Friday Afternoon Archives - Kowalski Heat Treating

Happy Pi Day

March 14, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Now, you are likely thinking this will be a blog about some wonderful pie recipe I found (ok, pick one HERE.) But actually, it’s about another Pi (π), as today is National Pi Day (and also Albert Einstein’s birthday). One of the most mysterious and essential numbers in mathematics, pi represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Despite being studied for thousands of years, Pi continues to reveal surprising properties and remains an enigma in the world of mathematics. From ancient civilizations to modern supercomputers, Pi has a rich history filled with remarkable discoveries, mind-boggling calculations, and intriguing trivia. So, put away your dessert plate and enjoy this wonderful trivia and information, and wow your friends with your new knowledge (think Norm from Cheers). Enjoy, and thanks to Google, Wikipedia and pioneerwoman.com for the info.

Mistakes Happen

March 7, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Sometimes the best made plans of those putting in a good day’s work can turn out to be a mistake. Adding numbers, counting items, writing code or just trying to fill an order, we can err in our efforts. Recently I read about the word “dord” that made its way into the famous Merriam-Webster dictionary back in 1939. What began as a request from one of the writers was misinterpreted to be a actual word (story below). It caught my attention, so I went looking for some other errors I had not heard of and included them too. Here’s to all of us who have made a mistake that went unnoticed for some time, and thanks to those who forgave us – (and extra thanks for those who invented spell check in Word) – and to Google for the info. Enjoy!

SWEET! Desserts

February 28, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to exhibit at a trade show in Vegas SHOT SHOW- (Shooting – Hunting- Outdoor – Tactical), joining 65,000+ others. We do a lot of PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs! work in this field, processing various knives, components for wonderful customers (thank you!!). As many do when in Vegas, we had an evening out on the town, and I found myself holding a dessert menu after polishing off a wonderful meal with my team. I passed, but did take note of the habit of finishing a satisfying meal with a sweet dessert – a culinary tradition that many people follow. While some may elect to eat sweets before or in between courses (think lemon ice YUM!), while others simply dig into pie or brownies at any time of the day (Jackie knows to never leave the pie out), most adhere to the standard operating procedure of dessert after the main course. I decided to dig a bit and learn more about how and when this food order came about. (I heard about a guy who always ate his dessert first – his logic was, he loved dessert so much, he didn’t want to be full afterwards and not savor the experience (Brilliant!). So, here’s some history and trivia about the tradition – (pass the fudge topping please). Thanks to historyfacts.com and tastingtable.com for the insights. Enjoy!

NASA Marvels

February 21, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

I have to admit it – I’m a sucker for new inventions and amazing technology. While traveling out of town to attend a trade show in Vegas, I happened to drive past the large NASA technology center here in northeast Ohio, home to some of the world’s largest and most capable space simulation test facilities where ground tests are conducted for the U.S. and international space and aeronautics communities. A set of giant buildings, filled with engineers and scientists, developing breakthrough technologies that will someday be used in aeronautics … with some of them making their way into my home. (think TANG). Since we’re all about solving your PIA (pain in the @%$) Jobs, we kinda think of ourselves as pioneers in thermal processing technologies (I’d love to take credit for inventing ice cubes and blue tip matches, but someone beat me to it!!). Think about it – something as simple as Velcro (now part of my running jacket and sneakers) was first used for space exploration. I decided to do a search on products that were first made for space and air travel and then adopted for consumer use. Here’s a list of NASA-originated technologies that have transitioned into everyday consumer products, with a brief history and explanation of some hurdles each had to overcome. Thanks to Google for the insights. Enjoy!

Pair Up for Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Ok, so today’s a big day in February – Valentine’s Day – a time for a bit of flirting, quiet time, and love with your significant other. If you are reading this, and STILL have not purchased a gift – here’s a quick and wonderful idea you can do on your way home – a thoughtful bottle of wine paired with the proper chocolates. Whether your preference is a big bold red with dark chocolate, champagne with white chocolates, or tasty port and hazelnuts, I’ve got you covered. So, enjoy a bit of trivia below to get you motivated and then go find the combo that’s right for you. And, if you want to really make it special, instead of going out for dinner, bring home the chocolates and wine with you as you expertly, or in my case not so expertly, prepare a wonderful dinner for my amazing wife. Thanks to Google, wineenthusiast.com, and YouTube for the insights and links. ENJOY!!

Super Snackin’

February 7, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Like most of you, I’m planning on watching “the game” on Sunday – (when writing this, the final two have not been determined) one thing I know for sure is it’s not my Brownies!! Being a foodie, and a snack lover, I pretty much try everything that’s put out, especially the dips. There’s something special about chips and dip – the savory dips, the salty chips, or the fact that I can graze throughout the game without Jackie really noticing. Some of my snack favorites are those little wieners in a bun, (brown mustard a must) meatballs in BBQ sauce, spicy chicken wings, classic potato chips and my favorite French Onion Dip – Dairymen’s and so much more. While I do toss in a few veggies, it’s the chips and dips that get my favor. Below I listed three yummy classic dips ( and one bonus dip) for you to whip up, and recommend a medley of corn chips, multigrain scoopers, and Triscuits (those lime chips rock as well). Also, here’s a little trivia on the snacking consumption side of the game (the number of buffalo wings is staggering). Enjoy the snacks and the game.

Punxsutawney Phil

January 31, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

This weekend we again get to be a part of a fun and very important tradition – Groundhog Day. This blend of history, folklore, and modern culture makes Groundhog Day a unique and enduring American tradition. Without the groundhog, February 2 would be just another day on the calendar. But the great Punxsutawney Phil is also our harbinger of warmer weather to come. Will he see his shadow or won’t he? Why do we care so much? Groundhog Day combines humor, tradition, and community engagement and serves as a great way to break the monotony of winter and bring people together. Here in Cleveland, any opportunity to get the clubs out faster is always appreciated. Besides predicting the weather, here are some other quirky facts surrounding this kooky holiday that you need to know. Special thanks to Google, goodhousekeeping.com and YouTube for the info, and let’s all hope we see spring come a bit earlier this year.

Getting Nutty Today

January 24, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

We all do it. Every once in a while, we get a craving for peanut butter. On toast or in a sandwich, there’s something in our brains that says – yep, now’s a good time for a PB & J. I was poking around the internet, and found out today is National Peanut Butter Day, recognizing the American staple we all have in our pantries. Variations are very personal – spread it with grape or strawberry jam. On white bread with bananas. In cookies of course. How about in a morning smoothie? Or just on a spoon. To celebrate today, I brought my lunch to the office and enjoyed a toasted crunchy peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich (with chips of course). Here’s to the inventors, farmers and processors (lots of fun heat treating going on in the process – read below and be sure to watch the video – I LOVE harvesting machines!). If you have an awesome family recipe with peanut butter, please send it my way to share: skowalski@khtheat.com). Enjoy!

The Undersea World of …

January 17, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

It’s fun sometimes to look back at events that shaped our fascination with the world around us. For me, seeing rocket ship launches, a man walking on the moon, jets overhead, up close photography of creepy, crawly things like fascinating fly eyes and hairy spiders (still very creepy!), steam power and crystal snowflake formations (ok, so I’m a thermal processing geek), I’ve always been interested in our oceans and the undersea world. Like our team here, with their dedicated exploration into solving your PIA (pain in the @%$) Jobs!, I love it when a team takes on their own explorations and discovers things we didn’t know existed, like GPS, energy, weather forecasting, computers of all kinds, medical breakthrough cures, and so much more. Technology is in a word…. AMAZING As a kid, there was a TV show that I loved – I was glued to the television set every time Jacques Cousteau’s “Undersea World” was on. His amazing camera photography caught my attention, as I could feel myself swimming along with the divers. Today marks 57 years ago when his famous TV show debuted. Here are some fun trivia, links, and background on one of our greatest explorers, and teachers, who touched so many kids in his amazing explorations. Thanks to Britannica.com, Wikipedia.org, YouTube.com, and thelegendsofq.com for the links, images and history. Enjoy!

Steve’s 5 F’s for 2025

January 10, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

As the new year begins, it’s a perfect time to reflect on what matters most and set intentions that will truly enrich our lives. For me, it centers on five essential things that guide me, and hopefully you, into a fulfilling year: faith, family, friends, fitness and finally fun! When we focus on these areas, we create a balanced life rooted in purpose, connection and well-being.