Friday, December 9, 2016

807. Major

807. Major
Definition: (adj) important, serious, significant
Location Placed: Gambler Ridge Golf Course, Cream Ridge, New Jersey
Date Placed: 11/11/16 at 2:04pm

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It was a lovely fall day, and we decided to play some more foot golf! It is a fun mash up between golf and soccer (football for my international friends). It's usually played on a golf course, has a par similar to golf, and you kick the ball to get it in the oversized hole. It's definitely a good work out between the kicking and the walking. When played with a good group, it's a great way to spend an afternoon! Looking forward to playing more foot golf once the weather warms back up again in the spring!

Monday, October 31, 2016

805. Detailed

805. Detailed
Definition: (adj) made or done with great care
Location Placed: Buckingham Valley Vineyards, Buckingham, Pennsylvania
Date Placed: 10/29/16 at 4:42pm

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While I was not as impressed with their fruit wine selection, the grounds were really lovely. We took a stroll among the "wine trees" (grape vines) and enjoyed our lunch in their covered picnic area. It was such a wonderfully mild day, although getting a little windy at points. They also had a really neat wine cellar with a bit more information on their wines. According to the grape-wine folks, they enjoyed the reds and whites more than the previous vineyard. Not to mention we got to keep our tasting glasses!

804. Stimulating

804. Stimulating
Definition: (adj) encouraging or arousing interest or enthusiasm
Location Placed: Rose Bank Winery, Newtown, Pennsylvania
Date Placed: 10/29/16 at 2:57pm

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As a non-wine drinker, I was not feeling particularly enthusiastic about tasting wines. I am not a fan of grape-based wines that I've tried, but did find a different fruit wine to be alright. I love visiting vineyards and wineries as they are often very pretty locations, with very knowledgeable staff. I enjoy a good poke around nature and seeing how things are made. They had a larger section on the website for their non-grape based wines, so I was very keen on seeing how I felt about those. I was VERY pleasantly surprised by how much I genuinely enjoyed some of the ones I tried. Particularly the Spiced Apple (apple, cinnamon, cloves), Cappuvino (coffee based wine), and Hallowine (apple, pumpkin, spices). All quite sweet, so no more than a small glass a piece, but extremely delicious varieties! I think all of us tasting agree that those were all great flavors, and the rest of us were split on the other types we enjoyed. (The grape-based wines were apparently nothing to write home about, but the non-grape wines certainly were!) I absolutely would recommend going in for a tasting if you're there. They have 8 tickets for a couple sips of wine, with several seasonal varieties as "freebies".

806. Ready

806. Ready
Definition: (adj) easily available or obtainable
Location Placed: Provident Bank, Manalapan, New Jersey
Date Placed:10/28/16 at 12:00pm

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As it sometimes happens, the cranes managed to be placed out of order this time. But it's alright, all that matters is they managed to get placed at some point in time! I remembered this was a bank that I hadn't stopped at before for a crane placement, so I did one on the fly. So far, I've not been discovered as placing any cranes at a bank. Since they have cameras, and we've established that I wind up looking irrationally guilty when placing cranes, I'm surprised that no one has called me out. Only at The UPS Store did an employee utilize the security cameras to find me!

803. Cultivate

803. Cultivate
Definition: (v) to try to acquire or develop
Location Placed: Drumthwacket, Princeton, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/28/16 at 1:21pm

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I had been wanting to go visit Drumthwacket, which is the mansion of the New Jersey state governor, for many years. They give tours only 1pm on Wednesday's Fall-Winter-Spring. Although most governor's don't end up living there full time, they do often work out of the house or hold functions there. It's a gorgeous mansion where we were able to tour the first floor and some of the grounds. True to form, my favorite room was the library. It was styled after the old British style University libraries, dark with a fireplace, tall bookcases, and comfy chairs, it was breathtakingly wonderful. I would 100% live there if I were governor and would spend all of my time in the library, around all of my governor-ly duties, of course.

If you get the chance, and it's difficult with only a small visiting window, I highly recommend you check out Drumthwacket for the free tour. It does require advanced registration but only so they can make sure to check you off as they wait for folks for the tour to start. I hear they dress up the place really nice for Christmas visits.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

802. Significant

802. Significant
Definition: (adj) sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy
Location Placed: Marlboro Library, Marlboro, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 12:29pm

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 What better way to conclude a day of placing by coming full circle and placing the last crane of the day at a library! Not planned that way, but a happy coincidence. You'd think I'd run out of local libraries to place at, but you may be happily surprised to find out just how many libraries are out there. It seems like each town has their own, even if it's not a part of the larger county network. I may take stock in the near future and see if I can do a full day of placing at different libraries! You guys might get tired about my talk of books and library love.

801. Imperturbable

801. Imperturbable
Definition: (adj) unable to be upset or excited; calm
Location Placed: Marlboro Post Office, Marlboro, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 12:15pm

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Although I often stop in to certain places I deem good for crane placing and then not get anything, I realized I actually did need to pick up some stamps! There are so many adorable stamps out there. My current personal favorite at the National Parks System stamps. I am a big fan of our park system, so I am happy to send the few pieces of mail I do send with those stamps on it. People rarely take the time to notice the stamps on their letters, but I am always quick to appreciate a really neat stamp. Even more so do I appreciate them when they are international!

800. Precocious

800. Precocious
Definition: (adj) unusually advanced or mature in development
Location Placed: The UPS Store, Matawan, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 11:55am

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800 cranes. It's just crazy to me to look back on all the cranes I've made, the places I've gone, and the wonderful finders I've come across. It's been such a rewarding project, and I look forward to placing the remaining 200. It's been a wild ride, and I don't want to slack off when I'm in the home stretch!

799. Equanimous

799. Equanimous
Definition: (adj) even-tempered
Location Placed: Starbucks, Matawan, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 11:54am

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Do you ever see a word and think it just looks... wrong? That maybe you're losing your mind, but it doesn't look quite right? Equanimous looked that way to me. I may, or may not, but definitely may, have incorrectly spelled a word on a crane a time or two. And this word is not one I manage to use rarely, if at all. However, despite my spell-check giving me the red squiggle of anger over it, this word is correctly spelled. It just looks off, and doesn't seem to sound like it ought. English is weird guys!

Saturday, October 29, 2016

798. Sane

798. Sane
Definition: (adj) reasonable, sensible
Location Placed: Matawan-Aberdeen Train Station, Matawan, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 11:43am

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I had never been to this train station before, but have gone through it to get to New York City many a time. The trains have an automated message system for each stop. They say the station name, and then in an oddly ominous voice, "When leaving the train...", back to a more pleasant voice, "...please watch the gap." Even typing this, I can hear that voice angrily saying the first part of the sentence and carefully instructing for the second part. It makes me wonder how that message was created and whether or not the message intent was created to sound that way, or if it was just a sheer accident.

797. Tact

797. Tact
Definition: (n) adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others
Location Placed: Matawan Library, Matawan, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 11:26am

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This is one of my favorite paper types to make cranes with. Who could say no to origami cranes made with origami animals printed on it?! Sometimes you have to take joy in the little things such as leaving a favorite paper folded crane in a library, which we all know is one of my favorite places. Such a fun library with its split level construction and fun color patterned upper level for kids. Definitely killing it in the library game, that's for sure!

796. Perspective

796. Perspective
Definition: (n) true understanding of the relative importance of things; a sense of proportion
Location Placed: Matawan Post Office, Matawan, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 11:20am

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Having never been to downtown Matawan before, I thought it was quite adorable! It had a main central street with all the small town feeling usual shops. Obviously the post office, several quaint eateries, banks, with people walking about. It reminds me of my hometown, but considerably more plentiful on the shop front. It's the sort of place that I imagine has Halloween costume contests, Christmas tree lighting and caroling, sled riding on a hill (I didn't see any, but there probably is one), and Memorial Day parades. That's the sort of small town feel I imagine for it.

795. Enough

795. Enough
Definition: (adv) to a moderate degree; fairly
Location Placed: Rook Coffee, Middletown, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 10:18am

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As I am not much a coffee person, I love going in to Rook Coffee for their iced teas. The only downfall is that they only have them in the summer. Unfortunately the day I went was no longer a day they were selling them. Drat! I'll have to wait again until next year.

Friday, October 28, 2016

794. Prestigious

794. Prestigious
Definition: (adj) inspiring respect and admiration; having high status
Location Placed: Middletown Post Office, Middletown, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 10:09am

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Thankfully no one was in the post office when I got there. Sometimes I worry that I will be seen leaving a crane, and then in turn worry that I look suspicious while leaving a crane. I imagine myself looking like a furtive cartoon character, trench coat, sunglasses, and all. Nevermind the fact that I don't even own a trench coat, and in over 750 placements, I've only been "caught" once. Perhaps I'll finally get in the groove by the time I hit my 1000th crane placement...

793. Assure

793. Assure
Definition: (v) tell someone something positively or confidently to dispel any doubts they may have
Location Placed: The UPS Store, Middletown, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 10:04am

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Are you ever struck, when looking at greeting cards, by just the sheer number of them out there? How we end up having to pick up so many just to get the perfect one for that special someone, that beloved family member, that cherished friend? Each and every one of those cards are different and were printed because someone thought they were cute, or funny, or conveyed the right type of message. But, of course, when we're going through them, we come across ones and wonder, "Who would ever think of buying this?" That's the beauty of it though. We're all so different and like different things. There's a greeting card out there for everyone.

792. Inviting

792. Inviting
Definition: (adj) offering the promise of an attractive or enjoyable experience
Location Placed: Middletown Public Library, Middletown, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/21/16 at 9:54am

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It's crazy how life sometimes happens and then a lot of time passes before you manage to get back to writing the blogs you kept putting off. Eek! But I am back now to catch up on a dozen or so cranes that I am behind. Thanks for sticking with me!

I had a day off to do some poking around, and opted to do so in an area I've never been. And if you know anything about me by now, it's that I can't avoid a good library. The Middletown Library was quite a bit larger than I expected. I would've loved to do a lot more exploring but it would've been too much of a temptation to go around looking at books I wouldn't be able to select since it wasn't my home library. Just know I certainly wanted to!

Friday, September 9, 2016

791. Delicious

791. Delicious
Definition: (adj) highly pleasant to taste; delightful
Location Placed: Monroe Post Office, Monroe, New Jersey
Date Placed: 9/5/16 at 3:59pm

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I popped over to the post office after a nice lunch in a local park with some coworkers. Lunch itself was delicious, although nothing special. We enjoyed lunch at the Village Park in Cranbury, which overlooked both a lovely park and tranquil lake. The weather was perfect, with a nice breeze, unlike much of the sweltering heat we had been having. Times like those make me realize how many lovely people I know, and just how thankful I am to call them my friends.

790. Master

790. Master
Definition: (adj) having or showing great skill or proficiency
Location Placed: Debora Heart and Lung Center, Browns Mills, New Jersey
Date Placed: 8/12/16 at 7:12pm

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I had never been to this hospital before, or even the area, but it was extremely easy to navigate. It's a very small hospital that treats only heart and lung issues. It definitely seemed like the treatment staff were extremely effective and thorough, which I certainly appreciated when visiting my loved one. Hopefully I do not have to go back any time soon, but if I have to, the treatment hands would certainly be more than capable.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

789. Highly

789. Highly
Definition: (adv) favorable
Location Placed: Princeton Junction Train Station, Princeton Junction, New Jersey
Date Placed: 7/22/16 at 4:14pm





As someone who is interested in history, I've been really interested in my own family history in the last few years. Genealogy is a really neat field that I am interested in exploring in greater detail in the not too distant future. It's simultaneously addicting and frustrating. Anyone who has poked around in their family past, further back than living relatives can provide, certainly can understand where I am coming from. However, it's really neat to find birth records from an eastern European country that match up to things you've heard a relative say. Highly rewarding to say the least!

788. Lucid

788. Lucid
Definition: (adj) expressed clearly, easy to understand
Location Placed: Starbucks, Marketfair, Princeton, New Jersey
Date Placed: 7/22/16 at 3:50pm





I've been getting the itch to travel, more than just a weekend or long-weekend trip, but don't currently have anything on the docket until next June. I'd love to take another road trip as the one last September/October to the Southwest of the U.S. was really neat! However I think I'll have to just settle on the smaller day trips or a weekend trip here or there as I have no more work trips that allow me to fly around the country in the near future. I know I'll be up on Long Island, part of New York in the fall one weekend, so I'll have to make that count for the near future!

787. Exceed

787. Exceed
Definition: (v) to be better than, to surpass
Location Placed: Marketfair, Princeton, New Jersey
Date Placed: 7/22/16 at 3:41pm





Marketfair in Princeton is a small, upscale mall that I had been looking to visit while in the area since they had a couple stores that I enjoy browsing online, but aren't close to where I live. It was nice to be able to see some of the items in person since it's always a bit more difficult to tell how they look online if you're not able to pick them up. I ended up going around to most of the stores, but just to browse. I'll definitely stop back in next time I am in the area!

786. Eligible

786. Eligible
Definition: (adj) having the right to obtain or do something
Location Placed: AMC Theaters, Marketfair, Princeton, New Jersey
Date Placed: 7/22/16 at 3:33pm





So in an effort to meet my goal of being a tourist in my own area, I am putting together day trips for myself in order to experience some more of the sites that my home state of New Jersey (along with New York and Pennsylvania) have to offer. With my America the Beautiful national parks pass, I am eligible to visit any of the national historic sites along with any national parks to no additional cost. Unfortunately the east coast is not as plentiful with national parks as the west coast, but there are a good number of national historic sites on the list. I'm excited to check out a few more of those within the next few months before my pass expires at the end of September! 

785. Congenial

785. Congenial
Definition: (adj) pleasant or agreeable because suited to one's taste or inclination
Location Placed: Barnes & Noble, Princeton, New Jersey
Date Placed: 7/22/16 at 3:23pm





I do enjoy having a little nose around the bookstore to see if there is anything I should add to my pages long "To Read" list. I decided to place a crane on a book I recently read and really enjoyed, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I definitely would recommend it if you were a Gone Girl fan. It has a lot of interesting plot twists that you didn't really expect when starting out! Definitely kept me on my toes.

784. Abundance

784. Abundance
Definition: (n) a very large quantity of something
Location Placed: Princeton Train Station, Princeton, New Jersey
Date Placed: 7/22/16 at 3:01pm





As I was on my way from Updike Farmstead, I decided to drive through a corner of Princeton to travel through a portion I hadn't been to before. I really enjoy seeing areas that are new to me, but can't really justify driving around aimlessly. So traveling down different routes to and from new points of interest is a good way to do that! I usually come across some little neat thing I hadn't previously know about, or just find some place that would be good to send a crane into the world.

783. Prime

783. Prime
Definition: (adj) of the best quality, excellent
Location Placed: Updike Farmstead, Princeton, New Jersey
Date Placed: 7/22/16 at 2:38pm





As I am quite the fan of history, I set out to the Updike Farmstead to learn a little bit more about the area and see a pretty neat historical property. It had a really interesting rotating exhibit on Albert Einstein and his work. Additionally, there were a couple rooms dedicated to photographs of the area from the distant past as well as a bit of history of the farm itself. They also apparently open up the property for weddings, which I thought was a pretty special way of incorporating history into wedding nuptials!