Getting Together

Enjoying the outdoors and doing a great job catering a special event have something in common....both benefit from a systems approach . The other day we got over a foot of fresh, powdery snow here in the Twin Cities. Some of my favorite skiing is right after such a storm, and before the ski trails are groomed. The day after the blizzard, I looked over my gear, and grabbed my skis, boots, poles, and gaiters, got dressed, and headed for Murphy Hanrehan Park in Savage/Prior Lake. Murphy is a top pick for me whenever we get snow, as it is in thick woods, features a few lakes and many swamps, and is the hilliest system in the metro. You get it all at Murphy-challenge, scenery, seclusion- all of my favorite elements that combine for a great day on skis. As a bonus, Murphy also offers a lot of opportunity for wildlife viewing, or at the very least an abundance of tracks to test your scouting skills in the fresh snow.   I own what some describe as a "quiver" of skis. This ...

A huge focus right now is on....Pigskin! Here in Minnesota, with the Vikings in the chase and with Minneapolis hosting the Super Bowl, Pigskin is a huge topic. Have you ever wondered: Are NFL footballs really actually made of Pigskin? According to the Wilson Sporting goods website.... "Made  from 100% exclusive Horween  leather ; The  Wilson  trademark "W" is pressed into every panel of Wilson  NFL  leather  used to make official NFL game balls." Further, Wilson says.... " Every throw, every kick, every touchdown and every point in every NFL game has been with a Wilson football. Some of the greatest moments in football history have been told through the amazing feats of the players - and Wilson has been in their hands."   That's a lot of punts, passes and kicks over the years, and it sounds like none of them has involved pigskin! From what I can surmise, there was a time when footballs were formed from pig bladders back in the for...

In 1982, my partner and I started a catering company, Divine Swine Catering. We wanted to have a fun and rewarding business, and pig roasting was something we had been around enough to understand that it was both. A lot has changed in the world, in our business, and with us personally, but the fun and rewarding part of our business (as it has evolved) is essentially unchanged. The fun lies in the challenges, the excitement of having a large crowd expecting a great meal, and in seeing our staff and event attendees enjoying the serving and service respectively. The rewarding part has a few pieces - seeing folks enjoy a great meal, watching employees mature and grow, making money, meeting people years after an event who are still raving about the food. We have learned so much about so many things! Event Planning, developing and implementing systems, customer service, branding, and human nature itself. The list seems endless. This blog utilizes my almost 4 decades in this busin...