Wednesday, November 12, 2014

626. Revitalized

626. Revitalized
Definition: (v) re-energize, boost, revive
Location Placed: Starbucks, Newtown, Pennsylvania
Date Placed: 10/25/14 at 5:36pm





We had made a trek out to Pennsylvania to go to one of our favorite haunted spots for some Halloween scaring. In a local field, they have a haunted hayride, haunted maize maze, and a haunted house. It's the same sorts of attractions every year but it's a lot of fun. After doing all those fun activities, we roast marshmallows at one of the several bonfires and enjoy a good s'more or two. This year I was adventurous and used the cookies'n'cream chocolate and chocolate graham crackers with my marshmallow. You only live once, right?

Friday, October 10, 2014

625. Bravo

625. Bravo
Definition: (excl) used to express approval of something a person has done well
Location Placed: Starbucks, Roosevelt Island, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 9/30/14 at 4:27pm





I met an out of town friend for dinner and a bit of an adventure in New York City. We decided to check out Roosevelt Island as we had never been. A word to the wise, do not visit on Tuesday when most of the tourist-y type things don't happen to be open. Despite that it ended up being a good trip. We walked the length of the island, saw the abandoned small pox hospital, the lighthouse at the northern tip, and even took the tram back over to Manhattan. Definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in the area. Provided that day isn't a Tuesday.

Friday, October 3, 2014

624. Racy

624. Racy
Definition: (adj) showing vigor or spirit
Location Placed: Impressive Designs, Indian Rocks Beach, Florida
Date Placed: 9/19/14 at 7:05pm





While I was down there, I picked up one of those deals on a Wine and Painting class from Impressive Designs. Myself and my guest, who are not artists by any stretch of the imagination, completed a very lovely sunset scene with water and palm trees. I definitely would go back there again and bought my host a deal as a thank you gift. If you happen to be in the area and interested in doing a painting class, I would highly recommend it. The shop was also neat with a bunch of pieces of art that we were able to look at prior to starting. They also provide a glass of local wine and a bit of wine tasting before hand. I will say that I do not like the majority of wines, but discovered an awesome white non-grape sangria that I quite enjoyed! I look forward to getting back there and taking another painting class again. It was a lot of fun!

623. Emulate

623. Emulate
Definition: (v) to natch or surpass (a person or achievement)
Location Placed: 9/19/14 at 2:14pm
Date Placed: Cobb Countryside Theater 12, Clearwater, Florida





I popped down to Florida to take a short visit to see some relatives. One of the rainy days, we decided to head up to the nice movie theater in the mall. It definitely had solid seats. It's not as good as the new movie theater seats at home, but I really am a fan of the stadium seating that the theater offered. A little bit blurry in the placement picture since I was afraid I was going to be made with all the people around! But all together a solid placement and a good time.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

622. Charitable

622. Charitable
Definition: (adj) of or relating to the assistance of those in need
Location Placed: Rook Coffee, Little Silver, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/12/14 at 11:40am





After a morning visit to the doctors, I decided to see what Rook was all about. Their logo, a black raven-esque bird with a white circle around it and a larger black circle behind it, is pretty prevalent in the area on shirts and bumper stickers. I'm all about creative advertising that leads a person in. The Rook in the Little Silver Train Station is quite lovely. I wish it had been there when I used that train station regularly when living up that way. I had the Berry Tea, which was quite good. I definitely foresee myself going back to one again. Perhaps I'll check out one of the several other locations as they are definitely a good spot for crane releases!

Sunday, September 7, 2014

621. Luxurious

621. Luxurious
Definition: (adj) extremely comfortable, enjoyable, or elegant
Location Placed: Kittatinny Campground, Barryville, New York
Date Placed: 8/31/14 at 10:24am
Status: FOUND! 



 

We spent our long Labor Day Weekend camping up at Kittatinny Campgrounds in New York. We had been there a couple of years prior and really enjoyed it. This weekend was no different. We did a rafting trip down the Delaware River. Definitely was solid weather for campfire cooking and s'mores. I look forward to going camping again next summer.

Another bonus was that I found an email waiting in my inbox when I got home saying that this crane was found! Another group camping found the crane and took a picture! Hopefully that had as great a time as we did.

620. Glamorous

620. Glamorous
Definition: (adj) beautiful, attractive, lovely
Location Placed: Allaire State Park General Store, Howell, New Jersey
Date Placed: 8/29/14 at 12:24pm





I had a day off of work and was passing by the area, so I decided to make an impromptu stop at
Allaire State Park as I missed the General Store and Bakery on my previous visit. The General Store had a lot of neat local books and knick knacks. They also had my favorite, candles. I definitely saw a couple scents I would've liked to buy if I didn't already have too many candles. They have a lot of seasonal offerings, so I definitely want to pop back in again during the other seasons.

619. Desirable

619. Desirable
Definition: (adj) wanted or wished for as being an attractive or necessary course of action
Location Placed: Indian Road Cafe, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 8/25/14 at 3:01pm





We went to Indian Road Cafe for a bit of lunch before I headed back home. I had a very delicious grilled cheese sandwiches with apples on it. Definitely a good place to go for a solid bite to eat. We also had the homemade ice cream that they get from a local place, which was absolutely wonderful. I look forward to going back and trying a few more things off the menu. From what I hear, there's very little that this place doesn't make absolutely amazing.

618. Appealing

618. Appealing
Definition: (adj) attractive or interesting
Location Placed: Starbucks, 43rd and 9th, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 8/25/14 at 1:17pm





For my second day in New York City, we did a tour of the island of Manhattan by boat. It was pretty impressive. I haven't seen a lot of the City, so it was really awesome to be able to see it by the water. It makes me want to go up and visit more, do more exploring. Hopefully I can see more of the eastern and southern parts of the island.  I love being able to go up for a day or a weekend to see all the different things. I'm definitely a suburban girl at heart who enjoys the big city on occasion.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

617. Rugged

617. Rugged
Definition: (adj) having or requiring toughness and determination
Location Placed: New York Botanical Garden Library, Bronx, New York
Date Placed: 8/24/14 at 4:19pm





The library had an awesome orchid garden in the middle of the entry way and an awesome exhibit on the woman who made this garden what it is today. It has a very grand entry with a Tulip Tree allee that leads up to the Fountain of Life. Definitely quite picturesque in the grounds of the garden. I can imagine a horse drawn carriage gliding up the allee to the library. I definitely enjoyed my visit to the botanical garden and got lots of really neat flower and foliage shots.

616. Caress

616. Caress
Definition: (v) to touch gently or lovingly
Location Placed: New York Botanical Garden Goldman Stone Mill, Bronx, New York
Date Placed: 8/24/14 at 3:14pm





The Stone Mill was quite gorgeous. Set right by the Bronx River, it used to be used to produce stone blocks back in the day. Now it is used as a wedding reception facility. It was set for a wedding so I can only imagine how lovely it is filled with some couples wedding guests. I imagine it would be a great place for pictures with all the gorgeous flowers and foliage, even in the late summer. The key time to go is in end of April/beginning of May when everything is in full bloom. I definitely want to try to get back there one day for that!

615. Gifted

615. Gifted
Definition: (adj) having exceptional talent or natural ability
Location Placed: New York Botanical Garden Gift Shop, Bronx, New York
Date Placed: 8/24/14 at 2:45pm





I took a trip up to visit a friend in NYC so that we could do some adventuring as we both hadn't been, but wanted to go, to the New York Botanical Garden. And it did not disappoint! It was absolutely gorgeous. We spent about 6 hours there walking and seeing all the different exhibits. Our ticket included the guided tram, which I would definitely recommend. It's all within walking distance if you're able to walk long distances. It was quite hot, so we opted to take the tram. Aside from recommending the rose garden, the conservatory, and library were also worth getting a peek at. I definitely would recommend it to anyone with a love of nature.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

614. Pretty

614. Pretty
Definition: (adj) attractive in a delicate way
Location Placed: The Allaire Mansion, Howell, New Jersey
Date Placed: 8/8/14 at 3:31pm





I took a very nice self-guided tour of the grounds and mansion. I think my favorite thing was the writing desk in the upstairs hallway/waiting area. I can just imagine someone writing at that desk (or a similar desk) in this house back during hayday of the Howell Works company. I also got a significant tutorial at the wood shop. Did you know that a number of the things made back then were first made in wood, molds were made, and then iron was poured to make the shape? If you did, you knew more about it than I did prior to visiting. Definitely a place worth taking a solid look at. I'll be going back again in the not too distant future.

613. Blessed

613. Blessed
Definition: (adj) fortunate, privileged, lucky
Location Placed: Allaire State Park Visitors Center, Howell, New Jersey
Date Placed: 8/8/14 at 3:16pm
Status: FOUND!





So despite living in the area for quite a while, I hadn't been to Allaire State Park for year. And definitely a lot earlier than that in terms of going into all the historic buildings. I wish I had been able to get more time to poke around but my kayaking time ran a bit long. Needless to say I will definitely be back to get some more photos and see all the buildings inside and out. It's so close that it would be a shame not to!

Email from our finder, M: "Hi! This is a picture of your crane, Which i found on a trip with my daycampers to allaire state park. It really brought a smile to my day. I am a great origami lover,and it was cool that i found number 613 , since i am jewish and 613 is a meaningful number in judaism (its the number of mitzvot- commandments). I love your project and think its a great way to get people thinking. For now, the crane is resting on my book crates, but i plan on rereleasing it soon. Good luck! - M"

Thanks for the lovely email and keeping 'Blessed' safe!

Thursday, July 31, 2014

612. Amazing

612. Amazing
Definition: (adj) causing great surprise or wonder
Location Placed: Historic Walnford Park, Upper Freehold, New Jersey
Date Placed: 7/25/14 at 2:56pm





I decided to check out Historic Walnford Park as I had never visited before. It was a lovely historic farm with a working grist mill that is run on certain weekend days in the summer months. I poked around the mill when it wasn't in motion and it was pretty impressive then. I can only imagine what it looks like when it's in full swing. One of the very kind park rangers opened the house and gave me a bit of an impromptu tour. They also do teas in the spring and fall, so I am going to see if I can wrangle a few friends up into going.

611. Victorious

611.Victorious
Definition: (adj) triumphant; having won a victory
Location Placed: Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Manalapan, New Jersey
Date Placed: 7/25/14 at 10:54am





What an appropriate word for the Battle at Monmouth, where the American forces were victorious against the British troops. The museums was lovely with a map with lights and sounds explaining what happened at the Monmouth Battlefield. It definitely helped me figure out who did what and where the shots were fired. I would love to go and explore the grounds more during the autumn. I imagine the fields and hills will look lovely in the fall colors.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

610. Real

610. Real
Definition: (adj) genuine, not artificial
Location Placed: Belvedere Castle, Central Park, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 6/23/14 at 3:30pm





The last thing I wanted to check out while I was in the middle area of the park, but wasn't on my tour, was Belvedere Castle. It has a little information bit and an observation deck, which has a nice view on good weather days. Of course it also has a lot of people visiting it on good weather days too. Thankfully it wasn't too terribly crowded when I went up. Definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in the area.

609. Advantage

609. Advantage
Definition: (v) put in a more favorable position
Location Placed: Le Pain Quotidien, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 6/23/14 at 2:30pm





After my tour concluded, I headed over to Le Pain Quotidien at the suggestion of my tour guide. It did not disappoint! I knew it was going to be a good lunch when I saw they had speculoos on the table. I had a lovely gazpacho and peanut butter, jam, and bananas tartine with granola chunks. A little more "crunchy" than my usual eatery choices, but I am so glad I managed to make it there. If I'm ever in the area of a Le Pain again (and since they are a chain, it's likely I will be!), I definitely want to try some of the other yummy looking things on their menu!

608. Flashy

608. Flashy
Definition: (adj) attractive or impressive
Location Placed: Hans Christian Anderson Statue, Central Park, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 6/23/14 at 12:36pm





So on a day off of work, I decided I would make a quick trip up to the city to take a free tour of central park (the middle bit was the tour du jour of the Central Park Conservancy) and lunch. I have been to New York City many times, and to Central Park twice, but never seen the middle part of the park, only the Northern most highlights and bits of the southern part. So I figured this would be a nice little day trip. I was extremely pleased and impressed with the tour guide and she gave me the name of a really yummy place to eat after the tour concluded. I'm trying to figure out when the next time I can take a tour with the Conservancy volunteer tour guides!

Monday, May 12, 2014

607. Enlightened

607. Enlightened
Definition: (adj) having or showing a modern, rational, or well-informed outlook
Location Placed: Photography Center, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:35pm





Now that I am back from vacation, I'm slowly working on getting caught up and getting back into routine. I have not yet looked through my pictures, sent an email out to close friends and family, or even written out my postcards. I think my next task will be to send those postcards out and then work on sorting out my photos. I look forward to seeing what moments during the trip I managed to capture. And what moments I captured that I didn't even realize were happening at the time. That's one of the joys of digital photography. Take tons of photos, weed out the ones you don't like. Capture things you didn't realize were captured. Relive the moments over and over again.

606. Improved

606. Improved
Definition: (v) achieved or produced something better than
Location Placed: The Champagne Bar, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:31pm





The only time we went in this bar was to get the signature and assistance of the bartender when we were doing one of the ships scavenger hunts. And what a helpful bartender he was! We learned the different classes of ship that the cruise line had, several names of cruise entertainment staff, and a few piece of information that weren't part of the quiz. Definitely a good resource and a lot of fun to do a scavenger hunt. We ended up coming in second place, which wasn't too shabby. We put that in our pockets along with our only trivia win, which happened to be a three-way tie for first place. Cruise line pens never seemed so sweet.

605. Normal

605. Normal
Definition: (adj) usual, typical, or expected
Location Placed: Royal Promenade, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:29





The Royal Promenade, which was visible from a bunch of floors is where the 70s dance party and the Royal Parade took placed. It was also where all the shops and a few eating areas and bars were. My favorite eatery was the one that was open pretty much all the time serving a few selected Starbucks drinks, and little finger foods throughout the day. I popped over there for morning pastries on the mornings we didn't go for a proper breakfast. I think it also contributed to my being constantly hungry upon getting home... But the Promenade was a funny little area to walk around in and have a poke in the stores.

604. Steady

604. Steady
Definition: (adj) firmly fixed, supported, or balanced
Location Placed: Guest Services, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:27pm





Being that this was the first cruise I had ever been on, I was a bit concerned about getting motion sick. I brought with me several tubes of dramamine, a motion sickness bracelet pack, and the knowledge that the infirmary was on the lower level. But I didn't actually need any of that. I determined the rocking on the boat, while noticeable, was not an issue. I didn't actually get motion sick on the cruise ship at all. Odd as it may be, the only time I felt motion sick was after a longer bout of snorkeling! I guess that was quite back and forth, which didn't agree with me. I am looking forward to going on many other cruises in the future, although none yet planned.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

603. Aware

603. Aware
Definition: (adj) having the knowledge or perception of a fact
Location Placed: Adventure Ocean, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:22pm





While I am aware that vacations cannot last forever, it certainly was a bummer to be faced with the last evening of the trip. I was certainly not ready to come back to all those adult responsibilities: laundry, cleaning, work, bills. But all good things must come to an end. So I made sure I had a last crane releasing hurrah before we all departed to our various towns, states, and countries.