At a time when the economy is still dicey for many people, I work in a magical place where things are booming! Viking is building what seems like an unlimited number of river cruise ships and will expand into the ocean cruising business in 2015. We’re in the process of doubling the size of our office and hiring people right and left. It is interesting to observe the corporate structure changing—processes are getting more formalized little by little, and functions are becoming more narrowly specialized.

According to World Wide Words, the star Sirius is called the dog star due to is prominence in the constellation Canis Major. “Because it rises and sets with the sun during summer in the northern hemisphere, it has lent its name to ‘dog days’ for the hottest part of the year in places north of the equator.” The dog days came a bit later than usual this year but they are definitely in the house—it is very hot outside, in the high 90s or low 100s, and humid.