Courtney's Site

Big Update!

2009-03-16T10:20:00.003-04:00

On February 14, 2009, Chris proposed and I said yes. We will be getting married on September 12, 2009.

Random Scenes

2008-08-02T21:39:00.002-04:00

Other than what I've already written about, this is a recap of the last 30ish days.

Melissa's baby shower was at the end of June, at the Flint Childrens Museum:

We moved! June 30, left for Minnesota vacay the next day.

Two bedroom, two baths- yippee!

We went camping in Newaygo, on the Muskegon River for a weekend.

Practicing our safety drill, if the dam breaks.

Tomatoes started ripening on our porch plants. We ated them all up.

Went to a Christmas in July party at my big sister's house.

Visited the Lansing version of a children's museum, Impression 5 with Artie.

No pictures of those last two because the photographers in question have not sent me any. A-hem!

And we ended July enjoying our new place, the wonderful weather and our clean, organized (mostly) bedroom.

North Woods Vacay

2008-07-09T22:13:00.002-04:00

Part two of our Fourth of July vacation was spent at the family place in Wisconsin. Chris's family owns a number of acres on a small private lake about 2 hours from Minneapolis. There are only 4 other homes on the lake. Its very deep- over a 100 feet in someplace, is a loon hang-out and has some pretty nice size bass swimming around in it.

The week was filled with family including Chris's brother James, his fiance Jamie and her 2 daughters, Amber and Aleah (not sure I'm spelling that right) who are 4 and 3.

Upon arriving at the cabin, I took a nap. Shortly after I got up, the girls also got up from their nap. We all sat outside and the girls were kind enough to let me take their photo:

That's Aleah on the left.

Our weekend plans included fireworks both on the ground:

and in the sky
.

Seems in the sky were more interesting to both Amber and Aleah.

On Friday, Chris and I went for a drive (in search of vodka, as it happens) and visited Crex Meadows where wild rice grows, well wild!

This is also a good place to bird watch and we did seem some geese and small birds but no swans or loons. We also came upon some deer. Deer that did not care how close we were. This photo was from about 10 feet away.

And this one, about 5 feet away (different deer):

On Saturday, we kayaked the St. Croix river. No pictures though- the waterproof case for my camera costs more than all my existing equipment.

After kayaking, we did some sailing:

In case you are wondering, its a model. Chris's dad built this over 20 years ago. It hadn't been sailed in at least 10 years. James took out the old servos and replaced them.

Vacation

2008-07-02T23:01:00.003-04:00

Chris and I are on vacation in Minnesota/Wisconsin this week. Today, we tooled around Minneapolis with Adam. Essentially this trip is a sale pitch from Chris- trying to convince me that we should move to Minneapolis after he finished law school.

We ate lunch at a little seafood place then checked out the waterfall:

Adam took a very nice picture of Chris & I:

Then he borrowed this bike from an oblivious kid renting them out:

Tomorrow is ?? eventually followed by the drive up to Wisconsin.

Traverse City Wedding

2008-06-24T23:44:00.003-04:00

Up in Traverse for the weekend wedding of Tim and Alice Retzinger.

The wedding was Sunday afternoon at Ah-ga-ming golf course, just north of Elk Rapids.

The view during the ceremony:

James and mom:

The Schrader Boys, Chris, James and Jon:

Jon & Windy break it down:

James misses Jamie:

Weekend Warriors

2008-05-27T21:51:00.004-04:00

This weekend, Chris went sailing...

This was his ship. He hoped to fly 300 kilometers but the weather did not hold up in the afternoon.

While he was flying, I was looking at

at Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, MI.

Afterwards, we drove in to Ann Arbor and had dinner, explored, ate some ice cream, etc.

SPRING!

2008-04-06T22:19:00.002-04:00

Chris and I went for a walk on the Lansing Rivertrail today. It was in the mid-60s and sunny. We saw a robin. All signs of spring but none so pretty as this:

Same ol' same ol'

2008-03-01T14:20:00.006-05:00

I don't really have any new pictures today but I've been cleaning up and editing my stock and decided to post two pictures from last summer.

I recently bought the new edition of Photoshop Elements so I've been tweaking a few things and trying the techniques in my photo magazines.

This is an old iron smelter in Hancock, Michigan. Viewed from the Houghton side of the Portage River, its not much to see but get a little closer and you will feel the pull of your inner explorer. Apparently the city is aware of this desire to explore and they have fenced in the entire complex with warnings of asbestos danger.

Before editing:

After editing:

Just west of Hancock is McLain State Park. I went out there several times during my June trip, hoping to catch an awesome sunset. I took pictures each time but as I was leaving, I felt I'd missed the prime opportunities. The lighting was never where I wanted it, the clouds were too heavy, etc. I may have been wrong- you just have to take a second look sometimes.

Before:

After edits:

2008-02-06T20:50:00.000-05:00

Finally, I can talk!

Congrats Melissa and Tarik!

Jump for Joy

2008-02-05T20:46:00.000-05:00

I went to Flint on Saturday and spent a little time with overly cute family. The kids received a trampoline from Santa this year. Toby assures me he mailed Santa a thank-you note. Jonquil assures me he did not.

Toby also gave me a wonderful tour of the kitchen, explaining the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher. He also showed me Rosa's igloo and her stuffed frog. We tried to turn the frog in to a Prince (or Princess!) but to no avail.

For those that remember, Toby loved his bouncy-chair thing as a baby. I mean LOOOOOVED that thing. And he still likes to jump. He has a whole routine worked out on his trampoline:

Splits:

Channeling Stevie Wonder (must see in person to truly understand)

At the speed of Light:

Rosa also got in on the bouncing action although a much simpler routine.

Speaking of Rosa, she's not a baby anymore! How did this happen since I saw her the first of January?!?! She'll be 18 months old on February 14 and has definitely moved in to toddler phase. She has also apparently moved in to pinching and biting phase. I was never a victim of this as she prefers family blood.

Welcome to the wonderful world of time-outs:

Videos of Isaac

2008-01-30T21:05:00.000-05:00

Goofing around with Isaac:

Fun with toothbrushes, dancing. Oh yeah, and the dog. Hmmm....

You trust me with your kids?

2008-01-29T21:53:00.000-05:00

Sooooo, Becky and Brian came for a visit last Friday and left Isaac in my care (with the assistance of Chris) for awhile while they visited Kathy and her new baby.

I immediately felt bad because Isaac figured out my TV in about 10 seconds. And I knew Becky had, early on, been trying to keep Isaac from even knowing what a TV is. Turns out my worrying was for naught since he's already figured out electronics at their house.

The most important lesson Isaac has learned: never give up control of the remote! Take it in the bathroom if necessary.

Turns out Isaac also likes to rock out to the music, really really loud. No surprise since I always figured his parents were a couple of headbangers.

I took some video this night too including some funny stuff involving a toothbrush but it will have to wait for another night.

In other news:
Isaac knows baby signs! Even more surprising, I know baby signs!! Having seen Toby do it, I recognized Isaac signing more after he finished his milk.

We survived the night and my cats survived an entire weekend with the other Spratke child, Mr. Blue.

Don't forget to floss....

Girl's Night with One Special Guy

2008-01-18T18:28:00.000-05:00

Becky invited a few of us girls for an overnight visit with promises of wine, warm fire and the attentions of a little cutie with lots of affection. She had me at hello!

The weather threatened to put a damper on things- it was so cold and Dawn had long drive with cruddy roads but we made both made it to Grand Rapids for an afternoon of shopping before returning to the house to start dinner.

I made this tasty dish of Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce over Pasta which we had along with a yummy fresh salad. And, for an appetizer- some addictive guacamole and chips!

Oh and wine. A lot of wine. In front of the fire. It was just like Becky promised. The affectionate cutie even stayed up late to entertain us.

The next morning, Becky, Dawn and I sat around and chit-chatted. Isaac even sat at the table with us and laughed right along almost like he knew what we were saying. Later, we played in the living room.

Don't tell mom what I'm doing:

Kids sure do move fast

Family

2008-01-07T12:39:00.001-05:00

As a thank-you gift to Chris's mom, for allowing me to stay in her home over Christmas, I made a scrapbook album. A few samples:

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T00:08:00.000-05:00

We rang in 2008 last night by going out on the boat and watching some fireworks. Chris and I then went to Hog Heaven (by boat) and had a few drinks and watched some more fireworks at the 1 AM afterparty.

Chris would like me to tell you that I'm cheating with this picture

Goodbye 2007

2007-12-31T21:31:00.001-05:00

Leaping Lizards

2007-12-29T21:54:00.000-05:00

Quiet day this afternoon in still sunny and warm Florida. Seems my part of Michigan received a half-foot of snow yesterday and I've got a snowman waiting on my doorstop when I get home:

So, down here, Chris worked on Ron Paul signs and I played with the camera. Found a new friend hanging out in the bushes by the end of the driveway.

He didn't seem to care too much about me so I probably could have taken a dozen more photos. The other night, leaving the boat dock, we saw some really big lizards, 3-4 feet in size. I'm hoping to get back over there with the camera tomorrow or Monday for a photo shoot.

There are lots of little skink type salamanders running around. You can't walk to the end of the drive without seeing 5 or 6 of them skitter away. Generally, they don't hold still for pictures but I got one, by chance I'm sure:

Looking at this picture creeps me out, even though Chris says they are harmless:

(its a spider, about the size of a fingernail in real life)

Flying Too

2007-12-25T21:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, the music is cheesy but.....

Flying

2007-12-25T00:20:00.000-05:00

I'm spending the holidays in the Florida Keys with Chris and his family. I arrived Saturday night (very very late) just in time to miss the winter wind storm in Michigan.

On Sunday, Chris' brother James took me up in the small plane they rented to come down from Tampa.

I also took some video of our take-off and from the air. Will post that later.

Merry Christmas from Miami!

2007-12-17T09:55:00.000-05:00

Chris sent me these pictures from the Holiday Parade in Florida. All photos were taken with a camera phone so don't expect prize-winning quality. But there are some pretty cool boat floats to see.

White Elephant

2007-12-14T23:14:00.000-05:00

Today was my department's annual staff meeting, followed by a luncheon and our White Elephant gift exchange. When I drew the #6, I knew that unless I opened the worst gift ever, it was probably going to be stolen from me.

Sure enough, I opened a very nice cooler that holds 2 bottles of wine or a 12 pack of soda with room for ice. I kept it longer than I expected because 2 gifts after me was a cooler filled with small bottles of alcohol for making jello shots. But it was soon gone and I had to pick another prize. Thus far I'd not seen anything I wanted to steal so I opened a new gift.

And got this:

The perfect touch was the red light bulb inside. After determining that hanging it outside my office door was probably not the best most professional choice, I stuck in my desk drawer until I plot my next move. Buy the coordinating leg lamp from A Christmas Story? Hang on to it, for re-gifting next year? Pass it on to Kayla, whose 11th birthday is just 2 weeks away?

Blast it

2007-12-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

Do you feel like Isaac? Like the Monkey is always there, right over your shoulder?

Well, put on your spaceman helmet.

Get out your hairdryer blaster.

And show that monkey the what for!

PS: Insert your own Star Wars twee-twee blaster sounds as needed.

Ever feel like...

2007-12-04T09:45:00.000-05:00

there's something weighing you down, keeping you from accomplishing your goals? Or always following you around?

Like.... like a Monkey on your back?

Cliff Diving

2007-11-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

Chris and I went to Grand Ledge yesterday, for no particular purpose. The light was fading (and there wasn't a whole lot of sun to begin with) but we had a nice time ambling around and thinking about how beautiful this would be in the spring, from a canoe on the river.

Silver Bells

2007-11-18T14:56:00.000-05:00

Friday night, Chris and I went to Silver Bells in the City, Lansing's annual holiday season kick-off. The festivities include musical performances, horse drawn carriage rides and an electric light parade. At the end of the parade, the State's holiday tree is lit and there are fireworks over the Capitol.

I didn't have a tripod with me so these pics didn't turn out quite as crisp as they could have. Considering we were standing in a crowd of people for the fireworks, I'm quite pleased they aren't all a blur!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T14:59:00.000-04:00

I was going to save this for Caturday:

Zelda says HI!

More Yooper Pics - Sept 2007

2007-10-10T22:05:00.000-04:00

Following my visit to Munising Falls, I headed down the road to Miner's Castle in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

The Pictured Rocks are 15 miles of sandstone cliffs between Munising and Grand Marais. The waters of Lake Superior have shaped the cliffs in to various formations include the castle, a Indian Chief's head and more. At the same time, water is continually leaching out between the sandstone layers. In the winter, the water freezes and sometimes sections of the cliffs will break off and fall in the water. This happened to the Grand Arch in 2000 and to Miner's Castle in 2006.

If you read my previous post, you know that is was cold and rainy. When I arrived at the parking area for the overlook, it wasn't raining. There is a short walk to the platform that looks down towards Miner's Castle. Its still cold but not so bad with my coat on. Until I step to the railing of the overlook when the gale force winds forced me to take a step back.

To get these shots, I leaned forward, snapped a couple of quick ones then backed up till the feeling returned to my fingers.

Took a couple of tries to get this one with the water coming through the erosion holes.

Looking West toward Munising:

This photo just feels cold to me.

The Castle, up close. The two sides used to match. The right turret fell in April 2006. To see before and after pictures, visit Lake Superior Photo

I noticed the people in the Lake Superior Photo pictures. From what I could see, getting that close is no longer allowed or at least much more difficult. There are many signs that prohibit going beyond the guardrails along the path.

In June of this year, I took the Pictured Rocks Boat Tour, see those pictures here:
Pictured Rocks Slideshow

One more post with pictures of this trip coming soon.

Themeless Tuesday

2007-10-09T20:56:00.000-04:00

I'm working with my old laptop this week, thanks to an incident with my cats (Parada mostly), my newer laptop and a vase on a bookshelf last week. The cats were allowed to live, albeit banished to the basement for the weekend.

It took some work to get the old laptop back up and running and connected to the internet. And its uses are limited. The space bar doesn't always work. When the chip gets hot, the other keys do funny things before the whole thing either restarts or freezes up.

I'm in a much better mood about the whole thing since I found a lower price than I expected for a new screen on-line. Plus I had the visual amusement of seeing Zelda and Parada all slicked up with their monthly flea treatment. It makes their fur all spiky for a couple of days. Maybe I'll get some pics of that later.

In the meantime, I've been going through the pictures on this laptop and found a few to post up here.

Vacation at Grandma's House

Here I am with Uncle Rick and a grandma-made stuffed bear are at "Grandma in Iowa's house" where I spent lots of Thanksgivings and Easters while growing up. It took days to get there when we were kids, or so it seemed then.
There are scads of photos with the cousins and Rick standing in front of these orange curtains. Sometime around 1980 they were replaced with a lighter color (and we still stood in front of them for photos) but I still see the house with these orange curtains in my memory.

Storms in Chicago

For some reason, nearly every time I drive to Chicago to see Melissa, the weather is awful during the drive. The first time I drove out, in a Chevy Metro, was the worst I think. I had rain, snow and ice. The winds were blowing Lake Michigan right up on to Lakeshore Drive. About 1/2 way there, I thought 'I should go back home' but then realized I'd have to drive back through what I'd just survived. It had to get better, right? Pulling over on the highway to chip ice off the wipers is not, as it turns out better.

I made it on that trip and this one too. This trip was tame by comparison and actually the storm hanging between the highrise building was pretty neat looking. This picture was taken in stop and go traffic and does not give the scene justice.

How about some eye candy?

From Melissa's bachelorette party which took place in Chicago. And this guy is built like a bear. So maybe there is a theme here, subtle though it may be.

Monkey Monday

2007-10-08T22:38:00.000-04:00

Witches, Goblins and Pumpkins, oh my!

Yummy!

Artie works on his masterpiece:

Possession!

You can't see the rat barrettes but I think the red-eye is a nice touch, yes?

Post-carving break-dancing:

That's Artie and Stuart bustin' a move and the two Kaylas (I think) waiting their turn

These pictures were taken at the 2005 Pumpkin Carving Party, hosted by Jonquil and Scott. I hope it goes without saying that I did not take the guts picture.

I'm going to miss this year's party because the Grand Rapids 1/2 Marathon is the next day. But I'm thinking I'll get a pumpkin and carve it at Becky and Brian's house so I can be there in spirit.

Monkey Monday

2007-10-01T01:29:00.000-04:00

Time does fly

In these photos taken in April 2005, Toby is just about 6 months old and this was the first time Kayla and Artie met him. Also one of the first times Artie used up my memory card in one afternoon.

The Artie photo:

Kayla, Artie and Toby:

Toby recently celebrated his 3rd birthday with what I can only assume was a low key party since I didn't get invited to any special events.

As you can see from Rosa's birthday party, Toby is still all smiles.

A cold rainy day

2007-09-19T21:26:00.000-04:00

I went back to the UP for work last week. The trip was timed so I could see some fall color, hopefully. Alas, it was just a little too early. But it was not too early for freezing temperatures!

On the drive back home, I stopped at Pictured Rocks, this time driving out to Miner's Castle instead of taking the boat tour. Before going out to the Miner's Castle overlook, I stopped at Munising Falls. You used to be able to walk behind the falls but that access has been blocked due to the risk of falling rocks.

Due to the drought conditions this summer, the water flow is lighter than usual but its still pretty nice and easy to access.

The falls drop about 50 feet before meandering down towards the Lake Superior coast. From the welcome center at the foot of the park, you can hop on the North Country trail that will start you on the hike through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Maybe next summer...

The foliage back in this canyon is beautiful. A thousand shades of green including this moss growing on the walls of the canyon.
Munising Falls is located within the city limits of Munising, commonly considered the gateway to the Western UP, where "the pretty starts."

Another shot of the falls from below.	The walkway to the upper view

I really like this photo even though the focus is off. It was raining and a breezy but I love the framing of the falls in the leaves.

Alterna- Names

2007-09-19T21:02:00.000-04:00

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Cricket Vibe

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Mint Chocolate Chip Thin Mint

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) CSch

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Green Kitteh

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Jeanette Flint

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) SchCo

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put “The”) The Red Red Wine

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Richard Neal

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy) Contradiction Take 5

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Louise Dean

Monkey Monday

2007-09-17T12:39:00.000-04:00

Last summer, Artie and I went to a Detroit Tiger's game (see previous post).

Artie made friends in front:

And behind us:

Now we just have to work on his composition skills.

Monkey Monday

2007-09-10T17:27:00.000-04:00

A couple of pictures from Rosa's birthday party in August. Letting Artie go in the lake with the camera is a little nerve wracking but he's been pretty responsible so far. I believe telling him that I'd require payment in the form of fingers and toes for any damages was a highly effective in this regard.

A shot of the other photog on scene:

The birthday girl with Uncle Ryan:

I believe the nametag is self-explanatory:

Artie's obligatory self-portrait:

Rosa after the party, all tuckered out:

Monkey Monday

2007-09-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

Artie's Art:

Today's picture is courtesy of Artie, my 6 year old cousin. He's a big fan of the camera and loves taking photos of everything and anything. However, you can't call him a photographer. I guess that is just too much for him (or he doesn't understand what a photog is!). Every week, I'll post something he took but for the first week, here is a picture of the artiste.

Now aged 6, Arturo is 4 in this picture. And wearing my make-up, applied by a different sort of artist, his big sis Kayla.

Missed Opportunities

2007-08-28T21:10:00.000-04:00

No picture for this one. Driving home from the pet store this evening via a new route, I passed a county drainage basin. Not your traditional photo op but support for the "be prepared" mantra. Sitting there, in the middle of the water, sunning him(her)self was a Great Egret. The bird was sitting so still, I might have thought it a lawn ornament but why would there be a fake bird in a drainage basin?

I regretted not having my camera handy. Regretted it even more when I got home and realized I did have my camera, in a bag in the back seat.

For the an example of the "shot that could have been," click here.

Rosa's First Birthday Party

2007-08-11T22:31:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrated Rosa's First Birthday with a beach party at Holly Recreation Area. The weather was beautiful, the water was warm and everyone had a good time, especially the birthday girl.

We had presents:

And cake:

Plus fun beach time:

And then it was all over....

For more photos, check out the slideshow!

New Addition

2007-08-11T02:22:00.000-04:00

Parada meets Zelda

Zelda means "gray warrior" in Old German. But looking at this picture, she looks a bit like a bleary-eyed drinker much like Zelda Fitgerald. Not to worry, the little eye infection has cleared up and now Zelda is all warrior. Her enemies include my toes, Parada's tail and the moving cursor.

Blog Scattergories

2007-08-09T19:53:00.000-04:00

Lifted from Jan's site (aka Mom). I like Scattergories, second only to Pictionary.

For each question your answer has to start with the same letter that your first name starts with. For boy/girl names the name can't be the same as your own. I challenge you to try this out with YOUR name.

* Your Name: Courtney
* Famous Artist/Band/Musician: Courtney Love! oh, how about Charlie Daniels Band
* 4 letter word: crap (plus that other one I'm not writing here)
* Vehicle: Chevy Citation (my first car!)
* TV SHOW: Jeopardy
* City/Town: Canberra (Australia)
* Boy Name: Chuck
* Girl Name: Catherine
* Occupation: Cattleman
* Something you wear: cap
* Celebrity: Courtney Love! or Charlie Sheen
* Food: couscous
* Something found in a kitchen: chopping block
* Reason for Being Late: car crash
* Cartoon Character: Captain Caveman
* Something You Shout: Cowabunga!

Tawas 4th of July

2007-07-07T20:17:00.000-04:00

I spent the 4th in Tawas with Becky, Brian and Isaac.

Isaac is 10 months old, walking with lots of assistance and drooling, a lot.

See...

Pictures worth millions of words

2007-06-19T21:44:00.000-04:00

My last day in the Upper Peninsula. I went on the Picture Rocks Boat Tour. It was a raining morning and the fog was thick in Munising Bay but just as we reached the outlet to Lake Superior, the air cleared and we had a great trip. This is only a sampling of the pictures I took on this tour.

My Summer Vacation, Part 2

2007-06-04T16:49:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning, I was up and on my way to Houghton but first Lunch! Looking through the guidebook at the hotel, I found several places that caught my interest before finally deciding on Sweetwater Cafe.

The Sweetwater Cafe is located in the Village Shopping District. This neighborhood is home to many stores that cater to the students of Northern Michigan University. Sweetwater Cafe serves an eclectic vegetarian friendly bill of fare and the menu changes periodically. On my visit, the vegetarian soup of the day was Country Tomato. It was labeled soup but was more like a stew- big chunks of tomato, barley and just a hint of something spicy. For my main course, I chose the smoked salmon sandwich- a big chunk of salmon with cream cheese served on a dark pumpernickel bread. The sandwich was a little dry but still tasty. I accompanied my meal with a glass of the Cafe's renowned mint lemonade.

Due to my lunch hour visit, I did not partake, but the restaurant does have a full liquor license. I did grab a couple of gingersnap cookies for the road, intending to share with Karen when I arrived in Houghton. Intending....

Before leaving Marquette, I did a quick drive through the downtown area. The movie Anatomy of a Murder was filmed here, primarily in the Marquette County Courthouse. Unfortunately, it was closed while I was there but the outside is beautiful too. The building, dedicated in 1904 is built of native sandstone, some from Marquette and the distinctive red sandstone from the Keweenaw Peninsula. As more pictures appear here, you'll see more and more of this red stone.

The old Marquette City Hall is also beautiful, built locally in 1893 after the city raised $50,000 in bonds. The decision to build was made by Mayor Nathan Kaufman after a nationwide financial panic closed the mines. The construction of city hall put the men back to work.

After leaving Marquette, I made a brief stop at the Da Yooper Tourist Trap where I was tempted by many cheesy gifts and a couple of really cool local crafts but left without spending a penny. No cameras allowed so no pics of the Yooper Tool Box (small wooden chest with roll of duct tape only) but you can buy any of it on-line at their site.

I arrived in Houghton in mid-afternoon, checked in to the hotel then checked in with Karen. Our hotel was a little iffy with a very strange odor on the rooms. For a number of reasons, we decided to call the office on Monday and find a better location for the next two weeks. The hotel did have a great downtown location, within walking distance of the courthouse but not worth the musty disinfectant odor. Karen and I decided to do our own thing for awhile then meet for dinner.

I chose to explore across the lift bridge, in the "real" Keewenaw Peninsula. First I went to the Quincy Overlook which promised a view of Houghton, Hancock and the Portage River that divides them. However, the trees have grown a bit too tall for viewing. I also made a drive thru viewing of the Quincy Mine.

Later, Karen and I had dinner at the Library Restaurant and Brew Pub. We decided to walk and very nearly tried to walk in to the city library before we found our way to the right place.We had a nice meal with a nice view of the Portage River. During the next two weeks, I ate at the Library Pub at least 3 times. It was definitely one of the better restaurants in Houghton-Hancock. Despite my original concerns, there were plenty of decent or interesting places to eat in Copper Country. A little walk on the riverfront after dinner then it was back to the smelly hotel for the night. Tomorrow, we actually have to go to work!

How I spent my summer vacation- Part 1

2007-06-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

The Michigan Supreme Court sent me to Houghton, MI, in the Upper Peninsula, for the first 2 weeks of June. My fellow co-workers and I are implementing the 97th District Court on to the JIS software system. This is my first time in the UP since college and I'd never been this far north.
Although "The Yoop" is not someplace I'd normally choose for vacation, I'm going to make the best of this trip by exploring the area as much as possible. I will spend most of my time in Houghton, at the base of the Keeweenaw Peninsula. But first, I have to get there.

I left June 2 with plans to spend Saturday night in Marquette. This is about 5 1/2 hours of driving. First photo stop- the Bridge, of course. I was also instructed to stop and put my feet in the lake immediately after crossing the Bridge. Apparently its a JIS tradition.

The Mackinac Bridge, celebrating 50 years in 2007 :

The Mackinac Bridge is the third longest suspension bridge in the world with a total length of 26,372 feet. The idea for a bridge or tunnel across the Straits of Mackinac was initially proposed in 1884 after attempts to provide year-round transit by boat failed. In 1923, the Legislature ordered the Highway Department to create a ferry system across the straits. Within 5 years, traffic on the ferry route was so heavy that Governor Green ordered a study on the feasability of a bridge. Financial concerns kept the bridge project on hold and World War II and the Korean War both contributed to further delays. The bridge was officially begun amid proper ceremonies on May 7 & 8, 1954, at St. Ignace and Mackinaw City. The bridge opened to traffic on November 1, 1957 according to schedule, despite the many hazards of marine construction over the turbulent Straits of Mackinac. The last of the Mackinac Bridge bonds were retired July 1, 1986. Fare revenues are now used to operate and maintain the Bridge and repay the State of Michigan for monies advanced to the Authority since the facility opened to traffic in 1957.

Mike Rowe from the Discovery Channel’s "Dirty Jobs" visited the Mackinac Bridge in May to film an episode showcasing the work that bridge maintenance crews perform each year on the "Mighty Mac." The hour-long Mackinac Bridge episode, entitled "Bridge Painter," is tentatively scheduled to air on Tuesday, August 7, at 9 p.m., on the Discovery Channel. The episode is airing in conjunction with the bridge’s 50-year anniversary.

The first part of the trip through the Upper Peninsula is along US 2. When you first start on US 2, there is a large signing warning drivers that "THIS IS NOT A HIGHWAY!" and the speed limit is only 55. Other than the final 50 miles of I-75 from Saint Ignace to Sault Ste Marie (the Soo), there are no interstate highways in the Upper Peninsula. There are a lot of roads marked "seasonal" which are not plowed by the Dept of Transportation in the winter. There are also 100s of miles of dedicated snowmobile trails. Occasionaly you may start driving down a trail/seasonal road only to discover it has become impassable due to a fallen tree or extreme decay. If you are lucky, you can turn around without driving off the dirt, otherwise its time for reverse driving.
Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes wholly within the borders of the United States; the others are shared with Canada. It is 5th largest lake in the world. The word "Michigan" was originally used to refer to the lake itself, and is believed to come from the Ojibwa Indian word mishigami, meaning "great water."

My travel through the UP continues on US 2, winding along the Lake Michigan Coastline (many stops at scenic views) until I reach State Rd M-77. There isn't a whole lot to see on this stretch but you do go through the town of Germfask (2000 Census population 491) which seems like a really cool town name. Something Finnish or German perhaps? No- its the initials of the last names of the town's eight founders. Germfask is a an excellent place to stay if you are visiting the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. After an hour along M77 and M-28, you will arrive in Munising. Munising is the homebase for the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. There will be more about this town and the Lakeshore in a later post.

From Munising, M-28 sticks pretty close to the Lake Superior shore. Just north of Munising, there is a scenic overlook which includes Grand Island. As it was raining and overcast on my trip, the view was dimmed by a moderate mist over the water. Shortly after passsing through Munising, the sun came out and the heat caused the moisture on the road to suddenly rise up in to an enveloping foggy mist. This mist coated my windows and even the windshield wipers coudn't clear it away fast enough. It was a spooky experience.

Lake Superior, is the largest of the Great Lakes. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and is the world's third-largest freshwater lake by volume. Many will also say it is one of the cleanest lakes in the world and I can personally attest to the quality of the whitefish (which I ate a lot of on this trip). In the Ojibwe language, the lake is called "Gichigami" ("big water"), but it is better known as "Gitche Gumee" as recorded by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in The Song of Hiawatha. Lake Superior is referred to as "Gitche Gumee" in the song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, by Gordon Lightfoot. There is enough water in Lake Superior to cover the entire land mass of North and South America with a foot of water. Annual storms on Lake Superior regularly record wave heights of over 20 feet.

Sunset over Lake Superior

Global Warming Note: According to a study by professors at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Lake Superior has been warming faster than its surrounding climate. The increase in the lake’s surface temperature is not only due to climate change but also due to the decreasing ice cover. Less winter ice cover allows more solar radiation to penetrate the lake and warm the water. If trends continue Lake Superior, which freezes over completely once every 20 years, could routinely be ice-free by 2040.

Kayla's Turn

2006-06-30T23:25:00.000-04:00

It occurs to me that I have 2 posts about fun things I've done with Artie but I haven't posted anything about my adventures with Kayla. A few weeks ago, Kayla and I, along with Scott, Jonquil and Jason, went to see Wicked. Wicked is the story of Glinda and Elphaba, otherwise known as the Wicked Witch and the Good Witch from Wizard of Oz. As The Wizard of Oz is Kayla and I's favorite movie, I promised her we'd see the musical if it came to Detroit. The book Wicked is also excellent but I would say its best for readers over age 15. Kayla loved the show and sad G(a)linda was her favorite character because she was so silly. Her favorite line was "Something's wrong. I didn't get my way." During the intermission, Kayla leaned over to me and said "We should go to more musicals like this!" I agree.
Since the show was the same day as Kayla's last day of school, she spent the night with me. The next day we went to the new IKEA in Canton. We had a great time checking out all the room layouts and picking out the stuff we'd buy if we won the $1000 gift card (which we didn't). We also tried to find a new chair for my living room but we seemed to have wildly divergent tastes. Kayla likes this one, the Lycksele Lovast because it folds out in to a bed. I like the idea, especially after I discovered what a bed hog she is. Personally, I'm more of a side chair with arms kind of girl. For example, I am thinking about the Lillberg or the Lund Bjuv.
Following our tour of IKEA and some lunch, we visited the Scrapbook Zone in Farmington where I gave Kayla $10 and pointed her in the direction of the dollar section. She found some great die cuts of the Wizard of Oz along with a small 6x6 scrapbook and some karate stickers. That night, I we made turkey tacos and drank sparking apple cider (from IKEA of course) toasting to a fun weekend.

Do the Wave!

2006-06-25T22:26:00.000-04:00

This weekend, I took Artie to his first ever Detroit Tiger game. I'm not sure he really got in to the whole game like he did the Piston's game last fall but, he did have a good time and of course, took lots of pictures. The tickets were provided free of charge from Variety, the Children's Charity through my volunteer work at Care House of Pontiac. All the kids in our group got free t-shirts and a souvenir of his or her choice. Artie, not surprisingly, went for the mini-bat.
The Tigers were playing the St. Louis Cardinals in the 3rd game of a Interleague series. They beat St. Louis 4-1 rounding out a sweep of the weekend series. The Tigers are amazingly playing well over .500 ball in fact they are the best team in baseball right now. After years of disappointments, its almost like a dream. Could it be we'll have baseball in October in Detroit this year?

The rest of my weekend with Artie primarly consisted of hanging out at the pool. Artie made friend with 2 "big kids" in my complex who were happy to trade cannonballs and shark attacks with him for hours on Saturday. Thanks Anthony and Joe!! I still think Artie believes those guy are kids instead of grown men in their late 20s.

All the pictures, good bad and ugly, are on my Flickr site and if you click on that picture of Artie up top, you'll go right to 'em. I was really pleased that the only shot of my cannonball is the splash.

These Inmates are Running the Asylum

2006-04-16T18:54:00.000-04:00

I'm not one of those wierd "cat ladies" or anything but I do have 2 cats. Two cats with highly neurotic personalities.
If I had a camera in my hand right this second, I could take a picture of Parada climbing the screen of my sliding door. She's between the screen and the glass door. Why? I just don't know. I believe Parada is part or all monkey. When she first came to me, via Beth Gifford, I struggled with a name. I am a strong believer in naming cats based on their personalities. Parada has this tendency to purr really loud, moreso when she's up to no good. But nothing purr-like was fitting. She also bends her tail back toward her head, much like a ring tailed lemur. I checked in to the names of the lemurs in the movie Madagascar but I guess they don't have names. I ended up with Parada which is a down and dirty version of "Stop that" in Spanish. It could also mean "get down" or "enough already" but apparently it means nothing to her. She doesn't listen much. She also takes full advantage of guests to the house. Apparently, she has the idea that I won't make her get off the counter if someone is there (wrong). She has also learned to follow her antics with this cute little head tilt, cuddle with your feet and lay belly up manuever.
Now Mina, she's a little more chill. To the point of being cold. Unless you have her brush or any brush that looks like her brush. Then she is a total cat slut. Oh, and she likes men more than women too. Me, I'm just the lady who fills the food and water bowls. Mina isn't really happy about Parada living with us. I got another cat because I thought Mina was lonely after Chandler died. Apparently I was wrong and she isn't ever going to let me forget it. They get along a little better now, SEVEN months later but there is still a lot of hissing and growling in my house.
Speaking of Chandler, I posted a few pictures of the little man on my flickr page. Chandler had to leave us last summer after he got sick, unexpectedly. He was only 5 years old but when the doctor said I was looking at thousands of dollars in medical care, I knew my choices were limtited. The people at the emergency vet were really wonderful and even made an impression of his paw for me as a memento. Chandler thought I was his mother and he used to try and nurse (I think) off this mole on my neck. It was a little strange but I'm sure being dumped at the Humane Society and being the last of his siblings to find a family was a little strange for him. Chandler was part Manx, according to his vet, and this explains a lot of his idiosyncrasies. Manx cats are watch cats; they like to be at human eye level so they will often prefer to sleep on the back of chairs or up on furniture instead of on the floor or in baskets. Chandler also preferred sleeping up by my head at night. He was very protective of me and also liked to hunt mostly catching bugs since he wasn't allowed outside. He will be missed but fortunately, Parada has brought a whole new bag of tricks in to the house. There is no point in looking at eye level or on the floor for her- she will be up, up on top of the cabinets or in the high window sill or even up on top of the 4 poster bed (and I do mean on top of the posts- hopefully I'll get a picure of that soon).

Becky's Big 3-0

2005-11-09T19:42:00.000-05:00

Spent this weekend in Grand Rapids helping Becky celebrate her 30th birthday. As it turns out, Becky can't really handle tequila too well. However, the rest of the celebrants were happy to pick up the slack. We started out with dinner at the Spratke residence. I kept hearing everyone talk of bean dip, must have more bean dip. I'm not sure what Jon's secret ingredients are but I'm starting to wonder if maybe we shouldn't have drug tested some of the guests.A short taxi cab later we were downtown where we ended up at some bar. Don't know the name except it was something like Giardellis. Which led to me thinking about chocolate all night long. There was some speculation that this was a Greek place because the bathroom said unisek. A great number of people seemed to take this to mean "me & my man can pee together!" (sorry no pictures of this).The tequila shooters came back to haunt the birthday girl in a big way so we headed back to the house kind of early. Which was okay, because there was bean dip. Somehow, Brian, Jon and I managed to stay up until 4:30 in the morning, watching the lightening.

The Big Game

2005-11-03T13:55:00.000-05:00

Pistons vs. 76ers, Home Opener, November 2, 2005

Mom was lucky enough to get 4 tickets to the opening game for the 2005-2006 Piston’s season. After much consideration, I decided to take my cousin Artie to the game as my date. He’d just had his fifth birthday and this seemed like a pretty awesome present and it would be his first ever game. Of course, he thought of himself as Dad’s date more than mine since Uncle Ron is his best buddy.

Over dinner, we told Artie about all the different players but especially about Big Ben Wallace, mom’s favorite. He was a little confused, not knowing the difference between Big Ben the ball player and Crazy Ben, his cousin in Iowa. By the time the game started, he’d pretty much figured it out. We got these really awesome Ben figurines as the giveaway plus a cool tote backpack.

The start of the game was a little frightening for a young kid, with the fireworks and stuff but then we settled in for the tip off. Artie continued his trend of taking lots of photos of random things. Thank god for digital but I think I am going to have to start carrying around multiple packs of batteries when we are hanging out together.

The game itself wasn’t too interesting. It ended up being a big blow-out with Detroit winning by 20 points. We were hoping for some TV time because the guy in front of us was wearing a big afro wig but since he just sat there wearing the wig and never got off his rump, we didn’t merit enough attention from the cameramen. One section over had PAID to get on the big screen, being the fan section featured in some advertisement for the souvenir shops. In the meantime, Artie was making fast friends with girls sitting behind us. It took most of the 3rd quarter but we finally convinced him to pose for a picture with his 3 new girlfriends. We promised to send the picture to Ben so he would be jealous of Artie the chick magnet. I’m still not sure if he realized it was Ben in Iowa, not Ben the ball player that would be getting the photos.

Before leaving the Palace, we checked out the kind of freaky looking Ben Wallace bobblehead and took one last picture.