Imagining landscapes

I suppose this only happens to people who have moved away from the place they grew up in, but it happens to me a lot – imagining landscapes.

I grew up in Los Angeles, and if you aren’t familiar with the area, there are mountains in the distance that you can see on clear days. Now I live in central Texas, and it is flat here – no mountains at all.

But some days, there might be a layer of cloud-cover in the distance and for a few seconds, my brain registers them as the San Bernardino mountains, and a strange confusion washes over me. Combining two locations into one. It’s disorienting but fun.

I wonder how many people also experience something like this.

The Bond Strap(s)

"Spectre Bond Strap" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/30 sec, ISO3200
“Spectre Bond Strap” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。Are you well today?

Continuing with my mini-obsession with my new watch, I decided to get a couple new watch straps. I mentioned in a previous post that the band that came with the watch wasn’t highly regarded and that a NATO strap replacement is recommended. Well, I did a little research into the style I wanted, and I ended up going with the “Bond Strap”, which is the same design that James Bond wore. But, he actually wore a couple different styles. In 1964’s Goldfinger, Sean Connery wore a black, green, and red striped design, while in 2015’s Spectre, Daniel Craig wore a black and grey striped design. Naturally, I got both!

"Goldfinger Bond Strap" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/40 sec, ISO3200
“Goldfinger Bond Strap” Cedar Park, 2017

What is nice about the NATO style straps is that they are very inexpensive. I paid about $10 each. They are both pretty good, but not perfect. The black and grey Spectre strap is a good thickness, softer, and more comfortable, but the buckles are a shiny stainless steel. I prefer the darker matte finish of the stock band. The black, green, and red Goldfinger strap is thinner, harder, and the buckles are a nice matte nickel color. Unfortunately, they are a little too big and prominent, plus I think there are one too many buckles. There’s a way to loop the strap around two of the buckles so that it is more secure, but I don’t think I need that, so I might Dremel off one of them.

I like the NATO straps, though, and I bet if I search hard enough, I will find the combination of smaller matte buckles and softness. But perhaps it’s not about finding the perfect one, but enjoying the variety that comes with owning several different types. 😊 Luckily, NATO straps are easily removed and replaces, so switching it up to suit your mood is not an inconvenience at all.

I hope you had a nice Thursday!

-B

Late Valentine’s Dinner

"Late Valentine's Dinner" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/55 sec, ISO3200
“Late Valentine’s Dinner” Cedar Park, 2017

みんなさんこんばんは。How’s it going?

Tonight we celebrated Valentine’s Day (a day late because Mariko had to work last night) with our annual fondue dinner.

Mariko always prepares a yummy cheese fondue, with bread, sausage, cauliflower, and potato. This year, we also had asparagus, carrots, apple, and ravioli! In the photo, you can see there are two cheeses, one for the kids and one, with wine added, for the adults. 😄🍷

And after the cheese fondue is finished, we’ll have a chocolate fondue, with strawberries, banana, apple, and marshmallows. 😍 おいしかった!

I look forward to our Valentine’s fondue dinner every February, and this year’s version didn’t disappoint!

I hope you had a nice Wednesday.

またね~

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