Labor Day, and a Sketch

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"Relaxed" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/40 sec, ISO3200
 “Relaxed” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today I had the day off from work and the kids were also off from school, so we hung out together all day. We got a lot done, including some final shopping for school supplies, getting Koa’s hair cut, and some more yardwork. But we also had some fun hunting Pokemon and playing Splatoon.

And of course, the dog and cats kept us company at home, even though they were sleeping most of the time.

"Zzzz" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO1600
 “Zzzz” Cedar Park, 2017

After dinner, I sketched a quick portrait and I am happy with how it turned out. I feel like I am reaching my limit at line-drawing, and need to start learning how to shade, how to draw hair, and varying the width of my lines. It’s fun to see progress, though, which mainly manifests itself as less erasing. 😀

"2017.09.04 Sketch" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO3200
 “2017.09.04 Sketch” Cedar Park, 2017

To see all the sketches I’ve been working on, you can check out the Flickr album “My Sketching Journey”, or my Instagram account barron.sketches which I created just for posting sketches, watercolors, and stationery items.

I hope you had a nice Monday!

おやすみ

Slow Sunday Activities

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"Cat in the Corner" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/15 sec, ISO3200
 “Cat in the Corner” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。

It was a relaxing Sunday at our house. Just check out the photo of Anko – she has the right idea!

I did do a few chores around the house and yard, such as folding laundry, washing the bedding, and some light tree-pruning, but even those tasks were done at a slow pace. Unrushed tasks are not really chores at all anymore. In fact, they can be kind of fun. But, sometimes I realize how pleasant they can be only after the task is done. So I am trying to get that mindset before I start the task, which will motivate me to get started on them.

In the evening I played a ton of Splatoon on our Wii U. I’m terrible at that game but it’s a ton of fun. Even getting splatted by other players is hilarious! What I like about the game is that even for someone who has terrible aim in shooters, there are “weapons” that don’t require a ton of accuracy, or have different purposes other than just splatting other players. For instance, I love the paint rollers because they can cover a lot of ground in paint, and the attack is very imprecise. It’s good for someone like me who is accuracy-challenged.

"Battle Ready" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.2, 1/320 sec, ISO200
 “Battle Ready” Cedar Park, 2017

For dinner, I barbequed hamburgers on the grill. I tried a new technique for me, which is to not put the cheese on the burgers while they are on the grill. Instead, remove the cooked burgers to a plate, and then put the cheese on them while the patties rest. The cheese will still melt, but the grill won’t become a cheesy mess. It worked great… definitely the better way to make cheeseburgers! 🍔

I hope you had a nice Sunday. Here’s a nice relaxing tune from Splatoon. My favorite!

おやすみ

Dodgers in Town

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"Autograph from Joc" Round Rock, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO250
 “Autograph from Joc” Round Rock, 2017 baseball,

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Tonight Bay and I went to see the Oklahoma City Dodgers play the Round Rock Express at the Dell Diamond. It was a minor league baseball game, but there were some major-leaguers playing – most notably, Joc Pederson and Kyle Farmer for the Dodgers. They will soon be called back up to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they make their push towards the playoffs.

But in the meantime, it was cool to see these Dodgers up close. As you can see from the photos, Bay got Joc Pederson’s autograph (and Kyle Farmer’s as well) to add to his cap. Minor league games are pretty cool because they are a lot more relaxed and informal.

"Autograph Cap" Round Rock, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO200
 “Autograph Cap” Round Rock, 2017

I splurged a bit and bought row 2 seats behind the plate, but since it’s minor league, they were only $14 each. A pretty good deal to be close enough to talk to the players!

"Great Seats" Round Rock, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO200
 “Great Seats” Round Rock, 2017

Even though the Dodgers lost the game, it was great to see the larger-than-life ballplayers up close. And when you see them up close, they are just regular people. Kind of cool!

I hope you had a nice Saturday.

おやすみ

September Ink

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"Iroshizuku Chiku-rin" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/50 sec, ISO1250
 “Iroshizuku Chiku-rin” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Can you believe it’s already September? Actually, summer vacation seems to have been very long this year. It seems like so long ago that we traveled to Morocco and Spain at the beginning of the kids’ vacation, and then there was a long trip to Japan for Mariko and Bay, and then another few weeks of relaxation for them at home. But now, it’s back to school!

Speaking of September, the new month means I get to change the ink color that I use for my nightly journal. As you can see in the photo, I will be using Iroshizuku Chiku-rin ink. It’s such a nice color, and I love how the color varies where the ink pools up. The edges of the thick lines are darker than the middle. I’m sure there’s a term for this, but I don’t know what it is. 🙄 Anyways, it’s a nice change of pace from the intense Tsutsuki ink I used for August.

Also in the photo is my High School class ring. Bay was telling me that they have started ordering class rings at his school, and so I had to show him mine. He was surprised that I had one. I guess I don’t seem like the type of person who would care to get a class ring. Honestly, I don’t think I am the kind of person who would want one, but now I am glad I got it. 😁

I hope you had a nice Friday!

おやすみ

Back to the 90s (2015) – Movie Review

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Back to the 90s is a movie about a teenager who accidentally travels back in time and tries to repair his mom and dad’s rocky relationship. It’s a fun story, with some touching moments and a couple good plot twists thrown in. Add some nostalgic ’90s references (Tamagotchi!) and you have a nice, entertaining movie. Nothing amazing, but the acting is strong, and the ending is both satisfying yet leaves you wanting more. (sequel please?)

I really enjoyed Som and Tam’s characters, and learning about their motivations brings a welcome level of complexity and interest to the story. It’s also the first time I’ve seen a Thai movie, so that made it fascinating to watch. Cool to get a glimpse into an unfamiliar culture, even if it is off by two decades and covered with a Hollywood-like polish. 😁

BTW, I came across Back to the 90s by reading Age’s blog, Write Them All. Lots of good things to read about there. Check it out if you have a chance!

I definitely recommend Back to the 90s if you like romcoms or are a fan of Baifern (the actress who plays Som), which I have now become. Enjoy!

My rating: 8/10