Saturday, December 29, 2018

890. First

890. First
Definition: (adj) coming before all others
Location Placed: Hyatt Regency, St. Louis, Missouri
Date Placed: 12/20/18 at 6:12pm

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After a busy first day of the trip, we opted to go to Pappy's as I had heard it was one of the better places in St. Louis to go if you were looking for some good bar-b-que. And it did not disappoint! Delicious pulled pork and ribs were consumed along with some really yummy sides. We decided to call it an earlier night due to being travel exhausted and having to get up early for the next leg of the journey!

889. Venerable

889. Venerable
Definition: (adj) accorded a great deal of respect
Location Left: City Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
Date Placed: 12/20/18 at 3:35pm

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The City Museum is probably one of the weirdest and wildest places I've ever gone. I know I absolutely would've adored this place as a kid, as there are multiple areas to explore and get lost in. And there is a 10 story slide! As an adult, I appreciated the little chunk of history I received from one of the employees offhandedly. He told me that prior to being a museum, the building was used as a shoe factory. The slide, although slightly reconfigured, was an old shoe chute used to get the shoes to the ground floor quickly. I thought that was neat the way they turned this old factory into quite the wonder of a place. It looked like there was some construction going on a couple of the floors, and the weather was too poor to explore the outside maze, but this place did not disappoint!

888. Rapture

888. Rapture
Definition: (n) feeling intense pleasure or joy
Location Placed: Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
Date Placed: 12/20/18 at 2:32pm

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The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is probably one of the most beautiful churches I've ever stepped foot in. The entire ceiling is covered with gorgeous mosaics of the grandest proportions. It's hard to describe the immensity of it. Larry, one of the fellows who works there, gave us a plethora of information about the number of tiles, immensity, level of work that went into it, and length of time it took. It was a definite labor of love, that is for sure! There were a number of different shades of gold tiles individually places to give the church a shimmery look, even when it was dark outside. Definitely an impressive sight to see!

887. Endless

887. Endless
Definition: (adj) countless, innumerable
Location Placed: Anheuser-Busch Brewery, St. Louis, Missouri
Date Placed: 12/20/18 at 12:54pm

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This tour is definitely one of the trip highlights. We got to see the gigantic Clydesdale horses, which are a trademark item of the Budweiser beer commercials in recent years. The tour also covered the ginormous containers that housed the beers during the fermentation process, along with some information about the Anheuser and Busch families behind the iconic brewing company. They also decorate it really nice for the holidays, and I'd recommend checking it out then!

886. Edify

886. Edify
Definition: (v) educate, instruct, teach
Location Placed: Old Courthouse, St. Louis, Missouri
Date Placed: 12/20/18 at 11:09am

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The Old Courthouse is a really neat building right across from the Arch in St. Louis that was the location where Dred Scott, a slave, sued for freedom of him and his wife. It's a really neat older building with a wonderfully ornate ceiling. The park ranger who greeted us gave a lot of really great information about the site itself, as well as things to do in the St. Louis area. A real gem!

885. Apricity

885. Apricity
Definition: (n) the warmth of the sun in winter
Location Placed: The Arch Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
Date Placed: 12/20/18 at 9:45am

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A much awaited vacation took us to St. Louis, where we stayed directly across the street from the Arch! It was a really neat museum that included a ride up to the top. You could see the windows from our hotel room, and I commented that I bet they weren't that small when you were there. But they were! The ride up to the top was really interesting as you were able to see the inner workings of the Arch and the mechanics on getting up to the top. You wouldn't necessarily know it from looking at it, but it's triangularly shaped! Definitely a must visit if you're visiting St. Louis.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

884. Concordance

884. Concordance 
Definition: (n) an agreement
Location Placed: Starbucks, Park Row and Beekman, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 12/12/18 at 3:37pm

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The holidays are a wonderful time to get together with family, friends, and colleagues to let them know how much you appreciate them. I definitely made sure to do that with my colleagues this week, family in the coming weeks, and friends shortly thereafter. Sometimes you just need to take a minute, stop, and remember all the good in your world. Happy Holidays Everyone!

883. Consoling

883. Consoling
Definition: (v) to provide solace or comfort
Location Placed: Temple Court, The Beekman Hotel, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 12/12/18 at 3:35pm

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We decided to try this place out for a fancy drink treat, and it did not disappoint! It was pleasantly decorated for the holidays and a real swanky looking place. The drinks were delectable and classy. It was an intimate and quiet venue to enjoy our drink and the company.

Saturday, November 17, 2018

882 Shrewd

882. Shrewd
Definition: (adj) astute, sharp, intelligent
Location Placed: The Plaza, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 11/10/18 at 4:06pm

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A much awaited and needed hang out with a friend placed us at The Plaza having an afternoon tea. It definitely was a wonderfully delicious experience. Lots of wonderful scones, finger sandwiches, and desserts! We couldn't even finish them all, much to our dismay. The tea selection was exquisite and the service was outstanding. I'm looking forward to going back again to try the other food selection as it certainly won't disappoint! If you're looking for a fun and fancy afternoon activity, definitely one I'd recommend if you're in the city.

Sunday, October 7, 2018

881. Redeemed

881. Redeemed 
Definition: (v) atone or make amends for
Location Placed: Barnes and Noble, Hamilton, New Jersey
Date Placed: 10/6/18 at 5:45pm

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While waiting for a friend for dinner, I popped into the local Barnes and Noble to see if there were any books on sale from my to-read list that the library didn't have. I got lucky! Found one on sale and quickly snapped it up. My list of books I want to read is miles long, but I can't ever turn down getting a new book to fill up the shelves a little bit more!

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

880. Appetence

880. Appetence
Definition: (n) longing or desire for
Location Placed: Jack's Stir Brewed Coffee, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 9/21/18 at 4:16pm

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One of the most fun things about this crane challenge has been learning lots of new words. Although this one is definitely not new, appetence is new to me. (It also seems to be one the dictionary isn't aware of as I keep getting the red squiggly lines of failure...) Appetency appears to have come about in the early 17th century, and seems to die out a bit at the turn of the 20th century. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to work it into every day conversation without getting some looks, but I sure will try.

879. Rejuvenate

879. Rejuvenate
Definition: (v) refresh, revive, revitalize
Location Placed: Starbucks on 6th and Walker, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 9/21/18 at 4:13pm

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With a little time to spare before my ride home, I stopped in a Starbucks I often pass when leaving New York. Sometimes when I pass by places regularly, but I've never gone in, I often imagine what they look like. This Starbucks was MUCH larger than I had anticipated from the street. The building was one of those charming older sorts right across from a park. The sort of place that would be good to sit in on a cool fall morning on the weekend. The sort of park that is perfect at this time of year.

878. Promotion

878. Promotion
Definition: (n) provides active encouragement for the furtherance of a cause
Location Placed: Room For Tea Pop-Up, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 9/21/18 at 3:49pm

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After a fun time at a museum and the Italian festival, I headed over to a pop-up tea experience that a friend recommended to me. It was a temporary bubble tea experience where there were several rooms with different themes to take photos in. They had a lot of really neat things, and wasn't at all what I expected!

877. Alleviate

877. Alleviate
Definition: (v) ease, relieve, reduce
Location Placed: Starbucks on Broadway, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 9/21/18 at 3:27pm


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On of my favorite things about the fall in recent years is going to the Festival of San Gennaro. It is a street fair that happens in Little Italy each year with rides, food vendors, and trinket sellers. My favorite thing to get is the chocolate covered cannolis. The best cannoli shop, Ferrara's, had several stands, and I managed to score a delicious treat for the ride home.

876. Heroic

876. Heroic
Definition: (adj) very brave
Location Placed: Museum of Chinese in America, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 9/21/18 at 2:46pm

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I visited the Museum of Chinese in America when I was in the area. Although a tiny museum, it had several very interesting rooms and exhibits! I learned that during the Lunar New Year dozens of dragons go through the neighborhood, visiting all the businesses to bestow good luck on those they visited. The dragons are worn by one or more people and flood the streets. After seeing the dragon in the museum, it must be a wonderful sight to see them out on the streets!

Sunday, August 19, 2018

875. Decorous

875. Decorous
Definition: (adj) polite and restrained
Location Placed: Starbucks, Jersey Shore Outlets, Neptune, New Jersey
Date Placed: 8/17/18 at 4:49pm

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Having not been to the outlets in a while, and needing to return something specifically to a store there, I took a nice walk around to see what new stores had popped in and see if I couldn't find a couple things that I had been looking into getting. Of course, when I saw they put in a Starbucks, I had to check it out. Can't turn up a good spot for a crane placement, that's for sure!

Sunday, May 6, 2018

874. Accelerated

874. Accelerated
Definition: (v) increase in amount or extent
Location Placed: Rook Coffee Roasters, Freehold, New Jersey
Date Placed: 5/6/18 at 1:16pm

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I popped out to get some lunch today, and was happily surprised to see the new Rook is opened in Freehold! They have a super delicious berry tea that they usually only have for the summer. But surprise! I was able to get some. It was a nice treat after a weekend full of productivity and action. Do you have a favorite thing you like to treat yourself to?

Sunday, February 11, 2018

873. Encouraging

873. Encouraging
Definition: (adj) giving someone support or confidence
Location Placed: Hampton Historic Site, Towson, Maryland
Date Placed: 2/9/18 at 9:23am

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Surprisingly, the family that lived in this home supported slavery prior to the Civil War. They owned upwards of 300 individuals at their highest point. There were several cabins where families had lived and they showed what life and work was like on the farm. It was a hard life, but many families were able to stay together. Thankfully the family eventually freed their slaves and employed them for a fair wage although much later than they really should have. It was definitely an interesting historic site.

872. Methodical

872. Methodical
Definition: (adj) done according to an established form of procedure
Location Placed: Hampton Historic Site Visitor's Center, Towson, Maryland
Date Placed: 2/9/18 at 9:15am

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On my way home,  I stopped at the Hampton Historic Site to learn a bit about the area, take a tour of the mansion, and learn a bit more about the prominent family who lived on the property. Thankfully it was empty on a cold winter's day as I had a whole tour to myself! The wonderful park service employee told me a lot more about the family, the slaves/indentured servants/paid workers who lived and served here throughout the years, as well as about the house itself. Most impressive was that 95% of the furnishings were actually owned by the family! Many historic homes have antiques that were of the time, but not actually owned by the individuals themselves. It's a really gorgeous home, and I definitely recommend everyone check it out!

871. Self-reliant

871. Self-reliant
Definition: (adj) relying on ones own self and resources instead of those of others
Location Placed: Starbucks, Catonsville, Maryland
Date Placed: 2/8/18 at 7:10pm

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As it is impossible for me to pass by a new to me Starbucks for an opportunity to place a crane, I stopped in. One of the most difficult things being in this area was seeing numerous folks who were homeless and/or panhandling in the area. Although I've been in areas with both populations before, it seemed particularly hard in this area. I made sure to get a plain coffee on my way out to give to one of the guys I saw around. It's important to make sure to help others when possible and reasonable. Hopefully it was appreciated.

Saturday, February 10, 2018

870. Wholehearted

870. Wholehearted
Definition: (adj) characterized by complete commitment or sincerity
Location Placed: Woodlawn Public Library, Woodlawn, Maryland
Date Placed: 2/8/18 at 4:18pm

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I was staying at a hotel around the corner from a library, so of course I had to check it out! It had a number of sections I hadn't come across in a library, so it was interesting to see how they differed from libraries I was more familiar with. I definitely took a couple titles down to put on my list for reserve when I came back home!


869. Top

869. Top
Definition: (n) the highest or most important rank
Location Placed: Fort McHenry National Historic Site, Baltimore, Maryland
Date Placed: 2/5/18 at 3:06pm

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Fort McHenry has a self-guided tour that you can take around all of the buildings. There was a couple other solo travelers, a small family, and a few pairs of people enjoying the national site on the brisk winter afternoon. It was really interesting to learn about the types of individuals who fought in the battle against the British as well as all the different locations they came from. The living conditions at the barracks were cozy, but definitely better than those who were stuck in tents fighting in other battles.

868. Upgrade

868. Upgrade
Definition: (v) raise up to a higher standard
Location Placed: Fort McHenry National Site, Baltimore, Maryland
Date Placed: 2/5/18 at 1:53pm

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While I was on my way to a training, I stopped at Fort McHenry at the suggestion of a friend. I had never been there before. It was a really neat fort! I learned that it was the birthplace of the national anthem of the United States, and got to see the same sites the fellow who penned it did. It was interesting to learn about the battle that was fought there, and see the buildings and their uses. Pretty neat to be given significant context to where the words for the anthem come from. I definitely recommend popping in for a visit if you're in the area. Even on a cold winters day, it was still really cool!

Sunday, January 28, 2018

867. Nirvana

867. Nirvana
Definition: (n) a state of perfect happiness
Location Placed: Starbucks at 10th and Hudson, New York City, New York
Date Placed: 1/25/18 at 3:44pm

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We popped on over to an escape room, Thriller City, which was my first time doing one of those. Escape rooms, for those not familiar, are rooms where you have to use a bunch of clues to find your way out of the room, or to a specific object. In our case, we were trying to solve clues to get to an ancient artifact. We were told the room only had a 1% solve rate, so I wasn't terribly bummed when we did not succeed. But we were 3 numbers out of 5 away from the object itself. Just a little bit more time! I really would like to do another escape room and see if a different group of friends could escape. Definitely a fun activity for a cold January day!