Through the Keyhole - January 2021

 

JANUARY 2021 Through the Keyhole Take a break from your day... Not your typical company OR newsletter

"Ya'Mon!  This walking waterfall tour is a must do if you visit this country.  It's a tourist trap but a slippery adventure up the river.  Once completed, you can say you're Dunn." Can you guess the location? WELCOME 2021! Thank GOD that 2020 has mercifully come to an end.  Let's turn the page quickly and look forward to a brighter 2021! On a personal note, these are some of the things that I am looking forward to in 2021: My son's graduation from Loyola Academy and decision on college Travelling more and enjoying the world again Live Music The Olympics Going to the movies Running around without wearing a mask (see Sweden) Big Gatherings of People IN PERSON classes for all kids High School Sports (IF JB has any mercy) Going out to eat Going to the theatre to see a play / musical One thing that is certain is that small businesses have had a very challenging year (especially restaurants).  We have all done what we have needed to do in order to survive.  Some of our customers have done very well during this time while others have been miserable.   Another thing that is certain is that TURNkey is here to help. Of course we are here for you to help with your technology.  However, we can help you figure out where to go from here.  It's time to begin anew.  Fresh start... If you are doing well, we can pinpoint how to do even better.  Perhaps your business is struggling...we can identify what can be done to fix it.  Or maybe your business is somewhere in between.  We can help there too. What's really exciting is bringing a whole bunch of new expertise into the building.  Bringing the 'big guns' to the small business is what we do.  Small businesses are a huge part of America and are often overlooked, underestimated or ignored.  It doesn't have to be that way. The truth is that we are a powerful bunch of businesses that need resources to survive. Whether it's a new website, a refreshed network, a marketing plan or a business strategy to focus on what's most profitable, TURNkey has got you covered. To find out more about what we can do for you, check out or new website HERE.  CHECK IT OUT! We are here to serve you. Happy NEW YEAR!  Now on to some nonsense... Men Who Lack Female Supervision. Guess the Location Game Last month the winner of the guess the location game was Sergio Selles (who just got engaged)  who guessed the right answer.  I appreciate all of the participation.  THANKS FOR PLAYING! ANSWER: London, England "Over 300 languages are spoken here and six ravens guard the Tower of this city.  Over 170 museums exist in this city (*pre-Covid) and the "Eye" was not the first big ferris wheel here...and ladies should never order a pint of beer." Can you guess the location? Ahh, London. Mysterious, singular, ageless and forever changing – once you live here, even for a short time, it becomes a part of you for life. One of the great things about being a Londoner is that you’re always learning new and interesting facts about London, from stories about the Tower of London to our black cab drivers’ encyclopedic knowledge of the city streets. Alarmingly, many of these facts fly in the face of everything you thought you knew about the city.   1) London is the smallest city in England That’s right. The megacity that most of us know as London is actually called ‘Greater London’, whilst the City of London itself is a small portion of this sprawling metropolis. It has a population of only 9,123 people, making it the smallest in England. 2)…and it’s technically a forest We’ve spoken before about how green the capital is. It’s hard to grasp unless you’ve visited, but the amount of greenery and green space you can enjoy in London is enormous. So much so, in fact, that the density of trees it has per square mile qualifies it as a forest as per the United Nations definition. 3) Over half of the London Underground runs above ground So really it should be called the Overground. Except we already have an Overground. Ah well, I think I’ll stick to calling it ‘the tube’. 4 ) ‘Big Ben’ isn’t actually called Big Ben Tourists from all over the world come to stand on Westminster Bridge and take a selfie next to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Unfortunately, not one of them ever leaves with a picture of it. This world-famous landmark is actually named the Elizabeth Tower – Big Ben is the name of the bell that lives inside. So you won’t snap a photo of Big Ben but if you’re lucky you might get to hear it. 5) Rainy London isn’t very rainy The capital is known worldwide for being a rainy city. Except for the fact, that it’s not true at all. London actually sees less rain than Rome, Miami, and Sydney both in terms of volume and number of rainy days.   6) Most Londoners don’t live in London Walk the streets of London and most of the people around you probably won’t be ‘true’ Londoners. The resident population of the city of Greater London is just over 8.5 million people. However, the city gets over 16 million visitors every year – a staggering number! 7) It has more Indian restaurants than Mumbai Even though technically every restaurant in Mumbai is an Indian restaurant, London has so many excellent eateries that it far outweighs its culinary rival. If you want a great curry, you’re better off going to London over India. 8) Traffic hasn’t improved in one-hundred years If, that is, you’re going by speed of movement across the city. Vehicles driving through the city centre average a top speed of 7.4 miles an hour – about the same speed as a horse and cab. Next time you head out on a trip to the London Eye, we suggest you walk it.   9) You can drive on the right side of the road, which is the wrong side of the road Everybody knows that English people drive on the left-hand side of the road. However, there is one street in the UK where visitors can get back to their roots. Savoy Court is a road just off the Strand on which drivers are required by law to drive on the right-hand side of the road. 10) Wait, which city are we talking about? The capital of the UK isn’t the only city in the world called London. The U.S. has ten, Canada one, France one – there is even an asteroid called London. Make sure you know where you’re going next time you book tickets! Walking Tour of London ~17 min. This guy does tours in NYC but has recruited guides in London  ~2 min. What 'Flats' look like in London ~15 min. Things you cannot unsee... S.O.S... An Airbus 380 is on its way across the Atlantic. It flies consistently at 800 km/h in 30,000 feet, when suddenly a Eurofighter with Tempo Mach 2 appears. The pilot of the fighter jet slows down, flies alongside the Airbus and greets the pilot of the passenger plane by radio: "Airbus flight, boring flight isn’t it? Take care and have a look here!” He rolls his jet on its back, accelerates, breaks through the sound barrier, rises rapidly to a dizzying height, only to swoop down almost to sea level in a breathtaking dive. He loops back next to the Airbus and asks, "Well, how was that?" The Airbus pilot answers: "Very impressive, but now have a look here!"   The jet pilot watches the Airbus, but nothing happens. It continues to fly stubbornly straight, with the same speed. After five minutes, the Airbus pilot radioed, "Well, what are you saying now?" The jet pilot asks confused: "What did you do?" The other laughs and says, "I got up, stretched my legs, went to the back of the flight to the bathroom, got a cup of coffee and a cinnamon cake. The moral of the story is:   When you are young, speed and adrenaline seems to be great. But as you get older and wiser, comfort and peace are not to be despised either.   This is called S.O.S.: Slower, Older, Smarter. Dedicated to all my friends who like me likes the S.O.S. approach!   Italy! Don't watch if you are afraid of heights  ~5 minutes Ponderisms... Why do peanuts float in a regular coke and sink in a diet coke. Go ahead and try it.....    I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.  How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?    Why do you have to "put your two cents in"... but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going? (taxes)  Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?    What disease did cured ham actually have?    How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?  Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?    If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?    Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?    Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?    Why do doctors leave the room while you change??? They're going to see you naked anyway.    Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural?    Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?  Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?    If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?    If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?  If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?    Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?  Why did you just try singing the two songs above?  Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?  HOW DID THE MAN WHO MADE THE FIRST CLOCK, KNOW WHAT TIME IT WAS?  The Photoshop King: James Fridman How they got their names... Why Dogs are Amazing Really nice (if you like dogs) ~4 minutes. Wood Splitting... Somewhat satisfying if you have ever split wood..... ~10 min. Got the picture at the right moment. I LOVE The Drumline... These kids are amazing - VIDEO ~ 3 minutes It's a TEXAS thing. We just don't understand. Say hello to Canada. Randomness... Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes Ingredients 5 medium sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds) 4 ounces fresh goat cheese Coarse salt and ground pepper 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature   Directions Step 1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Place on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet; fold foil around sweet potatoes to form a packet. Bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Step 2 When cool enough to handle, halve sweet potatoes lengthwise. Scoop out all but 1/4-inch flesh from inside skins. Arrange 8 skins in a single layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (discard remaining 2 skins). Place flesh in a food processor, along with 2 tablespoons butter and goat cheese; season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth, 2 minutes. Add chives and pulse to combine; spoon into skins. Step 3 In a small bowl, stir together pecans, panko, and 2 tablespoons butter until combined; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle panko mixture over sweet potatoes. Bake until topping is golden, 10 to 12 minutes. © Copyright 2020 marthastewart.com. All rights reserved.  All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 210 S. Milwaukee Ave. Wheeling, IL 60090 USA