Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO3200 “Shopping” Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは！Hello!
Tonight’s photo is of my son, Bay, shopping for some new shoes. 👟 On his laptop. It’s strange when I think about it – shopping for clothes online is so common nowadays!
I remember when I was a kid, going to the shoe store and my mom buying us new sneakers. It was so fun! Measuring our feet, trying on all the different shoes, that shoe-store smell, and the cool low seats that had the angled mirrors on them so you can see how the shoes looked from a distance. I suppose you can still do that, but the online option is so convenient, isn’t it?
I watched an episode of the show Stranger Things the other night, and I noticed they used the word “mixtape”. 📼 I told Bay that back in the ’80s, we didn’t have that word. He asked me what word we used, and I just said “tape” and he just shook his head… Also, they described someone as being “mental” which was not an ’80s term at all, at least not in the States. Anyways, I thought it was interesting that they didn’t use more common ’80s terms.
And just another sign that I’m getting older! But still young at heart. 😝
Well, I hope you had a nice Friday, and here’s to a great weekend!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO1600 “Sitting Reflection” Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは！Hi, how’s it going?
This evening Koa and I went out looking for Pokemon again. You know, I think the game is pretty fun, but what is really cool is that it’s a nice way to spend time with my kids and wife. Since we all play, we can go out together and have fun together… which is kind of odd because I wonder, what is the difference from what we were doing before?
I think it has something to do with the fact that we are all doing something we all enjoy. Most of the time when we go out, we each have varying degrees of enjoyment in the activity. Sometimes, like for Koa’s baseball, that is his activity, and then Mariko and I enjoy it from a different angle, while Bay has zero interest and doesn’t even join us. But with Pokémon GO, we are all into it, and can play together. It’s really great!
I think a lot of families are experiencing the same thing. 😄
Tonight’s photo is of Koa and I sitting on a bench at the outdoor shopping center. We are sitting next to a PokéStop, within short walking distance of another PokéStop and a PokéGym too. Unfortunately, the pokémon that we found there kind of sucked, but it was still fun. And nice to get out for some fresh air!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO800 “Fuchiko Stuck in Blueberry Quicksand” Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは！
Today’s photo is of Fuchiko, the tiny OL (office lady) who appears in people’s photos, usually perched on the edge of a a cup or glass. Mariko went shopping and came home with a bunch of blueberries and I wanted to take a photo of them for Instagram, but then I thought it would be a little more interesting with Fuchiko in the photo.
So… a little bit of drama in this one! I guess I was inspired a bit by the awesome Instagram feed of Takuya Tanaka. He’s so creative!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO1600 “Cloudy Waters” Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは！Hi!
This evening we set up Bay’s new aquarium, which is actually our old aquarium, but since we got a new 20-gallon tank, Bay wanted the 10-gallon tank for his room. I was happy to give it to him because I remember when I was his age I also had an aquarium in my room. 🐠
Yesterday I helped him clean the tank, by taking out the old gravel and rocks and then he scrubbed the glass to remove the algae that has built up over the years. He also cleaned the filter pump and aquarium hood. It’s looking good!
And today we went to the local fish store to buy some new substrate and a couple fish. Since I kept the old biological media, the water should be cycled pretty quickly. I recommended Bay start out with a couple of Siamese algae-eaters, and then do some research as to what kinds of fish (and how many) would do well in a 10-gallon tank. He also wants to put some live grasses in it, which should be pretty cool.
I remember when I was in middle school I had a 10-gallon tank in my room… it may even have been smaller. Perhaps an 8-gallon? Anyways, the filter system we used was very different back then. We used one of those vibrating pumps that drove air through a tube and into a plastic filter box. The bubbles would create a current that would keep water flowing through the filter material. It was a loud system! But I loved that little aquarium and it gave me years of enjoyment. Our guppies lived long happy lives and we raised a lot of little baby guppies!
When I was in high school, I had a larger aquarium, maybe a 12 or 15-gallon tank, using the same filter system. But I was able to get some different kinds of fish – platys, mollys, plecos, and tetras. I loved that tank as well! I remember spacing-out looking into that aquarium for hours while listening to Environments records… ☺️
During college I had another aquarium in our dorm room. It was a cool plexi tank and I think I had a couple mollys and a little frog. This tank had an under-gravel filter system, but still used that loud pump.
These days, the pumps and filters we use are the impeller-type which are quiet, efficient, and easy to maintain. I’m sometimes tempted to get one of the air-pumps so I can have some cool bubbles in the aquarium, but I’m satisfied with how the aquarium is set up now.
I’m really happy that I’ve had an aquarium in my life since I was young. It’s a fun and relaxing hobby that can be so much more than “just taking care of fish”. I hope that Bay and/or Koa continue with the tradition!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1000 “Jambalaya” Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは！Hi, how’s it going? Did you have a good Monday?
Mine was pretty good… at work I got to work on a creative poster project, and I am pretty pleased with how it came out. Of course, I need time to “clean the palette” and then have a fresh look at it so I can make adjustments, but I think the design is solid. 😄
On the home front, Bay requested Jambalaya so Mariko made a delicious version of the dish. She used the boxed mix and added some veggies, sausage, shrimp, and a yummy cream sauce (which I am pretty sure isn’t traditional)! We all enjoyed it! 🍴
Mariko’s home-cooking was greatly missed by me while she was in Japan, and I am so happy to be eating like a king again. 👑 Already we’ve enjoyed Japanese curry, and now Jambalaya. The side dishes are wonderful as well – fresh salad, potato salad, lotus, marinated tomatoes, etc. I’m gaining weight again! And happily. 😊
Have a good evening, and we’ll see you tomorrow!
おやすみなさい！
– B
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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?
