Bradley's Old Fashioned Weblog

Recent updates

  • 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.

  • 15 Year Anniversary

    It’s hard to believe that my wife and I have been married for 15 years. Well, more than 15 years now. Our anniversary was on the 23rd of last month. It seems like after that much time you might get tired of someone, but I still find her fascinating and I love being with her and helping her succeed. She’s an amazing person and I’m lucky to have her in my life.

    Old Homestead martini with gin
    Yellowfin tuna saishimi
    Oysters Rockefeller
    Gotham Rib Steak
    Filet mignon with applewood smoked bacon over potatoes
    Lobster macaroni and cheese
    Creme brulee with a cup of coffee

    We celebrated by going out to dinner at Old Homestead Steakhouse in New York City and by going up One World Trade Center to the One World Observatory. We’d been to Old Homestead before, on a previous anniversary years ago, and it was still an amazing meal and an amazing experience. It’s pricey, but worth it, and I highly recommend trying the place out if you’re in the city as a tourist or for a holiday.

    According to my mom, I went to the top of one of the old Twin Towers (the old World Trade Center), but I don’t remember it, so the view was really impressive. Everything looked so far away and inconsequential from up there. And it was quiet. It was like being in another place and the city was just a bunch of toys down below us. It was weird going back down the elevator (which took us from the basement to the 104th floor in 47 seconds) into the bustle of the city. It was unfortunately a bit cloudy and rainy when we were there, but that just means we have an excuse to go back again.

    It has been an amazing 15 years and I’m looking forward to all the anniversaries to come. I love you, babe!

  • Diablo IV updated impressions

    This game is dark and the scenery is amazing. The characters are fairly well done, both in terms of complexity and voice acting. I’m enjoying it, but I feel like it doesn’t have the same impact as Diablo III, somehow. It doesn’t have the same grim feeling. Maybe I’ve just consumed too much media for it to have the same impact?

    I hit level 51 now, so I’m getting Paragon points, and I’m working my way through the main story. I’m on Act III now. I want to finish the storyline and then move up to higher tiers of difficulty. I’d also like to get through the main storyline before Season 1 starts. I wonder if it’s going to be the same as seasons in Diablo III.

    My main gripe with the game so far is that the cosmetic designs in the game Shop seem really uninspired and not worth the money, except for the Ranger, but I don’t play Ranger so I’m out of luck. Maybe that’s a good thing. I’m sure my wallet is thankful that the armor designers have no imagination.

  • Hazy Fifth of July

    This was the 5th of July at about 5:15 AM. The Verrazano Bridge is partially obscured by a haze of smoke that I thought was from Canada, but turned out to be from fireworks. It was kind of a Bronx firecrackers or gunshots moment.

    The humidity and low wind took the AQI up to about 300 that night, but thankfully it cleared up by the end of the day. I want some normalcy. Except for traffic. It’d be great if that’d stay low like it has been all week.

  • Rediscovering cycling with folding bikes

    Moving to the Bronx was the right move at the time, but it came with some costs. One of those costs was the inconvenience of having to go somewhere else to do anything and everything, because let’s face it, the Bronx isn’t really that fun or friendly a place, and that’s especially true for bike riding.

    That wasn’t so much of an issue when we had a car with a bike rack, but thanks to someone who slammed into it while it was parked and totaled it, we have a new car with no hitch and no rack. Between that and the pandemic, our outings to go cycling basically came to an end for quite a while.

    Then we discovered folding bikes that actually ride well. We can throw them in the trunk of the car, pull them out, unfold them and be riding in less time than it used to take me to strap up our full sized bikes onto the old Allen rack we had. Granted, folding bikes have different capabilities and limitations, but it’s opened the door for us to get outside and do something we both enjoy again.