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! 😄
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.
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!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/60 sec, ISO4000 “Osechi Ryori” Cedar Park, 2017
こんばんは！How’s it going?
Today we started off the new year in typical Japanese fashion – we feasted on Osechi 🍥 and drank saké 🍶 all day while watching Japanese new years specials on TV. 📺😆
Did you know that each different food in osechi-ryōri represents some kind of good fortune? I don’t know all of the meanings, but if you are curious, you can check out the Wikipedia osechi page. They list some of the most common foods.
Mariko prepares our osechi, and I look forward to eating it every year. It takes a couple days but it’s a worthwhile tradition. The food is delicious, beautiful, and it’s a great way to start the new year. 🎊
