Noodle Reward for Finishing the Taxes

"Noodles" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
“Noodles” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Here in the States, it’s almost tax day, and of course, I waited until the last minute to do ours. However, over the past few years, the process has gotten less-complicated and faster. Just out of curiosity, I timed how long it took this year and I came in just under two hours, at 1:52. Most of our accounts are able to be imported electronically which saves a ton of hassle, and our charitable donations have been automated as well and easy to track.

So why do I wait until the last moment to do our taxes? Well, I think it has to do with some baggage I am carrying from the days when it was a more manual process. Gathering all of our investment information was super-complicated, and that experience has lodged itself deep in my memory. Maybe next year I’ll listen to the rational side of my brain (and my family) and do it earlier. We’ll see!

Anyway, with the taxes done, I decided to treat myself to dinner (since I am fending for myself today) and I was craving some noodles so I went to a Pho Thanh Nhi Vietnamese restaurant and enjoyed a huge bowl of egg noodles. It was so good! A nice end to the day.

またね~

Wordless Wednesday

"Omuraisu" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/35 sec, ISO3200
“Omuraisu” Cedar Park, 2019
"Tofu Skin and Veggies" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/50 sec, ISO3200
“Tofu Skin and Veggies” Cedar Park, 2019
"Hungry Dog" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/80 sec, ISO3200
“Hungry Dog” Cedar Park, 2019
"Food Photography" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/40 sec, ISO3200
“Food Photography” Cedar Park, 2019

Lani’s Best Friend over for Burger Dinner

"Almost Human" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/75 sec, ISO1000
“Almost Human” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。This evening a friend came over for dinner and I think the one who was most excited to have a guest over was Lani. She always gets extra treats, so it’s understandable. 😊 It was funny that when Lani recognized who was at the door, she went nuts and did a few laps around the house in excitement. She’s so funny.

Tonight’s menu included burgers and sliders, homemade fries, and a couple of yummy and fancy salads. And Mariko baked some fresh buns for the burgers so it was extra-good!

"Slider" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/75 sec, ISO640
“Slider” Cedar Park, 2019
"Homemade Fries" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/75 sec, ISO800
“Homemade Fries” Cedar Park, 2019
"Broccoli Salad" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/75 sec, ISO400
“Broccoli Salad” Cedar Park, 2019
"Fresh-baked Buns" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/75 sec, ISO800
“Fresh-baked Buns” Cedar Park, 2019
"Tomatoes" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO3200
“Tomatoes” Cedar Park, 2019

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

Stormy Day and Chankonabe ちゃんこ鍋

"Severe Weather" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: motorola moto g(6), 3.95mm, f/1.8, 1/30 sec, ISO206
“Severe Weather” Cedar Park, 2019

A severe storm rolled through our part of Texas today. Luckily, there wasn’t any damage to our house, just plenty of rain and anxiety!

Later on in the evening we enjoyed a yummy pot of chankonabe ゃんこ鍋. This is a hotpot that is popular with sumo wrestlers because it helps to bulk them up. We’ve never made it at home before, so this was a special treat. 😄

"ちゃんこ鍋" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/105 sec, ISO400
“ちゃんこ鍋” Cedar Park, 2019

As the day ended, the skies cleared and we were treated to a nice sunset.

"Clearing Skies" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/240 sec, ISO200
“Clearing Skies” Cedar Park, 2019

I hope you had a good day!

またね~

Third Birthday Dinner: から揚げ and Cake

”から揚げ" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/80 sec, ISO3200
”から揚げ” Cedar Park, 2019

Tonight we celebrated Koa’s birthday with a third birthday dinner! The first one was last weekend at the Brazilian Steakhouse, the second one was a dinner Koa spent with his friend, and tonight was one of his favorite home-cooked meals, から揚げ Japanese fried chicken. We actually have this quite often because everyone loves it, but I was really looking forward to it. 😄

And we also enjoyed a delicious homemade birthday cake! Mariko’s cakes are way better than most you buy here in the States… her cakes are less-sugary, and made with fresh, natural ingredients. I don’t have a sweet tooth, but her desserts are superb!

"Birthday Cake" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO2500
“Birthday Cake” Cedar Park, 2019

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

Thai-style Chicken and Natsuzora なつぞら

"Thai-style Chicken" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO640
“Thai-style Chicken” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

I just wanted to share a photo of another yummy dinner Mariko made for us tonight. It’s a chicken dish with Thai basil and peppers. It didn’t have too much heat but was very flavorful. And then the egg just put it over the top! ❤

In other news, the new asadora has started. Natsuzora なつぞら looks pretty interesting! The main character will eventually become interested in art and animation, so I am looking forward to that part. In fact, the opening title sequence is an old ’70s style animation. Very cool! And I am a fan of Suzu Hirose 広瀬すず who plays the main character Natsu, so that is another plus. 😀 I thought she was great in Anone あのね.

FYI, we subscribe to TV Japan and every morning I turn it on while I make coffee and breakfast. During that time the asadora (morning drama) is shown, so I pretty much see every episode, except during the kids’ Spring Break, when our schedule changes. I don’t understand all the dialog, but as my Japanese study progresses, I find myself understanding more and more, which is really cool!

I hope you had a good day.

またね~

Carnivore Birthday Dinner

"Meats" Round Rock, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/80 sec, ISO6400
“Meats” Round Rock, 2019

こんばんは

Tonight we celebrated Koa’s birthday by taking him out to a Brazilian steakhouse. We haven’t been to one in a few years, so we were really looking forward to it. It was delicious, of course, but we all ate a bit too much.

Apologies to any vegetarians who had to view these photos. Sorry!

"Kid's Plate" Round Rock, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/50 sec, ISO6400
“Kid’s Plate” Round Rock, 2019

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~