Weeknotes: November 9–13, 2026

It's getting to the point in the year, when I take a little time off from Weeknotes. I'll keep up the practice as long as I can find the time, but expect a few gaps and some miscellaneous content over the next month or two. -TM

Monday, November 9

I wake with the stiff limbs and next-day aches of a long distance runner. Yesterday morning, I ran a brisk half marathon along the coast of Michigan's Thumb, from Sleeper State Park to downtown Port Austin. Despite the fatigue of the week leading up to it, I made a solid effort and placed fourth in my age group. I'm not very competitive, but it's nice to know I can still turn it on when I want to. 

Just as satisfying was the drive up. The Thumb in late autumn is a stark contrast of agricultural bustle and offseason melancholy. I put on some wistful fiddle music and vibed out to the brown fields and liminal post-Halloween/pre-Christmas atmosphere. The sugar beet harvest was in full swing; at every intersection, huge semi trucks hauling loads of root crop rumbled toward the behemoth sugar refinery in Sebewaing. Occasionally, a castaway beet rolled along the shoulder of the road. 

As I approached the lakeshore, the highway segued into a different beauty of beachside cottages and seasonal businesses bearing signs like “Thanks for a great summer” and “See you next year!” 

Back home in Ypsilanti, I dragnet my backyard for dog poop so I can mow the lawn one more time. In the distance, the EMU marching band rehearses Queen’s “Bicycle,” turning my task into a comedy.