Chauffering

"Waiting" Austin, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/105 sec, ISO6400
“Waiting” Austin, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Tonight I drove Koa and his classmate to Lake Travis High School for a two-hour rehearsal. Koa earned a spot in the “Region Orchestra” and they will perform three pieces tomorrow. It’s amazing that they only have three rehearsals before the concert, but since they are the top musicians in the region, I’m sure they can do it!

The boring photo above was taken while I was waiting at the coffee shop for the rehearsal to finish. Since it is a 40-minute drive one way to the rehearsal, I figured I would just wait there. But, I am super-busy with work, so I spent it getting tasks finished up.

I hope you had a nice Friday!

おやすみ

Rooftop Cargo Basket for the Crosstrek

"Cargo Basket" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/200 sec, ISO200
“Cargo Basket” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

As you can see from the photos, I’ve mounted the rooftop cargo basket onto our 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. As expected, it was an easy one-person job to get it onto the crossbars, position, and secure. Obviously, it would have been faster with two people, but it’s certainly not necessary. The basket is light enough that I could lift it safely and place it on the crossbars, then slide it across to center it. I made sure to measure and match the distance between the crossbars with the mounting points on the basket beforehand.

It’s so nice that the Crosstrek is not as tall as a regular SUV or minivan, especially since I am only 5′ 5″ tall. That being said, I did use a footstool to get up higher to the tighten the clamps. It’s just more comfortable to turn the wingnut-type screws without angling your wrist awkwardly.

"Cargo Basket" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/220 sec, ISO200
“Cargo Basket” Cedar Park, 2017

In addition to the stock basket hardware, I added some washers to make the tightening surface a little more beefy, and then bought some some rubber end-caps for the bolt-ends since they stick up a bit into the basket. Apart from that, it’s a nice basket, at a good price! (~$75 US)

"Caps and Washers" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/25 sec, ISO6400
“Caps and Washers” Cedar Park, 2017

I also unpacked the waterproof cargo bag which we’ll put our gear into, and put it in the basket to make sure the size was ok. The footstool was a big help with this part and so for our camping trip, I ordered a portable version. It seems like it’s a decent item to have around, and it folds down flat. It arrives on Friday so we’ll see if it will really do the job.

Driving with the cargo basket up top feels the same as without, but the wind noise is noticeable from about 50 MPH on up. I’m sure the mileage also takes a hit with the basket on, but I’ll update this post later on when I get more drive time data. I’m not planning on keeping the crossbars and basket on the Crosstrek full-time, however. It’s pretty much just for camping. I think it looks pretty cool, though!

FYI, here are the items mentioned in this post:

I’m really enjoying the new Crosstrek!

またね~

Stew and Cargo Basket

"Beef Stew" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO4000
“Beef Stew” Cedar Park, 2017

It’s time for cold-weather food! So a hot beef stew really hit the spot today. Actually, Texas is fairly warm, but it’s so grey out that it feels like it’s colder than it really is.

But any excuse to have beef stew is good enough for me. 😄

And look what arrived in the mail today! It’s a rooftop cargo basket that I am planning on using for camping gear. It looks pretty simple to set up (simple is good!) and is probably a one-person job to put on top of the car.

"In the Box" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO6400
“In the Box” Cedar Park, 2017

The cats love it too. Especially the box it was packed in. 🐱

I hope you had a great day!

Lighting and Crossbars

"The Set" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO2000
“The Set” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

This evening we had a nice Korean-style dinner, with Pajeon pancakes, spicy chicken, and kimchee. It was yummy, but for the photo, I decided to take a shot of our lighting setup instead of the food. Mariko asked me to put the umbrella back up so that the light isn’t as harsh for her food photos. I was happy to oblige since I like the diffused light anyways. Sure, the umbrella looks strange, but I don’t mind. I don’t look up at the umbrella anyway. 😄

Before dinner Bay and I installed some crossbars on the Subaru. I bought an inexpensive set to act as a base for a cargo basket that should arrive tomorrow. These crossbars installed easily and seem pretty sturdy, but the only problem is that they make a high-pitched whistling noise from 40-55mph. It’s really not too bad, and if you are listening to music, you won’t notice. But I don’t plan to keep the crossbars on full-time anyways, so it’s really a non-issue.

I hope you had a nice day!

おやすみ