Castleton – IndyScan.com

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).

2022 Week 12 – Where There’s Smoke…

There was a HUGE warehouse fire at the Wal Marl Distribution center in Avon last Wednesday afternoon. All 1000 employees made it out safely, but the debris field stretched for miles as hazardous particulate in the smoke dropped from the sky miles to the north.

Warehouse fire in Avon as seen from Downtown Indy – 2022-03-16 @ 14:03 (IndyScan)

Amazingly enough, there was ANOTHER warehouse fire in the area the next day, but this fire started from welding sparks falling into foam insulation during construction.

Hot on the heels of the latest Daylight Saving Time (DST) change, the Senate passed legislation to end it. It still needs to be passed by the House, so we’ll see if it will happen. It’s not the first time the U.S. has tried ending it. At the end of 1973, Nixon signed a law that would end DST.

The experiment was supposed to last for two years, but it only lasted eight months, and Congress reverted to standard time in the fall of 1974.
https://time.com/6157915/daylight-saving-time-history/

I was running errands the other day & saw that the Saraga International Grocery store in Castleton (and old abandoned Target) had had a facelift. A nearby billboard is saying they are opening this Spring. It’s no Jungle Jim’s (in Cincy), but it’s better than anything else in the city. I hope the nearby ethnic stores aren’t impacted too much when this place opens.

And finally… The Wall Street Journal has an interesting video on Youtube called “What America’s Supply-Chain Backlog Looks Like Up Close.” The Video was posted in October of last year, but it’s pretty interesting and shows what’s been going on at the shipping ports in the U.S.

Indianapolis – Thai Orchid

Thai Orchid, located at 86th St. and I-69, is just north of my office. For whatever reason, it took me a long time to try this place. I kept driving past and thinking “I should try that place sometime”. The day I finally took the plunge (about two years ago) I was not sure what I would be in for. I’ve been there countless times since and thought it was time for a review.

The restaurant is right next to the Phantom Fireworks mega-store and seats about 60. There’s a cash register/bar in the back and the overall decor is nice. Wait staff are always very attentive and always helpful with questions you might have about a dish.

I always assumed Thai food would be similar to Chinese food. I could not have been more wrong. Being a big fan of noodle dishes the Pad Thai was the only way to go for my first Thai dish.

When my server asked “how hot?” (mild, medium, medium hot, hot, extra hot, and Thai hot) and not knowing the heat scale I decided to opt for “medium”. It turned out to be the right choice for a Thai novice. I’m now requesting medium-hot and will someday be adventurous and attempt the hot. I can’t ever see me requesting “Thai-hot”. That sounds like a death wish to me!

If you’ve never had Pad Thai here’s what you’re missing… Tender rice noodles and bean sprouts mixed with a somewhat sweet and spicy (you decide the heat level) sauce. Add your favorite protein (shrimp, chicken, pork, tofu) or vegetables then top with scallions, and crushed peanuts. I’m a big fan of the pork and chicken versions.

The flavors are unique and very addictive. I can’t think of another noodle dish that tastes anything like Pad Thai. Of course this just scratches the surface of the Thai menu. There are a lot of items to choose from including many curries and seafood dishes.

The one appetizer always ordered by my family, without exception, is the Golden Bags. Golden Bags are stir-fried ground chicken, carrot, and corn wrapped in a wonton skin. It’s then tied with green onion and lightly deep-fried. They come 6 to an order and have a sweet dipping sauce on the side.

Thai Orchid has a great lunch combo too. You get a coconut based soup, salad, spring roll, wonton and your choice of main course (curry or noodle dish). All of this for $6.99! It’s a great value and a lot of people take advantage of it during the week.

Here’s where I think a lot of “ethnic” restaurants miss the mark. I have NO idea what any of the curries are going to taste like and I’m hesitant to shell out the money to end up getting something I don’t like. I would LOVE to see a sampler/combination option that allows you to taste the various dishes (or sauces) without having to order one at a time. A lot of Greek places do this and I’ve found things I like and dislike (and I was able to expand my knowledge of Greek cuisine). This may not be possible (or practical) with the cook to order format of a lot of Asian dishes. That’s a lot of pans for a lot of little portions.

After dining at other Thai places on Indy’s north side my family and I have decided Thai Orchid is our favorite. I wouldn’t hesitate recommend it to anyone. If you’ve stayed away from Thai food because you weren’t sure what it was all about (like I did) I think you’ll be in for a nice surprise (like I was). Give it a try and let me know what you think!