Houghton Michigan

I don’t know what it is about Houghton and Hancock that makes think I could live here. The scenery is unbelievable, the towns are small, but have everything an old fat guy needs, there’s some culture, some sports and outstanding outdoor activities. It’s very cool.

Seems like living here would be idyllic and stress free. Well so I freaking thought but I guess there are demons in everything, for example the dude that was behind me as I was  slowly driving through downtown gawking at the stores and sights. OK I was moving a little slow but I was on cobblestone streets and there are some pedestrians around.. So imagine my surprise when the rusted out ’82 Ford Pinto with the bearded fat ass and his mumu wearing fragrance free aged hippy wife pulled up behind me and started laying on the horn. Sheez dude whats the rush..

The guy whipped around me made a left turn merge into traffic with out looking, just about sideswiped another car, corrected by popping a tire onto the meridian and without looking back.. punched it and head off into the distance.Total Big CITY move.  WTF. these people are supposed to be mello.. remember that word? M E L L O. Must be a sale at the tie-die store or the hydroponic garden place.

I’m in Houghton this week to collect the oldest kid who has completed his first year of college. First year done? Already? And now he’s coming home? And it’s hardly May? I’m a little worried about how we’re going to be reintegrating him into the family to be honest. We’ve all sort of moved on and have a good thing going the four of us. Now we’re going to have to readjust and react to his return.

Could be a long summer. This is after all, the child who has a complaint about every nuance in his life, which gets wearisome after a while I have to tell you.

I made the trip this time with a friend of mine from the office. He’s a big fly fisherman and we’re planning to spend a couple days up here fishing and enjoying all that the U.P. has to offer. If, we can figure out where to go. We’ve sort of come up against an unexpected obstacle in our plans.. apparently no one here fly fishes. I mean nobody. The one shop that I found on the internet that was the “Headquarters” for outdoors adventures, and who BTW, on the phone told me that they were the place to be for information and advice.. well went there yesterday and guess what, not a clue.

“What flies are working now?” “Um.. I sell alot of these black ones..” That’s not a good sign. “any hatches going on right now?” blank stare… “Nymphing or dryflyes?”.. more blankness. “The streams look really low, where should we go?” Pulls out a map book and starts reading it.. um… well… this looks good here..”What’s good about it?” I think he noticed that it was a blue line and thus.. a trout stream.. “lot of people here use nightcrawlers”. We’re screwed.

We’re on our own. Went to the local book store and found a couple books. They should help, but with the water as low as it is up here.. we’re going to be scouting. A LOT. With, BTW, a car loaded up with student shit. Could have planned this better I guess.

The guy I’m with is actually one of the funniest human beings on the planet. On the way up remarked that “This was going to be great, couple single dudes on the prowl in a college town..”

WTF? Neither of us are single and uh.. we’re old. “Call your son and see if knows any chicks with a certain casual moral..” He was kidding of course.

“Call your son and see if there’s a Fawn Liebowitz at Tech.” The girl who, in Animal House was killed in the Kiln explosion, enabling the lads to get the sympathy dates. When I checked in I got the room, handed him the room card I got the comment “Can you get about 20 more of these.. sometimes you have to saturate the market to get a few hits”. OMG. Childish? You bet, but I’m laughing my ass of the whole way.

We will not be cruising cougars I assure you, but we will be joking about it now.

Today we check the kid out of his dorm, and leave Houghton for the summer heading west to Ontangan for the next couple days. Not sure on access in that town so posting may get spotty.