Oops!

February 7, 2015March 25, 2015 / mariezhuikov / 4 Comments

The Lake Superior Ice Project came crashing down on Tues., Feb. 3 at 10:06 a.m.

An attempt at a world-record-tall ice sculpture came crashing down a few days ago on Barker’s Island in Superior, Wis. Of all times – it happened right when the “sculptor,” Roger Hanson, was being interviewed and photographed by the New York Times. In fact, because Roger is hard-of-hearing, the reporter had to alert him that something was amiss. Roger turned around from the interview just in time to see his creation fall in upon itself.

What his creation looked like before the collapse was a point of discussion between me and my office mates, who work in a nearby building. Before the crash, it rose 66 feet and had wing-like protrusions coming off either side (see my previous blog posting for photos). It struck me as vaguely menacing, so I called it the “ice wraith.” Others thought of it more benevolently and called it a “sentinel” – they thought it was guarding the estuary and harbor. Others called it a “blob.” Calling it a “sculpture” like the news stories do, just seems wrong. It is a creation, but it’s not like Roger is carving it. He’s squirting it.

Well, it’s clear that it is a pile now.

The crash is blamed on a thaw we had a while back. Although the temperatures dropped again enough for ice formation, I suppose the structure got brittle at that point. Roger started adding more water to the top of it instead of making it wider. Even to my unschooled ice sculpture eyes, it seemed precarious – like it needed more width instead of height. (But I speak from the benefit of hindsight.)

Although some are rejoicing at the crash of this hubristic endeavor, others in the community are upset. The project was drawing a crowd and even sported a gyros stand, and people seemed to enjoy watching the progress. Roger is such an earnest man, you can’t help but feel sorry for him. The city of Superior planned light and music shows, presentations, and even a fireworks display around the project for the next three weekends. (Feb 14, 21 and 28 at 6, 7, and 8 p.m.)

After the crash, the big questions were whether to build again and whether to hold the celebratory events. The answer? YES! Roger says he is going to rebuild, and has already started doing so upon the pile that was once his “sculpture.”

Poor Superior always seems the underdog next to the more populous and tourist-friendly Duluth across the bridge. This is yet another example of how the city just can’t win. But perhaps it’s also an example of perseverance and making lemonade out of lemons.

In my first blog entry about this project, I asked, “What could possibly go wrong?” Well, now we know! But at least nobody got hurt. And it makes for a good story. And looking at an ice pile IS sort of interesting. Especially when it’s lit up at night. (Grin.)

A Spirited Reflection of One Watershed

February 2, 2015February 2, 2015 / mariezhuikov / Leave a comment

Duluth, Minn., has a new attraction for tourists and residents alike. What is it? Gin!

Vikre Distillery opened this year in Canal Park, right next to the famed aerial lift bridge. It’s one of several local brewing operations new to town due to the lowering of licensing fees. But it’s the only gin distillery. I recently had the chance to sample their spirits and take a tour courtesy of Caleb Wendel, the distillery’s sales manager. Plus I talked to the co-founder/CEO/distiller, Joel Vikre, a few months ago at a public event. So here’s what I know.

Joel was living in Boston when he and his wife got the idea to open a distillery in Duluth. After all, the area has all the requirements: good water, peat, and a source of grain. Nine months later, his family moved to Duluth and his dream became reality.

One of the stills.

Vikre (pronounced veek-ruh) Distillery markets its gin as “A Spirited Reflection of One Watershed.” Producing each bottle takes seven gallons of Lake Superior water combined with barley and various botanicals. Joel explained that, unlike in some distillery operations, no reverse osmosis is required with Duluth water. They just run it through a charcoal filter.

“It’s impossible to overstate the importance of water for our business,” Joel said. “We live in one of the great distillery locations in the world.”

A flight of gin.

Caleb said their gin is about 90 proof and that it comes in three flavors: the traditional juniper (made with organic juniper berries from a supplier plus a few local ones thrown in for good measure), spruce (made from soft new spruce buds that sprout in spring), and cedar. They also produce aquavit (Mikael Blomkvist’s favorite drink in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” book series), which is flavored with caraway.

The bar at the distillery offers a flight so that you can sample each one. The glasses are presented on a rustic wooden platter along with two small metal pitchers of tonic and soda, and a slice of lime. Unless I heard him wrong, the bartender told me to taste first, then smell the gin, which is different from how one samples wine. But after my first try, I saw (or smelled) why. Gin tastes much better than it smells! If a person smelled it first, they are likely to get scared off by the turpentine-y aroma. Perhaps there’s some more sophisticated reason, but that’s my impression.

The bar.

I’m more of a wine and hard cider drinker. In fact, I don’t think I’ve had gin since my college days. But this was good. With its woodsy flavors, my favorite was the juniper gin. The bar also offers mixed drinks made from their products. Because I liked the name, I tried a “Lumbersexual,” which was made of aquavit, orange liquer, lingonberry syrup and lemon.

OMG! It was so good; Nordic and not too sweet, but not too sour, either. The bad news is you can’t buy bottles of their gin at the distillery. Caleb says this is due to distributor laws, but that their products are available “everywhere” locally. I quizzed him about the small liquor store by my house, and sure enough, he said they carried it (which I confirmed later through a purchase). Almost all of their distribution is in Minnesota, but if you look at the handy-dandy map on their website, you will see they also distribute in San Francisco. And Caleb tells me they just received their Wisconsin sales license, so watch for it there.

At $30 per bottle, their gin is not cheap. But it’s worth it knowing where it comes from and to support a local enterprise.

A Lumbersexual.

Caleb says that whiskey is on the horizon for the distillery. It’s in process now and will be coming not-so-soon (it’s better that way). They also hope to sell their own tonic someday. And for you corn-intolerant people, it’s made with cane sugar, not corn syrup. They do offer a cane-sugar tonic for sale that’s made by a different company, however, along with glasses and other gin-drinking paraphernalia, including clothing.

If you’d like to visit Vikre, be sure to check their website for hours. They are open on a limited basis in winter. The distillery is located in the Paulucci Building. There’s no sign for it on the outside of the building at this point. Look for the sidewalk easel sign instead.

Author Reading from “Plover Landing”

January 29, 2015January 29, 2015 / mariezhuikov / Leave a comment

A community radio station, KUMD, featured my most recent novel on their “Women’s Words” show last weekend. My novel is called “Plover Landing” and it’s an eco-mystic romance set in Duluth, Minn., that highlights the plight of an endangered shorebird, the piping plover.

You can listen to the six-something minute show here. My novel is available for sale in the usual places (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.) or you can contact me through my website to receive an autographed copy. My online store isn’t working at the moment, but if you send me a message from my site, we can work something out!

Three Wishes

January 23, 2015January 23, 2015 / mariezhuikov / 1 Comment

My new magic slippers.

I was granted three wishes last week, but didn’t realize it until they were over. Have you ever had one of those weeks when things randomly and mysteriously work out?

It began with a pair of slippers. My house slippers were held together by pink duct tape that was slowly eroding (long story). When I put them on every morning, I felt a bit like Reese Witherspoon in the movie/book “Wild” where she loses her hiking boots and makes do on the Pacific Crest Trail with her feet and sandals wrapped in duct tape.

I decided it was time to class up my act, so I bought some new slippers during an after-holiday sale. I didn’t have time to try them on in the store, and I forgot that sizes run small for this brand. Once at home, I found they were too small. A few days later I returned to the store only to discover they were out of larger sizes in that style. Resigned, I chose a different style that I was less enthusiastic about, and brought them to the counter for exchange.

As I was explaining my plight to the cashier, I noticed a pair of the original slippers on the counter behind her. Might those be the right size? She said someone had just returned them and she checked the size. They were my size. Score! How lucky was that?

My second wish involved a shared lunch. It was Thursday and all my regular lunch people were otherwise occupied. As I sat in my office, wishing I had someone to go to lunch with, in popped a co-worker who asked me if I wanted to eat out. She and I had never lunched without others along, so this was a new thing. But now I had someone to eat with. Score!

My third wish involved my son’s indoor soccer game. The day of the championship game, I noticed I had an appointment that conflicted with it. I didn’t think there was any way to change the appointment, so I was resigned to missing the game. Soon afterwards, the phone rang and it was the appointment people. They wanted to know if I could come later. Scooooooore!

If I had known I was receiving three wishes last week, I probably would not have wasted one of them on slippers. I would have chosen world peace or a vaccine for Ebola. But having company for lunch and being able to see my son’s soccer game were pretty darn worthwhile.

The Ears and Doors of Yale

January 19, 2015January 19, 2015 / mariezhuikov / 2 Comments

An interesting carving in an archway at Yale.

I have a navy blue sweat jacket with white letters emblazoned across the chest that spell out “YALE.” Ivy League paraphernalia are not common in northern Minnesota, so I get sideways looks when I wear it. It’s also not common to “brag” in this manner about going to an Ivy League school. When someone is curious or brave enough to ask if I went to Yale, I delight in saying, “Yes! . . . But only for three days.”

You see, I went to a science writers conference there a few years back and couldn’t resist buying the jacket. I wear it when I’m in the mood for a social joke, or when I’m cold (which happens quite often).

The wording over the door says “Yale News.” A door for journalists.

Anywho, I thought I’d share with you some photos of my Yale meanderings. I have this thing for doors, and Yale has some great ones. It also has some great ears. If you ever get the chance to walk the campus in New Haven, Conn., look for these!

The dining hall door. Note the cooked poultry above it.

It’s Growing . . .

January 15, 2015March 25, 2015 / mariezhuikov / Leave a comment

The weather continues to cooperate for the Lake Superior Ice Project on Barker’s Island in Superior, Wis. “Ice Man” Roger Hanson from Big Lake, Minn., has added a third tier to the formation and it now stands about 52 feet tall and 20-something feet wide.

Roger had some troubles previously with the formation leaning due to the soft ground it’s built on and the prevailing winds, but he has since adjusted for that. Roger lives in that little trailer you can see in the side-view photo of formation. I don’t envy him. Barker’s Island is a desolate place in winter. No trees block the wind coming off frozen Lake Superior and the comforts of the mainland, although in view, might as well be miles away.

For more information, please see my two previous posts (1) (2) on this topic.

A side view of the formation, along with the spraying apparatus and Roger’s trailer home.

Author Reading from “Eye of the Wolf”

January 12, 2015January 12, 2015 / mariezhuikov / 2 Comments

In the sound studio at KUMD Radio.

I took advantage of the opportunity to be part of a local radio station’s weekly program that features Minnesota women authors. I read excerpts from both of my eco-mystic romance novels, so they’ll be doing two shows about them. The first one featuring “Eye of the Wolf” aired this week on KUMD Radio in Duluth. You can access the six-minute audio file here.

My trip to the station in the basement of the local college was nostalgic. I used to have my own radio show for work called “Listening to the Lake.” I produced the show at that station with the help of their staff. They still have the same sound board I used for my show. These community stations are a great and unique news resource, so if you have one in your town, be sure to support it however you can!

How NOT to Deal With a Bad Relationship: Lessons from “Gone Girl” and “Anna Karenina”

January 7, 2015January 3, 2016 / mariezhuikov / 4 Comments

Amy Dunne from “Gone Girl.”

Anna Karenina

I had the serendipitously synchronistic experience of reading Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” and Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” at the same time. Although the stories take place in different eras, I was amazed by the similarity of some parts — especially if you just ignore most of Tolstoy’s ramblings about farming and equality for the peasant class. (I know, how dare I say that. Insert gasp from literary community here.) Both are about bad relationships and various ill-advised ways to deal with them.

In Gone Girl, Amy (the wronged wife) decides to deal with her husband’s infidelity by faking her death and framing him for it. But she still really loves him in her twisted way, so they patch things up (sort of) and resume living together, trying to recapture the magic of their early years. But their situation is not sustainable because it’s based on manipulation and power struggles. And Amy’s husband Nick only buys into it because she leaves him no choice. Especially after she announces she’s pregnant with his child.

(I hope there’s a sequel because something’s going to blow, and it’s going to blow big! Maybe their child will be the instrument of the familial explosion. I can’t imagine a baby raised in such a twisted environment would come out unscathed.)

Anyway, in Anna Karenina, Anna is the one who has an affair, and it’s her husband Karenin who thinks that remaining together in the same house is a good idea. As long as her lover stays away and she keeps things discreet, he’s all right with Anna continuing the affair, but he wants to keep up appearances for the sake of his career and social status. Like Amy, Anna also becomes pregnant. But it’s with her lover’s child, not Karenin’s.

Of course, it’s not a sustainable situation, either, and Anna keeps looking for a solution. She thinks she’s found one when she has a premonition that she will die during childbirth. Yes – that’s the answer – don’t deal with the situation, just die and get out of it! Although she comes close to death, she survives. Then it’s her lover’s turn to think about death, but he botches his suicide and survives also.

In Gone Girl, Amy’s original plan was to commit suicide as a final act of vindictiveness after successfully framing her husband for her death. But ever the narcissist, she decides he’s not worth killing herself over.

In Anna Karenina, Anna does eventually commit suicide as the solution, even though she and her lover Vronsky are at last free of Karenin and living the high life together with their daughter. Why does she do it? Out of vindictiveness and fear. She feels the romantic love between her and Vronsky slipping. He’s actually asserting some independence and (gasp!) doing some manly things without her. She can’t handle it and throws herself under a train – mimicking an incident that happened when they first met. Thus, despite overcoming many societal struggles, their relationship implodes from within.

As mentioned parenthetically already, I expect the relationship in Gone Girl will also implode. But only if the author gets on it and writes a sequel! Does anyone know if a sequel is planned?

I suspect that a creative writing graduate student could make a good thesis topic out of comparing these two novels. And that they could do it much more thoroughly than I. Feel free to use my blog story as an outline and go for it! I just thought it was amazing that these two authors spanning so many years were essentially writing about the same thing: human nature. It apparently hasn’t changed much, although if Gone Girl is any indication, human nature may have gotten even worse.

What is That Thing?

January 7, 2015March 25, 2015 / mariezhuikov / 2 Comments

I braved the sub-zero wind chills coming off the harbor to snap some photos of the Lake Superior Ice Project. The weather has finally cooperated, so Mr. Roger Hanson has been able to start making his creation on Barker’s Island in Superior, Wis. It stands about 22 feet tall now and it looks like . . . what do you think it looks like? Perhaps a long-legged dinosaur or Afghan hound? A strange Chinese pagoda?

He told my co-workers and me that it would be 70 feet tall, but now I see in news stories that he has upped that to 75 feet. Either way, if it gets that tall, it would be a world record.

In one of the images, you can see a shot of water spraying onto the formation. Roger has a computer set-up that sprays water every four seconds, which forms the ice. People have started frequenting the parking lot to take a look, but so far, no traffic control is needed. I suppose that will change as it gets larger.

See my previous post for more information.

The Banned Words of Bleak Mid-Winter

January 4, 2015January 4, 2015 / mariezhuikov / 6 Comments

Cartoon by Adam Raffaele

I look forward to this time of season every year. What’s to like about bleak mid-winter – especially since the temperatures are below zero and I have a head cold that’s producing enough mucus to irrigate a small farm field? Why, the “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English,” of course! The list is distributed annually by fellow northerners over at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

At only 2,500 students the university is small, but its influence on writers looms large with a forty-year tradition of publicizing words that are misused, overused, or generally useless to society. The tradition of listing words everyone loves to hate started at a New Year’s Eve party in 1975 and has enjoyed worldwide fame and attention since then.

This year’s list includes several entries that I totally agree should be banned, such as SWAG. Around my house (which contains a highschooler and his friends) this means that someone is “cool” more than it implies a “free gift.” I have heard this word enough times to last a lifetime. Yes, it should be banned for the sake of parental sanity.

Another term that should never be uttered is ENHANCED INTERROGATION, or as the head of the CIA would say for short, EIT (for Enhanced Interrogation Techniques). The term hit the national spotlight last month with the release of the U.S. Senate report on the CIA’s intelligence-gathering tactics under former President George W. Bush. Torture is torture, people. Let’s not sugar-coat it with a lot of extra syllables.

The top word on the list, however, I’d never heard of. It’s BAE, which stands for “before anyone else.” I suppose it could also be a shortcut word for “babe.” Perhaps I’ve never heard this term because I am nobody’s bae (maybe it’s the mucus). But my Facebook friends and my highschooler assure me the word is alive and well among the middle school and highschool crowds, and apparently, people are sick of it.

The other word of note is NATION used as a suffix to denote fans of a team, celebrity, or the like. I thought it was entirely and appropriately ironic that Lake Superior State University encourages people to join the “Laker-Nation” in the standard institutional blurb that’s included at the end of the banned word list story. I hope they did that on purpose.

Some of the other words are featured in the cartoon above. If a word strikes you during the year as one that should be banned, go here to list it with the university and see how it fares in next year’s list. They also have a Banished Words Facebook page that you can join.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go blow my nose again.

Marie's Meanderings

Internet home for Marie Zhuikov: Blogger, Author, Poet, Photographer