Popeye’s and a Couple Movies

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"Popeye's Fried Chicken" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
 “Popeye’s Fried Chicken” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

I noticed that a few people in my extended family mentioned their fondness for Popeye’s Fried Chicken in the family Whatsapp group and it has been sitting in the back of my mind because I have never actually tried Popeye’s before. So this evening Bay and I visited the nearby restaurant and ordered the 8-piece special, with four different side items.

I had pretty high expectations of the food because of the surprising enthusiasm on Whatsapp, but unfortunately, I was disappointed with both the chicken and sides (mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, green beans, and red beans & rice). While the skin/breading of the chicken was super-crispy, it didn’t have a really good or special taste (KFC is better IMHO). It was just basic fried chicken. And everything, including the sides, was really salty.

Sadly, I think that tonight’s visit to Popeye’s will be my last since there are other chicken options that I prefer. I’m not a huge fan of fried chicken to begin with that type of food is not high on my list anyways. But Popeye’s was an itch that I had to scratch, so I’m glad I tried it! 😆

In other news, I watched a couple of Japanese movies today – the excellent Close-Knit, and an older movie A Fisher Wife’s Tale, starring Hibari Misora. Yes, it was a lazy Sunday. Sitting under a warm kotatsu watching movies was kind of perfect, actually!

"Close-Knit Movie" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: motorola moto g(6), 3.95mm, f/1.8, 1/30 sec, ISO260
 “Close-Knit Movie” Cedar Park, 2018

I hope you had a wonderful Sunday!

またね～

キムチ鍋 / Kimchi Nabé Dinner

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"キムチ鍋" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/55 sec, ISO3200
 “キムチ鍋” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Tonight, we enjoyed another meal that’s perfect for cool autumn weather: kimchi nabé (キムチ鍋). The ingredients were: tofu, sliced pork, scallion, Chinese cabbage, noodles, enoki mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, and kimchi. Right now, Koa is on a band trip out of state, so there were only three of us feasting tonight and there was so much food that there were plenty of leftovers. That means it will make a deluxe kimchi udon tomorrow. 🤤

"キムチ鍋" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/100 sec, ISO2000
 “キムチ鍋” Cedar Park, 2018

Next time I’d like to try it with oyster as well. It looks amazing:

I hope you had a spicy day!

またね～

New Phone (Motorola Moto G6)

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"Moto G6 and Case" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO400
 “Moto G6 and Case” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today I replaced my old phone, a Motorola Moto G4, with a new one. I went with the latest in the Moto G line, the Motorola Moto G6, which was on sale at Costco for a nice price of just $189, unlocked. Three and a half years ago, I bought the Moto G4 for $179, so it’s keeping with the tradition of a nicely-priced mid-range (some would say “budget”) phone. I just can’t see myself spending a ton of money on a phone, even though I know they are huge parts of our lives.

"Old and New" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
 “Old and New” Cedar Park, 2018

As you can see from the photo above, the size is about the same, but the screen is slightly taller, and better quality. I ordered another wallet-style case since that is what I prefer – having my drivers license, main credit cards, and a bit of cash with my phone simplifies things for me. I just grab that, my keys, and my camera and I am ready to go! Plus the wallet-case is nice protection for my phone. I don’t need a screen protector for the phone… my G4 doesn’t have any scratches on it. It looks brand new! So hopefully I can sell it for a decent price.

Moving my data from the old phone to the new one was really easy, and only took about 20 minutes. Almost all my old apps were downloaded and installed automatically and settings came across as well. Plus using Lastpass made logging into everything painless. I highly recommend using a password manager!

"Transfer" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO500
 “Transfer” Cedar Park, 2018

Once everything was installed, I decided to use a different launcher instead of the Motorola Launcher. I mainly don’t like how the folders look with the Motorola version, with the tiny app icons stuffed inside. I went with Nova Launcher, which I used to use with my old Samsung Galaxy S3 several years ago, and since I actually bought the “Prime” version for the S3, it was still available for installation even for the new phone! With Nova Launcher, I now have the extra customization options to change the icons. So far here is what my phone screen looks like. Nice and tidy:

"Tidy" Cedar Park, 2018
“Tidy” Cedar Park, 2018

The folders on the bottom row are (from left to right) chat/messaging/phone, maps/location, music, Instagram/photo-related, and fun stuff like games/Kindle/Netflix. I like the simple look with beautiful illustration as background.

I’m enjoying the speed boost that comes with the upgrade to the Motorola Moto G6. And I am very happy that I was able to get a good deal on a solid phone. 😊

I hope you had a nice day!

またね～


Beaujolais Day

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"Beaujolais Day" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/100 sec, ISO2500
 “Beaujolais Day” Cedar Park, 2018

Yes, today we opened a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau to enjoy with dinner. It’s nice to celebrate Beaujolais Day, which is on the third Thursday of November! The wine is fruity and light, and while I prefer a cabernet or pinot noir, this fresh wine is enjoyable and fun. I look forward to it every year. 😆

I hope you had a nice day!