Simple Living

 My weight has held steady at 173 lbs for past 5 years.  I started gaining a lot of weight from 2004 to 2010 and it since leveled off above 170 lbs ever since; that's roughly when I stopped long distance running (I used to run 25-30 miles per week). as My Diet 2019 ~ 2022 I've been reading about keto diets and the issues with processed sugar and contemplated trying a keto diet, but was concerned with the side effect of feeling tired/sluggish due to ketosis.  I will however try to reduce my carbohydrate intake by avoiding processed sugar and increasing the amount of protein and fat. To keep it simple, I'll make just four (4) changes to my diet: Breakfast (egg or tuna salad sandwich) Eat veggies ( 8 oz/day - Celery, Carrots, Cucumbers, etc) Drink more water (48 oz/day) Avoid processed sugars I've been trying this for a few weeks now in 2018 and seems to be working.  For most part I've been eating an egg or tuna salad sandwich for breakfast, snack on the crunchy veggie

At a company party I got two (2) surprise gifts...a bluetooth Sony speaker SRS-XB10 and a pair of Apple AirPods.  I'm quite happy as I've been wanting some bluetooth audio gear.  The Sony is fairly decent for its size and will be useful at outdoor parties and events with its 12+ hour battery life. The AirPods are more interesting and after several days of regular use I'm finding them very convenient vs. conventional wired Earbuds due to the freedom from tangled cables.  I ordered a silicone case with clip for added security and convenience as I didn't feel comfortable carrying the charging case in my pocket.  A clip or way to securely tether the AirPods is almost a necessity. A very nice Christmas.

 I'm quite impressed at my original iPad 2 that I purchased 7 years ago in 2011 is still going strong.  Just checked the battery health and it's at 85% useful life, which is impressive.  The iPad 2 is probably one of the oldest pieces of technology that has survived and continues to work as designed. Granted it's a bit laggy relative to my more modern laptops and iPhones, but is totally functional and I rely upon for both its size, weight and form factor as its unparalleled in terms of reading PDF documents; especially with the handy bookmarking feature. While it's required me maintaining a set of old charging cables, the battery life allows me to use this tablet for several days between charges, so I'm not as concerned.  Perhaps in 3-5 years I'll finally retire this device and upgrade to a new iPad or relevant tablet. Update - Aug 2023 - Digital Photo Frame Now in its 12th year, repurposed it to become a digital photo frame.     It's too slow

 I have about 92 items in my primary collections.  By treating them as 'collections' helps me focus and carefully select which items to add, replace or keep. Headphones -- 15 -- $700 Technology -- 11 -- $1700 Watches -- 11 -- $6000 Fountain Pens -- 4 -- $100 Whisky -- 5 -- $300 Clothing -- 46 -- $3200 Value Estimation -- 91 // $12,000 10 items constitute the bulk of the valuation at about $8,000; of which the Rolex and Omega constitute most of that.  The rest of my possessions tally up to barely $4,000.  I used a combination of depreciated or replacement cost to determine valuation; for example I can find my Rolex Explorer online for about $3,700 and used that as the value basis.  Kinda surprising how much money I've spent over the years accumulating all this stuff and in only 91 items! Reflecting on that, none of these are actually my 'primary' expenditures.  I spend more on food, housing or transportation each year.  My car costs at least several thousands in car

I scored a pair of Beats Urbeats Earbuds as my friend switched to bluetooth only headsets.  I was naturally skeptical as I used to own a pair of Series 1 Beats Studio headphones and was quite disappointed with them. But when I tried on these Beat Earbuds, I was surprised and impressed.  The bass was toned down (unusual for 'Beats') and the mids/treble are tuned to be a bit brighter.  I immediately had to compare them against my Klipsch R6i's. Environment Sound Source - iPhone 6s Volume - 50% Klipsch R6i Specs: Drivers -- 6.5mm Frequency Range -- 10 ~ 19,000 Hz Sensitivity -- 110 db/mW Impedence -- 18 Ohms Noise Isolation -- -22 3.5mm Plug (Gold) Flat Cable (Tangle Free)  Microphone In-Line Control (Volume Up/Down, Start/Pause) $60 @ Amazon Beats Urbeats Specs***: Drivers -- 9mm Frequency Range --10 Hz ~ TBD Hz Sensitivity -- 112 db/mW Impedence -- 18 Ohms Noise Isolation -- -20 3.5 mm Plug Flat Cable (Tangle Free) Microphone) In-Line Contr

 I recently picked up a 2nd Generation IS250 and driven it for a few weeks.  Paid $11k for it.  The IS250 is a joy to drive and satisfied my basic requirements: Daily Driver (mostly freeway/highway miles) 6-Cylinder (V6) Motor Sedan Bodystyle I'm probably in the minority of car owners as I disdain SUV's / Hatchbacks and Turbos; which seems to be what the majority of models car manufacturers offer these days. Specs - 2007 Lexus IS250 Engine - 2.5L - V6 RWD - 4GR-FSE HP - 204 @ 6400 Torque - 185 @ 4800 Transmission - 6 Speed Performance: 0-60: 7.4 seconds 1/4 Mile: 15.4 seconds @ 88 mph EPA MPG: 24 City / 32 Highway Dimensions: Length: 180.1  inches Wheelbase: 107.5 inches Height: 56.1 inches Width (w/o mirrors): 70.9 inches I. Highway Cruiser - Yes In short, the Lexus IS250 was designed for the open freeways and highways and feels most at home above 60 mph.  It's when you overcome its anemic 7 second 0-60 and can rev into the 3-4k RPM power band when the IS250 is

I debated for quite some time whether or not to invest in a proper Watch Case.  I used to own a cheap 6 slot Watch Case, but was very unsatisfied with the poor quality (plastic clear top and glued vinyl).  To avoid that same mistake, decided to invest in a Hard Wood and Glass Case from Amazon @ $53.  First Impression - It's decent The internal cushions and partitions are about the same quality as the cheap 6 slot Case I used to have and if you pull too hard they will pop out. Some issues I had was the bottom 2nd tray has a very low height clearance.  I was planning to put my Casio G-Shocks in there eventually, but other than the 5600's the bigger G-Shocks will have a hard time fitting (unless you want them scraping). The 2nd Tray is also quite loose and jiggly.  You'll have to guide it into place, but not really a big deal. In it's defense, the solid glass top is gorgeous and really makes the watches stand out.  I actually am very happy investing in this case f

I'm partial to three (3) styles of analog watches:  Chronographs, Field Watches and Divers.  For most part, I find Quartz better suited for a Chronograph complication, while Automatic/Mechanicals give Quartz a good run for Field and Dive Watches.  I like to have at least a few budget Quartz watches in my collection as 'beater' watches that I don't need to worry about and yet enjoy some basic styling. In general, when not wearing an Automatic/Mechanical, I lean towards 'busy' Quartz Chronographs on a metal bracelet like the Casio MTP-4500. Watch Specifications [Watch#1] Brand/Model - Casio MTP-4500 Style - Chronograph (3 Register, Center Seconds) Dimensions - 41mm Case Width, 11mm Case Height, 22mm Lug Width Movement - Quartz Features - Tachymeter Rotating Bezel, NoDate, Metal Bracelet Retail - $33 @ Amazon (MSRP $80) [Watch#2] Brand/Model - Wenger 72803W Style - Field Watch Dimensions - 41 mm Case Width, 11mm Case Height, 20mm Lug W

Created a 2nd Blog called Coffee Study Talk. For most part my original Blog: Simple Living will focus on my Technology Related Hobbies: Watches Video Games Headphones Technology Misc. The 2nd Blog - Coffee Study Talk will segway to everything else and be focused on: Coffee Liquor (Whiskey mostly) Traveling My Studies Fountain Pens