Good Business Cards Come in Small Packages

Media Business CardsIt might be dainty, but I don’t care since it’s full of business cards that are now mine.

One of my fiancée’s coworkers who was cleaning out some old cards or ones where she put the people’s information in her phone or email account. I don’t know, but right before throwing them away, my nice fiancée saved the day and gave me this little box of sunshine.

It was one of her Public Relations coworkers, so there were a lot of media business cards in this small box. This ranged from magazines & newspapers to websites, blogs and even TV networks.

Aside from the US, they’re from around the world from places including Canada, Paris, South Korea, London, Tokyo, India, Croatia, Taiwan, Amsterdam, South Africa, Belgium, Brazil & Israel.

They have a variety of looks and the contacts hold a variety of positions including a couple of Editors at Large, which I had never heard of although it sounds like a publishing super villain, and even a Chief Executive Pirate. It’s funny how some companies/people like to make up their own fancy titles.

Some were companies I knew and others I’d never heard of. The only question I have is: why is there a random kung fu instructor and taxi company in this box of media business cards?

A big thanks to Katie Foley for letting Beth take these business cards home for me!

Have any experience receiving business cards from the media? Tell me more in the comments below or on Twitter @ChrisKeuling!

Not Grillin’ at Princeton’s Witherspoon Grill

Witherspoon GrillMy eating habits are a little bit different than other people’s. I go to steakhouses and order the fish. That’s me!

This time, I decided to do the same thing at the Witherspoon Grill in Princeton. I guess grill is more of a general term, but I think about grilling things such as hot dogs and hamburgers. That is most definitely not what I ordered since I wasn’t super hungry.

Plus, we were going to get dessert afterwards. That turned into hot chocolate since it was less than 30 degrees outside.

We got there and the restaurant was pretty packed and we got sat at a small table for 2. It was kind of in a cramped spot, but it wasn’t a bad squeeze.

That’s enough of that. Here’s what I ate. Don’t mind the blurry photos since they didn’t look so atrocious at the time I took them. One of the very few flaws of my Samsung Galaxy S5.

Restaurants Princeton NJPrinceton NJ Restaurants

The appetizer was spinach & artichoke dip. Instead of pita chips or tortilla chips like other restaurants do, they gave garlic toast. That toast made the dip that much better. The only problem was that you needed a knife to cut the cheese on top.

Then came my main course, well courses. I ordered the lobster bisque and a special salad. First, let me describe the lobster bisque in one word: awful. In addition to there being only a couple of lobster pieces in it, the flavor was too sweet. In fact, I’d have to say it was the sweetest lobster bisque I ever tasted.

The special salad saved it. It was strawberries, goat cheese, walnuts and arugula tossed in a vinaigrette. I dislike mayo-based salad dressings, but the vinaigrette was more than welcomed and it tied everything together.

I’d definitely come back here, but I’d avoid the soup. Tell me about your experience at the Witherspoon Grill in the comments below or on Twitter @ChrisKeuling!

The Old Man Rafferty’s Sunday Brunch Buffet Experience

Old Man Rafferty'sOld Man Rafferty’s is one of my favorite restaurants I’ve eaten at in NJ because of the great food they have on their regular menu. Me and my fiancée have eaten there several times for lunch and dinner.

Sunday brunch is a whole different animal. A couple of weeks ago, we (along with her family) went to the Old Man Rafferty’s location in New Brunswick went for brunch. It was packed and for good reason.

The food setup was good, although I didn’t want to eat a lot of the carb-heavy, fatty choices they offered like scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, bagels, pastries and pre-dressed salads. I enjoyed a couple of veggie egg white omelets, some roast beef & turkey slices, shrimp, crag legs and salad, even though it all tasted as expected and didn’t stand out aside from the omelets.

There were also several cakes and cookies that were offered. I had a couple of cookies just to satisfy my craving for something sweet. They were generic, can-get-them-anywhere type, but still good.

It was definitely worth of trip in spite of being sat at a cramped table in the back corner of the restaurant near the kitchen with almost no means of escape. I especially enjoyed the experience since this is the 3rd business card I’ve taken from this location, but the first without a General Manager’s name on it.

Tell me about your Old Man Rafferty’s experience in the comments below or on Twitter @ChrisKeuling!

#TBT Thanks to an Old Rolodex

I try to find business cards anywhere I can. One of my previous blog posts even talks in-depth about that. This time, it was my mother who got to an office at her job just in time since they were cleaning out someone’s closet when they came across an old rolodex. I imagine it would look something like this:

Old Rolodex

Business CardsShe was nice enough to peel each of the business cards on this old rolodex off to add to my collection. I would assume to not have any of them since they were all from connections I couldn’t have possibly made. Some of them were quite old.

Tritone

Since my mother lives (and works) on Long Island, many of the cards were from companies there. Before 1999, Long Island only had the 516 area code (similar to NYC having only the 212 area code). Suffolk County (where I lived) then received a new area code: 631.

North Amityville is in Suffolk and seeing a 516 # on a business card in that town is a rarity and you can tell it’s old.

Long Island Lithographers

This is the backside of the Tritone division of Long Island Lithographers business card. You can starting telling it’s really old by seeing a CompuServe Internet email address. And a modem phone number.

Burke Supply Company

This Burke Supply Company business card is a little less old, but it has a beeper #. Who (outside of doctors) uses a beeper anymore?

There were many other old business cards in here, but this was just a sample of them.

A Happy Company Holiday Party Indeed at Ramsey Country Club

The weather was frightful (more wet than frightful). The fire (yes, there was a fireplace) was so delightful. It did not snow luckily.

However, I did have a place to go: my company holiday party at the Ramsey Golf and Country Club. I was really excited about this event since it’s the first time I can see my colleagues outside of the office and the first time to meet some of my colleagues who worked remotely (including those who I never knew existed).

Ramsey Golf and Country Club

I must say it was a fun event to say the very least that had good food. I always enjoy eating good food and there was plenty of it. The appetizers were grilled & raw vegetables, fresh mozzarella and a cheese & cracker plate. Always a good choice.

The meal was something onto of itself. I tried every bit of it outside of the pasta (I’m not a huge pasta person) since it all looked tempting. And everything was good:

  • Sliced pork
  • Sliced filet mignon
  • Salmon with a cream sauce
  • Fried calamari (a huge highlight) with marinara sauce
  • Fried chicken wings
  • Salad

I have to make a separate paragraph for the rolls. I have to say that these are probably the best dinner rolls I’ve ever had. The rolls were crispy/crumbly on the outside and soft on the inside. Between them being warm and the texture of the butter, these rolls will be hard to beat in my lifetime.

Country Club Ramsey NJ

Kudos Ramsey Golf and Country Club. Kudos.

For dessert, they had several options which I sampled only a tiny bit since I was so full between appetizers, dinner and dinsert (some more appetizer/dinner food a little while after eating dinner).

They had little scoops of vanilla ice cream with bananas foster topping, a variety of cookies (I ate the peanut butter & chocolate chip chunk) and chocolate-covered strawberries.

The combination of the food and atmosphere definitely made this a great party experience.

Update: To the right is the business card that I got at the 2017 edition of our company holiday party (which I’ve attended for 4 years in a row). This most recent party was in the atrium, which was freezing cold because it’s surrounded by windows. There was very little heat in that room.

The Time the Wake Viewing Line Was Out the Door

Thompson Memorial HomeFunerals are most always sad occasions. I know that all too well. A couple of weeks ago, I went to a wake of a friend’s father. It was raining, which I’ve found to be a trend for funerals and/or wakes of people I’ve known.

When I got there, I found a line out the door. I’ve never seen that before, but it happened at the Thompson Memorial Home down in Red Bank NJ.

From what I learned about him, he owned a pizzeria in the area and was influential in the community. I read that he kept the place open during Hurricane Sandy.

It seemed like there was good reason for the line to be out the door. It took about 45 minutes to actually get into the funeral home, which looked nice but a little small when I went inside. Then, it took another 20 minutes to actually view him and say my condolences since the line wrapped into the casket-free common area, into a hall and around another bend.

Man, I hope that I touch that many people when I die.

Have you ever been to the Thompson Memorial Home? Tell me about your experience in the comments below or on Twitter @ChrisKeuling!

Wedding Blog: Wedding Registration at Macy’s and Bed Bath & Beyond

Macys Wedding RegistryOne of my most fun parts of the wedding process happens to be one of the most tedious: registering. We wanted to have a Macy’s wedding registry and a Bed Bath & Beyond wedding registry to give us options.

We arrived at Macy’s and was helped out by Maria Parente who gave us instructions on how to scan items with the gun. She even suggested which items to register for and recommended not to register for others (ex. a lot of people return Black & Decker).

We went around for over an hour scanning a variety of things we need for our married life including appliances, glassware and more. It got to be hot after a while and pretty exhausting.

Now it was time for registering at Bed Bath & Beyond. We wanted to get it done, so we were determined.

Too bad we’re also lazy, so we decided to do that half of the registering online. We (by which I mean she) have changed the registry some from what we were initially looking for.

Tell me more about your experience registering at Macy’s and Bed Bath & Beyond in the comments or on Twitter @ChrisKeuling!

The Birthday Dinner That Almost Didn’t Happen

Mill House Brewing CompanyThe Saturday after Thanksgiving, I went up to Poughkeepsie to celebrate my fiancee’s birthday along with my sister-in-law’s. Between us 4, my sister, her husband, my niece and my mother, we had a decent-sized party.

Good thing my brother & sister-in-law’s place to go, the Mill House Brewing Company, takes reservations. However, there was a snag with the reservation: the table we had was upstairs and for some reason, we didn’t want a table up there.

Don’t ask me, I just go where I’m told.

We were told to wait for a few minutes and a table would open up. Fast forward about an hour and we still weren’t sitting. We were about to leave when the GM intervened and he was not happy that we weren’t seated (probably feeling the sentiment we were).

His dedication to making us happy and the quality of the food more than made up for the wait. We started off with some buffalo chicken popcorn to pass around the table (it didn’t make it far past me if you know my love of buffalo wings), along with a complimentary cheese & meat platter and unique BBQ wings that were all delicious.

Then came the main course: pan-seared salmon that came with a yummy potato dish on the side and I ordered an extra side of brussel sprouts. Man, those were good sprouts since they were dusted with the same buffalo seasoning as the popcorn.

I also had some beer from a five-glass tasting sampler, which I thought was good. And I’m not much of a beer drinker.

I wish the Mill House Brewing Company would have been around when I went to Marist since I probably would have spent a lot of money eating there between the salmon and the other items I saw on the menu. After the treatment we received and the meal I ate, I’m happy we didn’t leave.

Tell me more about your experience at the Mill House Brewing Company in the comments or on Twitter @ChrisKeuling!

Things Get a Little Penile in Union Square

It’s that time of year again! The holidays are upon us and one event that happens annually (apparently) is the Union Square Holiday Market.

It was definitely interesting to see so many independent small businesses doing their thing in Union Square. There were some that popped out as being more penile than others in name only.

And of course, it’s food related. Good thing I ate a big meal at Max Brenner for Beth’s birthday, otherwise I would have bought even more food.

Mighty BallsThe first one that really popped out at me was Mighty Balls. After looking at what they had to offer and browsing their website, I found out that they were all about gourmet meatballs.

I enjoy a good meatball. I think I make good turkey meatballs stuffed with mozzarella (and Parmesan if I have it in the fridge). I’d definitely give it a try since I’m a meatball fan and like to have different flavors in my proteins.

Nuts Plus NutsAfter walking around a bit (and collecting business cards of course as I do everywhere I go), I ran into Nuts + Nuts (pronounced Nuts Plus Nuts). After speaking with the person behind the booth and doing some online research, I found out their main focus was cashews.

That might make the name a little deceiving since you’d expect almonds, walnuts & more, but Cashews + Cashews wouldn’t sound as penile and ear-catching. I’d definitely try these nuts as well, especially since I’ve been eating more nuts lately and looking to add new ways to get them in my diet.

Have you ever sampled Mighty Balls or Nuts + Nuts? Let me know your experience with these brands in the comments below or on Twitter @ChrisKeuling!

There’s a New Mechanic in Town

Quality Auto Highland Park NJI previously wrote a blog post about why I was no longer going to Pep Boys. I found a new mechanic to go to, although I had gone there before.

I had gone to Pep Boys because of the more convenient hours, but always enjoyed the work of Quality Auto Centers better at their Highland Park NJ location. That made me decide to go back.

And I did not regret it.

Since the last time I was there, new management came and it just so happens he grew up in the same town that I did. That’s some sort of sign.

Not only was there time to get me in when I called & went early enough, but I feel more secure about knowing that my car is running right. My car is at 185K miles and went there 3 times for various issues that have come up in the past couple of months.

All of them have been fixed as quickly as possible. I was even told 1 issue was minor, so I don’t feel that I have to waste $300 doing it until I feel it’s absolutely necessary.

Any problems I had were explained to me thoroughly and what the best solutions were (and I didn’t feel like I was being ripped off). I’m going here from now on.

What has your experience been like at the Quality Auto in Highland Park NJ? Tell me in the comments or on Twitter @ChrisKeuling!