Bradley's Old Fashioned Weblog

Recent updates

  • Kadie the Cow

    Kadie the Cow is now on Bay Avenue in Woodruff Riverfront Park in Downtown Columbus, Georgia, but she used to “live” on Manchester Expressway in front of the old Kinnett Dairy. Along with her calf, BeBe, she was the company’s mascot, and they both stayed on in the same location even after Kinnett shut down and was replaced by a Best Buy, which in turn has also shut down.

    Over the years, Kadie has been defaced with obscene graffiti and BeBe was kidnapped and spent some time in Butler, Georgia, before being recovered. It’s weird the kinds of things people get attached to, but with so much change happening in Columbus and Kadie standing witness to it all, she gained significance to the community and achieved landmark status.

    It’s nice to see her down at the new river walk with a fresh coat of paint. It feels like a monument to my childhood and a simpler, friendlier, perhaps rose colored past. When I was a kid, my Nana kept a box of Kinnett ice cream sandwiches in the freezer in the Florida Room of her house because she knew that me and her other grandkids loved them. We’d walk through the den, open the sliding glass door and step into that hot room that smelled like chlorine and hot plastic, and open up the freezer to grab dessert, or a snack when we got older.

    I’ve spent most of my life living outside of Columbus, because of military service and work, and when we talked on the phone Nana would always ask me when I was “coming in”. What an interesting way of looking at the world. Beyond the borders of Columbus was outside, and coming home was coming in to where family waited for you. Coming in meant Kinnett ice cream sandwiches and visiting with loved ones. My entire childhood is tied up with memories of Kadie and Kinnett products. I was really disappointed when the company went under, but at least Kadie is still around to remind me of the past.

  • Ukraine support begs have jumped the shark

    A World of Warcraft virtual pet offer to “support Ukraine”

    This is getting ridiculous. Can we find a cause to virtue signal about that benefits the United States and its citizens in a more direct way? Can we let Europe take care of Europe for a while and instead take care of the United States before our country falls apart we need Europeans to buy virtual pets in online games to help support us?

  • working in more vegetarian meals

    My wife and I ate strictly vegetarian for about 14 months and then we fell off the wagon and went back to our old meat-eating ways quite a few years ago. I’m not sure if I want to do that again, eating strictly vegetarian I mean, but lately I’ve been wanting to drastically reduce the amount of meat in my diet, not because I’m overly concerned about cow farts or saving the world, though that is a pretty important issue, but because I want to improve my own health. Self preservation is a strong motivator.

    When we were eating vegetarian I was losing weight and I felt healthier. The issue wasn’t just meat, of course. We were also exercising regularly, counting calories, not drinking soda, and going light on desserts. I want to do that again, so I’ve started exercising more and I’m hoping to really cut down on meat over the long-term and carbs in the short term to get myself back on track.

    Tabouli, babaganoush, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, salad, and fried potatoes.
    Shakshuka with mozzarella cheese

    It’s not as hard to do when there are so many great vegetarian restaurant options nearby. I guess that might be one of the perks of living in a major city, but eating good while eating out won’t be an issue. Today, we went to one of our favorite spots, Hummus Place, for a late lunch/early dinner. We developed a taste for Middle Eastern food when I was in college studying Middle Eastern history. I’m glad I got over my disinclination to try new foods when I was younger, because life would be a lot blander if I still thought seasoning food meant just adding salt and pepper.

  • the true thief of joy

    Comparing one’s self to others is the true thief of joy.

    Zed the Bard, “Everything: Full Murderhobo” (also Theodore Roosevelt)

  • Fun in the sun today, out riding

    We parked on Riverside Drive and then rode up and down the Hudson River Greenway this afternoon. It was nice to get outside and feel the sun. The riverfront was packed with people, which was great because one of the best things about riding in New York City is people watching. It’s kind of weird when you pass someone else doing the same thing, though, because you both look at each other as you go by. It’s nice to see so many people out picnicking or just sitting in the shade and reading or talking. I wish I had more time to just sit and enjoy the day like that, so I’m glad we’re taking advantage of the time we have. Especially with this being New York City, where summers are way too short.

    We saw one of the red tailed hawks sitting on a railing at Riverbank State Park. I’m pretty sure it’s one of the same ones that hatched in Washington Square Park that had that live video feed from NYU a few years ago. I’d seen one of them previously in a small park on Fort Washington Avenue called J. Hood Wright Park. It was eating a rat or a squirrel or something. Today, the hawk had a tuft of fur or cotton in its mouth when we first saw it. I moved in slowly to take a few pictures. I didn’t want to spook it, or get attacked by it. It got tired of being eyeballed, though and took off.

    It was a beautiful day with beautiful weather. I’m sad the weekend is over.

  • Appalachian Mountains

    Video recommendation!

    This is a really interesting video about one of the poorest parts of the United States. It’s well done and the people are portrayed as people, rather than as stereotypes.

    I was most interested by the connection that these people have to each other, to the area, and to their histories. Growing up in a military family and later being in the military, I moved around a lot and never got too attached to any one place. In retrospect, I wonder how many people that I met while in the military came from places like this, and I wonder what kind of impact that has on identity and outlook.

  • Every inch of space is a miracle-

    Walt Whitman

  • This image somehow makes me nostalgic…

    …but also a little concerned. Though I’ve never had much trouble adapting to survive, the idea of surviving instead of living is pretty dark, but I guess it’s accurate given what I’ve lived through.

    From the Cold War to Columbine to Y2K to 9/11 to a Great Depression to a 20 year war (that I took part in) to a global pandemic to an illegal migration crisis, it’s been one thing after another. It’d be great to have a decade of peace and prosperity where American money is reinvested into the United States itself.

    There has to be an element of rose tinted glasses here, but things seemed simpler when I was a kid and a teenager. More disconnected, but more hopeful.

  • Self worth

    None of us come to this earth to gain our worth; we brought it with us.

    Sheri L Dew

  • The Good Life – a poem

    “The Good Life”, by Tracy K. Smith

    My wife saw this poem posted on a subway train in New York City a few years ago. It resonated with both of us because we could relate. There was a time when we didn’t have much and when payday hit, we went out and enjoyed ourselves. Then, we followed a strict budget for the rest of the month.

    Thinking about those times makes me feel more grateful for the things and experiences that we’ve accumulated over the years, and that we eat well every day.