Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO4000 “Beef Stew” Cedar Park, 2017
It’s time for cold-weather food! So a hot beef stew really hit the spot today. Actually, Texas is fairly warm, but it’s so grey out that it feels like it’s colder than it really is.
But any excuse to have beef stew is good enough for me. 😄
And look what arrived in the mail today! It’s a rooftop cargo basket that I am planning on using for camping gear. It looks pretty simple to set up (simple is good!) and is probably a one-person job to put on top of the car.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO6400 “In the Box” Cedar Park, 2017
The cats love it too. Especially the box it was packed in. 🐱
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO2000 “The Set” Cedar Park, 2017
こんばんは。How’s it going?
This evening we had a nice Korean-style dinner, with Pajeon pancakes, spicy chicken, and kimchee. It was yummy, but for the photo, I decided to take a shot of our lighting setup instead of the food. Mariko asked me to put the umbrella back up so that the light isn’t as harsh for her food photos. I was happy to oblige since I like the diffused light anyways. Sure, the umbrella looks strange, but I don’t mind. I don’t look up at the umbrella anyway. 😄
Before dinner Bay and I installed some crossbars on the Subaru. I bought an inexpensive set to act as a base for a cargo basket that should arrive tomorrow. These crossbars installed easily and seem pretty sturdy, but the only problem is that they make a high-pitched whistling noise from 40-55mph. It’s really not too bad, and if you are listening to music, you won’t notice. But I don’t plan to keep the crossbars on full-time anyways, so it’s really a non-issue.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/300 sec, ISO200 “Gravel Time” Cedar Park, 2017
こんばんは。How’s it going?
Today Koa and I went for a little drive up to a little gazebo that overlooks the Hill Country. Part of the drive is along a dirt road, which was a lot of fun to drive with the Crosstrek. I actually wanted to get the car a bit dirty just to get it over with. I like to keep cars clean on the inside, but I think SUVs and trucks (and ADV bikes) look better with a little dirt on the tires. It was a shame that it was too dry for any mud, but the dusty dirt will have to do for now. 😆
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/125 sec, ISO200 “💙” Cedar Park, 2017
Tonight I am sad because we sold our Honda Odyssey, which has been my daily driver for over 13 years, which is pretty crazy when I think about it! Before Koa was born, we decided we needed to have more room so we went with the minivan, and it was a great choice! It has been reliable and comfortable, but of course, after so many miles (158,000) and years, there were numerous things that didn’t work, and numerous expensive things that would need fixing soon.
Mariko and I were both a bit sad when we sold it, but we’re really happy to have owned it. Our kids grew up with this car, and we’ve taken it on many camping trips. It was so convenient to be able to just throw all the gear in the cavernous cargo space.
Photo info: Motorola Moto G (4), 3.64mm, f/2, 1/120 sec, ISO100 “New” Cedar Park, 2017
こんばんは。How’s it going?
Today I picked up my new car, a Subaru Crosstrek. I love it! The weather forecast was for a cold, rainy day, so I was worried that the test drive and inspection would be a messy affair, but as it turned out, there was only a light drizzle. But it was actually appropriate, because the Crosstrek is perfect for this kind of weather. It’s got all-wheel-drive for safety, and heated seats for comfort. 😆
I love just about everything about the car. Here are the stand-outs for me:
Fuel economy – 30 MPG combined
Color – I love the “Cool Gray Khaki”
Android Auto / Apple CarPlay – Access to Google Maps, Music, apps in a nice car-based interface on the center console
Smaller than the Odyssey – Easier to park and fit in the garage
High ground clearance – 8.7 inches will be better for those dirt roads in Big Bend!
Heated seats – Nice and toasty for the morning drive
And then here are a few things that I am not fond of:
Doors don’t automatically unlock when using the inside handle
Minimal cargo space – Will have to use the roof rack when we go camping
Minimal storage in the front – Where can I put my sunglasses?
Also, it’s fun that Subaru has a kind of cult following. There’s a lot of active Subaru forums out there, plus a bunch of community features on the Subaru website. And because this is a car that I have been wanting for a few years, I have a closer fondness for it than any of my previous cars. I hope to be driving my Subaru Crosstrek for many years to come.
I hope you had a nice Wednesday!
おやすみ
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I use a Fujifilm X-series camera for most of the photos on this site and my Instagram. Why not pick one up for yourself?
