If I ignore it long enough, maybe it’ll go away… I’m referring to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which has been afflicting my right hand for decades, a condition I can only attest to my previous life as a professional drummer. A few too many paradiddles started the damage that, at first, was only a mere nuisance,…
All good things must come to an end… Four days at a trade show is quite enough. The fact that you must always be “on” takes its toll both mentally and physically. (Again I know, poor baby, right?) All joking aside, Italy can be difficult when you’re on business. Your hosts insist on feeding you “mass quantities” at every…
In the company of giants… The distant sound of church bells provides a soothing soundtrack with my morning cappuccino, until the waitress fires up the restaurant muzak, and then it’s typical “anything goes” Italian radio, an eclectic mix of disco-esque Italian and tacky American music, with the occasional off genre heavy metal song thrown in for no…
We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. -Willy Wonka In the worldwide stone industry, there’s one company that’s the undisputed leader in the production, innovation, design and promotion of stone. One company to rule them all… Antolini. Antolini’s headquarters are in Verona, or more accurately Sega di Cavaion, though they also have a massive…
Gelato addiction… Today we leave Carrara and the Alpi Apuane and continue northeast, taking a leisurely drive through Emilia-Romagna into the Veneto. Verona’s two thousand year old amphitheater dominates the charming old section of town, as the hordes of tourists dwindle with the hint of the imminent autumn chill. Verona may be known as “The City of…
That’s not snow on those mountains! Playtime’s over (kind of) as we drive north to the marble capital of the world, the quarries of Carrara. Admiring the view of the Apuan “marble mountain” from our hotel, (appropriately named Hotel Michelangelo), I’m still amazed at how they were able to quarry those ridiculously heavy blocks of stone centuries ago…
All work and no play… Just as I recovered from my last Sicilian adventure, I find myself on what will be my tenth visit, aboard another grueling twelve hour flight to Italy. (I know, poor baby, right?) Normally, I hit the ground running, straight to business. This time though, I’m changing things up a bit and scheduling…
Our competitors love to throw stones. (No pun intended.) “Those Mario & Son guys have to use machines because they aren’t craftsmen.” Small shops often use that statement to hide their non-investment within their own companies. (While charging the same rates, of course.) There is absolutely nothing wrong with working stone with hand tools. That…
We have great employees, but it never fails, someone always calls in “sick” when you need them the most. I say sick in quotations because it seems to be synonymous with “hung over,” and always either on a Monday or Friday. Freaky. (Imagine Twilight Zone music.) My brother and business partner, Mike, along with myself, can count…
It started with a phone call from Dr. James Harken and Jim Sullivan, board members of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. “Can I set an appointment to speak with you?” they inquired. Figuring I was about to be hit up for a donation to the museum, I agreed, as I have always supported…