Hey, Sports Fans!

This time of year, we may be more inclined to find means of entertainment and challenging games indoors. The same way that Pool, Ping-Pong, and Darts originated from the outdoor sports Lawn Billiards, Tennis, and Archery, Air Hockey spawned from the sport—you guessed it—Ice Hockey. The game was moved indoors, shrunk down to tabletop size, and given a frictionless surface.

Air Hockey tables achieve a frictionless surface by means of thousands of tiny holes all pushing out air currents, creating a cushion of air on the tabletop.

Less than 100 Years of History
It was the early 1960s when three employees of Brunswick Billiards sought to create a miniature version of Hockey. The wanted it so the puck could ‘float’ across the table like gliding on ice. They hired an engineer named Bob Lumineux who designed them the perfect air hockey table, though it took him nearly ten years later in 1973.

New and Almost Extinct
Foosball and Ping-Pong were popular at the time which bode well for Air Hockey. It was an immediate hit when it came out. But despite that, it nearly went out of production in the coming decades. The 80’s and 90s saw the introduction and popularity boom of video games. This revolution of entertainment entered the scene and really created an uphill battle for Air Hockey to survive.

1974 Air Hockey Tournament Premiere
Against all odds, Air Hockey did survive thanks to its popularity and officiated tournaments from early on. Before Brunswick Billiards even received an official copyright permit for the game, Air Hockey saw its premiere tournament in 1974. With a whopping $5000 cash reward to the winner and a $1000 cash reward to second place!  

I highly recommend you play Air Hockey whenever you find the opportunity to. There's some chance of finding an Air Hockey table in the rec room of the summer camp you're headed to next season. It’s quite fun for a first timer as it is for any expert. Enjoy your time on the ‘ice’ and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Writers!

Happy Handwriting Day! Did you know that the way we write can reveal a lot about your personality? Things about your handwriting such as how large or small you write, how much space you leave between words, the general shapes of your letters, and more. Small handwriting, for instance, tends to come from someone who tends to be quiet, studious, and on the shy side whereas larger handwriting is a sign of a more outgoing person who loves the company of others.

Dotting All Your I’s

How do you dot your ‘i’s? It can say a lot about you.

• A dot that’s hovering high above the body means there’s a good chance that you have a powerful imagination.
• A slash above your ‘i’s means that you might be overly critical of yourself. You probably don’t have much tolerance for shortcomings
• If you put your dot right over the ‘I’, then you’re likely detail-oriented, organized, and resolved in the things you say and do.
• A circle over your ‘i’s may be a sign that you’re a child-like visionary or a dreamer.
  

Crossing Every T

• If you put your cross at the very top of the ‘T’, it means you’re ambitious and positive with good self-esteem.
• A cross in the middle of your ‘t’ means you’re likely confident and comfortable in any situation.
• If you give your ‘T’s long crosses, it could mean that you’re determined and enthusiastic. It could also mean that you’re stubborn and have a hard time letting things go.
• Short crosses, on the other hand, mean you may portray slothfulness and give up on projects or tasks prematurely.
  

Writing Pressure

• If you write with heavy pressure, it could mean that you take things seriously. Excessive pressure could mean that you have a tendency to get stressed out.
• Light Pressure, however, points to a more sensitive and empathetic personality.

So, did you know our handwriting could say so much about us? Did today’s Blog post teach you anything about yourself by the way you write? Investigate what other things about your handwriting might indicate about your personality by clicking here. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Cool Kids!

It’s especially cool this time of year here in Northwest Wisconsin. One might even say it’s downright cold! It’s the perfect season to curl up with a big, woolly blanket and keep warm. In fact, nearly the whole country was affected just a few weeks back when many states saw the coldest Christmas we’ve seen in decades with wind chill readings reaching as low as forty below.

A common misconception about blankets is that blankets themselves are warm. Unless you’re talking about an electric blanket, they don’t actually provide you with any heat. Where’s the heat coming from? Your own internal furnace! A blanket is only trapping in and surrounding your body with your own body heat that you give off.  

Northwest Woolen Mills knows this about blankets. They’ve been manufacturing wool and synthetic blankets for over 68 years! Located in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, this mill of the Brickle Group has made a living by providing comfort and warmth through their army blankets and emergency relief blankets.

Stay snug when the temperature drops with the Bunkhouse Plaid Wool Blanket, available right here at Everything Summer Camp. This bulky blanket is 60% wool with a cozy plaid design. Whether you’re wrapping up at home to stay warm in winter or draping yourself for added warmth around a campfire, it’s sure to keep you toasty and pleased.

But even more important than cold days and campfires, it’s a good idea to have blankets around for emergency situations. Have extra blankets around so you’re prepared to stay warm in extreme circumstances like a power outage. It’s also a good idea extra blankets in the trunk of your family vehicle.

Blankets are invaluable supplies when people don’t have gas or electric heat to keep them warm. Imparting humanitarian relief all over the world, Northwest Woolen Mills proudly provides blankets wherever they are needed. “Wherever there is a natural disaster or political strife,” they assert, “There is a good chance our blankets are there!”

Use the zoom feature when you hover over the main image of the product page on our site. It’ll allow you to get real up close and personal and see the fibers of this fantastic blanket. Naturally flame-retardant and easy to care for; just machine wash on a gentle cycle, add fabric softener to the final rinse, and tumble-dry on low heat. Get the Bunkhouse Plaid Wool Blanket and wrap up in this wool!

- John

Hey, Scaredy-Cats!

It’s Friday. And, while I’d typically be a little more excited about that fact, I’m not so sure today is really the typical, TGIF-type of Friday. After all, not only is this Friday the 13th, but it’s the first one of 2023. Of course, a highly educated member of society—such as myself—doesn’t really believe in the superstition that Friday the 13th brings bad luck.

…But even so, I’ll definitely be avoiding black cats and broken mirrors today. Better safe than sorry, right?

But why? Why is everyone so afraid of this particular date landing on this particular day? Though the reason is mysterious and debatable, people have associated Friday with a day of bad luck for centuries. And, for about as long as Friday has been thought to bring bad luck, 13 has been a decidedly UNlucky number as well.

It was in the late 1800’s when it was first documented that putting this day together with this date formed a superpower of one, unrivaled day of BAD luck. Some will put off grocery shopping till the next day, others won’t go outside at all, and SOME people refuse to even get out of bed.

My rationale is that bad luck will track you down one way or another if today is fated to be unlucky. However, if you are the type to hang out in your bedroom, hiding from the day, you certainly aren’t alone in your concerns—an estimated 19 million people (in the U.S. alone) admittedly dread the date of Friday the 13th.

And it’s not just the U.S. either. Friday the 13th (more-or-less) exists all throughout the world. In Spanish-speaking countries, it’s actually Tuesday the 13th—not Friday. In Italy, however, it’s Friday the 17th. Superstition over these unlucky days is so widespread that there’s been a scientific name designated for the fear of Friday the 13th. It’s called ‘friggatriskaidekaphobia’. Betcha can’t say that five times fast! I can't even say it once.

Make sure to steer clear of walking underneath ladders or stepping on cracks in the sidewalk. And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Bittersweet Lovers!

Today is Bittersweet Chocolate Day! This is a day we haven’t featured on our Blog until now. I have, however, written about Milk Chocolate Day, Hot Cocoa Day, Chocolate Ice Cream Day, Chocolate Cake Day, and a number of other chocolatey posts in the past. We’ve previously covered that it was the Mayans who were the first people to try eating the pulp and spitting the bitter beans out as they watched the monkeys do.

Now let’s go more into where the bean comes from and how bittersweet chocolate is created.

The Chocolate Tree
Growing in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America is the tropical Theobroma Cacao Tree which creates the seed from which we get chocolate. People have sampled cacao seeds for the last 3000 years. The cacao tree seed has an intensely bitter taste but, over time, people came to realize that the seeds that’d been lying in the sun had lost some of its bitterness. That’s because they’d been fermented.

A Bittersweet Process
After fermentation, the seeds are dried, cleaned, and roasted. The shells are removed then leaving just the cacao nibs from within. These nibs are ground up to make a hunk of cocoa—pure chocolate in its roughest form. This hunk of chocolate usually goes on to be liquefied and then molded to make what’s called chocolate liquor. To make Bittersweet chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla is added to a chocolate liquor. It may have sugar added to it, but it’s hardly a sweet treat.

So what’s it good for? Bittersweet chocolate is often used for baking in which more sugar gets added to it. But I thought it’d be interesting to better understand the source of chocolate and the process by which it becomes a chocolate product you can recognize in a grocery store. It’s quite a process! Enjoy Bittersweet Chocolate Day! Happy baking and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John