Day 29: As Good As It Gets

We woke up for sunrise. I instantly felt like every Michigander should do this before they die. In fact, maybe every human being should. Jessie started a fire, which I then decided to use for warmth as I began a long day of MBE review. Evidence can damper any mood, but it was OK for this daystarter

We trekked the final 2 miles to atop the Lake of the Clouds and eventually said goodbye. I exchanged information and thanked the students for allowing me to be part of their journey; they thanked me for allowing them to be part of mine. As we said our goodbyes, I filled out my sheet, leaving them this blog, and simply wrote to keep their faith. If I’ve learned anything in my short time here on earth --which if statistics are correct, meaning I’m already a third through my time -- its that faith can build you up just as it has torn down society time and time again. But the gift of faith is how you use such...

I had little gas in my car; little direction to where I’d end the day; and in need of fluids and a shower. (Here's a starter for my newest adventure. I ended up going to White Pine, the closest gas station. It reminded me of a place straight out of an old western. No place for credit cards on the gas tank and I had no clue where to put the nozzle back up. (Apathy is what I told some woman who showed. More like ignorance though.) When I got inside to pay, the older woman was nice to accept my $9 and gave me directions, but as I drove to Lake Goegbic, I felt for the first time on the trip, “where the hell am I?” Soon enough, I said Michigan “The Upper Hand.” I wound up at Lake Goegbic State Park, where I pounded through 50 MBE Questions for Constitutional Law faster than a six kegs on toga-wearing fraternity night. It was me, a few boats and about no one else. It dawned on me that I could take a shower at the State Park so I charged my phone and went into the glamourous community bathroom. I just laughed how my life has evolved during the past few weeks. One night I was having this five-course dinner with the Haleys on Drummond and now I am so content to be in a state park bathroom. I said, ‘well I have pumped enough money into this state over the past month to deserve a free-shower.' Then I got upset because I felt like I was entitled to something. ‘Isn’t that the problem? We feel entitled to everything. This trip is about exchanging such self-worth for the beauty of people, nature, and life.”

I arrived to Ironwood in the mid-late afternoon and met Ronnie. Ronnie might be in his late 70s, but it fails to show any signs of being at the end of life. He owns, go figure, Ronnie’s Camera Shop (no surprise on no web site) in downtown Ironwood and I needed a new battery for my camera.

If you haven’t been able to tell, I have been using my cell phone for pictures. I somehow lost my battery last Saturday in Houghton. Go figure – camera (fine); camera without battery (not fine). Ronnie and I just shot-the-shit (is that in the right verb form?) as I tried to get ahold of Canon for the right battery. Meanwhile, he told me about Ironwood, gave me a rundown of the 50s senior class, which was around 200 and the current class, around 66. “And they say the school is too small for them now,” he scoffed. “You can’t be serious.” As I walked out of Ronnies, I saw a iconic building. It was the Carnegie Library, the first in Michigan and built 11 scores ago. I spent about 2 hours here and felt at home. After being one of the last ones to leave at 5:30, I eventually checked into a motel. The owner told me “You can’t get a better place for this price. You’re going to love this room. Love it.” “Do you have a bed?” I asked. “Do you have a TV?" This feels like getting upgraded to 1st class when compared to napping on the dirt in sleeping bag with the wolves. Actually its better since, the people here aren't assholes like some in first class.”

My night concluded at Tacconelli's, a reccomendation that Ronnie gave me hours earlier. He said “if you’re hungry and want some good food, and it seems like you do considering that you’ve been eating nothing in the mountains, then this is the place.” I figured, what the hell - their motto is "as good as it gets!" The bartender, Brandi, convinced me to get a burger with a fried egg, cheese and bacon. Anything sounded good, and despite sounding like a heart-attack on-a-plate, I thought I’d give it a try. Besides, it came with soup and a salad bar. I ate it all, drank a couple beers and after she told me a few places to go visit, I told her that I’d buy her a beer tomorrow if she didn’t mind being a tour guide. (no call yet.) The funniest thing in this place was the other locals bragging about a 5-pound burger competition that recently happened. As the one guy showed everyone on his 6-year-old picture-phone he kept saying, “Yeah. You know this guy who dun it told me that he brought a 12-pack of beer to drink so it would help him wash it down.” When he said wash it down, the man was referring to how the burger would help him drink the beer, not the rather. I went back to beloved home and passed out for 10 hours.