WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.920 --> 00:00:04.639 Welcome to Macinaw Island Moments, hosted by lifelong islander Jason 2 00:00:04.679 --> 00:00:08.480 Saint and through conversations and interviews with Poe Island locals 3 00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:11.160 and residents, Jason will bring you the real stories and 4 00:00:11.240 --> 00:00:14.119 characters that define life on the island. Whether you're a 5 00:00:14.119 --> 00:00:17.719 seasoned visitor, new to mccaina Island, braving an islander yourself, 6 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:20.199 you'll be sure to learn firsthand about the island with 7 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:22.120 Jason on macin Island Moments. 8 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:26.160 And Welcome to another edition of the Mackinaw Island Moments podcast, 9 00:00:26.440 --> 00:00:29.320 the only podcast that originates on macin Island by a 10 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:31.960 born and raised islander. Folks. Here it is the middle 11 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:34.759 of July. We're rating the thick of yacht races. We're 12 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:37.600 on the second race, the Chicago to Mackinaw, the Chicago 13 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:40.880 Yacht Club celebrating their one hundred and fiftieth anniversary this year. 14 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:43.119 This is their one hundred and sixteenth, one hundred and 15 00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:45.679 seventeenth race. I'm probably wrong about that, but the club 16 00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:47.560 itself is one hundred and fifty. There's gonna be some 17 00:00:48.119 --> 00:00:51.280 fireworks I think tomorrow or Tuesday, I'm not sure. And 18 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:53.520 because of that, we have a special yacht Race edition 19 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:57.000 and instead of having a classic islander on board today 20 00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:02.399 we have Kim and Kathy now are now summer visitors, 21 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:05.040 but they came that way by being summer workers, and 22 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:08.239 they first came to mc and Island nineteen eighty three. 23 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:10.680 And let me tell you things were a little different then. 24 00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:12.879 To get a job on mcin Island. There wasn't the Internet. 25 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:14.959 You didn't have Facebook, job boards or any of that. 26 00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:18.439 So Kim and Cathy take it away. Take us through 27 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:20.239 how you first came to macaw. How did you hear 28 00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:22.519 about this place? And folks, you're going to tell one 29 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:25.560 of is has a southern draw a little bit, so 30 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:28.040 it's not like you're from the Upper Peninsula or northern Michigan. 31 00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:30.200 But tell us how did you hear about mc and Island? 32 00:01:30.200 --> 00:01:31.079 How did you end up here? 33 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:35.760 Well? I was in college and was summer before my 34 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:38.400 senior year. My sister had worked here the summer before 35 00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:41.480 and we were in Mississippi and she one of her 36 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:44.719 college roommates was from Michigan. So summer of eighty two 37 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:47.840 she came up and worked at Little Bob's. So the 38 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:51.799 next summer my heart was broken. My boyfriend dumped me 39 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:54.959 and I said, I'm going north, And so Laura said, 40 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:58.000 go to Mackinaw, my sister, and you'll get a job. 41 00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:00.280 I didn't have a job at two hundred dollars in 42 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:05.280 my pocket. Took the Amtrak from Winona, Mississippi, spent the 43 00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:07.799 night in Flint, Michigan. Had two high school friends with 44 00:02:07.799 --> 00:02:11.400 me from Mississippi. Took the Greyhound, went all the way up, 45 00:02:11.879 --> 00:02:14.919 arrived on the island on May fifteenth, took the old 46 00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:19.080 Arnold ferry over and got a job. The next day, 47 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:20.599 went into Little Bob's and. 48 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:21.039 Got a job. 49 00:02:21.560 --> 00:02:23.800 And so that's and of course when you get a job, 50 00:02:23.800 --> 00:02:24.439 you get housing. 51 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:26.240 Sure, where was Little Bob's housing? Then? 52 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:26.400 Was it? 53 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:27.080 Right upstairs? 54 00:02:27.560 --> 00:02:32.360 Was Palermo's house up behind Laschance the oldesto? Sure across 55 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:33.159 from Pine Cottage? 56 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:36.080 So up on Bogan Lane? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, wow? And 57 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:38.080 that was Kathy. And so I want to hear Kim. 58 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:39.240 How did Kim end up there? 59 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:42.759 All right? So it was after my junior year, no 60 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:46.479 sophomore year of college. I went to Miami University. And 61 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:49.199 my dad had taken a job when I lived in 62 00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:53.400 Cincinnati and we had moved to Albany, Georgia, Albanny, Georgia, 63 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:57.639 as they say. And the first summer after my freshman year, 64 00:02:57.639 --> 00:02:59.840 I spent in Cincinnati, and I didn't have a car. 65 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:02.000 I was dependent on people, and I am not a 66 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:05.360 dependent person. So after that, I was like, I have 67 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:07.199 to go somewhere where I don't need a car, I 68 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:09.360 can get a job and you know, just live on 69 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:12.879 my own. And my current sister in law had worked 70 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:14.759 up here at the Grand Hotel, so I was like, 71 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:17.879 Macinnall is the place. And I talked a story sister 72 00:03:17.960 --> 00:03:19.680 mine into coming up and she bailed on me at 73 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.479 the last minute. And I was like, I don't have 74 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:24.080 any options. This is my option. So I remember my 75 00:03:24.120 --> 00:03:27.280 boyfriend put me on a Greyhound bus in Cincinnati, Ohio, 76 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:30.120 dropped off in Macinawll City. I had this big old 77 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:33.520 maroon suitcase and I draw, you know, no wheels at 78 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:36.360 that time, you know, drugg to the ferry came across, 79 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:39.319 and I did already have I knew enough that I 80 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:42.159 had called around and got a job at Little Bob's. Okay, so, 81 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:45.960 and I had rachelshit in college, so you know I 82 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:49.199 had experience. Yeah. So I showed up probably two or 83 00:03:49.240 --> 00:03:51.759 three weeks after Cathy, okay, beginning of the season and 84 00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:52.919 it was cold Sole. 85 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:56.479 So Little Bobs for those who are new to Macinar 86 00:03:56.520 --> 00:03:58.639 are new to the podcast, that was a restaurant right 87 00:03:58.680 --> 00:04:01.560 across the street from where they police station is now 88 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:04.719 and the Yankee Rebels kind of remodeled that whole building 89 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:06.719 and they they've kind of taken over. But Little Bob's 90 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:09.919 was a was a family business and it was pretty 91 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:15.120 renowned at the time. So back to those days, is 92 00:04:15.159 --> 00:04:17.519 there still people that you know you remember from working 93 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:19.639 there that were on the island or I know you 94 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:20.759 know one name I'd like to hear. 95 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:23.920 Oh, well, well, Trush Bunker, we know she was. She 96 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:27.839 was the salad girl. And then her mom, Elaine Lane. Yeah, 97 00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:29.120 she worked back in the kitchen. 98 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:34.720 Elaine was great because we were just getting started and 99 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:38.680 a little nervous about getting fired because you never quite 100 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:40.600 knew if you were doing the right thing, and so 101 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:43.399 Elaine was always back in the kitchen. I think she 102 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:45.879 really did salad prep too, for they had a huge 103 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:49.040 salad bar, and so she was very comforting. And the cooks, 104 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:54.720 Darwin and Dwayne and Kevin, the h Wee Boys owners 105 00:04:54.800 --> 00:05:00.319 of the place. Darwin and Dwayne really took the took 106 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:02.240 us under their wing too. They really liked us a lot, 107 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:08.319 Kevin not so much. But so we had a great experience. 108 00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:12.079 There lots of funny stories. And I think I told 109 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:14.079 you that it was tough at first because there wasn't 110 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:17.279 much much business. On May fifteenth, it was freezing and 111 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:19.639 here I had come all the way uprom Mississippi. But 112 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:21.600 we got We worked for a couple of weeks. In 113 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:24.120 my first paycheck, I was so excited to get it, 114 00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:26.720 and it was made out in the amount of zero 115 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:30.000 because it was really a check with Zerra. I still 116 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:33.240 have it because we had to take out for uniform 117 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:36.680 costs and rent and my first paycheck. 118 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:39.079 So how many years did you end up how many 119 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:40.560 summers did you end up doing on the island. 120 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:43.519 We just worked here one and then we came back 121 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:47.439 in eighty seven to set with Kim's husband and Betsy, 122 00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:49.800 her sister in Lawhood worked up at the Grand in 123 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:53.079 eighty and to celebrate the Grand's eighty seventh and what 124 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:56.759 was hundredth hundred. What was interesting though, is we went 125 00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:59.199 to we were on the island and we were sort 126 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:01.240 of grown up, more up then, but we were looking 127 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.680 for where the islander parties were, because we really missed 128 00:06:04.680 --> 00:06:07.639 that that kind of fun of the island. Well, and 129 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:10.319 then I got married on the island in nineteen eighty nine, 130 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:13.879 and so that was and then Kim can tell us. 131 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:15.480 The rest of the sum Yeah. Well, I was also 132 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:18.160 going to say we only worked here one summer, because 133 00:06:18.199 --> 00:06:20.120 I think one of the things we're worried about is 134 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:22.839 it would lose its magic if we came back and 135 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:25.360 had a different experience than we did, because it was 136 00:06:25.399 --> 00:06:27.800 such a magical summer that we were afraid. So we 137 00:06:27.800 --> 00:06:30.600 actually worked in Hiltonhead the next summer. Oh, which that 138 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:33.560 was kind of tough because again we didn't have transportation, 139 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:36.040 and that is a place where there are cars, right, 140 00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:36.920 we had bikes. 141 00:06:37.399 --> 00:06:40.439 But that first summer was truly magical and it was 142 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:44.160 just especially I felt like I'd come to another world 143 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:47.199 and I realized that there was so much more than 144 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:49.800 the South, and I thought it was a pivotal summer. 145 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:52.240 I'm not going back, you know, I'm not going back 146 00:06:52.279 --> 00:06:55.480 South and it Now I'm a college professor in Ohio 147 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:57.759 and I have students, some of whom have worked here, 148 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:00.560 and some of them will come home to working a 149 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:03.199 summer at Macanall, come back to school and they'll be 150 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:06.360 I can't do this, I can't. And I always say, 151 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:08.360 you gotta buckle down and get back in the real 152 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:12.600 world or else. Don't let Macinaw ruin it. Don't ruin 153 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:15.480 your wonderful summer, because then you come back and you 154 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.079 can't get it together. I said, come back, get it together, 155 00:07:18.199 --> 00:07:20.199 and then you can you can have Macannon in your 156 00:07:20.199 --> 00:07:21.480 life the rest of your life, you know. 157 00:07:22.360 --> 00:07:22.560 Great. 158 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:25.160 Yeah, And as Kathy mentioned, she got married here in 159 00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:28.279 nineteen eighty nine, and then I had my second child 160 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:32.000 in April ninety four and Kathy was graduating from grad 161 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.879 school at Ohio State, and I just got this crazy idea. 162 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:37.439 I don't know, maybe you know, I was just had 163 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:38.839 a baby. Man, it was out of my mind. But 164 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.560 I was like, let's go up to Macannall and celebrate like. 165 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:42.680 My baby baby. 166 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:47.079 Yeah. I don't know, yeah, yeah, but just us, just yeah. 167 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:48.800 And of course if we came up, we're like, we 168 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:51.279 have to come up during yacht race. So that's what 169 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:54.680 we plan. I still have the little Macinaw map that 170 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:57.439 had all the hotels and phone numbers on it, and 171 00:07:57.480 --> 00:07:59.959 you know, and we got a room at Leschance for 172 00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:02.800 one hundred dollars, I think, yeah, and that so that 173 00:08:02.920 --> 00:08:06.040 nineteen ninety four was the start of this current thirty 174 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:06.680 two year. 175 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:08.920 Run, right, And I remember that, of course because I 176 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:10.720 was working right out in front of the shots at 177 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:13.839 the barbecue with Brian. Yes, let's go back to nineteen 178 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:16.160 eighty three. Give us a a I wouldn't say a 179 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:17.480 day in the life, but how about a night in 180 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:19.920 the life of a summer employee. I mean, things have changed, 181 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:22.759 but they're also still the same. But what was it? 182 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:23.639 What stands out? 183 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:25.959 Well, it all depends on what shift you were working, 184 00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:28.639 and so if you had the breakfast shift, and of 185 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:30.120 course you were up and out of there, but you 186 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:33.399 might be off at two or you know, noon, or 187 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:35.279 if you've had to work the split shift, that was 188 00:08:35.320 --> 00:08:37.240 really disappointing because then you had to work and then 189 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:39.559 take a break and then go back. But it was 190 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:43.000 the night's you know, a little bob shut down about ten, 191 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:45.919 I'd say, right, so you had that's when the night 192 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:49.480 life got started, and so you basically wanted went to 193 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:52.159 the We had beach parties. We weren't of age, so 194 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:54.440 we couldn't get I actually had turned twenty one that summer, 195 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:57.600 but we could. We weren't going in the bars. 196 00:08:57.320 --> 00:08:59.559 Really, so I could get into bars if you were eighteen, 197 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:05.960 you could get you just couldn't. The black X yeah, yeah, 198 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:06.799 a pilot. 199 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:09.159 House with was it Harry at the Pilot house or 200 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:09.519 there was. 201 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:12.240 Something Harry owned it, yeah yeah yeah, and then of 202 00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:16.919 course the horse and buggy driving across the street yeahs yeah. 203 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:19.200 So yeah, it was really just all the other workers 204 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:21.360 that you but you kind of just hunt. We hung 205 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:22.840 pretty much with Little Bob's people. 206 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:25.320 Yeah. I mean, but there was no phone, so you 207 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:28.080 couldn't say he meet me at so and so. As 208 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:30.360 you kind of spread the word and people would come in. 209 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:33.039 Those who weren't working would stop by the restaurant and 210 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:35.799 say we're going to be here or back at the house, 211 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:37.799 you know, if we all lived together at the house. 212 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:43.279 So that was how it was very spontaneous, and the 213 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:45.600 thing that we loved about it was you never knew 214 00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:49.639 what was going to happen. Yeah, you run into people 215 00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:50.120 and you never. 216 00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:52.360 Knew, so you were able to organize your fun with 217 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:57.080 out a Facebook invitation yes, or a marketplace yes. And 218 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.080 folks want to let you know we're sitting out in 219 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:01.320 the backyard of the Cannonball Oasis. So you might hear 220 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:03.639 an airplane going over an occasional seago, a little bit 221 00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:06.000 of wind hitting the microphone. So I hope you excuse us, 222 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.639 but we are outdoors. It's too nice a day not 223 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:11.879 to be sitting outside. So let's go back. Now, you're 224 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:14.679 you just started one of your first reunions together. I'm 225 00:10:14.679 --> 00:10:16.879 sure you know back in those days it was penpal stuff. 226 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:19.960 There wasn't an email until about nineteen ninety or so. 227 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:22.600 You know that being a college professor, you thought we 228 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:25.679 had we were privy to that sort of stuff. We 229 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:28.600 had an email. Okay, So I remember you folks. You'd 230 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:31.679 sit up on the porch at Laschans and and that 231 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:33.679 turned into a yearly event and Brian and I would 232 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:36.559 see every year. And then let's talk about chit chat. 233 00:10:38.600 --> 00:10:41.440 I see lots of T shirts, hats, stickers, we have 234 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:44.960 the merch, yes, the boat that never happened or has happened. 235 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:46.519 Let's talk about chit chat. Yes. 236 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:49.840 Well, And like Kim said in ninety four, she I 237 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:52.320 graduated and she had her second baby. She goes, let's go, 238 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:55.480 let's go to the island. So we decided to go 239 00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:58.559 and we were hanging out and having so much fun, 240 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:02.399 but so much of the and people would say, what 241 00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:05.039 boat are you waiting for? And we got tired of that, 242 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:08.879 so we said, we're not waiting for a boat. We're 243 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:13.080 on a boat. And we made it up and created 244 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:16.840 a virtual boat and it was all women crew and 245 00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:19.399 so and then Kim that the pivotal thing was that 246 00:11:19.480 --> 00:11:22.360 Kim bought a monogram machine. Yes, and when you buy 247 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:24.840 a monogram machine, you can be anybody you want to 248 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:26.600 be and so and so. 249 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:29.200 Yeah, so I'm like, all right, then, well, Kathy's a 250 00:11:29.240 --> 00:11:31.480 professor of communication. So we're, you know, thinking of a 251 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:33.320 boat name. Got to have a boat names, you know, 252 00:11:33.399 --> 00:11:35.240 in boat colors and all that, you know, and we're like, 253 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:37.600 it has to do something with talking, and that's when 254 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:40.120 we came up with chit Chat. Yeah, and our colors 255 00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:43.440 are hot, pink and black and yeah. The monogram machine 256 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:45.080 did change everything. It did. 257 00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:47.639 So what we would do is we would gather and 258 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:50.399 make up our story about where we were in the 259 00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:52.840 race and how we did and what boat we were, 260 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:55.480 and we had to always pick something that kind of 261 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:57.960 flew under the wire, but so that people because there's 262 00:11:58.000 --> 00:11:59.960 you know, there's a couple of three hundred boats maybe 263 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:02.600 in the race, and you had you couldn't stand out 264 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:05.840 too much because then they would realize that this was 265 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:08.519 just a ruse. And then eventually we would the people 266 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:10.840 we really wanted to let them in on the secret. 267 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:13.639 We let him know. But that was in nineteen ninety 268 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:17.799 four or five, I think maybe six, maybe the boat 269 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:19.440 was born and we were sitting on the docks in 270 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:21.679 the marina and all of a sudden we just said, 271 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:25.200 chit chat because it's all bs, so it's just chit chat. 272 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:28.159 So we made it up. And then we've met so 273 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:31.519 many friends through the years with that, you know, kind 274 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:34.960 of a silly little thing, a made up boat, and 275 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:37.919 people get to really get big kick out of it. 276 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:42.240 So one year, Dick Jennings with a Chicago yacht club, 277 00:12:42.360 --> 00:12:44.480 was racing two boats, and we had known him for 278 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.519 several years and he thought our story was hysterical and 279 00:12:47.559 --> 00:12:49.320 he said, you girls need to race one year to 280 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:52.639 make your story better. And so he's I'm racing two 281 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:54.919 boats next year. One boat's just going to be for 282 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.840 a lums, bringing back a bunch of old guys who've 283 00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:00.480 all you know, they don't need to prove anything. I've 284 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:03.240 got an Andrew's seventy two boat and we're gonna put 285 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:05.159 you on there if you want to come, So get 286 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:08.399 yourself to Detroit on this day and I'll pick you 287 00:13:08.519 --> 00:13:11.600 up in a white van. And I remember looking at 288 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:14.240 him and thinking, are we gonna do this? And she said, yeah, 289 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:16.720 we're gonna do it. So we're reading Sailing for Dummies 290 00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:19.399 on the airplane. 291 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:20.679 And I don't know if you would to tell some yeah, 292 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:22.279 and then we then they're like, we had to go 293 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:25.080 to Canada, like Dick always kept his boat in Canada. 294 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:26.879 And we're like, holy crap, oh god. Then we had 295 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:29.799 a bottle of cheap vodka in our bag and the 296 00:13:29.799 --> 00:13:34.200 poor kid that was transporting transporting the van got stopped 297 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:37.039 at the at the border and they're like, what is 298 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:39.720 this in your you know this alcohol? I mean, you know, 299 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:41.919 Oh my god. It was it was just it was 300 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:44.039 such an experience. It was such a gift from Dick. 301 00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:47.679 God rest his soul. He Yeah. The pie Piper had 302 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:52.120 the Chicago to mac Race or for twenty five years. 303 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:54.320 Yeah the record, Yeah, oh sure. 304 00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:57.159 Pipe Piper was a famous and that's what the referring 305 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:59.480 to folks. Was I think it was a seventy Maxie 306 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:03.200 or seventy. 307 00:14:01.639 --> 00:14:03.639 That boat was and then his real pipe piper was 308 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:05.120 a Santa Cruz seventy. 309 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:07.399 Yeah, Okay, can I say what the shirts are that 310 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:08.919 I wanted to make up after that race? 311 00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:10.399 I don't know. 312 00:14:10.840 --> 00:14:12.080 It's it's a PG show. 313 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:13.480 Yeah, it's a PG show. I would. 314 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:18.799 I would, Well, that's that's true, throw it up there 315 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:19.879 and if the editor doesn't like it. 316 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:23.399 So we were actually the fifth boat in so the 317 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:27.960 so the alumni crew boat beat Dick's boat in. So 318 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:30.080 he was like, I don't know, the eighteenth boat in 319 00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:32.960 his his his racing boat. So I wanted to make 320 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:34.879 a shirt for him that said we licked Dick. 321 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:37.879 Yeah. I'm not sure that I'll make it through the 322 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:40.720 editor or not, but well, we like your style. Yeah, 323 00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:44.000 I would be remiss if I didn't mention that wind 324 00:14:44.039 --> 00:14:46.679 Hawk just crossed the finish line probably in the last 325 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:50.080 ten minutes from Chicago. You know, that's a one oh 326 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:52.200 four catch, or maybe it's one o two. It's over 327 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:55.120 one hundred foot long. That that boat has a fireplace 328 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:59.200 on it. It's an amazing well, of course it's amazing ship, 329 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:02.159 and they're the next nearest boat is about fifty miles out, 330 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:04.919 and then the pack starts about seventy miles from that. 331 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:07.120 So it's going to be a late finish, well into 332 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:10.039 this evening and then all day tomorrow. And where where's 333 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:11.480 the chit chat right now? In this race? 334 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:12.120 How far over? 335 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:15.840 Let's oh no, oh, well you should try being the 336 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:20.240 pickle boat sometimes, yes, that's fun. The pickle boat can 337 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:23.600 be fun. So you know you've run the whole gamut. 338 00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:28.120 You started off summer employees and then you became routine visitors. 339 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:31.159 Now you've I don't want to use the word fabricated, 340 00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:35.159 but you've invented. You've invented this identity as the chit chat. 341 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:39.480 Your perspective of perspective of MCINA over the last forty years, 342 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:43.919 well forty two now, I guess, good, bad and different. 343 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:45.399 Where are we at in your eyes? 344 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:48.360 I would say when we first started, it was an 345 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:52.840 affordable it was an affordable like good girls get away, 346 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:56.679 you know, to take a group, and unfortunately it just 347 00:15:56.720 --> 00:16:00.039 has become almost price prohibitive. You know, it's it's a 348 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:03.080 just how much it's changed as far as what's being 349 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:07.000 bought by other bigger companies and what we call bouged up. 350 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:09.799 I mean, you know, it's just bougie. And with bougie 351 00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:13.440 is price increases. So it's kind of it's sad to 352 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:15.600 us because families can't come. 353 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:15.840 Now. 354 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:18.159 I mean, I think families probably have to make decisions, 355 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:20.480 you know, can we pay for the parking, the tickets, 356 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:23.279 the bike rental. It's a lot. I mean, it's and 357 00:16:23.320 --> 00:16:25.799 it's sad. I just you know, I think, I mean this, 358 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:28.320 the most majority of this place is a state park 359 00:16:28.759 --> 00:16:31.480 and people should have access, and I just feel like 360 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:33.639 that has become prohibitive, which is all. 361 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:36.159 It's a battle right now. That's that's for sure, And 362 00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:38.879 more on that at a later date. But do you 363 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:41.639 still when you when you get near the bridge and 364 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:43.279 you look over, do you still get butterflies and you 365 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:43.720 see the al? 366 00:16:43.960 --> 00:16:44.120 Yeah? 367 00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:44.679 See we do. 368 00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:48.480 And the magic of the place, I think is in 369 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:51.919 its eccentricities and so even and I think that's what 370 00:16:52.039 --> 00:16:58.399 makes me really sad as it's becoming more and more bougie, 371 00:16:58.519 --> 00:17:00.799 or you know, it looks more and more Disney World 372 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:04.640 in some places, but there's still pockets that retain its character. 373 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:08.319 And so that's what's so fun to us, and it's 374 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:10.839 as much of the people. We both get the town 375 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:14.880 crier than the newspaper and read it religiously and call 376 00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:17.440 each other and say, oh my gosh, so and so 377 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:21.279 died or so and so's retiring, and do you remember this? 378 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:24.160 And our husbands make fun of us because every time 379 00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:27.279 the town crier comes, we just are absorbed in what's 380 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:30.880 We're slightly obsessed. And we have a tradition of when 381 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:34.240 we cross into the state line into Michigan, we take 382 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:36.480 pictures and go woo woo, and then when we go 383 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:40.160 when we see the bridge, and we just have all 384 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:42.359 our little traditions. But a very special part of this 385 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:46.240 has been Jane Winston. So in nineteen ninety six, I 386 00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:48.920 think we were at the Mustang Lounge and we met 387 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:51.759 a couple Jane and John Winston, who were there and 388 00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:54.640 they were wondering what this group of women were doing. 389 00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:57.599 And we told them, and John said, tomorrow night, come 390 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:59.759 over for drinks on our porch, and we said, you. 391 00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:03.359 Better, you better not. We're there. 392 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:06.359 And we've maintained a great friendship. And Jane is now, 393 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:09.519 you know, eighty five years old, and we stay with 394 00:18:09.559 --> 00:18:11.720 her off and we're staying with her this time, and 395 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:14.799 so she's a special She wrote the article that was 396 00:18:14.839 --> 00:18:19.200 in the Macanol Living and she's a special Cottie Joner 397 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:22.160 here who's become a very very dear friend of ours. 398 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:24.519 She's a great writer. She did some writing for mcin 399 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:26.079 Island News and Views back then. 400 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:29.839 Do you remember you probably do that she had a 401 00:18:29.880 --> 00:18:32.279