It only took 14 years for me to finally attend my 100th O.A.R. concert, which took place at the Madison Theater in Covington on October 16. There were times when I would see nearly 30 of their shows a year (2001) but that has definitely slowed down and I’m now seeing them play just twice a year or so. Regardless I can still remember my first show at Bogart’s back in 2000 just as well as this last one. I have so many memories and have met so many awesome friends through the years, all thanks to this amazing band and group of guys. I can’t wait for my next show.

Bosom Ball

P.S. I dusted off my recording equipment and brought it along to get a pretty decent tape of the night. Enjoy!

A few weeks back my wife and I wanted something different delivered to our door for dinner. We settled on Chinese from Doodles nearby in Hyde Park. Our orders were prepared and delivered to our door very quickly, which was a great start.

Thick & Wide Fresh Rice Noodles

My wife ordered the thick and wide fresh rice noodles with spicy black bean sauce, crisp bean sprouts, Napa cabbage, red pepper, and chicken ($10.95). The serving size was plenty, definitely enough to share or for leftovers the next day, and the noodles were good. The chicken was a little dry and I could have used a little more vegetables.

Kung Pao Chicken

I ordered the traditional Kung Pao chicken ($10.95). Again the serving size was more than enough. This time there were plenty of vegetables but I found the sauce a little bland. It also seemed that the peanuts were not stir-fried as I expected. I would skip this dish in the future and order another noodle dish. Overall it was an average dinner with fast and friendly service.

If you couldn’t already tell, I’ve had a couple of really busy weeks. I’ve been home less than a handful of days in the last two weeks, so I have plenty of catching up to do. To kick off the madness, I took my family to New York for five nights to attend a good friend’s wedding in New Rochelle and to take in all the sights in Manhattan.

Our first day was pretty much a travel day as we took a plane and multiple trains to get to our destination in New Rochelle. The next day we skipped the wedding mass to let the kids play for the afternoon and then had an amazing time at one of the most incredible wedding receptions I’ve ever attended. Congrats Bryan and Stephanie! The day after the wedding we departed New Rochelle and headed for Manhattan.

After checking in to The Court Hotel, we spent the rest of the day walking around midtown Manhattan and eventually going to the Top of the Rock for an incredible view of the entire city. The next day we spent downtown to meet with the Roberge family, have some fun in Rockefeller Park, and visit the World Trade Center. Our final day we spent back in midtown, primarily visiting Times Square and Central Park.

My previous trips to NYC have always been without kids, so this trip was full of things I haven’t done before. I can’t wait to visit again as the kids grow older as there are still things that I haven’t done and I know they will enjoy in years to come.

New York City on Dwellable

After spending the better part of an afternoon at the Cincinnati Zoo for their HallZOOween event my wife and I wanted to get something to eat nearby. Some friends of ours mentioned they like going to Zoup! before or after the zoo, so we decided to give it a try. Zoup! operates 60 locations in 15 U.S. states and Canada. The Cincinnati location can be found just off Martin Luther King Dr near the University of Cincinnati at Stetson Square.

Outside

The inside of Zoup is pretty large with a ton of seating areas, which makes sense considering the close proximity to the University of Cincinnati, especially the Medical Center. Free Wi-Fi is also offered. Orders are placed at the counter and are prepared just behind the counter in open view.

Inside

Soup is obviously the specialty item here, and they have a dozen unique creations available daily, but they also have a variety of sandwiches and salads. I tried the southwest turkey sandwich with pepper jack, tomato, and chipotle mayo on toasted country fresh bread ($6.50 for whole). The sandwich was prepared fresh and toasted beautifully. The ingredients were fairly standard, though the chipotle mayo was a nice touch.

Southwest Turkey

My wife and I split a side of the chicken potpie soup ($4.25) and this was excellent, though a bit expensive for the serving size. I think on a return visit I would order a combo half sandwich and a side of soup for myself, which start at $7.50, which I find to be an acceptable price for a solid lunch.

Penn Station, home of the best-tasting subs, is giving you a chance to score tickets and ultimate getaway package to the Big Game. Enter the code printed on your receipt for a chance to win one of the three Big Game Getaway prize packages outlined below.

• Grand Prize: Winner will receive a three (3) night stay at the Holiday Inn Express Scottsdale North, two (2) tickets to the Big Game, access to PrimeSport’s VIP Pre-Game Experience featuring an open bar, great local cuisine, live entertainment and celebrity guests, round-trip transportation to the University of Phoenix Stadium, official Big Game souvenirs, Pepsi suitcases, professional event staff to assist you for the Big Game and more!
• Big Game Viewing Party: Winner will receive 70” TV and Blue-Ray player, team jerseys to wear for the Big Game, a Pepsi bean bag toss set, Penn Station East Coast Subs party for 20, Pepsi cooler and Oakley sunglasses.
• Big Game Digital Prize Pack: Winner will receive Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Penn Station East Coast Subs party for 20, NFL jerseys and hat to wear for the Big Game and a Pepsi Mini Fridge.

This promotion runs from October 1, 2014 to November 30, 2014. Hurry in to get your code. Let me recommend the chicken teriyaki sub and an order of fresh-cut fries. That’s what I order nearly every time when visiting my local Penn Station restaurant.