Photo of The Month: This month’s Featured Image is a Weather Fax from New Orleans Coast Guard captured via Shortwave radio. It takes about 5 minutes for all the data to transfer over the air. Depending on the atmospheric conditions, the results can be quite good!
What’s Going On: You gotta love the early spring weather in Indiana. 70’s one day and snow the next. You really need to keep an eye on the forecast so you, literally, don’t get stuck out in the cold. I keep cold weather gear in my car, and it’s always a gamble to remove it before Memorial Day.
What I’m Buying: Ghost Whale Organizer Pouch from Ton Bihn (TB). I had some points to spend and there were a few accessories I have been looking at on the TB website. Since my favorite TB wallet is no longer being produced, and people are trying to sell them for $200 on eBay, I thought I’d look for an alternative. While I was initially looking at using the Ghost Whale to organize some small items in my backpack, it turns out it makes a great minimal (and inexpensive) wallet!
Custom leather money clip wallet from Mitchell Leather Factory. I had ordered this before the Ghost Whale above and it had a longer lead time (also got held up at the USPS hub in Indy that’s weeks behind getting things delivered). As soon as this arrived, I turned the Ghost Whale back into an accessory organizer and moved everything to this money clip wallet. The wallet is made from high-quality Horween Dublin leather, and it fits all my daily carry cards and cash perfectly. The version I purchased is natural on the outside and navy blue inside. This should get better with age and custom form to its contents in a few weeks of carry. For the price (under $100), this is a great product and I highly recommend checking it out if you’re in the market for a new wallet.
Horizon Helvetica from Kickstarter. Billed as the “Swiss army knife of sketch tools”, it was yet another campaign that took twice as long to deliver as initially quoted. I’ve backed several Kickstarter campaigns over the years, and I like the idea of helping a small startup get their idea off the ground, but the execution always gets screwed up. It’s either suppliers, manufacturing, or in this case, shipping issues. I think I’m done for a while (until the next “must have it” thing comes along). 🙂
Although it took forever to finally get the sketch tools, they did end up turning out pretty nice. I like to have a straight edge when I use small notebooks and I’ve been using little 6-inch rulers. The Helvetica has additional options and allows for more creative drawing options. I’ll report back later this year on how useful they are compared to what they replaced.
What I’m Eating: Earlier in March I picked up another bag of soup mix from U-Relish. This time it was White Bean Rosemary, along with a smoked Ham Hock from Schacht Farms to make a pot of Ham and Beans. Another excellent product from this husband-and-wife duo. This is my third purchase from them, and they just keep getting better.
A new location of the Culinary Dropout chain opened in Indianapolis. We stopped by for dinner in March and were impressed with the atmosphere and quality of the food. It’s a fairly large space and they did a good job managing the sound. It was easy to have a normal conversation, even will a full-ish house.
Where I’ve Been: March was a pretty quiet month. We checked out the new L.L. Bean in the Keystone area. It was dead & they still had a lot of winter gear out. I was hoping to find some new spring/summer clothes but did not. I did end up getting a couple pairs of their traveler pants which I’ll be testing soon. Details next month.
What I’m Watching: I watched the first episode of Severance Season 2 and realized I needed a refresher, so I found a 14-minute recap on YouTube that got me back up to speed. and back into the Severance “mindset.”
Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations is one of those shows where you can scan through the episodes, find one that sounds interesting, and go to another place for 40 minutes. It’s always been a favorite of mine and it will always be one of those shows I turn on when I need to decompress.
Northern Exposure was a favorite of mine when it was on originally in the 1990s, and it all but disappeared for 25 years. It showed up on Amazon Prime Video one day and I wasn’t sure it would still be any good, but it’s aged very well and is another easy watch at the end of a busy day. I’m slowly making my way through each episode.
What I’m Reading: Spare by Prince Harry – I’m not a big (auto)Biography fan but I remember the day Diana died, and seeing Harry all grown up, became interested in his story. This book was not popular within the Royal Family but I thought it was a pretty good read, and seemed to be a genuine reflection of how he has lived his life.
The Belt Series by Gerald M. Kilby – I enjoyed the Colony Mars series so much I naturally moved to the next set by this author. These are quick reads and not too far out there with the Sci-Fi, so they are easy to follow along and enjoy. Entanglement was the first book of the series and I enjoyed reading that over a long rainy weekend. I’m already looking forward to book number 2 in the series.
The Ministry of Time – Before moving on to the next Belt book, this one became available via Libby at the local Library so I jumped on it. It follows a time travel project where the Ministry of Time reaches into the past and grabs subjects right before they die, bringing them to the current time. These historical figures are paired with a mentor (called a Bridge) and taught how to live in their new timeline. If it were not for all the accolades this book received, I probably would not have given it a try.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR SCIENCE FICTION • A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, VANITY FAIR, ESQUIRE, VOX, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, THE INDEPENDENT, PARADE, KIRKUS REVIEWS, AND MORE…
It’s been interesting enough for me to keep picking it up! I’ll be curious to see how it ends, or if it turns into a series (or maybe a movie?).
What Else: Do you ever wonder how much snow costs us? Neither did I until I ran across this article in the Hustle (a pretty good newsletter!). Hint: It’s a LOT! $$$$$
And Finally… On a dry lakebed in the Mojave, a group of friends build a practical scale model of time: 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution, and our place within it.
What’s Going On: As I continue studying to upgrade my Amateur Radio license, I’ve added a couple of “stealth” antennas to the attics in my house. Unfortunately, because of my HOA, I can’t put anything on the outside of the house; I’m limited to using the attic space for the equipment. While not ideal, it’s been working better than expected. I hear stations from Europe and South America regularly in the evening. I look forward to being able to talk to them soon!
What I’m Eating: Last week, I stopped by the Easy Rider Diner in Fountain Square for lunch. It’s owned and operated by the Hi-Fi concert venue located next door. The food coming out of the kitchen looked really good, as did the Cobb Salad I ordered (there is lettuce under all the toppings), but the $6 upcharge for 4 chicken nuggets was a little steep, in my opinion. The Blue Cheese dressing was definitely out of a bottle, too (and not that good). I’d go back and try something else next time. The salad didn’t do it for me this time.
I also picked up a couple of new items from Trader Joe’s.
The Kalua Pork Spring Rolls smelled VERY good while they were cooking, but unfortunately, the taste was off. In my opinion, there was a very strong black pepper taste. The folks at the What’s Good at Trader Joe’s website seemed to like them better and mentioned a strong liquid smoke flavor (they still gave them 7.5 out of 10)
Unlike the Spring Rolls, the Shrimp Boom Bah had a much better taste and included a nice spicy sauce. The only issue I had was they could have been crispier. An air fryer might have done the trick (I don’t have one).
Where I’ve Been: Traveled down to New Richmond, Ohio, last weekend to check out the Annual International Cardboard Boat Regatta on the Ohio River. This is my first time checking it out, and it was a lot of fun. The town was having a River Days celebration, and the race was one of the weekend activities. All of the boats were made out of cardboard and paint. Some really creative designs! New Richmond is also the home of the world’s only Cardboard Boat Museum.
What I’m Watching: Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food (2023)
If you’re on Social Media, you might have seen the woman on a flight pointing to something off-camera and proclaiming it was “not real.” @Travispaints painted his interpretation, and it is amazing! Zoom in; it’s a who’s who of fictitious characters.
And Finally… Just in time for summer grilling… Juicy Grilled Burger – You Suck at Cooking
What’s Going On: I finally booked my flights for an upcoming business trip to Switzerland. Getting there wasn’t the challenge; it was trying to figure out what to do with the couple of days I had after the conference was over (too many options!). Right now, I’m planning on taking a train to Paris for an overnight visit, then off to London for a couple of days before returning home. Now that the travel is secured, I need to figure out lodging and activities (like where to eat!).
Where I’ve Been: I had lunch with my son last weekend, and while in the Lafayette area, I traveled a little ways north to check out a place that’s been on my list for a while. The Cairo Skywatch Tower (AKA the Delta Lima 3 Green Ground Observation Tower) is a long-lost piece of Korean War history. Before the United States had a national radar system, volunteers across the country would set up observation posts to scan the sky for enemy aircraft.
Part of the Ground Observer Corps, the Cairo Skywatch Tower was one of 750,000 volunteers aged 7 to 86 years old working in shifts at over 16,000 posts throughout the country and Operated as an arm of the United States Air ForceCivil Defense Service.
What’s Going On: *Warning* This will be a LONG post covering a week-long trip with lots of links, photos, and me rambling on for a while.
It was nice to return to a 3-day weekend after a week on the road last week (more on that later). Besides getting the tent out to dry off, I haven’t unpacked much since all my camping gear is in stackable tubs. I still need to move it back into storage & get it out of the garage…
Where I’ve Been: Last Saturday, I returned from a 1500+ mile loop that took me through KY, TN, NC, VA, WV, and OH. I left on Monday morning and traveled to Asheville, NC. South of Lexington was a new Buc-ee’s that I wanted to stop and check out. Everyone in a 100-mile radius must have had the same idea as this place was PACKED. Every pump had a vehicle parked in front of it, and the inside was wall-to-wall people. There were even lines to the men’s restroom, which you never see. I heard one person say they had been waiting for over an hour for their food, so I saw myself out and headed down the road.
I arrived in Asheville in the early evening, and even though I was driving all day, the weather was beautiful, and the traffic was light. I chose a place near the Grove Arcade called Carmel’s Kitchen & Bar to have dinner. The Pimento Cheese sounded great, so I ordered it along with a bowl of Shrimp and Grits (with a cream sauce vs. a brown gravy which was different and not as good as the traditional) and a cold glass of Chardonnay.
Tuesday morning, I spent some time in downtown Asheville taking photos. I stopped at City Bakery for some coffee and a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit and left full and happy! They know how to make a proper biscuit in the South!
I was waiting around for East Fork Pottery to open at 11 am so I could pick up some coffee mugs I’ve had my eye on for over a year. I had every intention of stopping at Buxton Hall Barbecue for lunch to try their legendary fried chicken sandwich, but I was too full, so I hit the road and drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway toward Mt Mitchell State Park, the highest mountain peak east of the Mississippi.
The Blue Ridge Parkway has got to be one of my favorite drives ever; this was my first time driving it. I was only on it for less than 100 miles, but I’m very interested in driving the entire 469 miles and visiting sites along the way. I stopped in a town called Little Switzerland, NC, for a snack, but just about everything was closed on Tuesday.
I made my way to Spacious Skies Campgrounds – Bear Den near Spruce Pine, NC. This is a private campground right off the parkway, and being early in the season was very quiet. I felt like I had the entire place to myself!
I packed up camp Wednesday morning and went to start the car… Click, Click, Click, dead battery. I knew I was about due for a replacement and almost did it before I left, but luckily I was at a place where I could walk up to the front office and ask for a jump. Once underway, I made a beeline to the closest Advance Auto and picked up the AGM battery I had my eye on weeks earlier. This thing should outlast the car, and it ought to be for $250. The employee offered to swap the batteries out, and I was on my way 10 minutes later, only delaying me for an hour from my originally planned departure time.
Today’s destination was the Red River Gorge Bridge and a Bed-and-Breakfast in a small town called Clifton Forge, VA. I had no idea what to expect at the Gorge, but the pictures I saw looked incredible. As my GPS told me I was getting closer, I kept looking for the bridge. I didn’t see it until I was practically ON it!
That crossing was pretty unimpressive, but I noticed on the map that I could go down under the bridge, so after stopping at the visitor center (and picking up a sticker), I did that!
After playing around down by the water, it was time to load up and head to the evening’s accommodations. The Red Lantern Inn was a great little Bed & Breakfast that was in the middle of downtown Clifton Forge, VA. Not much in the town except a few restaurants, bars, and a HUGE train yard. I unloaded my gear and went down the street to Jack Mason’s Tavern and Brewery for dinner. I ordered a Mushroom Swiss Burger and the House Cut Chips, dusted in Old Bay. The beverage for dinner was a local ale the waitress recommended when I said I wanted something light. It all hit the spot, and I was ready to settle down for the night.
The Red Lantern Inn was clean and spacious, and I had the whole place to myself. The owner was off-premises attending to other things, and we exchanged a few text messages to get the code to enter the building and the WiFi password. I never met her, but I would not hesitate to stay here again. It was clean and VERY quiet. Just what I needed after all the driving I had been doing.
Thursday’s activity was what prompted the trip in the first place. The Green Bank Observatory houses the world’s largest 100-meter (330Â ft) fully steerable single-dish radio telescope. Located near the middle of the National Radio Quiet Zone, the telescope is the newest and most significant of many at the facility, topping out at over 400 feet in height and housing a dish of over 100,000 square feet. I purchased a tour ticket online and arrived about 30 minutes before the tour to use the facilities and check out the museum and gift shop.
We took a bus to the telescope and got up close and personal. Unfortunately, the only camera you can use is film because anything electronic is forbidden within a 1-mile radius. We were even asked to put our car key fobs in a Faraday Cage to block spurious emissions. Our tour guide was from Ireland, and she had been working there for several years. Her husband was a scientist working at the facility who had passed away, so she started doing tours and stayed in Green Bank.
After geeking out at the Observatory, I needed to find some lunch. I saw on Google Maps a Ski Resort called Snowshoe about an hour away and learned it is pretty active in the summer months with Mountain Biking, so I headed west to check it out.
I had already been to the highest mountain peak east of the Mississippi, but it felt like I was going even higher as I made my way to the top of Snowshoe Mountain. The road just kept going up and up, with switchback after switchback, until I finally reached the top. And what a surprise it was to see a village with a hotel, grocery store, and what looked like 4-story apartment buildings (pretty sure they were hotels).
I walked around for a while, checking things out and dodging many mountain bikes riding around the area. I can only imagine what this place is like in the winter, with skiers everywhere. I grabbed lunch at the Junction Ale House—nothing special here, just a little pub with staff that acted like they wanted to be elsewhere. I definitely do not see myself returning here, even if I visited in the winter to ski.
“After lunch, I made my way down the mountain to camp. I had two “First Come; First Served” sites in mind, Dry Run & Tea Creek campgrounds, Dry run was nice but pretty full. I drove down the road a little more and found Tea Creek to be just perfect. There were 12 sites, and only 2 were occupied. I nabbed a site near the entrance and set up camp.
An older gentleman came over, and we chatted about camping, cars, and the generator the other site was using (he was not a fan). The bugs died down at dusk, and I enjoyed a night of tuning through the shortwave bands tuning in signals from all over the world (the low noise floor in the Radio Quiet Zone helped a lot here.
I set out for Hillbilly Hotdogs (see below) and Wayne National Forrest in Southern Ohio on Friday morning. After lunch, I found my reserved campsite and had a problem. It was at the end of a cul-de-sac and about 10 feet down the side of the hill. The tent pad was about 10×10, and a drop-off on the backside. NOT a good site for the tent I use and not a good location if it rained like the forecast called for. I talked to the Camp Host and was informed there were no available sites, so I went to Ironton, OH, and used some Holiday Inn points to get a room for the night.
We were back on the road for our final day of travel on Saturday. I have been wanting to visit Serpent Mound again for years, I remember my Grandmother taking me here as a kid, and I wanted to see it again. Built a long time ago, Serpent Mound is a burial ground of ancient Americans that’s in the shape of a snake. The United States Department of Interior designated the mound as a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
It’s hard to see in the pictures, but the mound is over 1000 feet long and of great historical significance to the area. The visitors center has a nice display explaining the effigy’s who/what/why and, of course, stickers for my collection.
After the mound, I visited family and had lunch to celebrate Father’s Day a day early; it was the best BBQ I had eaten all week! I was left with a 2-hour drive back to Indy and was ready to get off the road! This is the 3rd year in a row where I’ve picked an interesting place to see and made a week-long trip out of it. It was nice to get away from the office and get out into nature before the high temperatures make it uncomfortable this summer. I’m already thinking about next year’s trip, and driving the entire Blue Ridge Parkway is on the shortlist.
What I’m Buying: Stickers, lots of stickers. When I visit a significant location, I like to purchase a sticker to commemorate the occasion. right now, they’re being put on the cooler that goes with me on every trip, but I’m running out of room, so I need to figure out something else to sticker up.
ICE! You have to have ice to keep things cool when you’re off the grid. It’s nice to see that ice is still only a couple of dollars a bag, even in the middle of nowhere. The local liquor store gives away bags with any purchase, so I always have a bag or two in the freezer to get me started. I’ve been told you can get ice from fast food restaurants really cheaply, but I never think about getting it there (and I rarely eat fast food anymore).
What I’m Eating: I had a few BBQ meals while traveling. Nothing that noteworthy and, honestly, a little disappointing with dry brisket and a side of mac and cheese where the sauce was broken and oily. I was expecting more and would rather eat the local BBQ at Traxx in McCordsville!
When camping, I normally dine on dehydrated meals from various manufacturers. Mountain House, Backpacker’s Pantry, and Pakit Gourmet are in constant rotation, and I always get a solid, filling meal with just a cup or two of boiling water.
On this trip, I fixed my ever-favorite Chili Mac with Beef and tried a new meal of Chicken and Rice both from Mountain House. Both were very filling, and the Chicken and Rice could have passed for homemade; it was that good!
Since I was in the area, I had to check out Hillbilly Hotdogs in LeSage, WV. This place was one of the first places visited by the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives show and features “The Homewrecker” hot dog that weighs 1 pound and is covered with just about every topping they have. I saw one come out of the kitchen, and it was ridiculous!
I ordered a Hillbilly Dog (Deep-fried Weenie, Chili Sauce, Mustard, and Onions) and a West Virginia Dog (Chili Sauce, Mustard, Onions, and Cole Slaw), along with an order of Deep Fried Pickles w/ Ranch. Everything was hot and fresh, and I would stop here again if I ever found myself in the area. It was pretty crowded for a Friday afternoon and a popular stop for the bikers traveling along the river route.
What I’m Watching: I downloaded several movies on my iPad Pro to watch while camping, and I never even played them. I ended up spending my evenings reading, tuning in to distant stations on the shortwave radio, and relaxing to the sounds of nature.
What I’m Reading: I’m still reading “Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421 “and hope to finish it this weekend. Several more books are in the queue, including one about Switchboard Operators during World War One.
What Else: The Fishers Health Department has released its “Inspection report of retail food establishments” which gives a letter grade for local restaurants (I believe they need to post their grade for people to see at some point). This is a HUGE step in transparency for the public. The letter grade system is used in a lot of major cities and does a great job of not only calling out places not meeting the standards but also warning the patrons of the issues. I was surprised at some of the C-grades from places I often frequent, and I will no longer be dining there until they get their act together. Kudos to the Fishwers Health Dept for leading the way with this program. Hopefully, other cities (looking at you, Indy) will follow!
And Finally… I’ve been watching Mark Rober videos lately. In this video, Mark sets up a series of Olympic-style challenges for his backyard squirrels to compete in. From a balance beam to a diving board, these squirrels prove to be surprisingly adept athletes. Mark uses his engineering skills to create various contraptions and obstacles for the squirrels to navigate, such as a tiny zipline and a miniature pole vault. He also peppers the video with funny commentary and hilarious slow-motion replays of the squirrels in action. But beyond the laughs, this video is a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of these furry creatures. So next time you see a squirrel in your backyard, give them a little respect – who knows what kind of Olympic potential they might have!
What’s Going On: Sierra Trading Post (now just Sierra) recently opened a brick-and-mortar store on the NW side of Indianapolis. I remember (mail) ordering from them back in the late 80s, and you could get just about anything you needed for camping and hiking.
Over the years, I had all but forgotten about them and became an REI fanboy. Sierra was acquired by the TJ Maxx companies in 2012 and folded into the family of companies, including Marshalls, Home Goods, etc.
I visited the store on Sunday afternoon and waspleasantlysurprised with the variety of gear they had and the prices were amazing! Think of it as a TJ Maxx for outdoor enthusiasts. I didn’t have anything particular in mind to buy but walked out with a new pair of hiking shoes, convertible pants, smartwool socks, and several discounted dehydrated meals. All of this I’m planning on utilizing in an upcoming trip.
If you’re looking for some additional gear to fill any gaps you might have in your setup, I would make it a point to check out Sierra first; you might save a significant amount of money!
What I’m Buying: As mentioned above, I went on a little shopping spree at Sierra, but prior to that, I picked up a new Tom Bihn bag called the Side Hustle. This bag is a newish design that the company is having a hard time keeping in stock. Every time I’ve tried to order it, they were sold out, but Tom Bihn allowsyou to add your email to a waiting list and get notified when they refresh their stock.
About three days before the big day, I was notified that the latest Side Hustle batches would be released at 2 pm PT. I posted up at my favorite watering hole and patiently waited for 5 pm ET to arrive. I was torn between the grey bag with a yellow lining like my Synik 30 and a dark blue with the same yellow liner. Well, my decision was made for me as the grey bag sold out in less than 10 minutes. Dark Blue it is!
After I use the bag for a few weeks, I’ll post a review. I purchased it as a weekend bag to carry my iPad and other items around and a day bag when traveling. So far, it’s exceeded my expectations in build quality and versatility.
What I’m Eating: This section should be called “What I’m obsessed with this week.” I had lunch at Garden Table with one of my vendors last week. The Chicken Salad there is delicious, BTW. The server brought out a little tabletop carrier containing salt, pepper, and Tabasco Siracha! I had never seen this and tried a little bit on my last few bites of chicken salad, and my mind was blown.
I LOVE Tabasco, and I’m 50/50 on Siracha (It needs to be something compatible for me to really enjoy it, like Pho or a Bihn Mi sandwich). The combination of the two is a whole new flavor that I can not get enough of. So naturally, I decided to seek it out. Amazon had it, of course, but I refrain from ordering any food from Amazon because it’s just not cost-effective. PLUS, I enjoy the hunt to find things in the Mirad of grocery stores we have in the area.
The “Where to Buy” section was not working on the Tabasco site, so I started using Google to narrow it down to the Walmart in my area. I hadn’t been to the local Walmart in YEARS. I used to buy shotgun ammo there because it was dirt cheap, but then I started buying it in bulk online & never went back. Walmart had 11 oz bottles which are a little on the small side but at $3.50, quite a steal. I grabbed four bottles and got the hell out of there. I’m planning on spreading the word and handing a few of these bottles out to friends and family to see if I can get them hooked.
I ordered a cheesesteak from Mambo’s in City Market last week. It wasn’t the best cheesesteak I’ve ever had in Indy (that award goes to Hoagies & Hops) but paired with the seasoned fries and soda, it was the best $15 I’ve spent on lunch in a while. The city market is running at less than 50% vendor capacity, but the ones who are still there are serving up some quality food. I’m trying to do my part and grab lunch there at least once a week, if you’re working in downtown Indy you should too!
What I’m Reading: I finally finished Solo by William Boyd. Set in 1969, it’s a James Bond book set in West Africa and book 38 in the extended series. If you’re into the franchise, it’s a worthwhile read, and I can never get enough to 007, so it was a must-read for me.
I moved on to a new author to me named T. J. Newman. She’s a former flight attendant, and her books focus around that. Her first book, Falling, is about a pilot who must crash his jet (9/11 style) or lose his family. The supporting characters really support the storyline, and I’m already halfway through the book. It’s that good.
What Else: I’m trying a new template for the blog to give it a little more consistency and to help with the writer’s block I sometimes get when writing a weekly post. I may not use all the sections, but I’m using them as primers to help me remember all the things that went on during the week. I’m debating if I want to keep the weekly YouTube video at the end. I like it, but I may be the only one!
And Finally… Why Fort Knox is Totally Forbidden, I was hoping they had tours available at Fort Know, but this video explains why it’s unthinkable.
Just in time for the holiday weekend, I somehow picked up a head cold. I started getting the throat tickle Thursday afternoon and had a full-on sore throat by bedtime. I thought it was going to turn into strep, but the throat felt better the next morning, although my sinuses were on fire. Friday night was one of those sleep/wake up/sleep recurring themes, but by Saturday morning, I at least had my appetite and taste mostly back. I credit the Tylenol and Alka Seltzer for helping to control the worst of the systems and helping me get back on my feet by Sunday morning.
We’ve become big fans of BJ’s Wholesale Club since it opened up the road. We love the shopping experience (it’s never been crowded), and the prices are very competitive with the other big box stores. We picked up a raised flower bed for a good price and turned it into an herb garden on the back porch. Finding the herbs proved to be a little bit of a challenge as the pop-up nursery we visit every year at Hamilton Town Center was left with scraps. We ventured over to Allisonville Nursery (now owned by Sullivan Hardware) and found everything we wanted at slightly higher prices than the pop-up) I’ve always wanted to try using a raised bed, so we’ll see how it goes this year.
I made a random stop at Trader Joe’s about a month ago (I never can seem to get that place in a regular rotation) & picked up a few new things, including the Trader Joe’s Organic Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls. These sat in the fridge for a few weeks before I broke them out of the pop-tube and baked them up on a Sunday morning. These things are GOOD! Not too sweet, nice and fluffy, with a great cinnamon swirl running throughout. I’d take these over the hassle of making homemade most of the time. These are worth keeping in the fridge for those cinnamon bun emergencies we all have from time to time.
The Night Agent on NetFlix was a fun watch. It’s about an F.B.I. agent who works late at the White House, taking emergency calls from field operatives. It moved quickly, and the ten 30-minute episodes went by quickly, leading to the exciting season finale. It’ll be interesting to see if they make another season.
The Best BBQ Chips: The United States of Barbecue Chips. This was a fun review to read from America’s Test Kitchen where they mail-ordered chips from all over the country to determine who had the best BBQ Chip.
BodyGuards just released their $79.99 Apex Screen Protector. I kid you not, $80 for a mobile phone screen protector! I’ll keep an eye on these & maybe pick one up when they go on clearance in a year or so…
And finally… I usually put a video in this segment but decided to use a picture this time around. The image below shows all the helicopter traffic in the area after the Indy 500. LOTS of people being shuttled to the regional airports (Westfield, Fishers, Mt. Comfort). The icon with the 3 props (under the Lawerence label) is a DHS hello out of the Chicago area that spent the weekend in Indy circling various areas doing who knows what.
I ended up out at the track twice last week for work events. Tuesday was wet, and there were no cars on the track, so I ducked out after the event. Thursday was beautiful; the cars were out, turning laps and dialing things in. I always end up at the track every year for a vendor event or an event tied to work. Kind of a nice way to spend an afternoon!
Cheeky Bastards, a newish British restaurant on Fall Creek in Geist, is now open for dinner. I’ve yet to make it over there, but I’m hoping to check out their Fish and Chips (or Bangers and Mash) for lunch very soon.
The Hustle had a great long-form piece titled “The $40m bet that made South Korea a food and cultural power” that explained how Korean food has taken off, similar to what Thai food did in the U.S. from 2022-2018 with help from the mother country.
Gastrodiplomacy, a term first coined by The Economist in 2002, happens when governments try to increase the value and knowledge of their nation through food.
I used to work with a guy that left his job to go work for the State Department doing something very similar. Bringing countries together with food and culture. Interesting stuff!
Following up from Week 17, where we referenced the disappearance of AM radios in new automobiles, The IBJ reports on a “Bipartisan bill aims to require AM radio in new cars.” The comments don’t disappoint, either…
It’s usually nice to see news coverage of your hometown, and then there are times it’s not… “Fishers Council approves $50 parking fee for nonresidents for Geist Waterfront Park.” The backlash on this decision is all over social media and has been brought up in several of the conversations I’ve been a part of this last week. I understand the need for crowd control, but this is just a bad look for an otherwise great project. I, for one, look forward to trying out the new kayak launch. It has to be better than the alternative we have at the Geist Park upstream.
And finally… The Deal Guy discusses “NEW Amazon Prime Benefits You SHOULD Know in 2023!”
The fall foliage has been amazing this year, and we’ve enjoyed the burst of color in the trees around the house. I took some time off to go camping in my new favorite place, Hardin Ridge (in the Hoosier National Forest). All the loops are closed except for one, and there are minimal amenities, but for only $10 a night, it’s a great deal in a beautiful part of Indiana.
Odd Shaped TreeCampCampHot Dogn on the fire!Brrr
As you can see there was no one around and my campsite was quite large. It dipped down to 40-degrees overnight but I brought the right equipment to keep warm and enjoy the outdoors. I hope to get another stretch of warm weatrher before December so I can make one more trip before putting all the gear away for the winter!
If you were outside on the Northside of Indy last weekend you might have seen and heard a Ford as 5-AT-B Trimotor from 1928 flying around. I didnt get a chance to snap a picture before it left town, but our friends at Shutter and Brushes saw it in Elkhart last Saturday and not only grabbed a few pictures on the tarmac they went inside to take a pic as well! This is a beautifully restored airplane that’s almost 100 years old apears to be traveling around the Midwest selling rides to anyone interested.
And finally… Owl Kitty is back with a new video. This time she joins Tom Cruise in Top Gun!
I didn’t post last weekend because I was out of town for a wedding (and I forgot due to everything going on). So this week is a catch-up post covering a few things from the past 2 weeks.
The trees are looking quite colorful this week, and I was going to try & go camping this weekend, but most of Indiana is under a Red Flag Warning. This means no fires, and I’m sorry, but my idea of camping is building a nice fire to cook on and sit next to into the evening. I also don’t want to get into a situation where someone else starts a fire and get caught up in it. So because of the burn ban, I decided to stay home and catch up on a few things…
AppleTV
Last week Apple released some updated products, one of which is a new AppleTV. The AppleTV is the hub of our entertainment system (and has been for years), but it’s one fault is a really bad remote control. It’s so bad that I use a Harmony Ultimate remote to control the AppleTV. The last version of the AppleTV had a redesigned remote, but I held off because I had a solution in place. Well, the latest iteration, utilizing USB-C charging and a major processor chip, led me to order the upgrade. I should have a delivery waiting for me in Early November & I’m looking forward to trying out the new remote and increased performance of the AppleTV Hub.
If you love watching food travel shows, you’ll love these resources that help you locate a restaurant you’ve seen on TV. This is especially helpful when you travel, and you’re looking for something different
And finally… It’s a great time to try a new burger. The Jucy Lucy is a cheese stuffed burger that is amazing. I picked up the burger press and waxed paper sheets shown in the video below (I didn’t try them smoked yet) & they turned out PERFECT! I think this is going to be my go-to burger for the forseable future.
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