house bands and celebrity guests. I really don't agree with this decision as it will further alienate the existing loyal fans who already dislike the changes that have taken place since Bob Barker left. It just adds more fuel to the fire, I'm afraid.

Those two things will be the most dramatic changes for the show. As for the rest, they are only small, cosmetic changes to set pieces. However, a new pricing game will appear at some point in the season and could provide as much as $100,000 in winnings. I have reason to believe it will be a very difficult game to win, however. After all, how often do you see a contestant win the top prize in "The Golden Road"? I think it will be modeled similarly to that game - in which it's very rare to win the top prize. Time will tell how everything plays out, however. It's only a little over a month until the new season of "Price" begins.

Potential New Pet

Lately I've had animals on my mind more and more - and I think I might be ready to own a pet here pretty soon. As of now, I am leaning towards getting a cat, although I'm not ruling out a small or medium-sized dog at this point. But I have to look at the accommodations I can provide. Obviously I have a big enough house since it's just me living here. But I am gone pretty frequently to work - so the animal would be by itself for long periods of time. Plus, I like to take trips home to my parents' house often, so if I had a dog, I'd have to take it with me. A cat, however, can pretty much fend for itself. Which is why I am leaning towards getting a cat.

Growing up, we've owned plenty of pets as a family. We had countless number of cats and a few dogs - and if you include goldfish, we've had lots of them, too. For the most part, we never had any of those animals stay inside the house. The cats stayed in the house during the daytime and we'd let them out at night. That's probably why we were never able to keep a cat around for very long. The longest we were able to have a cat around the house was six years - otherwise they either got ran over by cars from the nearby highway or they disappeared, probably taken by foxes, hawks or coyotes. As for our dogs, my dad had built a doghouse for our first dog. I don't remember much about our first dog because we got him when I was pretty young and unfortunately, he got hit by a car and died. He was a collie; a gorgeous breed of dog. The only real memory I have of that dog is when we had a water sprinkler running, he'd be chasing after the streams of water that flew around. We'd have to compete with a dog to run through the sprinkler on those hot days. Still, a collie is a beautiful dog and it was unfortunate we weren't able to keep him around for a long longer.

Our other dog is one I wrote about before - but it's been quite awhile since I discussed him. His name was Spike and he was a mutt mix. We honestly weren't sure the kind of breeds he was comprised of - but we're sure he had cocker spaniel in him. He, too, was hit by a car when he was a year old, but luckily he survived. Although I don't believe he was ever the same afterwords - but he lived to be a very old dog when we had to put him down - 12. Our family had plenty of adventures with that dog while he was alive. I was probably about nine years old when we got him and at the end of his life, I was 21. That's a substantial amount of years to have a pet, so you can imagine how hard it was to make the decision to put him down. But, sometimes you have to make those decisions and move on. It's a simple reality to being a pet owner; you have to take great care of an animal in order for it to survive. That means feeding it, giving it water, providing it shelter, and bringing it to a vet when it needs care. And when an animal is terminally ill, the decision needs to be made to have it put down. I know that's not going to be easy with any pet, but it's going to have to be done sooner or later.

So there are a lot of things to consider when owning a pet. I know I'll still be pondering whether or not I'm ready for a pet at this stage of my life. It's only a matter of when and not if now. It probably won't be right away yet - maybe more this fall. However, I know if I keep looking at the local humane society pages, that decision may come a lot sooner than planned. There are a lot of great looking pets that need a home! And the last thing I want to see is an animal put down because nobody wants it. I guess that would be an incredible struggle to deal with for those working at an animal shelter. As for me, you'll definitely know when I bring that pet home and when that time comes, I'm sure there'll be plenty of stories to tell about it in the future.

A New School Year

As we reach the middle point of August, school-aged kids and college-bound individuals are beginning to fret the return of going back to school. Back when I was in school, when we reached this point of the summer, I was left to wonder where on earth my summer vacation had gone. In grade school, we always went back to classes during the last week of August. And that was pretty much the case when I went to college. Nowadays, the state of Michigan has mandated that public schools throughout the state begin the first day of classes on the first Tuesday after Labor Day. So, for all of the students that attend public schools in Michigan, you still have another three weeks of summer vacation. But for those attending universities and colleges in the state, your vacation time is much shorter.

For Northern Michigan University located in Marquette, I was quite surprised to find out that the first day of classes for the fall semester start Monday, August 23rd. I was expecting they'd start on the 30th, which is still one week before Labor Day. But I think they may be pushing for an earlier start in the fall so they can get an extra-long winter break. It's kind of hard to believe that when the semester is over, we'll be looking forward to Christmas and the winter season. As for Michigan Tech in Houghton and Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie, their first day of classes is August 30th. So take heart NMU students, even though you'll be starting classes a week earlier than everyone else, at least you can look forward to a longer winter break before classes resume in January.

Similarly for the community colleges like Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba and Iron Mountain, classes begin Monday, August 30th. Community Colleges are also located in Ironwood at Gogebic Community College and in Brimley at the Bay Mills Community College. There is also a private college located in Hancock, called Finlandia University. Finlandia was once a two-year college but now offers four-year degrees in a variety of fields. Like NMU, classes at Finlandia begin Monday, August 23rd.

Even though my days at a university are long gone, I can still remember those first few days of classes for the fall semester. Typically there's no place to park so you have to do a bit more walking to class and when you get to your classes, it's like a whole new experience. You're meeting new teachers and classmates and you get to spend 16 weeks with them learning the same material. I wouldn't say my time at college was as satisfying as I would've liked, but I still had some enjoyable times. For any prospective students taking classes in the U.P., hopefully you have a successful academic year. And be sure to get out and enjoy some of that U.P. scenery when you get a break from your classes.

One Hot Summer

It's been so incredibly humid in the Upper Peninsula as of late, with fans blaring and air conditioners at full throttle. It hasn't necessarily been hot - as we have not had a 90 degree day this week. Yet the humidity sure made it feel so much warmer than it actually was. I don't remember a summer where we've had many days of high humidity like this year. And this hasn't been the only week-long stretch of warmth, either. I'd say it's been a consistently warm summer for us. Not record-breaking, mind you, but still warm. Last night a cold front pushed through ushering in much more comfortable conditions. We're finally able to open up all the windows and let the air conditioners and fans take a break. Now, what will the rest of August and the fall season bring us weather-wise?

Complaining about the heat in the Upper Peninsula can be a touchy subject. There are those individuals who say we shouldn't complain about the heat and humidity because it's not here all that long and soon enough, we'll be dealing with the cold and snow. I can understand that philosophy. I typically do not complain about the warmer weather unless it begins to stretch on for days and days, like it has been. I think all of us Yoopers can take a day or two in a row of heat and humidity, but once it gets beyond that, it gets a little difficult to take. Especially when the night temperatures do not cool down and it gets to be uncomfortable at night to sleep, then there's a reason to complain. But you look at the people who live in the south and they deal with this all of the time. Then again, they are more equipped to deal with the heat more than we are.

And I am not a big proponent on global warming talk like some people are. This is turning out to be one of the hottest summers world-wide in the history of mankind and some people will put the blame on global warming. Yes, we have been warmer in recent years than say the 1970's and 1980's but I think the climate and how it responds works in phases. We've had warm spells in the past and over time, we've cooled back down. I guess it remains to be seen whether or not we work out of this current warm phase that we're in. Needless to say, I'm not jumping on the global warming bandwagon quite yet. After all, last summer was quite cool for our standards here in the U.P. And so this year, we've kind of evened things out. After a very dry start to the summer, it's like mother nature flipped a switch and we've had more than our fair share of rain. Things have a way of evening things out.

It appears we'll be experiencing more typical Upper Michigan weather for the next week, meaning more comfortable humidity and average late-summer temperatures in the low-to-mid 70's. Now that is my kind of weather. Warm enough to make you sweat outside, but only if you're really working hard. And you can enjoy being outside, whether it's relaxing on the back deck, sitting on a patio chair, and enjoying a beverage to enjoying a nice hike on a back-country trail. I imagine the bike racers who competed in the Ore to Shore Race yesterday would've enjoy today's weather conditions much more than yesterday's weather. Oh well, whatcha gonna do? This is the U.P. after all. Soon enough, we'll be hunkering down for the upcoming winter season.

Songs I Dig - 19

So here we are into the month of August and it's a new "Songs I Dig" blog staring you in the face. In this edition, we have some brand new songs that have recently aired on the radio and we have some oldies that have graced the radio waves for awhile. After all, I hadn't posted a Songs I Dig blog for quite awhile during the first half of the year, so there's some catching up to do. On with the blog!

Brandon Flowers - "Crossfire" : You may not recognize the name, but you'll certainly recognize the voice once this song begins. Brandon is the lead singer of the highly popular group "The Killers." They've created several hit songs as a group, and now Brandon is branching out on his own with a solo album. The album's name is titled "Flamingo" and is set to be released September 14. It's a highly anticipated release, considering his first single is doing quite well and getting plenty of air. "Crossfire" quickly caught on for me - it's got a unique sound, a great message, and I thoroughly enjoy Brandon's vocals on this one. He has an incredible and highly recognizable voice that basically can do no wrong. Look for this song to continue rising up the charts.

Uncle Kracker f. Kid Rock - "Good to Be Me" : Uncle Kracker has been around for awhile now and continues to produce the hits. His latest song "Good to Be Me" with the help of Kid Rock, is one of those songs that's so incredibly catchy and has feel-good lyrics to it. It's a great song to listen to on the radio as you're cruising down the highway. "Good to Be Me" is the second song from the album "Happy Hour" which was released nearly a year ago. The first single off the album, "Smile," did incredibly well, reaching #31 in the United States and has been certified Platinum. If you're also a country fan, you probably heard "Smile" on country radio as it's been a cross-over hit there, as well. "Good to Be Me" is also a cross-over song and it's one that steadily growing popularity. Will it be as big of a hit as "Smile" was? Probably not, but it'll still do well for Uncle Krakcer.

Michael Buble - "Haven't Met You Yet" : I am sure you've heard this song played on the radio plenty of times like I have. At first, when it first came out, I wasn't exactly a fan of it. In fact, I remember switching stations more often than not when it came on. But eventually I began to like it more and more and then I was hooked. Now when it comes on, I'm usually singing along to it - now knowing a majority of the lyrics. It's funny how that goes - a song you first despised in the beginning becomes one of your favorites of the year. That's just how radio is, I guess. "Haven't Met You Yet" is a fun, upbeat song that'll get your toes tapping. It's another one of those lucky-in-love kind of songs. It's definitely got a lot of truth to the lyrics when describing a real-life love situations. The song has been a #1 smash in the United States.

That about covers it for this edition of the Songs I Dig. Be sure to watch out for the 20th edition of the Songs I Dig to come out very soon and will feature more of my favorite hits from 2010. I am sure there will be mostly songs from earlier this year in that edition as right now, there's not a lot of new songs I'm digging at the moment. But I am sure that will change.

A Sad Movie

As I mentioned a little while back, a variety of channels from HBO were added as part of an upgrade to my cable package. Needless to say, I've been enjoying watching HBO more than Cinemax. One such movie I decided to watch was "Marley and Me." It's a movie that came out on Christmas Day in 2008 and it was a highly regarded film. I remember hearing great things about it but that the ending was quite sad. Seeing that I hadn't watched many films during the past three to four years, getting these additional movie channels is a great way for me to catch up. And "Marley and Me" is definitely one of those films I can say I watched.

The film truly is exceptional. It's great for the family - there's no cursing, no violence, and it involves animals. I mean honestly, when there's dogs involved in a movie, not very many people are going to turn it down unless its ridiculously corny - such as the dogs are made to talk. The story of "Marley and Me" is so sweet. A journalist working at a newspaper in Florida has just been giving a promotion, albeit temporary. Meanwhile, as part of a surprise, he brings his wife to a place where they are selling golden retriever puppies. Of course she can't turn down a cute, innocent puppy. The short-term name she gives the puppy is "Clearance Puppy," because the woman selling the puppy gave them a discount on it over the others. Eventually, they'd name it Marley, after Bob Marley.

The story follows the life of this man and woman and their ever growing family, including Marley. The dog is one of the most rambunctious and trouble-some you could ever see. He earns the reputation as being the worse dog ever by its owners (in jest, though). Meanwhile, the couple adds not one or two kids, but three during Marley's life. The family also endures a change in location from Florida to Philadelphia, PA, where John Grogan, the journalist, gets a job as a reporter instead of a columnist. The house is bigger, the family seems to be happier than ever, and Marley is getting older and older.

The last 30 minutes of the movie is exactly as it's been touted as being - very sad. I don't know what it is when it comes to pets and dying, but it's a very difficult subject to endure. I know when we had to put down our family dog over six years ago, I was distraught and devastated. And while watching Marley's life gradually come to end, those feelings came rushing back. I mean, there's the whole scene at the vet's office, the kids becoming teary-eyed at the possibility of losing their best friend, and John's wife also becoming emotional. It honestly became too much for me and I lost it - I have never gotten so emotional over a movie as an adult like I did with this film. It was really a touching movie and one I'll never forget. Would this movie have the same effect on me a second time around? I'm thinking not; but you never know. I decided to purchase the book on the real-life story to find out if there's any additional details left out in the movie. It's probably the first book in a long, long time that I'm looking forward to reading. I'm sure eventually you'll be reading my reaction to the book in due time.

Annual Family Picnic

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day to be at the beach. With temperatures in the middle 80's and high humidity, people were taking advantage of a day by the shoreline. Where I live, I'm probably only a half-mile from Lake Superior. But I cannot go directly to the lake because there are other homes in the way. Some people are lucky enough to own property along the shore! But further down the road from where I live, there's plenty of state-owned beach front to enjoy. And if you were to look, you can see white sandy beaches for miles. It truly is a spectacular sight.

My family and I have started a new tradition that began last year. My sister and her kids, along with my parents and I bring along some food for a picnic at the beach. My dad does the cooking on the grill and we all eat there. After that, we head down to the beach for some swimming. Last year the weather wasn't quite as warm as it was this year - in fact, there were more clouds out than sun. And the water temperature of the lake was quite chilly. I didn't even do any swimming it was so cold! But the kids did - they don't seem to be bothered by the cold lake water. With the warm air temperatures this year and the unusually warm lake waters, it was hard not to do any swimming this time around.

I am typically not a fan of putting on sun screen, even if I'm out for a short while. But yesterday I kind of wish I did, because I got a bit burned. My arms, face, top of my head, and neck all got a little red. It wasn't quite noticeable at first, but later on in the evening, you could definitely tell I got red. Ah well, it'll go away in a few days. I'll just have to be more careful if I venture out in the sun. Like I mentioned, the swimming was fantastic. The water didn't take your breath away as much when you entered. Isn't it funny how long it takes a person to get adjusted to the water temperature when older? When you're a kid, you jump right in. But for adults, we slowly wade into the water until we're finally neck-deep. Still, one could not complain about Lake Superior's water yesterday. There were a few waves here and there, but all in all, it was a nice time to be on the lake.

My nephew was even playing with a few other kids that were there - but he gets along very well with just about anyone. My niece doesn't quite have that same personality, but she's funny in her own way. Because my dad and I are on vacation this week and my sister is off from work today, we just might make a repeat trip to the beach again this afternoon. It appears we'll have another day like yesterday - so why not spend it at the beach. We have to enjoy these days while we can.

A Trip Down the Road...

Earlier this week, I made a spur-of-the moment decision to take a short drive down M-28 in the Upper Peninsula from Harvey to the Scenic Look-out just outside of the city of Munising. It's a route that I am somewhat familiar with, although not one I frequent all too often. It's a picturesque road, with plentiful views of Lake Superior throughout. There are a few small towns here and there, but nothing with a McDonald's or a Wal-Mart in it; and I think that's a good thing. Honestly as I drove through, I was really amazed at what a person could find while traveling this route. There really is a lot that M-28 has to offer, and this was only 40+ miles or so.

So let's discuss the communities between Munising and Harvey. First off, the largest of the communities on this stretch of route would be famous Christmas, Michigan. For those unfamiliar with the U.P. and this small town, it's Christmas 24 hours a day, seven days a week in this sleepy town. There are signs and displays of Santa and Mrs. Clause, as well as plenty of red and green tinsel decorating railings and rooftops. It's truly a sight to see. But it doesn't take much to drive through and miss it all. Christmas has a few novelty shops to explore and if you are the gambling type, the Kewadin Casino of Christmas is open for you. Their restaurant serves excellent food, believe me. In addition, just across the street is Foggy's Restaurant, another fine establishment known for its excellent food. Christmas is definitely a must-stop destination, even if it's just for a couple of hours.

Next on our journey westward on M-28 is the quaint lake-side town of AuTrain. There's really not much of the town to see along the highway, as you'll need to take the turn left at the caution light onto H-01 to see more of the town. AuTrain is home to some excellent beaches along Lake Superior and during the hottest of U.P. days, literally hundreds of people flock here to cool down. And if the lake water is too cold (which it often is), the AuTrain River flows into the bay and provides an alternative place to swim. Don't be surprised to see a few hearty souls dive off the AuTrain River Bridge along M-28 into the water below. A few miles south along H-01 is another inland lake called (surprise!) AuTrain Lake. It is probably the most famous attribute of the community. It also provides another alternative swimming spot other than Lake Superior and the River. AuTrain Lake has a ton of resorts and camps where people can make reservations and to spend some quality time at. If you enjoy vacationing by a lake in the best of Upper Michigan's weather, then you can't go wrong staying at the plethora of resort opportunities along AuTrain Lake. The community also has several different kinds of shops and restaurants to explore as well as canoe rentals for trips down the AuTrain River. The community of AuTrain is a several-day destination spot all its own!

Heading further west on M-28, the communities get smaller and smaller. I can't remember if it's signed or not, but Shelter Bay is next, which not only is close to Lake Superior, but also offers yet another alternate swimming and boating opportunity in Deer Lake. I really loved the view as I rounded the gradual curve to see this special spot - a lake situated perfectly in a dense forest (especially looking southward). Nearest the highway, there's a recreation spot where people can picnic and grill out as well as swim. There is also a boat launch close by for people to take their dinghy's out and do some fishing. I also noticed a quaint little bed and breakfast close by, which looked spectacular and a place I wouldn't mind spending a few days at. Certainly well maintained. Last but not least is Deerton, which is actually a few miles south of M-28 but you do get to see the Deerton Post Office and the Tioga Tavern along the way.

Wow! That's certainly a lot, and that only covers just the communities in between Munising and Harvey. I also need to mention the Lakenenland Sculpture park located just west of the Alger-Marquette County line. It's free to everyone, but please make a donation if you visit. Tom Lakenen has done a marvelous job of creating this park all on his own, with little support from Chocolay Township, from what I understand. It's definitely a place to check out. Also, the Brownstone Inn is an exceptional restaurant with fine food, located approximately five miles east of AuTrain. It's well regarded in the U.P. for the quality of its food. I forgot to mention Bay Furnace, located in Christmas. An old smelter exists on the property and is something to check out. It's also a great camping and picnic area - as part of the Hiawatha National Forest. So if you're looking for a place to set up camp, the Bay Furnace Campground is an option. Lake Kawbawgam offers additional recreational opportunities in the form of camping, fishing, hiking, and cross country skiing in the winter. It's located about six miles east of Harvey. Also near Lake Kawbawgam is the Ojibwa Casino - so another option for the gamblers out there. The NMU Golf Course is a couple of miles west of there and it's an 18-hole course donated to Northern Michigan University a few years back. If you're an NMU alumni, you get a discount!

I am sure I missed a few other things to check out along this stretch of M-28 in Marquette and Alger Counties but there is just so much there that it's hard to get everything included in this blog (in advance, apologies if I did miss something!). Between Christmas and Munising, you'll also find the entryway to Grand Island, which offers a ferry ride to the island. It's a secluded island not too far out in Lake Superior from the mainland and even has residents living there year-round. It's another spot for the recreation-lovers out there. Okay, I'll stop there. For more information or if anyone has any questions regarding the locations I mentioned in this blog, feel free to leave a comment! I'll answer as best as I can. It just goes to show you that the U.P. really does offer a plethora of things to do. And all of this is just in one 45 mile drive along M-28.

Roseanne

Back when I was a kid, one of my favorite shows to watch on TV was "Roseanne." There was something about the show that appealed to me. Maybe because the family on the show modeled my own family in some ways. I had two older sisters, one of them named Becky just as on the show, and I was the youngest of the family and male (as it turns out, DJ doesn't end up being the youngest anymore late in the series). We didn't experience the trials and tribulations like the Conner family had, but still, I knew of families who were down on their luck and looking to catch a break. Even today, despite the fact that the show has been off the air for over ten years, it still appeals to a mass audience.

The early episodes are probably my favorite, with the ninth season being my least favorite (you know, the one where the Conner family wins the lottery - and it ends up being just a fantasy written by Roseanne?). The show had it all, from its funniest moments to the intense and serious parts. One of the most vivid scenes I have of the series is later on, when Roseanne and Dan end up in a huge argument. They say things they regret later on and Dan gets so upset, he punches a hole in the wall and overturns the coffee table. Roseanne also throws a shoe into the TV, ruining it. It's just one of those episodes that you remember because it was such a serious moment. Things just were not going very well for the Conner family and everything seemed to boil over at that point for Dan and Roseanne. It appeared to be the start of their problems, too. It wouldn't be long until they would end up separating for a time.

"Roseanne" is on quite frequently in syndication. The Oxygen network airs it at times, although not as frequently as they once did. It can also be seen on TV Land and Nick at Nite, usually in the evenings. When I was kid, I enjoyed the show but I didn't quite understand all of the jokes like I do now. And even though I may have seen a particular episode many times, I still find it to be fresh and enjoyable today as ever. The show still appeals to me to this day and I never tire of it. It's probably the only show like it that doesn't get stale, even though it's been off the air for quite awhile now. Even my mom finds it more enjoyable now than when it was originally on. And I'm sure 40 years from now, when we're looking back upon some of the greatest shows of all-time, "Roseanne" will be high atop that list.

Lake Superior Drownings

Lake Superior is an incredible body of water. Not only is it large and clear, but it can be completely calm one minute and unrelenting the next. We've been in a warm pattern since the end of the winter season and the water temperatures are warm. With our warm summer days, people are venturing into the waters to do some swimming. Typically Lake Superior is not a popular choice for swimming because the waters often stay cold. However, this year appears to be an exception. Buoy temperatures out in the center of the lake have been registering in the low to mid 60's. Usually it's a good 10 degrees cooler than that. So people have been taking advantage of the warm water temperatures, yet some of the outcomes have not been good.

Four people died yesterday when they drowned in rough waters along the Lake Superior shore. They include a 50 year old man and his 16 year old son from Oxford, MI who were swimming near the Grand Marais Harbor. Two teenagers, one from Felch, MI and another from Berkley, Illinois drowned off of Presque Isle in Marquette while they were body surfing. They lost control in the rough waves that pounded towards the shore. And two weeks ago, the head of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Rod Nilsestuen, drowned along Picnic Rocks in the city of Marquette during a period of strong rip currents. He was in the area helping build houses as part of Habitat for Humanity and went for a swim. Sadly, he became overcome by the strong rip currents that day.

Picnic Rocks in Marquette is an area notorious for strong rip currents. Over a dozen people have drowned in that area of Lake Superior through the years because of the dangerous swimming conditions. And during conditions we've experienced lately with strong, northerly winds, rip currents are even more pronounced. Any area of Lake Superior is susceptible to rip currents under the right conditions. It's a large body of water, one of the largest fresh water bodies in all the world. When the winds whip up, it certainly shows on the surface of the lake.

In lieu of the recent drowning at Picnic Rocks, the city of Marquette plans to stage a lifeguard at that beach and place a warning system for the various stages of rip currents that exist, hoping to prevent another person from drowning. As for other areas along the lake, it's important to take heed of conditions when they're at their worst. We are in the midst of our warm season and the water may seem tranquil. However, things can certainly change in an instant. It's better to stay as close to shore as possible while taking a swim and if you get caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore until the rip current releases you. Then, begin swimming towards shore. If you attempt to fight the rip current and immediately swim towards shore, you can quickly become fatigued and overwhelmed by the waves. Just some friendly advice when dealing with the worst that mighty Lake Superior has to offer.

If you're looking to find more information regarding these drownings from media sites, please check out these links:
WLUC-TV6 - Upper Michigan's Source
The Marquette Mining Journal

A Reunion No-Show

If you've been following the blog for awhile now, you know that I've talked about my 10-year class reunion. It was held this past weekend and I was contemplating the decision to attend the event. To be honest, there's probably only one classmate that I've talked to within the past five years and without Facebook, I probably wouldn't have known where any of them lived and what they're doing. With the advances of social networking, we've come along way in keeping in touch with others. When it came down to it, I decided not to attend the reunion. As we progress through this blog entry, I'll explain why.

Back when we were scheduling vacations at work, I was wondering whether or not I should take the week of the reunion off just so I could attend. Would my anxieties about the event go away and would I be compelled enough to take a week of vacation off around the event to go. Ultimately I decided not to - and if I felt the urge to go, I could use one of my personal days. The reunion fell on one of the weekends I work 12-hour shifts. Yes, I could've used a personal day but I would've had to turn right back around and plan to go to work the next day which once again, was a 12-hour shift. I just wasn't up to that idea, so I decided to work after all.

Yes, there were a few people I had wanted to see after all these years. But then there was a larger group whom I didn't care to see after 10 years. Honestly, I did not feel the urge to attend an event, try to brag myself up, and explain the reasons why I'm working where I'm employed and why I'm still single. Even though we were close as classmates ten years ago, I feel a bit disconnected from them all. Heck, the majority of them don't even live in the area anymore. I read some comments on Facebook from a few of my old classmates who seemed a bit bothered about the "when are you going to have children?" questions. I think I would've been just as bothered with similar questions and felt by myself. I guess my biggest worry was attending an event and being by myself, sitting way back in the corner of the room as everyone else mingled amongst themselves. Anyways, the group gathering later that evening was held at a bar - certainly not my scene. Although yes, ultimately it would've been nice to see everyone together once again and to be involved in some of the activities that went on, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. So I decided to pass this time around.

It's still hard to believe it's been ten years since we all graduated high school. Those years have flown by. Everyone appears to be mostly successful and nobody has passed away. Let's see if our class is able to keep that trend alive as we march towards our 20th class reunion. A few of my classmates have discussed the possibilities of holding other smaller gatherings between now and 2020 - just so that we don't have to wait another ten years for such an event. And I'd be up for something like that. All in all, I just did not get a good feeling about attending the reunion this time around. That might sound a bit selfish on my part, but it's just the way I am. Who knows, in another ten years, I may feel better about the circumstances. By then, enough years should've gone by to where I feel like I don't know anybody there anymore. And it'll be like a whole new start.

U.P. and Severe Weather

Last week, certain areas of the Upper Peninsula experienced severe weather - with even a couple of confirmed reports of tornadoes near the community of Norway. The tornadoes were weak, nonetheless, some damage occurred in the form of trees being blown down and power lines knocked over. I was rather perplexed at the lack of warnings presented by the local media when the tornado warnings went out. Usually something as severe as tornadoes would get local cut-ins with a meteorologist updating the public the situation that exists. I mean, yes, the main local station that has a meteorologist alerted the public of the tornado warnings with crawls across the screen. But the station never cut into programming at the time. What if the atmospheric conditions were just right and a devastating tornado outbreak occurred in the peninsula? Nobody would've received the proper warning.

In general, tornadoes happening in the U.P. is a pretty rare event. The area as a whole probably averages one to two tornadoes every few years. And in most cases like the event that occurred last week, the tornadoes that do spin up are rather weak. There was a case 15-20 years ago where a tornado hit the Gladstone community, doing minor damage. More often than not, when tornadoes do form in the U.P., they affect southern portions of the peninsula. However, funnels have been reported in northern counties as well as waterspouts forming near the Lake Superior shoreline during the right conditions. So all in all, yes, tornadoes do occur from time to time in the U.P. However, they are very rare and isolated, and we never experience extreme damage like the Southern Plains where tornadoes are more frequent.

Still, the lack of severe weather coverage for the Upper Peninsula is a bit concerning. The National Weather Service out of Negaunee Township does an excellent job forecasting and tracking the worst of the U.P.'s weather. If one has a NOAA weather radio and are able to pick up a frequency, it's the main weather source for for the U.P. It's the local TV stations that seem to be the most lax. The local ABC station doesn't even have its own in-house meteorologists. They depend on Accuweather to forecast Upper Michigan weather, and that means a local presence is missing to the forecasts. The "local" CBS station is out of Green Bay. They have a comprehensive U.P. forecast for each of its newscasts, yet once again, the local presence is missing. During the severe weather event of last week, they didn't cut into local programming when the tornado warnings went out. Usually they are quite good at updating the public of any major severe weather that's occurring - but this time they didn't. As for the local NBC station, they provided warning crawls from the National Weather Service and the broadcast of the warnings from NOAA radio, but no local cut-ins. They have a local presence in their forecasting and usually do a decent job with the weather. Yet, their severe weather coverage is much to be desired.

I was listening to a local radio station out of the Escanaba area the next morning when the on-air talent commented about the severe weather event. One mentioned how they just slept through it while the other didn't think nothing of it - despite the fact that it was a tornado warning. What will it take before such a warning is taken more seriously up here? Hopefully not when the perfect conditions exist where a major tornado outbreak takes place and devastates an area. But sadly, that's what usually happens in cases like this. The local media stations need to step up to the plate and provide better TV/radio coverage of these warnings as they happen, and to provide updates to the public during the warnings and once the warnings expire. I also believe that many of the communities up here do not have tornado sirens. So if a tornado was actually spotted, how would people really know if a tornado was on the ground, especially if they weren't by a TV or radio? It would be too late before they got the warning. Like I mentioned, tornadoes are rare up here, yet not totally uncommon. I think we need to start better preparing ourselves for such an event to occur because you just never know when it might happen.