A Hanukkah poster hanging in the lobby of my mother’s apartment building.
This is a bit delayed, it being the fourth night of Chanukah, but better late than never!
I saw this poster hanging in the lobby of my mother’s apartment building when we went to visit her for Thanksgiving. I wasn’t aware there were enough Jewish tenants living there for the management to recognize the holiday. Maybe they put up signs for every major religious holiday? Regardless, it was very well done and a nice gesture.
Chanukah is a commemoration of the reconquest of Jerusalem by the Maccabees and the rededication of the Temple to God. The oil they had available to light the menorah in the Temple was only enough for one day, but they lit it anyway, while they got to work making more, which was an eight-day process of pressing and purifying. According to tradition, the oil vessel miraculously refilled itself every night allowing them to keep the menorah burning for all eight nights. That’s why Jews today light a menorah each night of the holiday, in commemoration of not just the rededication but the miracle of the oil.
Ever since I enlisted in the Army and businesses started offering Veterans Day promotions, I’ve tried to make it to a participating business each year. I’m not one to pass up free food, especially when it’s from a place like Olive Garden. I’m just being practical. Besides, I’m a veteran, and in a way, I already paid for it. That’s what the day is about, and I’m glad businesses have decided to give back to the veteran community one day a year in a show of appreciation for the efforts and loss that some people went through, or are still going through, for those on active duty.
The first time I remember going to a restaurant for a free meal on Veterans Day was when I was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. I think I went to a Golden Corral or a similar all-you-can-eat buffet-style restaurant with a group of guys from my unit. This year, like last year, my wife and I went to the Olive Garden in Times Square. In addition to the free entree for veterans, the restaurant was offering 10% off for family members. I’m not sure if that was 10% off the rest of the bill, or just the other entree(s). I forgot to check and tossed the receipt already, but it doesn’t really matter to me. A discount is a discount.
The entree options for veterans were limited, but they offered a nice variety of choices. I went with the cheese ravioli. We also got the stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and my wife ordered the capellini pomodoro, which she said tasted delicious. It looked delicious. I also ordered a new drink they have, a blood orange blackberry iced tea. That tasted outstanding.
Blood Orange Blackberry Iced TeaCheese Ravioli with Marinara SauceCapellini Pomodoro
These guys were outside the Olive Garden. I thought it was pretty cool, so I want to share the photo:
Mounted NYPD
We finished the evening off at Starbucks, which was offering a free tall brewed coffee to veterans and family members.
The evening wasn’t completely free, but the discounts at Olive Garden made our evening out more affordable and gave my wife and I an opportunity to be thankful for my coming home in one piece, to remember those who didn’t, and gave us another reason to just spend time together out of the house. We’re looking forward to doing it again next year.
My wife and I went to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular yesterday night and while we were in the area we decided to look around Rockefeller Center. There are Christmas lights up already, which is nice, and the tree is already in place, but it is surrounded by scaffolding. Judging by the pile of branches on the ground nearby, the tree is being trimmed and shaped prior to being decorated for the holiday season. Maybe I’m just getting used to being around tall structures, but the tree doesn’t look as big as usual this year.
We also walked past the NBC today studio set. It was closed up for the night, but it was still interesting to look in and see where the teleprompters are read.
NBC News Studio by Rockefeller CenterLooking into the NBC Studio news set from outside.
I didn’t know Christie’s, the auction house, was by Rockefeller Center, but we saw that too. The big balloon dog sculpture in front of the entrance is pretty cool. I sort of wish there were miniature versions so I could buy one and keep it on a shelf.
Balloon Dog Sculpture at Christie’s Auction HouseA close-up of the balloon dog sculpture.Christie’s Auction House window displays.
My wife took these photos this morning. She said it was ok for me to try to take credit for them. 😉
Twitter Banner on NYSE for IPOTwitter banner close-up.Around 4:30 PM.
I’ve seen a lot of people saying they think Twitter’s stock is overpriced, but didn’t a lot of people say the same thing about Facebook? I was under the impression that turned out ok. Maybe the difference is that Twitter hasn’t found a very effective monetization method, yet. But, I think they’ll do ok. I wasn’t really keeping up with this until my wife sent me these photos. Now I wish I’d planned ahead and jumped on the bandwagon early. Maybe next time around.
Getting a monthly box of surprise goodies every month is always a lot of fun. Sometimes, the anticipation is better than what actually comes out of the box, but this month the guys at Loot Crate really outdid themselves. I really love zombie movies and zombie shows, so the theme of this month’s box (“Survive”) was great to start with, but they really picked a great set of items to include. I was really surprised to see a book in the box, but it fits the theme perfectly.
“I Love Your Guts” greeting card.“I Love Your Guts” greeting card inside page.
The shirt is awesome. I’ll be wearing that tomorrow. I filled out the card and gave it to my wife. She thought it was really awesome and stuck it on the fridge.
The Zombie Survival Guide and fake tattoos.
I’m not sure when I’ll have a chance to read The Zombie Survival Guide. It’s been on my reading list for a long time already, but I’m always bogged down with reading for classes. Maybe this winter. Maybe.
This fat, happy cat was watching very carefully as I walked past his key shop with my dog. I’ve been in there before to ask a question about deadbolt lubricant and didn’t see him then. He must have just been napping, because he obviously knows where home is.
Last month on the 29th my wife and I went to the Brooklyn Museum. Since we were there, we decided we should take a look at the Botanic Gardens, which are right next door. It wasn’t really the season for it. The place is supposed to be a lot nicer when all of the flowers and trees are all in bloom, but it was still a nice place to stop and look around. It’s quiet there. You can almost forget you’re in a city for a while. Some of the roses were still in bloom, which was nice, but I think my favorite part of the trip, which I unfortunately have no pictures of, is the Fragrance Garden. You get to walk around and touch different plants, each of which naturally produces strong fragrances like lemon and spearmint. The odor sticks to your fingers. It’s a great spot for kids and probably for blind people as well, and they had that in mind, because most of the signs in that area are in braille.
Grilled Squash and Zucchini Sandwich with HummusButternut Squash Soup
The food at the Botanic Garden was surprisingly good, even the butternut squash soup. It tasted real, if you know what I mean. Not that it necessarily was, but it was thick and was spiced just right. Expensive, though, just like all museum/park cafes. The next time we go, we want to take a picnic lunch to eat on the lawn under the trees. I’m not sure if it’s allowed, but this is one of those things where I don’t think I’d feel bad about it unless I got caught.
I never would have guessed there was another big museum out in Brooklyn on the north end of Prospect Park, but some friends of ours asked us if we wanted to meet up out there and take a look around there and the Botanic Gardens. It turned out to be a really good trip.
The museum is bizarrely light on displayed items, considering how much the Met has sitting in storage, collecting dust. You’d think they’d share their inventory and more effectively utilize the space available in the Brooklyn Museum, but what they do have there is definitely worth the time it takes to have a look around, especially if you don’t want to deal with the crowds that are usually shuffling through the Met. My only other complaint is the big glass monstrosity (aka the new lobby) that was attached to the front of the building. It destroyed the beauty of the original architecture.
My favorite photos of stuff from the museum’s incredibly diverse collection:
Something sexual about that statue and the extra leg and butt.
The monthly loot crate was a welcome distraction from my homework. I can’t say I loved everything in the box this time around, but the Stimpy plushie, Simpsons keychain and Andy Warhol-esque Stormtrooper magnet are pretty cool.
