Category: Slice of Life

Wolf Children

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO200
 “Wolf Children” Austin, 2025

Tonight, my buddy and I went to watch Wolf Children at our local theater. I went in knowing almost nothing about the film – just that it had a strong reputation among anime fans. And I’m happy to say, it absolutely lived up to the hype!

Wolf Children, directed by Mamoru Hosoda, is a beautifully animated film that blends fantasy and heartfelt storytelling. While some moments were lighthearted and a little whimsical, the movie also explored deeper emotional themes about family, identity, and growing up.

We usually see anime with subtitles and Japanese audio, but this time we saw the dubbed version and it was very acceptable!

If you’re a fan of anime films or just looking for a touching story with stunning visuals, I highly recommend checking out Wolf Children. Super!

Two New Pepper Plants

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/380 sec, ISO40
 “New Pepper Plants” Cedar Park, 2025

I was at the supermarket this morning and I saw they had a big sale on their herbs and peppers. Only $1.50 USD each! I bought a Thai chile pepper plant and a Shishito pepper plant. I hope they produce many peppers!

In addition to those two, I have a Jalapeño plant, a Scotch Bonnet plant, and Ghost pepper plant. Grow, babies, grow!

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/160 sec, ISO80
 “Jalapeno” Cedar Park, 2025

Lastly, I have a mystery pepper plant, which has had one pepper developing for a couple of months now.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/200 sec, ISO40
 “Mystery Pepper” Cedar Park, 2025

Graduation Day

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 55mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO1250
 “Graduate” Houston, 2025

It’s hard to believe how quickly time flies. Our oldest son, Bay, has officially finished school! His program was a six-year commitment, and it feels like just yesterday we were dropping him off on campus for the first time. Where did the time go? Wow!

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO320
 “Rice Owl” Cedar Park, 2025

Long Way Home

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Photo info: NIKON COOLPIX S8000, 5.4mm, f/3.5, 1/50 sec, ISO400
 “Long Way Home” Cedar Park, 2025

Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are back! Their fourth “Long Way” series “Long Way Home” sees them tackling Europe on vintage motorbikes, and I’m loving it. After a slightly bumpy “Long Way Up,” where the electric motorcycle charging issues became a bit of a drag, they seem to have found their stride again. I’ve only seen the first two episodes, but I’m already hooked and can’t wait for the rest of the season!

Older Tech

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/60 sec, ISO800
 “Digicam & Radio” Cedar Park, 2025

I had a bit of a nostalgic trip at my parents’ house and came away with a couple of neat items. There’s a Nikon camera from 2014 that, amazingly, still works perfectly. It’s really small, which makes it super convenient to carry around – it fits right in my pants pocket! It’s fun to use, but I do miss the precision of a viewfinder. I also found an old AM/FM radio that I bought back in the mid-80s. It still works great! I’m not sure how much I’ll actually listen to the radio, but I really love its design and had to have it.

Road Trip Day 2

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Photo info: NIKON COOLPIX S8000, 5.4mm, f/7, 1/500 sec, ISO100
 “Scenic View” Las Cruces, 2025

Today, we continued our odyssey with just a little bit left of New Mexico before crossing into Texas. It took us about 8 hours to cross half the state before arriving at home. Once again, we had the ballgame to keep us company and this time the Dodgers won. Yay!

Photo info: NIKON COOLPIX S8000, 5.4mm, f/3.5, 1/500 sec, ISO100
 “No Clowning” Texas, 2025

Road Trip Day 1

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Photo info: NIKON COOLPIX S8000, 5.4mm, f/3.5, 1/320 sec, ISO100
 “Chariot” New Mexico, 2025

The drive back to Texas from California began today! Koa and I set out on our two-day road trip, with today’s leg being a long, easy stretch. We passed the time listening to the Dodger game (sadly, they didn’t win) and eventually stopped for the night in Lordsburg, New Mexico. Tomorrow, the drive continues through West Texas, and then we’ll be home!

Photo info: NIKON COOLPIX S8000, 5.4mm, f/3.5, 1/125 sec, ISO250
 “Shadow” New Mexico, 2025