Current read … understanding pre-revolutionary American history.
A Week of Birthday Celebrations
[12-21 April, 2024]
My niece and I celebrated birthdays 6 days apart, and it turned out to be a series of food celebrations and get-togethers comprising dinners, breakfasts, and brunches over a couple of consecutive weekends. Deliciously fun times!
Total Solar Eclipse
[8 April, 2024]
Today’s solar eclipse in which my home falls in the path of totality was one of the most amazing nature experiences I have ever had. The 15 minutes before totality was uniquely eerie, almost like the anxiety felt in the approach of a powerful thunderstorm. And totality itself was really something else — a dark, foreboding sensation like the arrival of twilight, but not quite. It was a very brief moment to enjoy, but one destined to become an unforgettable memory of a lifetime.
Path of totality, April 8th 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
Event: Total Solar Eclipse, Monday, April 8th, 2024
Location: City of Powell, OH
Partial Eclipse Began: 1:55:43 pm
Totality Began: 3:11:50 pm
Maximum: 3:12:46 pm
Totality Ended: 3:13:43 pm
Partial Eclipse Ended: 4:27:03 pm
Duration: 2 hours, 31 minutes
Totality: 1 minute, 53 seconds
I was able to capture some images of my home, not the eclipse itself, (there are much better images online captured by professional photographers!) half an hour before, during, and half an hour after totality. Notice the shadow of the Hinoki cypress (and its disappearance during totality) in the foreground of each of the photos.
Frenemies
I dogsat Layla, my niece’s sweet little Siberian Husky the past week and a half while they traveled to LA for spring break. Jiro and I enjoyed her company, but I think her rambunctiousness, being barely over 2 years old, sometimes got to Jiro every once in a while. They were the perfect ‘frenemies’.
The Go-Giver
Current read. Applied to business, this book is about one of my favorite bits of wisdom: “the only things you keep are those you give away”.
Pi Day in Tennessee
[13-16 March, 2024]
Our Pi Day celebrations date back to over 20 years ago back in my Corporate Planning days at Honda, in the early Aughts. At that time, pie-eating work get-togethers were organized by our office admins, with approval of course by the managers, and enjoyed by the entire department. We harked back to those times when my former boss and another former co-worker went on a road trip to visit one of our favorite pi day organizers who is now retired in Tennessee.
On the way down, we also made a side trip to Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY for a bourbon tasting and some purchases at the gift shop.
On 3/14, pies were purchased at a local bakeshop and enjoyed heartily. Later that day, we drove through Great Smoky Mountains National Park and visited Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. On Friday. it was a drive to Norris Dam for a look at that area of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s state-wide system of flood prevention, power generation, navigation, and recreation infrastructure of dams, locks, and reservoirs. (We are engineers, after all.) We headed back home on Saturday.
Overall, we had really nice weather, and a welcome late winter break for some time with good old friends.
"Old Boys" Get-Together
[ 22 February, 2024]
The former Japanese president of the engineering division I worked in at Honda was in town visiting last week. We had a little get-together for pizza and chicken wings with several retirees who knew or used to work with him. No less than three of these guys were former bosses of mine.
Cooking and Baking Through Winter's Doldrums
It’s cold and gray out, and I’ve been trying to beat the winter blues by cooking and baking some of my favorites, several definitely taking cues from Filipino cuisine.
"Breakfast Club" Holiday Get-Together
[31 December, 2023]
A potluck dinner with my breakfast club gang closes out the year with a ‘flavor’ bang! Lots of gluten-free fare and fine bourbon cocktails highlighted the evening, just before the ball dropped in Times Square.
Kamille's 5th Birthday
[16 December, 2023]
A birthday party for Kamille that took place two days early! Complete with unicorn cake, colorful balloons, and parlor games! As these things go! A fun time for all!
Annual Christmas Party
[15 December, 2023]
Time flies … it’s that time of the year again. A potluck Christmas party for friends and former co-workers. A party that we aptly called … “Christmas Group Therapy”.
This year’s party invite.
American Revolutions
Current read … apt for the times.
Christmas Trees Are Up!
It’s that time of year - Christmas trees went up the day after Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Dinner
[23 November, 2023]
It was a low-key Thanksgiving Day, largely due to everyone’s conflicting work schedules. Something we’ve learned to live with, what with a majority of family members in the “no-holiday” medical professions. And still, it was our usual non-traditional dinner, notably with nary a turkey to be seen.
Autumn Celebrations and Delectable Delights
Fall season birthdays, new dishes, family visits, and other celebrations.
Fall at the Homestead
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, and for me, provides the best light and colors to take photos of the house and its surroundings. Here are some from a cloudy day in late October.
Basque Burnt Cheesecake
Still feeling Spain vibes, whipped up a 10” pan of Basque Burnt Cheesecake this past weekend.
Michigan Day Trip
[7 October, 2023]
Went on a day trip to Dexter and Ann Arbor with Team Satoh for cider and donuts at Dexter Cider Mill, a visit to a pumpkin patch, a stroll through U of M campus, yummy brownies from Zingerman’s Deli, and some delectable Korean dining at Miss Kim. Definitely plenty of hints of autumn in the air, with a crazy, rapid-fire weather variety of wind, rain, and sun to boot.
Fox in the Snow
The fourth Fox in the Snow branch opened in old Historic Dublin a couple of weekends ago and I got a chance to try it this morning for breakfast. It did not disappoint. The souffléd egg and bacon on ciabatta lives up to its title of ‘best breakfast sandwich in Ohio’, while the morning bun also deserved its own award.
Re-Living Spain
Been trying to re-live my recent Spain visit, one Mediterranean dish (cod en papillote) and drink (tinto de verano) at a time.
