Deer Ride with Rossa

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/8, 1/110 sec, ISO640
 “Rossa and Deer” Cedar Park, 2021

This evening I went with Rossa (my red Bianchi) to go look for some deer. There’s a nearby neighborhood in which I always see them, so I thought it would be a fun ride.

I also fixed up Rossa with the white Retrospec saddle, new white handlebar grips, and a pair of new tires. Everything was very inexpensive, totaling about $50. Add another $5 for the cabling to get her in safe riding condition and I am very happy!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/8, 1/140 sec, ISO640
 “White Grips” Cedar Park, 2021

I like the red and white color scheme. It’s fun and seems very 80s.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO640
 “Rossa” Cedar Park, 2021

And of course we did see plenty of deer on the ride as evidenced by the first photo in the post. If you want to ride along with us virtually, hop on your stationary bike and put the video below on your laptop or tablet. 😁

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/5.6, 1/170 sec, ISO640
 “Rossa” Cedar Park, 2021

Cats Snapshot

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/40 sec, ISO320
 “Cats Playing” Cedar Park, 2021

Yummy Donburi

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 21mm, f/1, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
 “Egg, Veggies, and Pork” Cedar Park, 2021

I love donburi 丼 (rice in a bowl with a topping) and tonight Mariko made a new “fancy” donburi. It had egg, Chinese vegetables, and sweet ground pork for the topping. So good! ❤🍚 I could eat it every day.

Shopping in Houston

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/4.5, 1/100 sec, ISO2000
 “IKEA Shopping” Houston, 2021

Today Bay and I went down to Houston to pick up keys to his new apartment that he’ll be living in for the upcoming school year. We made a trip to IKEA and Target to pick up some items, and I noticed that many more people in Houston were going mask-less as compared to Austin. The photo above is not an accurate representation of the percentage of mask-wearers versus non… I’d estimate only 15% of shoppers were wearing masks, and it didn’t seem like anyone was practicing social distancing.

I suppose people are just tired of wearing them, even though COVID infection levels are on the rise in Texas once again. I’m still wearing mine 100% indoors, and sometimes outdoors when there are a lot of people around. It’s really not an inconvenience to me.

Sophie’s Handlebars

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/5, 1/550 sec, ISO640
 “Finished Handlebars” Cedar Park, 2021

I have finished restoring Sophie’s handlebars. The final version has the original narrow drop bars wrapped with black cloth tape. I removed the safety levers from the brakes, and added brown hoods, and lastly, the bar ends are fitted with cork from wine bottles.

I seriously thought about replacing the handlebars with new, wider bars, but gave up on the idea. Wide bars simply do not match the aesthetic of the classic bicycle shape. They would be more comfortable, but new bars would be the beginning of a whole new cockpit since I’d have to get new brake levers as well. With new stem, handlebars, and brake levers, Sophie wouldn’t be the same bike that I rode from San Francisco to Los Angeles when I was in high school, and I really don’t like that idea.

Still, I am glad I tried the wide bar idea out. If I didn’t, I would always be thinking about them in the back of my mind.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/40 sec, ISO400
 “Bar Width” Cedar Park, 2021