Yakiniku Nite

"Yakiniku Nite" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Yakiniku Nite” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Tonight we enjoyed yakiniku at home. It’s basically grilled meat and veggies, with dipping sauces. We had a variety of different meats (from the recently opened market) including an American wagyu-style beef. It’s super-delicious! For veggies, we had shiitake mushrooms, eggplant, onion, jalapeno, and kabocha, as well as a simple salad. Oh, and kimchee too! 🔥

If you’ve ever had yakiniku or Korean barbecue before, you know that there can be a fair amount of smoke produced, so ventilation is indispensable. In fact, at yakiniku restaurants, there are huge ventilation hoods over each table. If you are cooking at home, I suggest closing all the bedroom doors and open up some windows to circulate the air. Not that the smell is bad. It actually smells amazing, but you don’t want all your clothes smelling like grilled meat, do you? Speaking of that, I’d also suggest taking off your jacket and putting that in the closet or another room. 😄

Anyways, I ate too much of course, but it was worth it. I love yakiniku so much!

I hope you had a nice day.

またね~

VIews from the Trail

"Wobbly Cairn" Leander, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/250 sec, ISO200
“Wobbly Cairn” Leander, 2018

I went on a short hike today on a nearby trail. Here are some of the photos I took. I hope you had a nice day!

"Tiny Flowers" Leander, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/170 sec, ISO200
“Tiny Flowers” Leander, 2018
"Hiking Boots" Leander, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO500
“Hiking Boots” Leander, 2018
"Spring Growth" Leander, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.2, 1/900 sec, ISO200
“Spring Growth” Leander, 2018
"On the Trail" Leander, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/240 sec, ISO200
“On the Trail” Leander, 2018
"Mossy" Leander, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/1000 sec, ISO200
“Mossy” Leander, 2018

Oregon Scientific Robot Vac

"Vroom" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/30 sec, ISO6400
“Vroom” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

We recently bought an Oregon Scientific robotic vacuum and it’s been cleaning the first floor of our house for the past week (not continuously of course). So far, we love it! I’m pleasantly surprised that it can run so long on a charge. It can go at least two hours but probably lasts much longer. We haven’t seen how long it can go because either I turn it off or our cat Yuzu jumps on it to catch a free ride and it causes an error, so it never runs til the battery is fully drained. When the battery does get low it’s supposed to automatically return to its charging dock.

That docking procedure is actually a lot of fun to watch. When it gets close to the dock, it picks up some signal (infrared?) from it, then slows down, lines up with a few turns, approaches straight on, and gently docks. It’s like watching a spaceship dock with a space station.

Watching the vacuum actually go around the house cleaning is mesmerizing. The first few times we used it, I would just follow it around to see it do its thing. It’s fascinating! I keep thinking that this is an example where concept and execution have come together nicely.

The design is really nice because it has two rotating brushes that extend out from the front and whisk dirt toward the vacuum opening in the center of the device. Those whiskers also are able to get into the hard-to-reach cracks and crevices where table and chair legs contact the floor. It’s really efficient and thorough.

I’m also pleased that it can effectively clean our new carpet, which is relatively plush. It’s amazing to see how much dust, cat hair, and general yuckiness accumulates on the carpets (and floors). We don’t wear shoes inside the house so it stays pretty dirt-free, but wow, there’s still plenty of stuff to clean out of the vacuum’s dustbin.

Anyways, we’re really happy with the little Oregon Scientific robotic vacuum cleaner. It’s really convenient and effective! I just wish our cat Yuzu didn’t mess with it as much as she does. 😺 I’m looking forward to even smarter robot vacs. For instance, sensors that can detect power cords, and auto-emptying dustbins. Fun stuff, huh! 😄

"Robot" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/45 sec, ISO6400
“Robot” Cedar Park, 2018

またね~