Friday Donuts

Friends, On this first Friday of Leo XIV's papacy, there’s a lot we still don’t know about the new pope. As we learn more, I’m sure there will be many tomes published on the visible head of the 1.4 billion strong Catholic Church. Here are a few possible titles for books and articles to come: From Chicago to Chiclayo: an unexpected journey to Rome Leo is a Virgo, and other fun facts LEO: not just for Low-Earth Orbit anymore How White Sox became part of the papal regalia One Leo, two Leos… the Count counts popes I was going to throw one in there about his favorite foods, but it seems nobody knows. Here’s hoping the first US-born pope loves donuts (that would be a great omen for things to come). If not, Sophie Carrigan's classic, Leo's Lost Donut , would take on a whole new meaning. Happy Friday! Photo Credit: Sophie Carrigan

  Friends, When tempted by dispair, I find hope is always the best strategy.  Stuck in airpots for nearly 48 hours trying to get home? Enjoy the amenities and think of the family I am about to see. Lured by the intentionally chaotic reality show I call  The Apprentice: DC ? Watch Pangolin on Netflix, this heartfelt documentary about saving these unique creatures was phenomenal! Feeling existential angst? Remember the angst is not possible without the existence, focus on the latter, not the former. And remember, the weekend is almost here, so have a donut and enjoy! Happy Friday!

Friends, Remote work can be a tad isolating. This is particularly true if your temporary base happens to be 3,400 miles away from home. Despite back-to-back virtual meetings, the house grows lonely. Fortunately, there’s an itsy bitsy spider whose adventures across my wall have been keeping me amused. Crawling up, down and around my office wall she sure covers a lot of ground (or wall, as the case might be). As I look up from time to time and try to spot her progress, I imagine her travel log. “Day 2, the white expanse seems endless. Without any landmarks, I fear I may be going in circles. As I traverse the featureless void, I’m glad for the endless supply of sweet, fried pastry. Each of these so-called donut crumbs can feed an army for a week...” While I do enjoy the freedom of working far afield, I’m glad to be saying goodbye to Itsy Bitsy and heading home this week and be reunited with my family. Happy Friday! 

Friends, When they say every cloud has a silver lining, the implication is that clouds are somehow bad. I tend to disagree. Not only do they give us shade and life-giving rain, they also serve as a scenic backdrop for landscape pictures, not to mention the soothing effect of falling rain when you're all snuggled-up. Sure, it can be uncomfortable to walk around in the rain, but why focus on the negatives when there are so many positives. Same goes for donuts. they may not be the healthiest of treats, but they sure do taste good once a week (everything in moderation). Happy Good Friday! Here comes the rain!

Friends, One of my favorite juices in Ecuador is made from a fruit we call tree tomato. If you're thinking V8, you're way off. Tree tomato has the right balance of sweet and tart along with a subtle bouquet that makes it oh so delicious. There's one caveat, I only like it raw. Many restaurants cook the fruit before making the juice. While the process helps increase shelf life and get more juice out of the fruit, it also changes the taste. When I ask whether the juice is raw or cooked, I am often told it is raw, only to find myself drinking disappointment. So, now I ask whether I can have a sip -- which they are usually happy to oblige. It turns out getting the right answer often comes down to asking the right question. I'm sure the wait staff doesn't want to deceive me, they just don't know the answer and hate to sound uninformed. By asking for a sample, I remove the embarrassment from the equation. Now if only they'd let me sample a couple donuts before I p...

Friends, Watching the U.S. economy implode while the executive branch uses a fake war as a pretext to usurp the legislative branch’s taxation power is frustrating. As we turn from benevolent big brother to back yard bully, squandering our nation’s global goodwill, I can’t help but wonder how long it will take for our constitutional checks and balances to kick-in. I also wonder what all those poor penguins on  Heard and McDonald Islands  must be thinking. All I can do right now is bite into my donut, sip my coffee and hope for the best. Happy Friday! What's a tariff?