Just A Friendly Reminder...

There is just not a lot to be said other than I really do not like losing that hour of sleep. But you cannot stop time fro moving forward.  Enjoy the weekend!

And You Think It Is Cold?

Michigan’s memorable winter looks to be ready to set another record.  The Great Lakes are now more than 90.5% ice-covered — not just a Great Lake; all of them. That’s the most ice cover in 34 years. In 1979, the ice cover was 94.7%.

“This year we will pass that, because in the next few days it will be another 5%, easy,” said Jia Wang, a research ice climatologist for the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor.  A science degree isn’t required to understand what’s driving this: bitterly cold air.

“I look at the weather forecast and it looks like another week or so of freezing,” Wang said. A forecast warm-up by the end of the workweek should inch temperatures over the freezing mark.
Scientists only have data on Great Lakes ice-cover levels dating to 1963, when airplanes were used to help measure it for the first time, Wang said. But even in anecdotes and the historic record it appears a total Great Lakes freeze-over has never occurred — at least since people have been around.

A key reason is Lake Ontario, at the far east end of the Great Lakes chain. With its warmer water temperatures from a slightly more temperate climate, the lake generally doesn’t freeze. But this brutal winter has it nearing 50% ice cover, which also is extremely unusual, Wang said.

“It’s nice to see this kind of level after 20-some years,” he said. “We need more research to study what happens when the lakes are this covered, and why it looks like this only after decades.”

My thanks to Keith Mathney of the Detroit Free Press for this story.  Amazing graphic.

An Amusing Moment In The Office

Yesterday morning I am working away at my desk and a text arrives on my phone at 8:50am from Mark, the owner.  It simply says - Please cancel the senior staff meeting this morning.  Thanks.  OK, so I let the other three people know it has been canceled and each of them shows concern.  I figure that it was for one of two reasons.  Either Mark had to go to the doctor for an appointment or he was getting ready to board a plane and head either here or to one of the offices but did not want to say anything.  Well, it did not take long to get the answer.  About 2:30pm he walks through the door and you should have seen the staff in the office.  Yes, the picture says it all:

If you are doing your job there is nothing to worry about.  Now if you are not - then it is a whole new ball game.  I have worked for Mark long enough to know how the whole thing works.  He is here for a reason.  Am I doing what I am suppose to be doing?  Yes.  In fact, I was able to greet him with the news that we had made just shy of $16,000 in profit on the Greek Isles trip.  Of course, he has already spent it so there you go.  But, it deflects the heat of the moment as he closes my door to share why he is up here. 

Tele-marketing is a disaster and they have been having way too many appointments cancel or just no show.  He made a staff change a few weeks ago with letting Shelle go and Matt got a promotion.  Now Matt should have taken the low road of humility to start, but oh no, he starts talking about how great he is doing and how his staff loves him and on and on.  That lasted for about a week.  Funny, the same thing is happening with our new event coordinator in Chicago - Zach.  He has not been here a month and has stepped on land mines already.  Why do these people feel the need to stick their necks out so quickly?  Well, Matt is now in the doldrums and is worried about his job.  Understandable, but just buckle down and do your job and let other give you kudos when appropriate.  Personally, I live by the button below and find it makes for a much more calm day, but only if those stupid drivers would get off the road!

Mark will be here for a few days, who knows how long, but that is ok, it is his company.  I did put in two 11 hour days so far this week so I think I shall get out the door on time this day.  Last night I got home about 6:30pm and chatted with Damon a while as he got all excited about setting up a Google number and thus more accessible now.  Then ate some dinner and after watching a rerun of the prior night's "The Colbert Report" was in bed and zzzzing out in no time flat.  And so goes another fun day in Seattle, which by the way, has had another 2" of rain in the last 24 hours!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Indeed it is that time of the year again.  There are parties all over the country and around the world, but there is just something about the way that New Orleans really does it up right.  May not be as amazing as Rio's celebration, but it gets pretty wild.  Below are some images from various Crew Parades that have been held over the past several weeks.  However you celebrate, celebrate responsibly.  Laissez les bons temps rouler!!  (Let the good times roll)

The Photo & Speech Of The Night

Oh my who knew a picture could take down Twitter, but this one did.  Taken at last night's Academy Awards, it is quite the 'selfie' photo with so many people included.  Appears many versions followed only after Twitter was back up and running.  There were several memorable moments from the evening.  Ellen was having fun and it showed ordering in pizza an having it served to the audience.  Her showing up on stage as Glenda the Good Witch.  But one item of note was a very heart felt speech given by Jared Leto who won for his role as a transsexual in 'Dallas Buyers Club' a role that really got a lot of attention and was his first movie in 6 years.  Here is the speech as copied from The Independent:

To my fellow nominees, I’m so proud to share this journey with you. I’m in awe and have so much respect for you all. To the Academy, thank you.

"In 1971, Bossier City, Louisiana, there was a teenage girl who was pregnant with her second child. She was a high school dropout and a single mom, but somehow she managed to make a better life for herself and her children.

"She encouraged her kids to be creative, to work hard and to do something special. That girl is my mother and she’s here tonight. And I just want to say, I love you, Mom. Thank you for teaching me to dream.

"To my brother, Shannon, the best big brother in the world, you’re a true artist. Thank you so much for sharing this insane and amazing adventure that is 30 Seconds to Mars, and for being my best friend. I love you. Thank you.

"To all the dreamers out there around the world watching this tonight in places like the Ukraine and Venezuela, I want to say we are here and as you struggle to… to make your dreams happen, to live the impossible… We’re thinking of you tonight.

"And this is, is incredibly special as well because there’s so many people that helped me get here. And I just want to say thank you to Focus Features, to Mick Sullivan, to Jim Toth, to Jason Weinberg, to Emma Ludbrook, to Kelly Adams, to the entire Dallas Buyers Club team. Matthew, I love. Jean-Marc.

"And this is for the 36 million people who have lost the battle to Aids and to those of you out there who have ever felt injustice because of who you are or who you love, tonight I stand here in front of the world with you and for you. Thank you so much and goodnight."

An Award Winning Dinner

Indeed it is the day of days for Hollywood as the 86th annual Academy Awards are presented later this day.  I always find it entertaining at how early the coverage is.  I believe it begins around 1:30pm and goes right through to about 8:30pm.  All broadcast live due to 3 hour time difference with the east coast.  I will likely tune in for some of it, but more as a background as Markie will be over for dinner this evening.  We are going to feast on Mimosa Marmalade glazed pork loin with roasted onions plus a green bean salad with grape tomatoes and feta.  Simple, but good. 

Now, while it is an easy meal to prepare, nothing can quite compare with dinner last night over at Rob & Jodie's place.  Arrived a little after 4pm and Jodie was cooking up a storm in the kitchen.  She was at different places with each recipe.  For an appetizer we feasted on her wonderful bacon deviled eggs.  I do believe we showed restraint as there were actually leftovers this time.  All the while enjoying Vine du Loc Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Dinner was served about half past six and what a dinner it was.  As noted below, the main course was a flank steak that had been butterflied and then pounded.  The filling was basil, Fontana cheese and prosciutto.  This is then rolled and tied.  Rob grilled it outside as the weather was with us and it was stunningly delicious.  Jodie had taken a bottle of Cabernet and reduced it down to about a cup of liquid and then whisked in some honey for a sauce you see on the medallions. 

The salad was something completely new for me.  The mousse at the bottom is made with the stalks of broccoli pureed with crème fraîche.  On top of that is a salad made with the tops of the broccoli as well as olives, Gruyère cheese, chives and faro.

I had not heard of faro, but farro is a food product composed of the grains of certain wheat species. The exact definition is debated. It is sold dried and is prepared by cooking in water until soft, but still crunchy.  When I tasted some plain it had a texture like a rubber band.  No real taste per se.  But it worked in the salad quite nicely.  I did add a bit of salt to brighten it up.  A real fun and delightful dinner.

We toyed with playing a game after dinner, but I think time got the best of us.  Jodie did serve Lemon Meringue Pie for dessert.  A perfect way to cap off the evening.  Always a delight to see them and it was great to be able to climb those stairs and know that it was still possible and even a little easier since my recovery of the chest infection.  Enjoy your Sunday! 

A Moment Of Amusement

Come on now, think about it...Enjoy!