Flint Handmade Craft Fair

Today was the day of the Flint craft fair. I used to sell stuff at it (and actually made decent money) but just do not have the time anymore to make dinner, let alone anything else. But we dutifully braved the cold to check up on the latest productions. As always, Stephanie (of Frankenstitch Productions) has been prolific (after a 1 week hiatus to have a baby, Lola Jane, this summer). I asked Thomas if he wanted to come with us--he used to love to go and has a very sizable collection of Franken Stitch monsters. But he must be getting old as he said he would rather sleep in than see the latest. So, it was us and Frederick. While I talked with Stephanie about this and that (she said that it had started slow but picked up and she had made a fair amount of money), Simon and Frederick took off to explore forbidden parts of the Masonic Temple building which was housing the craft show this year--a huge structure in downtown Flint. Frederick waits for the Board Meeting to start. I have no idea what this room is about. This looks like furniture that used to be in our dean's conference room before it was refurnished. Hmmm. Here is downtown Saginaw Street - the view from the window in the room above. I bought two aliens from Stephanie for a song (I did donate to her all my leftover fleece from the past two year's Halloween costuming efforts). One the way home I asked Frederick if he wanted the orange one or the blue one. He answers, "Yes!" Both are in bed with him now as he sleeps.

Geese and Ice

Normally Bluebell Beach is a summertime destination since there isn't much to do there other than swim. But today Frederick announced that he wanted to go there more than any place else for his morning constitutional.

No splash park today.

Somewhere under that thin layer of ice are hundreds of super-sized catfish just waiting to nip off a little finger.

Frederick obviously had a good time as this evening, after his bath, he said, "Bluebell beach?" with particular urgency. Ok, so back to Bluebell beach tomorrow.

Thanksgiving

Just to prove that we did put in some effort, here is the Big Meal. To protect the innocent, we excluded images of abdomens being stuffed to the bursting point.

Sturge, Barb and Steve left Menomonee Falls mid-day Wednesday and, after the most grueling drive imaginable, arrived in Flint late Wednesday. Like the ill-fated Gilligan's Island tour, what was supposed to be a few-hours journey turned into a nightmarishly long ordeal when they drove into the aftermath of a Lake Michigan snow storm.

That really is Barb, there, though with Simon's camera work, it is difficult to tell.

After spending two evenings with them, these are the questions we are left with: (1) Will Steve convert his office into a dining room (house value be damned) and (2) Will Steve imprint his shoes with his company logo (and will Simon get a cut in the profits because it was his idea)?

Signs of Winter

A trot through (a smattering of) snow

Thomas's first gig of the season

This Thursday Thomas played bassoon at a concert at his high school. Here are two videos - the first is just the International Academy band, the second is the Wind Ensemble. In the first, Thomas can be seen under the conductor's armpit, in the second, he's to the conductor's left (our right):

More Flint Stuff

First, a correction: apparently the FM does light up.

More changes, this time welcome: the barrier you see across the road there is a sign that FINALLY "Genesee Towers", a hideous parking structure that has been vacant and increasingly derelict since before we moved here is being demolished.  The owner fought a long battle to extract money from the city before this happened and in fact won a court case awarding him millions, but it's finally happening, apparently December 15th.  Campus will be closed that day, because it's too close to the blast zone, but I may sleep in my office to get a chance to watch it come down.

It's the tallest structure in downtown Flint:

We've had some wild winds this past weekend, as this demonstrates.  We didn't get the twisters they had in Illinois, but Frederick's school was closed on Monday because the power was out, so we felt the wind's terrible impact.

Unwelcome changes in Flint

First a change that hasn't actually happened yet:

 That's VGs in Burton, which has been "our" grocery store/supermarket since we arrived.  Well, it's closing.  Apparently this branch and the other one in Flint have been losing money.  Maybe something to do with the fact that shopping there is actually a pleasant experience.  Oh, and that the workers are unionized.  Oh well.

 Here's a change you can see right now.  The CB has been replaced by a non-lighting-up "FM" (for First Merit, the Ohio-based bank that swallowed up the more than 100-year-old Citizen's Bank this year).  Bleh.  And apparently, despite pleas to save the CB, First Merit destroyed them.

This isn't something that bothers me too much, but this building is actually less than 10 years old.  It was a new building to hold, get this, the presses for the Flint Journal.  Yes, they sunk huge sums into building printing presses just as print was dying.  So now they're demolishing it.  They're moving Flint's Farmer's Market there from its current position a few blocks away down by the river.  The only sad part about that is the place where it is currently has nothing else going for it and will soon look deserted, like large swathes of Flint.

Autumnal gymnastics

Weather turning nasty

Fortunately we've stocked up on wood.  But as usual, we left raking the leaves just too long, so they'll be all soggy now.

Later: it's turned to snow: