Thursday, June 30, 2011

Thankful Thursday 06/30/11

1. This. Need I say more? It was an excellent work dinner.
2. Got a very sweet thank you note from a niece this week that made my heart melt.
3. Friends who helped me install, make that installed for me, a new dryer.
4. Bonus that made it less hurtful to buy a new dryer.
5. Three day weekend is coming up!!!
6. Living in a country that celebrates its independence and freedom.

Dinner

Just another normal summer dinner at the Klopfenstein home!

The menu:

Gazpacho
With blue crab

Lobster Mousseline in Lemon Sole
Asparagus bundle & tarragon cream sauce
Artisan Lettuce
Boursin crostini, Michigan cherries
Pistachios, cracked black pepper & sweet
Cherry vinaigrette
Duck Breast Medallion
Wrapped in apple wood bacon, served with
Braised fennel, baby corn & duck jus
Coffe Petit All-Natural Beef Filet
Peruvian whipped potatoes, chanterelle
Mushrooms, tomato fondue & red wine
Reduction
Chef’s Dessert Display

Yeah, right!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Company Picnic

Today was our annual company picnic. It is held at the county fairgrounds, and while it is geared towards families with children there is still plenty that I find enjoyable. I always play both sessions of bingo, play a golf game, and do some trivia or Price is Right. This year there were also several Minute to Win It games, and I won at stacking 7 metal nuts. This was the first year I didn't win a bingo prize. I did get my yearly supply of golf tees and missed hitting the bucket by 1/4" according to the golf game director.

They serve a great meal of grilled chicken, hotdogs, bar-b-q pork, cole slaw, baked beans, potatoes, and fruit. There are various stands with Schwan ice cream treats, elephant ears, cotton candy, caramel corn, and fruit.

I'm glad my company wants to do something fun and entertaining for us. To me it's a nice benefit. I find it interesting that people either love the picnic or won't touch it. I look forward to it every year.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Thankful Thursday 06/23/11

These have been a busy few weeks.

1. I had a wonderful weekend with family at Jaimie's wedding.
2. A direct flight to ATL with carry on luggage meant no hassles getting there.
3. Lindsey with her month old driver's license was a great chauffeur.
4. The rain stopped and the sun came out for perfect weather for the wedding and outdoor reception.
5. Had fun with a goofy picture with the Klopfenstein and Bailes nieces and nephew at the wedding.
6. We found the church, the reception and the hotel. Mary had great directions!!!
7. Despite getting rained out at the Braves game on Saturday late afternoon I had a great time with John Michael who ran ahead of me to the car and came back to find me walking through the parking lot drenched with an umbrella for the rest of the walk to the car!
8. A good church service with Lauren and JM.
9. All three of us sitting there knowing we all got good Skittles from our fathers. (You had to be at Buckhead Church to understand.)
10. A good chauffeur to the train station.
11. Getting back in reasonable time.
12. Having a friend with a pool to cool off in after a long hot day of travel.
13. Getting to see the Raleigh Ringers with two great friends.
14. Seeing a project I've been working on with a team since September host its first event on Tuesday. It was a huge success with the need for only a small amount of tweaking.
15. A bonus just in time to buy a new dryer since the motor on the 31+ year old one at my house went out.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Thankful Thursday 06/08/11

Today is not the day to get this e-mail when my next flight leaves at 5:45AM!

Dear Valued Customer,


Effective immediately, Airport check-in for Delta operated flights departing from Grand Rapids, MI (GRR) has changed.

We recommend that you arrive at the airport 90 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time and check in at least 60 minutes prior to departure. This change is needed due to increased security checkpoint congestion during peak travel times.

1. Thankful I have a reason to fly.
2. Thankful I have a job that allows me to fly.
3. Thankful it's a short trip so parking will not cost an arm and a leg or half my car's value.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

I spent some time on the production floor today. I was so hot just walking through for 25 minutes.

Thanks Mm and Dad for the encouragement of a college education!

Friday, June 3, 2011

What a Week

What a week this has been with our fiscal year end at work.

Highlights:
1. Watching the Indy 500--it's much more interesting after having taken a track tour.
2. A holiday on Monday.
3. A round of golf Monday morning. This saying is very, very true for that round--a bad day on the golf course is always better than a good day at work!
4. Dinner with Jayne on Tuesday night.
5. I read a book strictly for enjoyment this week.
6. Special treats at work for year end.
7. I actually had time to make meatloaf last night!

Lowlights:
Don't want to think about them.

Tomorrow I do a 20-mile bike ride for a work event that raises money for the families of employees who have died in the past year. It's a neat thing my company does, and I'm riding with a friend. Hopefully by the end it will be a highlight.