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2023 Week 22 – Wanna Trade?

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 was pleasantly surprised 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, smart wool 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 allows you 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.

2023 Week 21 – Sniff

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.

2023 Week 16 – Lookout, Costco!

Ahhh, Indiana. It was 80 degrees the other day & we had a Freeze warning last night. Hopefully, the freeze didn’t kill any of your freshly planted flowers. We haven’t planted yet, so that’s a good thing! I didn’t get around to drafting this week’s post over the weekend, so I’m knocking it out Monday evening. It’s amazing how the weekend can get away from you!

The nicer weather the past two weeks has allowed me to take walks during lunchtime, and one of my destinations recently has been City Market. While it’s nothing like it was pre-Covid, several shops are hanging on, and they are getting a fair amount of lunch business. Cafe Olivia has gotten a lot of love in my office, and after getting a few sandwiches from there, I can see why! I tried a Cuban sandwich a few weeks ago, and although it wasn’t pressed on a Plancha in the traditional way, it had all the flavors and really hit the spot. On the last visit, the Cuban was unavailable, so I asked the lady behind the counter what their best seller was, and she said the Pastrami Reuben was a popular choice.

I’m not a huge sauerkraut fan and asked for a light amount. As you can see from the picture, there still was a considerable amount, but it was really GOOD kraut. Mixed with Thousand Island, it was a perfect complement to the Pastrami and dark Rye bread. Cafe Olivia has a rotating display of “Dirty” Chips next to the checkout. These are some seriously good chips, with the skin on and lots of seasoning. It’s disappointing that the Indianapolis City Market took such a hit during the Pandemic, but I’m glad to see several shops that weathered the storm. My favorite Crepe Shop didn’t make it, though. City Market still has a lot of really good places to eat, from Sandwiches to Pizza to Mexican and Middle Eastern. If you work downtown, it’s a nice walk to the market and still worth visiting!

After watching the construction and receiving about a dozen flyers, we finally ventured to Hamilton Town Center to check out BJ’s Wholesale Club. If you purchase a $55 membership, you get a $40 credit applied to your account, so for a net of $15, it was a good way to get us in the door. If you haven’t been to a BJs Wholesale Club, it’s like a Sam’s Club or Costco but with less “stuff” in the middle (clothing, etc.). It’s more focused on food, and the crowds are a fraction of what they are at Costco. I’ve visited twice, and both times were very nice, with little in the way of crowds or lines at the registers. One of the unique things about BJ’s is they take coupons, and they have digital coupons in their app. I saved a considerable amount from my last purchase by clipping digital coupons. You’re also not restricted on the type of card you use for payment (Costco). As far as alcohol sales go, this BJ’s location is only selling beer and wine at this time.

Similar to Sam’s & Costco, BJ’s sells discounted fuel too. I’m in the Hamilton Town Center area pretty regularly, so topping off the tank will be something I plan on doing. I need to compare the prices with Kroger and the Fual Point Discounts I get to see if it’s worth a special trip up there or not. I just checked, and my Costco membership expires at the end of July; I think BJ’s might be replacing it.

And finally… Robertson, Phillips, and the History of the Screwdriver. Did you know Canada has its own type of screw (and driver) that’s all but unheard of in the US? The History Guy had a video discussing the differences in another fascinating history lesson.

2023 Week 12 – Birthday Weekend!

I’m not one to make a fuss about turning a year older, but I know people who are! This year my birthday fell on a Friday & after a super busy first quarter, I decided it was time to take a day off and enjoy a long weekend with family and friends.

We hit up our favorite BBQ place Thursday night to start the long weekend. Traxx BBQ is located n McCordsville. I did a little write-up about it earlier this year. This particular Thursday night the place was packed! I’ve never seen the parking lot so full, but the good thing about BBQ is that it’s already cooked, so you usually get your food quickly after you order. I ordered the Brisket and Smoked Sausage with Baked Beans and Mac-n-Cheese as my sides. My better half ordered pulled pork with Hush Puppies and Potato Salad. Scarlet Lane Brewery is located in the same facility, and it’s 21+, so we found a seat in there. It had less people noise, but the music made up for it. A little loud, but at least it was stuff I enjoyed.

Friday morning started with a tour of the Indiana War Memorial & Museum, something I have meant to do for a while now. The rainy weather was a good excuse to do something inside, and this museum did NOT disappoint!

You’ll need a solid hour to see everything; this free attraction is fantastic. They take donations at the end of the self-guided tour, and I encourage you to donate to keep this place operating. Every war, from. Civil to the Middle East, is covered, and all service branches are represented. The names of fallen Indiana soldiers are framed throughout the facility, and the sheer number is eye-opening.

We worked our way over to Mass Avenue and settled into a booth at Garden Table for lunch. Garden Table is a fun and hip place to have a lunch date or meeting. The menu is eclectic, and the atmosphere is very welcoming. I’ve been there three times in the past two months, and each time was just about perfect, from food to service. After lunch, we made a quick visit to The AMP at 16 Tech, The Garage (just window shopping), and Best Chocolate (can’t visit here without buying Truffles). As you can see, we were making our way around Indy to check out the new venues we hadn’t been to for a while.

I asked a co-worker, who knows her coffee, what a good shop would be for an afternoon treat, and she answered Bovaconti without hesitation. Bova (that’s what the cool kids call it) is in a former jewelry store in Fountain Square. It’s on the smaller side and had a good crowd when we visited mid-afternoon. I had a basic cold brew, but my date ordered the Spanish Latte, and it was one of the best coffee drinks either of us had ever tasted. A Spanish Latte consists of espresso, sweet condensed milk, cinnamon, and steamed milk. The condensed milk and cinnamon are a great combination!

Saturday morning arrived rather quickly and we headed down to Cincinnati for a surprise birthday party in Covington for my Brother-in-Law. Before heading out, we decided to add another stop to Bova before traveling down I-74. I ordered an Iced Spanish Latte with Oat milk this time, and my co-pilot had the same with regular milk. Along with the coffee, we purchased a couple of maple nut pastries which they warmed up for us. The combination of iced coffee and the warm pastry was one of the best things I’ve had for breakfast in a LONG time!

The Cincinnati area has a lot of interesting things to do and see. We stayed across the river in Covington, KY but had lunch with family at The Miamiville Trailyard in Loveland, Ohio. This place reminded me of Four Day Ray in Fishers, except this place was right on the Little Miami Scenic (Rail) Trail.

Back to Cincy and Over the Rhine to do some shopping. There are no public restrooms easily available, so we stopped in at Krueger’s Tavern and enjoyed a glass of while (and used the facilities). I really miss having lunch at Krueger’s when they were in Indy. The Malt Vinegar Aioli paired with their shoestring fries was delicious!

There are murals everywhere around Cincy, and some of them are quite good!

We found a place to stay just 2 blocks from the evening event called Pickle Factory Boutique Hotel. It’s basically an Air B&B with several units on the top two floors. We were emailed the access information the morning of our stay and everything went smoothly.

The rental was spacious with a living area/kitchen and a bedroom. I’d stay here again in a heartbeat. It’s reasonably priced and close to downtown.

Cincinnati is like another world. There aren’t many straight streets anywhere because of the Ohio river and the hills make for some fun driving in and around town. Getting there from Indy couldn’t be easier as I-74 has to be one of the least congested of the Federal Highway System. Rarely do you run into heavy traffic or police running RADAR, it’s always a relaxing drive that goes by pretty fast. As a German settlement, there are hints of the heritage everywhere and the food scene is just as good, or better, than Indy. If you’re looking for a weekend getaway, consider Cincinnati for a change of scenery, I don’t think you’ll regret it!

And finally… New tracking technology developed by StarChase fires a GPS tag that attaches to a car and allows officers to track suspects after the pursuit has been called off. This could have a big impact on vehicle persuites and possibly save some lives in the process

2023 Week 8/9 – Sorry I’m Late

I’m finally getting into a groove with the new job and the ability to work from home some days. I typically get up early on the weekends because they are my days to do what I want, and I want to make the most of it. In January, I started an early Sunday morning routine of going to the grocery store at 8 am, washing the car, and topping off the gas tank. It’s usually a really quiet time of the day, and the store is normally well-stocked. I also try and publish Blog posts on Sunday since it’s the day I’m always online prepping for my upcoming week. Unfortunately, the last post was stuck in the queue and I didn’t have time to post one last weekend, so this one is a double.

I normally do a 1-2 hour Weekly Review on Sunday, but lately, it’s taken longer to get things in good shape for the week. My previous job only involved a few weekly meetings, but the new one has me in several a day, all of which I walk out of with action items. No regrets, though, I love the new job and do not miss the old one at all.

I recently purchased some new toys, one of which is an Elgato Stream Deck MK.2. The Stream Deck is a 15-button controller that’s fully customizable. Each button has its own mini full-color LED display.

You can create pages of icons for various apps and there are a lot of plugins to perform various functions. I’ve been doing some video editing lately and I have a page of commands to help with those tasks. Stream Decks are very popular with content creators because you can perform complex actions with the touch of a button. Besides that, it’s a fun addition to the MacBook Pro I use in my office at home.

While not a comprehensive list the Indy Today newsletter had some fun making a list of Indy restaurants from A-Z. They had to stretch a little for some of the letters (BBQ for the letter Q) but it’s a good read.

If you’re looking for a light morning read the Indy Today newsletter is great. it always has timely information and details about events happening in the city. It’s worth checking out!

If you’re into computers and electronics, you might have heard that Micro Center is FINALLY opening a store in Indianapolis. It’s going into the old Gander Mountain location in Castleton (just east of Ale Emporium). The nearest MicroCenter location currently is on the north side of Cincinnati.

This will help replace the void created when Fry’s electronics closed (when it was good). You can find almost anything computer-related at Micro Center, and their prices are very competitive. This place is going to be PACKED.

And finally… The History Guy had an interesting video about a “Broken Arrow” incident in 1964 at Bunker Hill AFB (not called Grissom ARB).

2023 Week 6 – The Big Game

It’s finally here! After all the hype, today is Super Bowl Sunday! The Chiefs & Eagles kick off at 6:30 pm in what will, hopefully, be a close-fought game decided in the final seconds of regular time. Or it’ll be a blowout, and the only entertainment will be the commercials that cost an estimated $7 million for 30 seconds.

I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m finding a lot of new foods these days. Maybe the boredom of eating the same things over the winter has me unconsciously searching for new things. Sporked had a Cheese Puff Taste Test in October 2022, and I just happened to find one of the top-ranked contenders at Menards last weekend.

Herr’s Jalapeño Popper Cheese Curls tied for first place with Fresh Finds Cheese Puffs in the competition, and as I cruised through the food section, I spotted the bag in all its 17oz glory Of course, 17 ounces of cheese puffs is a BIG bag. We’re still snacking on it two weeks later.

The Herr’s Jalapeño Popper Cheese Curls are mildly spicy and delicious. Be sure to have a few extra napkins handy, as these will get cheese dust on your fingers just by looking at them.

I mentioned previously I’m not much of a breakfast person. We’re called “Intermittent Fasters” by those in the know. Who knew that skipping breakfast would be a trendy thing?

Over the winter, after a riveting episode of Below Deck, we turned on an older episode of Shark Tank that featured a segment on overnight oats from a company called Mush.

I’ve purchased a few containers, and so far, the Apple Cinnamon is my favorite, with blueberry being a close second. The texture is slightly chewy, and the non-dairy milk is refreshing and light. This is something I could see myself eating pretty regularly and breaking my fast well before noon on some days.

My local Kroger only carries a limited selection of flavors. Luckily Whole Foods downtown has all the flavors, including Peach and strawberry. I’m looking forward to picking some of those up when I get my next lunch salad.

And finally… If you still have Netflix, you should check out a 4-part series called “Cunk on Earth,” where Philomena Cunk puts the worlds leading experts on edge with her hilarious questions about historical events. You have to pay attention because the humor can sometimes be subtle, but it’s very funny nonetheless.

2023 Week 5 – Peek-a-Boo!

Pretty quiet week if you don’t count the Chinese “weather” balloon that made its way across the continental U.S. It’s reported that the balloon had some remote control abilities and happened to float over some sensitive military installations. After clearing the eastern seaboard, a U.S. fighter jet shot down the balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach.

*PoP*

In food news, we made a few discoveries this week. While picking up a salad at Whole Foods, a young lady was at a display stand sampling Soy Sauce, and Chili Crisp made in Cincinnati. After tasting a little of the soy sauce on a veggie sushi roll, I bought a bottle (it’s delicious!).

CinSoy Foods makes several foods, including Tofu, Soy Sauce, Soy Salt, and Make at Home Miso Kits. I’m looking forward to trying their Soy Sauce in a few upcoming recipes.

If you’re craving Lasagna but don’t have the time or energy to make a big batch, I highly recommend the Giovanni Rana brand. It’s located in the refrigerated section at Kroger. The Meat Lasagna I picked up looked and tasted homemade. The package is vacuum sealed and has about a 3-week shelf life in the refrigerator before consuming or freezing it. I can’t see this lasting more than three days in my fridge. Giovanni Rana also has a line of fresh pasta and sauces.

And last but not least, RXBar added a new variation to its line of Protein Bars. The A.M. RXBar mixes in Oats to give the product a little more flavor and soften up the texture of the traditional RXBar. After sampling the Honey, Cinnamon, and Peanut Butter flavor, I immediately ordered a 12-pack from Amazon (for around $20). These have been my go-to light breakfast on mornings when I need something to hold me over until lunch.

And finally… The Economics Of Unused Gift Cards. The Hustle posted a video on YouTube about how companies make money on Gift Cards. I was surprised to learn Indiana is one of the states that allows maintenance fees to be collected after a period of time that will eventually render gift cards worthless.

2023 Week 1 – Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2023! I hope everyone had a nice New Year’s weekend and returned to the office with a new spark, ready to tackle what 2023 has to offer. I was off work for 2 solid weeks and was ready to hit the ground running when we all came back into the office last Tuesday.

It’s official! Saraga International Grocery in Castleton is FINALLY open! The grand opening and ribbon cutting were on December 23, but we were in the middle of an artic freeze, so I’m sure the turnout was pretty light. I had an invite but decided to stay home and stay warm instead. I stopped by after Christmas for a brief walkthru, knowing I would be returning later in the week for some more serious shopping.

If you’re looking for that hard-to-find ingredient or like to try foods from other countries, this is a place you must check out. It’s no Jungle Jim’s, but it will fill the need for a lot of items I would normally drive to Cincinnati for.

I’m a slow riser in the AM & after getting a short news brief from NPR via the Alexa alarm, I like to scan the headlines before getting out of bed. There are some really good newsletters out there, and because of these, I can’t tell you the last time I sat down and watched the local news. Some of my favorites are:

Now, I don’t read all of these each morning, but I always have at least one in my inbox queued up for something to read when I have some downtime, like standing in line or waiting for my food at a restaurant. Do you have a favorite daily newsletter to share? Leave us a link in the comments!

And finally… When was the last time you watched a truck being built? It’s amazing the amount of automation in use these days, and the following video shows how they assemble the new Ford F-150 Lightning.

2022 Week 51 – Goooaaaal!!!!

WOW, what a game. I just finished watching the World Cup finale between Argentina and France, and it was one of the best games of the event. I had a $1 bet on Team USA to go all the way, and that would have paid $175 (kind of like playing the lottery). All in all, it was a good World cup with the typical upsets. Unfortunately, we lost an American reported under suspicious circumstances.

I was planning on recommending an inexpensive last-minute gift or stocking stuffer, as I highly recommend the Leatherman Micra, which usually costs $20-30. I’ve carried one for the past 15+ years and use it regularly. I say planning to recommend it because when I went to post a link to it on Amazon, it’s now retailing for $66! This is crazy, and I can only imagine it’s due to the holiday demand.

Leatherman has it listed on their site for a more respectable $35, but it may not make it to you by Christmas. If you’re out and about, I’ve seen the Micra in Big Box and local hardware stores closer to the $25 retail price.

I love maps. They come in all shapes and sizes, and they do way more than tell you where you are. In fact, there are maps that explain all kinds of facts like this… “How many countries other than the United States do not use the metric system?” Two!

https://www.farandwide.com/s/amazing-world-maps-74d6186e6d0e414b

100 Amazing Maps of the World is an interesting site with a lot of great maps. I particularly like the map showing all of the rivers that flow into the Mississippi river.

And finally… What do you get when you take an 862HP Subaru Wagon, strap Travis Pastrana in the driver’s seat, and turn him loose on the streets of Florida? You get Gymkhana 2022. Pay special attention for a guest appearance by Cleetus McFarland.