I got my Moderna Bivalent booster and this year’s flu shot today at CVS. I simply went to cvs.com and signed up for a next-day appointment. And while I was checking in at the store, I asked if I could get the flu shot as well. Super-easy!
I got the COVID booster in my left arm and flu shot in my right arm, and I am feeling fine, apart from sore shoulder muscles. I’ve been fortunate to have had zero side-effects from the COVID vaccines and flu shots. 😀
While waiting at CVS after getting the shots, I saw the Mulan toy hanging out with the other plush toys. Is Mulan still popular for the kids?
Hopefully I will stay healthy for the rest of the year. I’m looking forward to some traveling and camping trips!
Most of the conversation was in Japanese, and I am finding that I can understand more and more lately (yay for Duolingo!). I’d say I understand maybe 40%. I’m getting there slowly!
I’ve been listening to the NYC-based band Michelle for a couple of years now, and love their songs so much. When I saw that they were coming to Empire Control Room in Austin as part of their Lavender tour, I immediately bought a ticket.
The show was awesome! Empire Control Room is pretty small, so even standing at the back, the stage was pretty close. They played for about an hour, and I heard all of my favorite songs, including FYO and Sunrise. The singers, Layla, Sophia, Emma, and Jamee, sounded great, and looked like they were having so much fun.
Julian and Charlie held down the percussion, bass, and programming and were also super-funny.
I really enjoyed the show, and was glad I went. It’s one of those life-experiences that I will cherish forever.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/4.5, 1/220 sec, ISO640 “Ooni Karu 12” Cedar Park 2022
Our newest cooking gadget is the Ooni Karu 12 pizza oven. It’s a portable oven which uses charcoal, wood, or gas (with extra attachment). Today I used a combination of lump coal and wood, and the pizzas turned out pretty good!
The first pizza was a little scorched because I didn’t know how quickly an 850°F /454°C oven cooks a pizza! It only took about 20 seconds before the side that was nearest the back of the oven started burning. The next pizza was better, with a slightly cooler temperature (I bought an infrared thermometer from Harbor Freight) and more diligent rotating of the pizza. Our third pizza turned out almost perfect which means I am getting the hang of using the Ooni.
What made it a bit challenging was the fact that our normal pizza peel is too big for the Ooni Karu 12, so we had to improvise with a foil-covered cutting board and parchment paper to launch the pizza. FYI, parchment paper and pizza ovens do NOT mix. 😂
I also was using my regular barbecue grill spatula to rotate the pizza, which was okay, but not optimal. But we have an appropriately sized pizza peel on the way, and I think I will just practice with the spatula a bit more.
So, how did the pizza taste? Honestly, it didn’t really taste that much better than our regular oven-baked pizza. Maybe I need to use different charcoal and/or wood? This time I used oak lump coal and hickory wood. I’m not sure how much a difference it would make since there isn’t hardly any smoke.
Anyways, I am looking forward to making more pizza using the Ooni Karu 12. It’s a lot of fun, especially controlling the flame using pieces of hard wood. And seeing the dough puff up and the top of the pizza bubbling is really exciting. ♥️🍕
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/4.5, 1/90 sec, ISO3200 “Fig, Walnut, and Honey Pizza” Cedar Park 2022
The next stop on my “Best Burgers of Austin” tour was Jewboy Burgers on Airport Blvd. I ordered “The Jewboy”, which is the basic cheeseburger, and I guess would be a good gauge of the burger menu. I loved it! The patty was grilled to perfection, with a bit of crisp on the edges. The potato bun was great, and the simple toppings of lettuce, pickle, and mustard let the flavor of the beef shine through. Really tasty!
I also ordered a side of crinkle-cut fries and latkes. The latkes were yummy, but the fries are what blew me away. They were perfectly crisp on the outside, yet creamy on the inside. These fries are maybe the best I’ve ever had! I don’t know if they are cut in the restaurant, or bought that way, but they really know how to deep fry them to perfection!
I’d rate the burger as an 8 out of 10, and the fries at a 10!
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My camera & photos
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?
