Da Big Cities

This time I am back for real... for a few weeks, at least.  In my defense, let me say this: I didn't travel anywhere last summer (except one trip to Windsor in early July).  I only made it south of the covered stretch three times from July to October.  Now is my time to travel and remember why I love returning to da Harbor.

On the first of November, my friend Rachel and I drove to Lansing.  There we stayed the night and ate a most fantastic breakfast at Golden Harvest.  From there we went to Ohio for our first time.  Cleveland, in fact.  CLEVELAND?  Yes, Cleveland.  Because The Tragically Hip were starting their tour at the House of Blues.

We had a great time in Cleveland.  And guess what.  The lead singer, Gord, reached out and squeezed my hand!  Ahhhhhh!  My life is now complete.  But despite that, we went to see them the next night in Chicago.

Now Chicago is where I really felt the culture and pace of a "big city."  Yikes.  One hour each way on the "L" Train from our hotel to the Riviera flitted a variety pack of folks.  As I sat there amidst the echoing noise, florescent lights and people who don't talk to each other, I remembered again, how lucky I am.  

I realized that wherever I was in that city, I just beamed a plastered grin on my face.  I felt wonderful that I was comfortable in my own skin and that I wasn't racing anywhere to fulfill my daily life's duties.

The next morning, I bid Rachel safe travels on her walkabout the country for the winter.  I had to catch a plane at O'Hare to take me to Hancock.  The flight (minus my nausea) was breathtaking.  I watched the landscape change from a tangle of concrete roads to suburbs to farmland to vast nothingness to, um, well, clouds.  Thick clouds.  The Keweenaw Death Cloud, in fact.  That reminds me, I better take my vitamin D for the day.

And now I'm back!  I probably say this every year, but I forget how quiet this town can be.  A few hunters are the only people I don't recognize.  But this gives me time to do the things I love.  Speaking of, I better get out and split some wood!