Kaiju Nite 7

"Kaiju NIte 7" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/30 sec, ISO6400
“Kaiju NIte 7” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは!How’s it going?

Tonight we hosted Kaiju Nite 7 at our house. It’s a get together we have with a few friends in which we watch Japanese kaiju, or “strange beast”, movies. Our first Kaiju Nite back in 2014 featured Godzilla movies, and tonight’s double-feature was Daimajin and Daimajin Strikes Back.

These movies were a bit different than the “normal” kaiju movies because they are set back in old feudal Japan instead of modern times. Also, the kaiju “Daimajin” mainly appears in animated form during only the last 15 or 20 minutes of the movie.

I was impressed by the quality of these films, which were released in 1966. The cinematography was really cool, with interesting camera angles and the special effects were great. The plot was very basic but still a lot of fun!

"Daimajin and Samanosuke" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO6400
“Daimajin and Samanosuke” Cedar Park, 2017

As usual, Mikey chose the movies, provided some background to each of the movies, and even brought some toys. And of course we had plenty to eat and drink before and during the movies. 🍴

It was a fun evening, and I am looking forward to Kaiju Nite 8. 😄

おやすみなさい!

– B Barron Fujimoto

Temperatures

"Too Cold" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/125 sec, ISO1000
“Too Cold” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは!How’s it going?

Wow, the cold weather is hitting us here in Central Texas the past couple days, with today being the coldest so far. Thankfully the air stayed dry so the traffic wasn’t so bad.

Not only is it cold outside, but at work, it’s cold inside as well. I notice that some people actually have blankets at their workstations, and I often have to put a second jacket over my lap too. ❄️

Today I actually wore thermal leggings under my pants to see if that would help, and while my legs were warm, my shoulders were cold. So I put on my jacket and my upper body warmed up, but then my right hand (the “mouse hand”) got cold. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but it’s really difficult to get comfortable temperature-wise. 😒 Very frustrating.

My bed is where I can at least be comfy so I look forward to crawling under the covers every night. 😴

おやすみなさい!

– B Barron Fujimoto

Back to Work

"Clean Island" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/70 sec, ISO4000
“Clean Island” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは!How’s it going?

January 3rd, which means it’s time to go back to work. And it was an incredibly busy day! But I’m feeling energized and looking forward to new challenges and getting lots done.

Speaking of getting lots done, Mariko cleared the top of our kitchen island of all the clutter, and we’ll try to keep it nice and tidy. My first thought when I came home from work and saw the island was, “Oh no! My wife has left me and taken everything!” 😱 But then I realized that this is simply part of the decluttering of our house (and lives?). This was confirmed later when I wheeled the trashcan out to the curb. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such a heavy trashcan! 😄

I hope you had a nice day.

おやすみなさい!

– B Barron Fujimoto

Productive Monday

"Tidy Pantry" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/30 sec, ISO4000
“Tidy Pantry” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは!How’s it going?

Whereas yesterday was a relax-day, today was busy being productive and getting the year started on the right note.

First, I cleaned up the toys that were scattered all over a table upstairs, putting everything into either the Goodwill box, or the trash bag. Then I took photos of the table so that we can sell it on Craigslist. I also took photos of Koa’s IKEA bed frame and mattress so we can list that for sale as well. Besides getting rid of furniture we don’t use anymore, we’ll have a bit of cash for a nice meal or two! 😄

Next up on my list of things was to take two boxes of books 📚 to the used bookstore to sell. The boxes were pretty heavy so I put them on a little hand-truck so I wouldn’t hurt my back. Better safe than sorry!

The bookstore was extremely busy and I was maybe 7th in line to get my books appraised. After about an hour my name was called and I was offered $36 for the lot. It was more than I was expecting! 😊

After leaving the bookstore with a smile on my face, I headed over to Costco to pick up a few groceries. That place was also a madhouse today. One of the ladies working there said that they were closed yesterday, so everyone was here today. Makes sense. Luckily I was there before it got super crazy. When I left, there seemed to be even more people arriving.

When I returned home, the mail lady pulled up with a package I was eagerly awaiting – my brand new Moto G4 phone. 📱 It’s been about 2 years since I got my previous phone, so I was happy to finally have a fast phone again, with plenty of space for apps. Setting it up was painless and it’s very familiar since it is just a supercharged version of my old Moto G2 phone.

"New Phone" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/60 sec, ISO4000
“New Phone” Cedar Park, 2017

And what about that first photo of this post? Well, Mariko was busy as well, organizing the pantry. It looks great, and having everything in its place makes for a less stressful living environment. It’s nice to simplify!

I hope you had a nice day.

おやすみなさい!

– B Barron Fujimoto

Goodbye 2016

"Shingo Reena at 67th Kouhaku" 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/320 sec, ISO4000
“Shingo Reena at 67th Kouhaku” 2016

こんばんは!How’s it going?

I’m posting this as we watch the 67th Kouhaku 🎵 and countdown to the New Year. So far it’s a good show and I really enjoyed Shingo Reena‘s performance! She always does well, and with so much coolness. This year she was dressed in a black kimono reminiscent of a funeral wear. It was pretty awesome.

Earlier tonight we met some friends at their restaurant and enjoyed some amazing food, including way too much sushi. 🍣 But it was so good I couldn’t resist!

"New Year's Sushi" Austin, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/55 sec, ISO6400
“New Year’s Sushi” Austin, 2016

I wanted to share one achievement that I accomplished this year – blogging each day. I’m not sure why I wanted to do it, but after a month or so, it just became a habit. I don’t put too much thought into each post – most of my daily posts are written before I go to bed and are just little recaps of my day. I admit that there were a few nights that I didn’t finish a post, but doubled up the next day. Mainly because I was busy, or on a cruise, or drank too much. 😜 But who cares, right? I enjoy this part of my daily life. It’s fun, and I think that expressing myself in written (typed) words keeps my brain a little bit sharper. It’s like mental exercise. 💪

Well, I hope you had a nice day! And HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🎉

おやすみなさい!

– B Barron Fujimoto