Whew!
We're back home after our Thanksgiving odyssey to the Detroit area. Over 3 1/2 days, I put nearly 1,200 miles on the car. That's a ton of driving.
But it was a good trip. The weather was fine--no problems at all--and we got back home around midnight on Friday. I was able to rest for much of the weekend--most of my stories were done, and little stuff came in while I was gone. As expected.
We left late Tuesday afternoon and spent the night in St. Ignace. On Wednesday, we finished the trip to the Detroit area, stopped at the motel and then drove to my son and fiancee's apartment for dinner and a visit.
The main event, of course, was the big Thanksgiving dinner at a place out in the country--about an hour out of the city. There were about 20-25 people at the dinner including lots of kids--that was a treat, seeing the little ones around.
It was the very first time we met my son's fiancee's parents, and they turned out to be very nice. We got along well, even while watching the Packers-Lions game. They are, of course, Lions fans, and I am, of course, a Packers fan. But I am not a blind fan--I can look at my team and the other team objectively; their strengths and weaknesses. And, for what it's worth, I wore khaki cargo pants and a light blue polo shirt--"Honolulu blue" is the Lions' color. Her dad and I mostly talked about football--it's a common interest, and we seemed to think the same way, even if we root for different teams.
During the second half, as the Packers took control of the game, I took care not to gloat. It wouldn't have gone down well.
After the game ended, it was time to eat. The fiancee roasted one of the turkeys, and I had some Tom Turkey along some stuffing, cranberries, a little rutabaga, mashed potatoes and gravy. We ate well.
After the dinner (late afternoon) we drove back to the kids' place and spent the evening with them. He worked on Friday, so we had to deal with Black Friday on our own. More about Black Friday later. We did some shopping and then (about 1 p.m.) started the 500-mile drive home.
****
On this drive, the new car's nav system really showed its stuff. Usually, I am driving in areas that are fairly familiar. Not this time. For instance, the Thanksgiving Day dinner was way out in the country, and we hadn't stayed at that particular motel before. But before the trip, I stored those addresses in the nav system's memory, so they would be ready later. As a result, it got me through a totally unfamiliar area with no problem at all.
It was like that all through the trip. The nav system was very handy in finding my way through an unfamiliar metro area, finding the correct off-ramps and on-ramps on the freeways, telling me when I had to prepare for an exit off the left side of the freeway, when a roundabout was coming up. Even when a "Michigan left" was coming up.
I tell you, I wasn't absolutely sure whether I would use the nav system that much, but it sure proved to be a major blessing on this trip.
****
I also wanted to write about our Black Friday shopping trip. For six straight years, of course, we had a Friday morning date at the state football finals, so there was no time for shopping. Last year, our team lost in the semifinals; we stayed home for Thanksgiving.
We were not about to get up super early. But after a brief breakfast, we stopped at Best Buy, then Barnes and Noble and then at one of the big malls. David did all the shopping there--my wife and I only went as far as the food court, where they had a Subway.
My wife wanted to stop at a Target store, too, but we decided instead to just hit the road--it was getting late to start a 10-hour drive. But I know why she was interested in Target. First, there aren't any Targets in our area. Second, Target's pre-Black Friday TV ads.
In one, this gal was working on an exercise bike, set at maximum difficulty so she could get her thighs ready for the demands of Black Friday. And the other was a classic: The same gal was shown holding a Target print ad and screaming in ecstasy. Just hyperventilating and screaming, "It's here! It's here!"
What Black Friday special got her screaming in joy louder than she probably ever has in bed? Who knows? The ad did not reveal that little secret. Not a single Black Friday special was shown. They just showed her screaming.
I know, I know. It's just marketing. They want you to spend all your money at their store. But really!
Give love. Not things.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
On the road again . . . and again
My car has been getting a workout lately. And the real workout is yet to come.
Last week, I covered the regional volleyball tournament about 60 miles away, in Baraga. The semifinal match was Tuesday, and the finals were on Thursday. We also had a big snowstorm last week. That arrived early Wednesday morning. By the time I hit the road on Thursday afternoon, the roads were bare, and the trees were beautiful ...
Then, on Friday, my younger son and I hopped in the car and drove east about 250 miles to St. Ignace for the football quarterfinal game. We hoped to arrive in time to get photos of the Mackinac Bridge by daylight. We almost made it ...
(Handheld photos, at about 1/4th of a second exposure. Try holding a camera steady for 1/4th of a second with a cold, stiff wind blowing in your face.)
Our team lost that night, and that ends their season. For the first time since 2004, they will not play in the state semifinals or finals.
Last week, I covered the regional volleyball tournament about 60 miles away, in Baraga. The semifinal match was Tuesday, and the finals were on Thursday. We also had a big snowstorm last week. That arrived early Wednesday morning. By the time I hit the road on Thursday afternoon, the roads were bare, and the trees were beautiful ...
Then, on Friday, my younger son and I hopped in the car and drove east about 250 miles to St. Ignace for the football quarterfinal game. We hoped to arrive in time to get photos of the Mackinac Bridge by daylight. We almost made it ...
(Handheld photos, at about 1/4th of a second exposure. Try holding a camera steady for 1/4th of a second with a cold, stiff wind blowing in your face.)
Our team lost that night, and that ends their season. For the first time since 2004, they will not play in the state semifinals or finals.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Nav system: off
That car I got a couple months ago has a navigation system built in. You can see maps as you drive along. As if you didn't know where you're going already. Sort of like when I write a post or a news story.
But this time, the nav system is turned off. The maps are hidden in the trunk. The destination is unknown. I sort of know where I'm going, but not really. So where is all my wandering going to end up?
Ask me later. This is your basic unfocused, unmapped update.
****
It has been a very busy time for me at work, with the fall sports season nearing its end. The football playoffs started late in October (both the teams I cover won their first game; one was eliminated over the weekend), and the volleyball tournaments took place last week. Besides that, some local activities I am in have heated up. A local board--looks like we may have a lot of work ahead of us. Plus Halloween photos for our Nov. 9 issue.
With the baseball playoffs over, my e-reader and I have gotten reacquainted. I have been reading from time to time, but usually only about 10 to 15 minutes at the end of a busy day, when I finally lie down in bed.
My mind is already tired by then, and my e-book the knockout punch. Off to dreamland. I read, and it's interesting, but suddenly I realize I have read the same passage two or three times already. Or else I rest my eyes for a few moments. The handwriting is on the e-reader: Put the thing away and go to sleep.
Once the light is switched off, Charlie hops up on the bed and strolls up by my side. I rub her head and neck, and she often turns around and lies with her back against me. Purr, purr, purr.
What have I been reading? Among my recent books: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (I had read parts of it before--now I've read all of it.); "Old Gods Almost Dead" (a history of the Rolling Stones); "Sex at Dawn," about the anthropology that explains why men and women are the way they are; "A Study in Scarlet" (the first Sherlock Holmes story; I had read it before--now I have read it again); and "My Life and Loves" (the first part of the Frank Harris autobiography--who says all the interesting characters date from the 1900s?).
The current reading list: a selection of stories by Anton Chekhov; "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling" (read it once before; once you get past the 18th century style of English, it's a fun story); "Leaves of Grass" (recently started it); and "I, Fatty" (a purported autobiography of Roscoe Arbuckle, a favorite silent film star of mine).
"Tom Jones" was written about 1750, and its 18th century style of English can be difficult to cut through. But it's certainly a rewarding journey because of all the insights that Henry Fielding inserts along the way. For instance, this passage is from Chapter 9 of Book 6, describing a tempestuous argument between Squire Western (the father of Tom's love interest) and Tom.
Ooh! That is wicked! And 100% true, even 260 years later.
I am also reading a book of English fairy tales--I read them aloud to my wife sometimes after we go to bed (if we don't have other things on our minds). To my delight, it includes a certain story ("The Old Woman and Her Pig") that my mom used to read to me when I was little. I haven't seen that one for many, many, many years. Of course, I know it so well I could practically recite it from memory.
There are too many good books on the e-reader. I know I should spend much more time reading than I do.
****
In July, I wrote that my Alaskan friend, B, had applied for a job at a larger university, in a larger city. But she wasn't offered the job, and she was terribly disappointed.
Her birthday was in late September, and I sent her a few e-cards. One showed a rising sun and said "A lot can happen in a year," talking about the natural changes that take place in a year. The earth circling the sun, the seasons, new stars in the sky. Then it says, "Imagine all the possibilities this year has in store for you."
I wrote at the bottom:
About two weeks later, she was selected for a different job at the school in the big city and is moving down there now. See? Not to worry. Everything turned out just fine.
****
Also, a fast update about my friend K, who I visited last week. You will be happy to hear that her neck is feeling much better, almost back to normal, and the scar from the operation is fading, fading away.
She told me she is much happier working at ***-mart now that she has transferred back to being a cashier. She told me they asked her one day to go back to the customer service counter for a few hours to help when they were short-handed. She told them no way.
****
We had chilly weather in October and early November but just one day of snow (so far). It snowed one evening as I was driving around--not enough to be a problem on the roads, but a preview of things to come. We had a trace on the ground the next morning, but it melted once the sun rose a little, and there hasn't been any since.
The weather had mostly behaved during football season. We had some cold nights (like tonight will be), but I only remember one game with rain this season, and there wasn't that much. So I'm counting myself lucky.
****
See? I had the nav system turned off, and we wound up at our destination anyway: namely, the end of this post.
But this time, the nav system is turned off. The maps are hidden in the trunk. The destination is unknown. I sort of know where I'm going, but not really. So where is all my wandering going to end up?
Ask me later. This is your basic unfocused, unmapped update.
****
It has been a very busy time for me at work, with the fall sports season nearing its end. The football playoffs started late in October (both the teams I cover won their first game; one was eliminated over the weekend), and the volleyball tournaments took place last week. Besides that, some local activities I am in have heated up. A local board--looks like we may have a lot of work ahead of us. Plus Halloween photos for our Nov. 9 issue.
With the baseball playoffs over, my e-reader and I have gotten reacquainted. I have been reading from time to time, but usually only about 10 to 15 minutes at the end of a busy day, when I finally lie down in bed.
My mind is already tired by then, and my e-book the knockout punch. Off to dreamland. I read, and it's interesting, but suddenly I realize I have read the same passage two or three times already. Or else I rest my eyes for a few moments. The handwriting is on the e-reader: Put the thing away and go to sleep.
Once the light is switched off, Charlie hops up on the bed and strolls up by my side. I rub her head and neck, and she often turns around and lies with her back against me. Purr, purr, purr.
What have I been reading? Among my recent books: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (I had read parts of it before--now I've read all of it.); "Old Gods Almost Dead" (a history of the Rolling Stones); "Sex at Dawn," about the anthropology that explains why men and women are the way they are; "A Study in Scarlet" (the first Sherlock Holmes story; I had read it before--now I have read it again); and "My Life and Loves" (the first part of the Frank Harris autobiography--who says all the interesting characters date from the 1900s?).
The current reading list: a selection of stories by Anton Chekhov; "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling" (read it once before; once you get past the 18th century style of English, it's a fun story); "Leaves of Grass" (recently started it); and "I, Fatty" (a purported autobiography of Roscoe Arbuckle, a favorite silent film star of mine).
"Tom Jones" was written about 1750, and its 18th century style of English can be difficult to cut through. But it's certainly a rewarding journey because of all the insights that Henry Fielding inserts along the way. For instance, this passage is from Chapter 9 of Book 6, describing a tempestuous argument between Squire Western (the father of Tom's love interest) and Tom.
"He then bespattered the youth with abundance of that language which passes between country gentlemen who embrace opposite sides of the question; with frequent applications to him to salute that part which is generally introduced into all controversies that arise among the lower orders of the English gentry at horse-races, cock-matches, and other public places. Allusions to this part are likewise often made for the sake of the jest. And here, I believe, the wit is generally misunderstood. In reality, it lies in desiring another to kiss your a—- for having just before threatened to kick his; for I have observed very accurately, that no one ever desires you to kick that which belongs to himself, nor offers to kiss this part in another.
It may likewise seem surprizing that in the many thousand kind invitations of this sort, which every one who hath conversed with country gentlemen must have heard, no one, I believe, hath ever seen a single instance where the desire hath been complied with;—a great instance of their want of politeness; for in town nothing can be more common than for the finest gentlemen to perform this ceremony every day to their superiors, without having that favour once requested of them.
Ooh! That is wicked! And 100% true, even 260 years later.
I am also reading a book of English fairy tales--I read them aloud to my wife sometimes after we go to bed (if we don't have other things on our minds). To my delight, it includes a certain story ("The Old Woman and Her Pig") that my mom used to read to me when I was little. I haven't seen that one for many, many, many years. Of course, I know it so well I could practically recite it from memory.
There are too many good books on the e-reader. I know I should spend much more time reading than I do.
****
In July, I wrote that my Alaskan friend, B, had applied for a job at a larger university, in a larger city. But she wasn't offered the job, and she was terribly disappointed.
Her birthday was in late September, and I sent her a few e-cards. One showed a rising sun and said "A lot can happen in a year," talking about the natural changes that take place in a year. The earth circling the sun, the seasons, new stars in the sky. Then it says, "Imagine all the possibilities this year has in store for you."
I wrote at the bottom:
I can see into the future! Yes, I can!
And I see ... oh, what do I see?
I see ... I see a new home. A new city. Yes, a new job. New possibilities. New opportunities. New growth. New discoveries.
And old friends. Like me. Who will still love you no matter where you go or what you do, who like you just as you are.
Cause we're friends. That's what we do.
About two weeks later, she was selected for a different job at the school in the big city and is moving down there now. See? Not to worry. Everything turned out just fine.
****
Also, a fast update about my friend K, who I visited last week. You will be happy to hear that her neck is feeling much better, almost back to normal, and the scar from the operation is fading, fading away.
She told me she is much happier working at ***-mart now that she has transferred back to being a cashier. She told me they asked her one day to go back to the customer service counter for a few hours to help when they were short-handed. She told them no way.
****
We had chilly weather in October and early November but just one day of snow (so far). It snowed one evening as I was driving around--not enough to be a problem on the roads, but a preview of things to come. We had a trace on the ground the next morning, but it melted once the sun rose a little, and there hasn't been any since.
The weather had mostly behaved during football season. We had some cold nights (like tonight will be), but I only remember one game with rain this season, and there wasn't that much. So I'm counting myself lucky.
****
See? I had the nav system turned off, and we wound up at our destination anyway: namely, the end of this post.
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