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Eight years ago on the Pasty Cam: 5/13/98^{Printed on Recycled Internet}

Eight years ago today we caught up with Dean Woodbeck at the controls of the Spruce Goose. The Pasty Cam was less than 3 months old, but we were already receiving requests for people, places, and landmarks from around the U.P. For many years Dean published the Michigan Tech Alum Newsletter each week, and many MTU folks discovered Pasty Central because of occasional mentions in his column. Then last fall he was tapped for a project at a university out east, and we were sorry to see him go.

But here's some big news: Dean Woodbeck is back! His work with the Junior Olympics this winter kept him in frequent contact with the Copper Country. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder... To make a long story short, Dean has moved back to the Keweenaw and is joining the staff at Pasty Central and Pasty.NET. He'll be helping us navigate the transition to our new network center, our new pasty kitchen next to the Hut in Kearsarge, and our expansion into DSL across the 906 area code. And many of you may know Dean's wife Jan, who worked for years with the Copper Country United Way. Jan is joining the staff at Finlandia University which, like MTU, is another significant Pasty Central supporter over the years.

We welcome the Woodbeck's on board, glad to have them both back in Pasty-land :o)

Morning!

Morning. Welcome back, Dean. I'm sure you'll be a welcome addition and Lord knows they need all the help they can get with so much to be done.

Good morning from rainy Kalamazoo....still.

Rain day..but its good!

http://www.pottupellossa.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=4

"at the controls of the Spruce Goose". Now I am intrested. Is that "THE SPRUCE GOOSE" of Howard Hughes fame??? If it is, what is THAT story.... Thank you,,,,,,

Welcome back Dean! :)

Well the rain in Indiana has sorta kinda stopped for a bit...but it's still cloudy and threatening to rain any minute now. According to the Weather Channel, we are in for ten more days of rain. Sigh.

Almost had hubby and cousins talked into heading to the the UP for Memorial weekend, last night. Then the men started talking about travel times and getting through Chicago traffic. Sigh. I guess we Michiganders are heartier, and think nothing of an eight hour car trip to the UP...because we know it's worth it.

For sale: One hubby. Slightly used. Defects: Does not think it's worth a weekend to travel to the U.P. Will consider trade, only if he is willing to travel to the UP or already lives in the U.P. Send picture of truck.

avoid Chicago-drive north to da bridge and turn left

Sur5fer, ever think of just going by yourself or with a friend? Such independence may pique his interest! (Or not, lol) I wouldn't let a little thing like my hubby prevent me from being in my beloved U.P.! You just tell him you're responding to a higher calling!! (This is probably why I remain single, lol) I have a friend who told me about his friend who was considering getting married for a second time. He said, let's see, do I want to be lonely or irritated? Lonely? Irritated? Lonely? Irritated? Honestly, not bashing marriage at all. I would love to be married if I could find the right guy, but he'd have to understand how deep the U.P. runs through my veins!Hope you can get up there Sur5fer!

Paul, for some reason, that route seems to escape the minds of my husband and his cousins (natives of Chicago). For some darn reason, the thought that you can reach the UP through the LP, seems to escape them. Instead, their thought process is, Indiana to Chicago...Chicago to Wisconsin...Wisconsin to da UP. Meanwhile, a few miles east on I-94 is Michigan...not via Chicago. Hullo!
Went to the UP one time, using the Chicago way from Indiana...and it took us twelve hours..compared to eight hours, going through the LP.

The picture of Dean Woodbeck in 1998 was almost prophetic. Charlie, did either of you have any idea that eight years later Dean would join the Pasty Cam staff? I remember reading his Tech Alum columns.

Downtown Chicago (loop) to Lac La Belle, 7 over on the speed control, 8.5 hours actual traveling time, even with a 30 minute pit stop. By-pass Iron Mountain - it saves 30 minutes.

Sur5er, You are too funny! I agree though, he needs to be traded in. I've done it. Works like a charm. My husband LOVES to go to the UP. And who in their right mind goes from Indiana to Michigan via Chicago and Wisconsin? Nobody, that's who. OOPS!!! Sur5er's hubby does. Lost myself there. Sorry. He probably doesn't like Ms. Katie's pink flamingos either.

Kate, You can bash marriage. It's allowed. Some marriages need to be bashed. However, you find the right guy and it is great! It'll happen for you. If it doesn't, who cares?

Mikie, If there are enough of us I'm sure you'll be able to be pulled. As long as you have that daiquiri (I mean coffee) pot along that is. HEEHEE!!!

we better pull two wagons, one with me and one with the makins. Maybe a third for the snacks that will be necessary.

Kate, I love the attitude :) I was single for 15 years, before I married hubby...and so used to jumping in my car and going to the UP, whenever the urge hit me...which was a few times a month...at least.
Perhaps I should just sneak out of the house some morning, and leave a sticky note on the counter stating, "gone on a pasty run to da UP" ;)

Usedtobeayooper, ROFL...yep, that's what I consider divorce: trading up :) I don't get the Indiana through Chicago and Wisconsin thing either. The only thing I can think of, is they look at the map...see that the UP is connected to Wisconsin...and therefore think da only way to it, is through Wisconsin. Duh.

MrBill, how the heck did you make it out of the Chicago loop and up to da UP, in seven hours? What time did you hit the loop...at about 1am, to avoid rush hour traffic?
I went through the loop at 3am, on a trip to the UP, thinking I would get a jump on those morning commuters in Chicago...and instead was stuck in traffic for a few hours.
The difference between Flint traffic and Chicago traffic: at least the Flint traffic moves.

I just finished this great fruit platter. Pinapple, muskmellon, watermellon,strawberries, blueberries,green mellon,greengrapes, red grapes, big grapes, kiwi,and star fruit. tonight there is an auction at my wifes church, last year I bought a bike that I can't ride the year before I bought this ugly clock, I wonder what junk I will buy tonight. if I get to go on the walk we will eat like royality. And drink like Cubans.

Sur5er--We live north of you, Saugatuck MI and have gone up the Michigan way. It can be a long haul if going to the western part of the UP. Daughter lives in Round Lake IL and we make it from Gary (Skyway) to just west of Waukegan in 1 hour. Skyway to Stony Island, SI to south outer drive, OD to North Ave, to Kennedy to Edens to Rt 120 just west of Waukegan. Some of the driving is crazy but if you don't drive seventy they run you over. Point is 1 hour of crazy traffic aint to bad if the result is the UP. We're about an hour plus from you here in Michigan and stop somewhere just west of St Ignace for the night.
John P

Mikie, Sounds great to me. Let's go for it. Let us know what junk you buy. I'm looking for a new bike but don't want junk. Think I'll go to Wally-Mart and pick one up when I get my pink flamingos.

I can't wait to dig into that fruit platter. Son and significant other are taking us out to eat tonight for Mother's Day. Been thinking about that strawberry daiquiri all day. YUM YUM!

Drove from Burns Harbor, Indiana to Mohawk in 8 hrs. Took the tri-state tollway to the west of Chicago. I left Burns Harbor at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night so there wasn't any traffic to deal with. I don't want to enter a guilty plea, but I may have gone just a little over the speed limit.

RE: Chicago

Timing, IS everything. Rush hour (outbound) is easing by 9AM, and road repairs don't start until 10AM.

Loop to Green Bay bridge, without a gas stop = 3.00 hours! Green Bay to (141 rejoining 41 via 28)south of L'Anse = 3.30, and 2.00 more into Lac La Belle.

By-pass Iron Mountain, or lose 30 minutes; also avoid weekends with trailer towing and slow RTV's.

I've timed this for like 30+ trips over the last three years. As a friend said, the best thing about Chicago, is seeing it in your rear view mirror, and I lived there for 30+ years, and that's why we're here permanently now!

Okay, Mr. Bill, By my calculations, that's still 8 1/2 hours from Chicago. Sur5er is coming from Indiana which adds more time on when she could shoot right up the LP and cut her time by about 4 hours. Wouldn't that make more sense? I can see if you're coming from Chicago to go that way, but coming from Indiana it only makes sense to go through the LP. Not only that, you get to see Big Mac while you're at it. What could be better than that?

Wait a minute. I know what could be better than seeing Big Mac. Getting to the other side and arriving in God's country! Ya sure, you betcha, eh:)

Mike, Why don't you give those other things back to the auction? They will raise more money and you can get rid of them that way!
Deb, a strawberry daiquiri sure sounds good about now that I am outta work for the day!
Good luck to everyone who wants to trek north to da great U.P.! A great place to be anytime of the year.

I can feel my heart lift when I go over the Big Bridge, But it soars when I get over the Houghton bridge. I can't stand being away from the family for more then three days so my stay in the Copper Country is always limited. I guess we will have to take the grandkids along, more wagons. Remember those wagons in the fifties that had a conastoga cover on them, I wonder if you can still get them? My daughter and family are going to be in the Copper Country for the Fourth of July, I think I will accompony them.

Mikie, No doubt, coming over that hill from Wallymart and seeing the Portage Lift Bridge gives the heart a leap, doesn't it? Even my son, who didn't grow up UP there loves seeing that bridge. And he gets to see the cool bridge coming from Duluth too, but still the Portage Lift Bridge means something so deep in the soul. We tried to get UP there for the 4th but couldn't get away from work the first week of July. Bummer! Have a good time. Would have loved to meet you. Maybe you can make the pastyfest. And I know what you mean about being away from the family. We never stay for more than a week cuz the kids and grandkids are out here. Maybe some day.

My grandmother would sit in the parlor of our house and ignore us. Precious and I are at the games,dance recitals, and last year for grandparents day in Manistee I went for the grandkids up there. We are thinking of buying a house in Manistee so we don't have to stay at motels. That has to wait till Precious retires though. I go on dates with my grandkids one at a time and they get to choose where we go and what we do. Best thing that ever happened to me were grandkids. I am draging my feet, don't really want to go to the auction.

Just alittle off subject: Jim, sur5er's main squeeze forgot to get her a Mother's Day Gift again this year, so she got all mad and excited and she told him I want to see something in the driveway tomorrow morning that goes 0 t 150 in 6 seconds, so the next morning when she woke up she dashed to the window and saw a neat little gift box in the driveway. She ran outside, tore open the box and found a scale inside. :)

Jim will be laid up from his job for a few weeks.

Mikie..at one time I believe there was a gal that would post here on PastyCam, and her name is Theresa Du Long, is she family to you? I believe she was from the U.P.

For grins & giggles I went to Rand McNally's website (like mapquest) they recommeded to go the Chicago route north through Wis. They estimated the trip from Beverly Shores, IN. to Houghton, MI. at 498 miles and a driving time of 9 hrs. and 44 min.

OK, I feel the need to get my two cents in here (about travel time to the UP). Accuse Hubby frequently about the "wrong" turn he made somewhere in KY and we ended up in the UP in late January!!! Never saw snowbanks that high in my life! (And have avoided that "pleasure" ever since!) Mind you we'd been in FL for the month of January (which was our "vacation" for the first 14 years we were together ... much saner then the last 9 which have kept us down in FL too late in the year for me!) Didn't have boots or coat for the cold weather ... but couldn't resist taking some pics for the folks down home. Fell down and literally couldn't get up! (Had knee surgery in the fall and couldn't make the darn thing work the way God intended.) Thought for sure that patients would pull into sister-in-law's dental office on Monday morning and ask her what the heck she was thinking when she added that new "ice sculpture" out front. (Thank goodness Amber missed me and came outside and helped me up!) And I won't even go into the time he told me that Menomenee (sp?) was on the way to Houghton ... NOT FROM THE LP IT AIN'T!!!

Beverly, Oh maaaaah gosh, the poor baby is screaming that he can't see. I told him, "just wait until the swelling goes down and you'll be able to see just fine".

For anyone traveling through Chicago this summer, every major highway is under construction... including the skyway. That about sums it up.

Janie, You're right, less than 10 hours travel time to Houghton, does make one giggle :)

Usedtobeayooper and Lahelo: Ms Katie and Beverly have figured out that strawberry daiquiris are a great way to meet your fruit requirement for the day ;)

Mikie, I say we ditch the wagon idea, and join the WOW ATV group, for that trip around da lake. We'll have to make sure to take a route that isn't too bumpy, cuz we wouldn't want to spill our strawberry daiquiris.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL OF THESE " GIFTS " FROM GOD, WHO WORK FOR ABOUT 50 YRS OUT OF LOVE AND FOR "FREE" WHAT IF WE HAD TO PAY THEM MINIMUM WAGE. WE COULDN'T AFFORD THEM. THEN THEY PUT THERE LIFE ON THE LINE FOR EACH CHILD.WOW. THANK YOU MOM! WE LOVE YOU!

I wished many time I'd kept an article mom sent me many moons ago. A priest back home speaking to a meeting of Catholic mothers said that decent women who raise their kids the best they know how, have eared their place in heaven. So of course I'm hopein' My belief is grandkids are payment for surviving raising kids.

I had the greatest mother, my wife is a fantastic mother, my daughters and daughter in law, are great mothers. I am lucky to be related to them. I bid $500 to go to a dinner with the Jesuits at their home. The deacon out bid me, an was telling people that I just bid him up so he had to pay more. When he was paying I told him I was going to invite him to the dinner if I won. I didn't think that holy people used that kind of language. Best $500 I never spent in my life. I now have everyone messing with him about the dinner. Precious told me to bid up to $500 so I did what I was told.

Hey Sur5er, Totally great way to meet my daily requirements for fruits! :) I can handle that anytime of the afternoon and evening then! ;)

Welcome back Dean Woodbeck! You will be as great as Charlie, Mary and everyone else at Pasty.com and Pasty.net. I know I appreciate everything they have done to keep the Pasty going. It is an awesome site. This is the first site I check when I get up in the morning. I love all of the pics.
Thank you for everything everyone at Pasty!