Friday Afternoon Archives - Kowalski Heat Treating

Inspiration

September 12, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Inspiration. It’s part of the ethos here at KHT. Coupled with our ambition, curiosity, determination and desire, it helps drive our mission to solve your PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs! It gets us up in the morning and sometimes keeps us here after most people are already headed home for the day. Throughout our American history, many of our greatest leaders “inspired” us to overcome and find success. On this day, back on September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy stood before 40,000 people at Rice University and delivered one of the most stirring speeches in American history. His words echoed far beyond the stadium, “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…” His words resonated throughout the nation, through the Cold War with Russia, the Space Race, and into the heart of the American identity. But this wasn’t just a speech about space travel. It was a rallying cry for courage, innovation, and national purpose during one of the tensest times in modern history. Here’s a bit more about innovation, and Kennedy’s words, and time in our history. Thanks to Google and Wikipedia for the insights – Enjoy!

Barny Red

September 5, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Recently Jackie and I were driving back from a trip up to northern Michigan (it has amazing landscape, water, quaint little towns and shops – you need to go!). During our drive we kept encountering these beautiful farms, often featuring amazing red barns. Of course, our conversation led to barn design, what it must be like to live on a farm, and wondering why barns are still painted red, and of course the history of when it all started. This of course led to Jackie laughingly knowing there was going to be a blog coming out of this conversation! So…, after a little digging, here is some cool stuff about barns, barns design and the story behind the red color.

What Monday’s All About

August 29, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Labor Day weekend marks the perfect pause before the seasons begin to change – a moment to appreciate the dignity of all work and the gift of rest. It’s more than a day off; it’s a national “thank you” to everyone who builds, serves, creates, teaches, grows, drives, heals, and supports our communities each day. Rather than focusing on the struggles of the past, let’s look at what’s good about celebrating Labor Day today – and how we can make the most of the weekend ahead.

Colorful Crayons

August 22, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Yep, it’s that time of year when the little munchkin’s head off to another exciting school year – some have started already, and some do not go back until after Labor Day. I can remember the excitement I had, seeing old friends, going to a new classroom, finding my seat, and getting to use all of those “new’ back-to-school supplies. One, of course, was a new box of crayons. I’ll bet you can agree – especially the 64 pack with the built-in sharpener!! (never went for the 96 or 120 pack – anyone who has seen my coloring skills would understand!!) There’s something magical about opening a brand-new box of crayons – the waxy scent, the pristine tips, the rainbow of possibility – it’s a small ritual that signals the start of a new school year, full of hope and creativity. I have to admit, using the crayon sharpener was always a bunch of fun, my friends and I would have contests to see who could have the sharpest crayon or biggest pile of shavings (unfortunately for my parents/teachers – the shavings ended up everywhere!) Here’s some fun trivia on crayons in the US, and a cool “how they’re made video. Enjoy, and thanks to Google, Wikipedia, and Smithsonian.com for the info.

Wedding Rice & Rituals

August 15, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

If you’ve been to a few weddings lately, you probably know the flow hasn’t changed much: the march down the aisle, the vows, the rings, the kiss, the grand exit, and then the party, with a few time-honored traditions woven in. One of the most iconic rituals is showering the newlyweds with rice as they make their way down the aisle or into the awaiting vehicle. It’s a festive moment and makes for a great photo. But have you ever stopped to wonder where this tradition comes from? What may seem like a simple gesture is actually rooted in centuries of symbolism. That tiny grain of rice carries big meaning as the practice shows up in different forms across cultures and eras. Here’s some info on how rice-throwing became a wedding classic, and why grain-tossing rituals have endured through the centuries, and some other traditions around the ceremony. Enjoy, and thanks to Google, YouTube, whitehousehistory.org, brides.com for the info. Enjoy!

Let’s Stay Curious

August 8, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Curiosity is a great word. For me (and for the gang here at KHT), it’s our never-ending pursuit of wonder, knowledge, exploring, testing, and problem-solving. There are so many people throughout history who were driven by curiosity, from the mundane to the amazing discoverers. I love reading about remarkable adventures – those who “headed West” with a wagon and bunch of horses, or the folks grinding away in the lab. Over the past few weeks, I’ve really enjoyed some clear skies at night, causing me to “look up” and ponder the stars – it’s fun to find the satellites circling the earth. Today, August 8th, marks a historic achievement in the amazing discovery life of Galileo Galilei, known as just Galileo (think Tiger, Oprah, and Lebron, Michelangelo). When Galileo Galilei pointed his rudimentary telescope at the night sky on this day in 1609, there is no way he could have imagined that centuries later, humanity would be observing the universe from spacecraft and mountaintops with instruments so powerful they can see galaxies billions of light-years away. Here’s a little history about Galileo, along with a list of milestone astronomy achievements, as gradual technology improvements and good old “know-how” bring us to today’s far-seeing telescopes. (Be sure to watch the YouTube video below on the newest billion-dollar telescope in Chile – it’s truly amazing!!) The “know-how” and engineering that went into it is mind-boggling. Enjoy! And, feel free to dig deeper on each one with the links – amazing!!) Read more

Measure Up

August 1, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

The other day, I was reading a report on a new car about to launch, and the author expressed one of its features in horsepower (even though it was a hybrid). It got me to thinking about where everyday measurements like horsepower came from and how we measure things – something that’s critically important here at KHT, when we’re happily solving your PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs. From ancient rulers to internet routers, our need to measure and compare is deeply human. These units – scientific, historic, and occasionally silly – reveal not just how we understand the world, but how we interact with it. So, I went to the internet and found some interesting history and facts about random measuring – from the speed of a car to the spin rate of a golf ball (to help explain why my ball sometimes spins off into the woods). Not surprisingly, humans have invented all kinds of clever ways to quantify the world around us. Some systems are rooted in science, others in history, and a few are just plain quirky. Around both my home and here at KHT, one of my personal favorites is when I need to express a large amount of anything (It’s a Crap Ton!) Here’s a fun dive into fascinating units of measurement, how they came to be, and why they still matter. Be sure to click the links if something catches your eye so that you can dig a bit deeper into each one. Enjoy, and if you think of anything I’ve missed, shoot me an email at skowalski@khtheat.com. Read more

QWERTY

July 25, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Doesn’t it seem like things we use all the time, we just take for granted, and don’t think much about their origin or original design? You know – things are just what they are – stoplight design hasn’t changed much since it’s inception, US cars have drivers on the left, TV’s have bulky, easy to misplace remotes, mobile phones barely fit in your pocket, two handle faucets have hot on the left, new shoes come wrapped in tissue paper, eggs are mostly sold by the dozen, butter sticks come in four packs, microwave ovens beep when they are done and almost all English language computers use the QWERTY keyboard layout. Looking down at my keyboard the other day, (not only do I peek sometimes when I type, but I’ve realized that I’m always wearing out the “E and R” keys first?) I remember early on that I struggled a bit to understand the logic behind the layout – I wasn’t the best typist in High School Typing class. Why does the top row begin with the letters Q, W, E, R, T, Y (followed by U, I, O, P.) Now, of course, the center row left to right makes sense: A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L – perfect logic there, right? And I’m not even gonna comment about the bottom row – Z, X, C … – YIKES! Found on nearly every computer, laptop, and smartphone worldwide (at least in countries that use a Latin-script alphabet), this seemingly random configuration of keys has an interesting history, though perhaps not the what you have been led to believe. Thanks to Wikipedia, historyfacts.com, techcrunch.com, invent.org and YouTube.com. Enjoy!

My Favorite Green Dip

July 18, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

When it comes to snack foods, I gotta admit I’m a champion. And if it involves dipping, just move aside, as I rock. You name it – cheese, veggie, fruity, chocolate, spicy, sweet, creamy – I pretty much like ‘em all. But, during the summer, for me, there’s nothing quite like all kinds of salsas and guac. I must admit I’m not a guac on wraps, toast, burgers kind of guy, simply just out of the bowl with chips. And, I like how it gradually can turn brown – sort of a built-in timing device that tells me I gotta eat more and faster (cause, of course, you would not want it to go to waste – called enzymatic browning. Now, on to the open debate (one in which I’m sure you have an opinion – the right chips to use to dip, here in America we have SO many options: Corn, blue corn, purple, white, Fritos, sesame, lime, round, triangle, scoops … the list goes on). Guacamole has roots as deep as an avocado tree. So, for my foodie buds out there, here’s some fun info below. And be sure to email me YOUR favorite recipe – I know I’ll try it!! (skowalski@khtheat.com).

Slurpee

July 11, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

All of us have those special childhood times and events we remember that bring great memories. So, here’s one for you… Where were you (and who were you with) when you had your first Slurpee (and associated brain freeze)? For me, it was at K-Mart back when they were called Icee’s, pretty sure, with some of my brothers and sisters (in full disclosure, there are days that by noon I don’t remember what I had for breakfast that morning, soooo keep that in mind!) I can still remember the refreshing taste, drinking it too quickly, and waiting for the impending brain cramp (see below to learn why). Today marks a wonderful special day, celebrated at over 8,000 locations across the country (and at spots around the world) … “7-11 Day,” when 7-Eleven stores hand out millions of free cups of the frozen Slurpee goodness. When you pull the lever on a Slurpee machine inside any 7-Eleven store on the planet, the fizzy, fluffy frozen beverage likely tastes just like the first one you ever tried. Introduced to the market in 1966, the Slurpee is arguably the world’s most popular (non-alcoholic) frozen drink. Here’s some fun information about Slurpees that I’m sure will take a whole bunch of you folks back to your childhood (or most recent visit to the convenience store). Enjoy! And many thanks to Amy McCarthy, a reporter at Eater.com, for her insights on Slurpee!