Category: Slice of Life

Spinning Tunes

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"Turntable" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/9 sec, ISO3200
 “Turntable” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Yesterday I set up my new turntable: an Audio Technica AT-LP60 unit. It’s a simple turntable, but works well, plays both 33 and 45 RPM, has fully automatic operation, and was priced right, at $89 on sale. I had to take the cover off because it sits on a middle shelf in our media center and there’s not enough room to open it. That means putting a record on is a little tight, but not difficult. And since the control buttons are on the front of the unit, it’s super easy to operate once the record is on the platter.

Over vacation, Bay and I visited Record Recycler in Torrance and I found a couple classics from The English Beat: Special Beat Service, and I Just Can’t Stop It. And they were only $14 for both!

It is so great to crank up the stereo and listen to some vinyl once again. The sound is so warm and inviting. Plus the liner notes on the sleeve… I love it!

"English Beat" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/90 sec, ISO3200
 “English Beat” Cedar Park, 2017

I have a crate of old records back at my parents’ house and I am contemplating a road trip to go pick them up. It would be worth it for sure.

I hope you had a great Friday!

またね～

Saké and Karaage

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"New Saké" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1250
 “New Saké” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。げんき？

からあげをたべました！すごいおいしかった。Tonight we had karaage for dinner. It was so good! And also, as you can see in the first photo, we enjoyed a bit of saké. 🍶 It’s a bottle that we picked out at the market in California while we were on vacation. Just a small taste before we ate. It’s a school night after all. 😆

"Karaage Plate" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/50 sec, ISO3200
 “Karaage Plate” Cedar Park, 2017

It seems like we had karaage not too long ago, but it’s always a welcome dinner. When Mariko told me we were having it, I said, “Yay!” When I told Bay, he said, “Yay!” When I told Koa, he said, “Really? Yay!” So we all enjoyed it. Koa like to have his with plenty of freshly squeezed lemon, Bay prefers his with a bit of Kewpie mayo, and I like it both ways, and also with a bit of salt to dip in. So yummy!

I hope you had a nice Thursday.

またね～

2018 Renew and Release

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"Study Time" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4.5, 1/50 sec, ISO3200
 “Study Time” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。

So, it’s the second day of the new year, and I decided to renew some habits that I started last year. The first is to do my daily exercise of morning squats and evening planking. I’ve been inconsistent lately, but not too bad. Mariko and Bay said I should also do some stretching or yoga poses too, and I think that is a good idea so I might try to work that into my routine.

I’m also going to keep up with my daily blogging and my daily photos. These are things I’ve been doing for a couple years now and I don’t see a good reason why I should stop.

Lastly, I will renew my efforts to learn Japanese. Each night I write a bit of hiragana and katakana and I will start taking more notes on vocabulary and try to quit writing in romaji. Perhaps the photo above will be the last romaji?

I think these things are doable, considering my current schedule, and just doing little by little hasn’t been difficult in 2017.

Oh, and one more new thing for me will be to make a short 1-second video every day. At the end of the year, we’ll see how the completed movie turns out!

So, on to the habits that I will release this year. The first is my daily journal writing. I think that it became a little redundant since I write daily here in this blog. Next, I am going to stop playing video/mobile phone games so much. I won’t quit completely, but I feel like that is a huge time-sink that could be better spent reading, studying, or drawing.

Anyway, that’s my re-focusing for 2018.

I hope you had a nice Tuesday!

おやすみ

Sticker Up

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"Sticker Up!" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: Motorola Moto G (4), 3.64mm, f/2, 1/40 sec, ISO64
 “Sticker Up!” Cedar Park, 2017

I added some stickers to my Crosstrek the other day. I am kind of nuts for the game Splatoon, and I love the fake brands they have in the game, so I added the “Zink” logo to the bumper. And of course, I had to represent my Dodgers! FYI, I bought the stickers from RedBubble, then trimmed them a bit with scissors, and put clear plastic over the top for a little more protection from the elements.

I really love my new car. It’s kind of fun and unique, so why not have even more fun with it? 😝

またね～