Slow Monday

"Fresh Bread" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/75 sec, ISO3200
“Fresh Bread” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

It’s a holiday week here in the States as we celebrate Independence Day on Wednesday. Because of that, a lot of people are taking vacation, and the office is very quiet. Not only are there fewer people here, but the overall mood is laid back since those of us still here are looking forward to a relaxing Wednesday. It’s a good feeling!

Honestly, I can’t get very excited about this year’s Independence Day, as I truly despise our current government administration. I don’t believe it reflects the values that the forefathers envisioned. On that note, here’s an excellent podcast episode that succinctly summarizes the state of the country, and my feelings about it. It’s Sarah Kendzior as the guest on The Rob Burgess Show. She’s one of the people that I trust and is always a compassionate voice of reason in this time of lies and cruelty.

I didn’t intend this blog post to be political, but I believe our government has shifted from a flawed but functioning democracy towards an authoritarian state, where our system of checks and balances has been compromised. But we can still vote and protest, and while the First Amendment still exists in the Constitution, I will write about it.

🇺🇸

Today’s photo speaks for itself. But I wish you all could smell the wonderful aroma of freshly-baked bread that has filled the house! ❤🍞

またね~

The Return of (Good) Dinner

"Fresh Bread" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO1600
“Fresh Bread” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today the house was filled with the smell of fresh-baked bread. 😊 As you can see in the photo above, the bread that Mariko made came out looking perfect, but I haven’t had a chance to taste it yet. 🍞 While she was away, I’ve missed the yummy bread that she usually makes.

The next photo is of a paella dinner which Koa requested. “I want seafood… that dish we had in Spain,” is what he said. 🦑🦐 As you might have noticed, the rice is not the typical color. Mariko decided to use a squid-ink broth to cook the rice in. A fun spin on paella for sure, and our lips and teeth turned an interesting tint of grey. 😱

"Paella Dinner" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4.5, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Paella Dinner” Cedar Park, 2018

I think both Koa and I were tired of the “bachelor food” we’ve been eating for the past couple weeks. Pizza, burgers, etc. can get tiresome really quick when you are used to home-cooking. Never underestimate how much a home-cooked meal can do for your wellbeing! 😀

またね~

Scraps?

"Bread Fails" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/9 sec, ISO800
“Bread Fails” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

The past few days, Mariko has been baking a ton and sharing/selling bread to friends. And sometimes (not often) she has a bread fail… which is great for me because while the bread might not look perfect, it tastes great. 😀

The photo above shows some of the bread fails, but they still look great, don’t they?

I hope you had a nice Thursday!

またね~