Category: Slice of Life

Bicycle Ride With the New Wheel

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“Bike Ride” Cedar Park, 2020

My new bicycle rim arrived and I got to work replacing the old one, which entailed transferring the spokes over to the new rim and then truing the wheel to make sure it’s straight. I followed this video’s instructions, which proved invaluable.

I also followed the advice in this video to true the wheel, and got it in good shape. Next, I adjusted the rear brake and it was ready to try it out on the road!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.2, 1/100 sec, ISO2500
 “New Rim” Cedar Park, 2020

I only intended to ride around the neighborhood to test it, but I wound up hitting the hike and bike trail and riding several miles. It was just so fun! It seemed like I was able to ride faster, accelerate quicker, and cruise at a higher speed with the new wheel. It might just be that I am getting in better shape, but I have heard that the bicycle upgrade that will make the biggest difference it to replace the wheels. Well, I’m not sure if my new $33 Sun Ringle rim is an upgrade or not, but the stock Mavic rims are generally regarded poorly. So I’m leaning towards the opinion that the new rim helps out a lot. 😀

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4.5, 1/1100 sec, ISO200
 “At Brushy Creek Lake Park” Cedar Park, 2020

Later in the evening, Mariko mentioned that the sunset was probably pretty nice so I hopped on my Kona again and headed down to the place where I like to take sunset photos. Turned out pretty good:

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/500 sec, ISO640
 “Sunset” Cedar Park, 2020

I’m so happy to have my bicycle back, and working better than ever!

またね～

Quick Rice & Peas

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.2, 1/90 sec, ISO3200
 “Rice Cooker Rice and Peas” Cedar Park, 2020

Tonight I made jerk pork and rice & peas. The latter was made in the rice cooker using a simple recipe from Caribbeanpot.com. It wasn’t bad, but definitely could not compare to my mom’s rice & peas. I’d say this was maybe only 60% as good as her’s. But in a pinch, this recipe will do. Unfortunately we didn’t have any Scotch Bonnet peppers, but I used a quarter of a habañero and it had a good amount of heat.

I don’t know if we’ll be able to visit my folks this year at Christmas, which has me already missing my mom’s rice & peas, oxtail stew, stew peas, run-down crab, jerk chicken, plantain, and callaloo. I’m crossing my fingers though!

Sushi Nite at Home

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.2, 1/55 sec, ISO3200
 “Sushi Nite” Cedar Park, 2020

DIY sushi at home is so yummy! This time we had some shrimp tempura which was new for our sushi nite. I thought it was pretty good! My favorite has to be the hamachi with avocado and plenty of wasabi. But everything was delicious – what a treat! 🍣❤

10K Challenge Complete

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“11k” Cedar Park, 2020

Today there were plenty of clouds and the temperature was only 89° F when I headed out for a run. These cooler conditions let me run farther today than I did a couple of days ago when I wilted under the intense Texas sun. There was also a really nice breeze so I totally enjoyed the run (more of a jog, really) and was able to complete my September 10K challenge early. Yay!

Hitting that milestone again is great, but what is really neat is that I wasn’t tired. I could have gone farther if I had more time.

When I was in my twenties, I used to run a lot and I noticed that there’s a point in your training at which it seems you can just keep running indefinitely. It’s a really neat feeling because you stop worrying about how far from home you can go on your route, and instead are free to wander down different streets and trails on a whim.

I used to enjoy exploring the city of Monterey Park where I lived at the time, and later when I moved to West Los Angeles and the area around UCLA. It’s kind of my goal to keep my legs in just enough shape to stay in this level. When I visited China a couple of years ago I could explore around the hotels without worry, and when we visit my mother-in-law in Osaka, I love cruising around the city. Even visiting my folks in my hometown of Torrance, I can run to the ocean and back. It’s so fun!

I like this kind of motivation for running, rather than something like losing weight. It’s something to look forward to for sure. I guess it’s about the journey rather than the destination. There are lots of cool things to see and hear while running (an bicycling too). I really enjoy it.