Bradley's Old Fashioned Weblog

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  • Veteran’s Day Dinner 2013

    PVT Elma and Me July 30 1999 Fort Lee VA, AIT
    “PVT Elma + Me. July 30, 99 Fort Lee, VA (AIT)”

    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.

    IMG_3072

    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 Tea
    Blood Orange Blackberry Iced Tea
    Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce
    Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce
    Capellini Pomodoro
    Capellini Pomodoro

    These guys were outside the Olive Garden. I thought it was pretty cool, so I want to share the photo:

    Mounted NYPD
    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.

  • Rockefeller Center and the Christmas Tree for 2013

    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 Center
    NBC News Studio by Rockefeller Center
    Looking into the NBC Studio news set from outside.
    Looking 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 House
    Balloon Dog Sculpture at Christie’s Auction House
    A close-up of the balloon dog sculpture.
    A close-up of the balloon dog sculpture.
    Christie's Auction House window displays.
    Christie’s Auction House window displays.

  • Twitter Banner on New York Stock Exchange on IPO Day

    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 IPO
    Twitter Banner on NYSE for IPO
    Twitter Banner on NYSE for IPO
    Twitter banner close-up.
    NYSE with Twitter Banner
    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.

  • The October “Zombie Apocalypse” Loot Crate

    October 2013 Loot Crate Contents
    October 2013 Loot Crate Contents

    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.
    "I Love Your Guts" greeting card inside page.
    “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.
    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.

    8-bit zombie survival game icon pins
    8-bit zombie survival game icon pins

  • Key Shop Cat

    IMG_2911

    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.

    IMG_2910

  • The Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Photo Galleries)

    The Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Photo Galleries)

    Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Map
    Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Map

    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 Hummus
    Grilled Squash and Zucchini Sandwich with Hummus
    Butternut Squash Soup
    Butternut 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.

    Now, for some photo galleries:

    The Japanese Garden

    The Cranford Rose Garden:

    The Bonsai Trees:

    Other parts of the Gardens:

  • The Brooklyn Museum Photo Gallery

    The Brooklyn Museum Photo Gallery

    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.
    A mosaic from a 4th (6th?) century synagogue.
    Old doll house.
    Inside a Schenck house
    A Schenck house, rebuilt inside the museum.
    Inside a Schenck house.
    Despair
    Garbage collected in NYC, sorted by month.
    Garbage collected in NYC, sorted by month.
    Garbage collected in NYC, sorted by month.
    The Death Wagon

  • My #cats with their favorite pink string toy. #aob

  • The September 2013 Loot Crate

    September 2013 Loot Crate
    September 2013 Loot Crate

    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.

    The Stormtrooper magnet on our fridge.
    The Stormtrooper magnet on our fridge.

  • Keeping Busy This Semester

    A page from Al-Kitaab, Part One, Lesson 6
    A page from Al-Kitaab, Part One, Lesson 6

    Fall Semester started and, as expected, the amount of free time I have available has dropped to next to nothing. Of course, that’s partly expected, and partly because I’m taking five classes again to get the most bang for my GI Bill buck.

    This semester I’m taking:

    1. Arabic 3
    2. Hebrew 1
    3. Jesus the Jew: a course that looks at the historical situation surrounding the time of Jesus in first century Palestine.
    4. Historiography and Historical Methods: a graduate history course on how to examine and understand historical writing.
    5. Jewish Studies: Independent Study

    So far, the classes are pretty good. Arabic 3 is difficult, but not impossible. Hebrew 1 is easy, because basic Hebrew is similar to basic Arabic. Jesus and first century Palestine are fascinating to me, so that’s probably my favorite class this semester. The independent study is just that, so the freedom to choose what to research and write about is outstanding.

    The only class that’s not rocking my world this Fall is the graduate history course, and it’s not because the course is bad in any way. I just don’t know anything about American history beyond the rubbish I learned in highschool, so I feel like a fish out of water in the discussions. All of my studies have focused on Middle Eastern and South Asian history, with few exceptions. Nothing wrong with broadening one’s horizons though, and the professor is definitely excellent.