Simple Living

Refreshing My Wardrobe: GAP Sweaters I haven’t worn GAP sweaters regularly since college, but I’ve developed a habit and now have three GAP hoodies and one crew sweater to complement my Uniqlo crew sweaters. Keeping it simple, I opted for mostly white or beige GAP sweaters that pair well with my blue jeans. My navy jackets and tops were clashing, so to break up the monotone blue, I’m going with white tops and white shoes. It’s a very simple, classic, and easy look. I can now sport at least four different white sweaters to mix up my week, along with a black crew neck. My navy GAP hoodie is being reserved for those days when I wear black or khaki pants. I’m so glad my new job allows me to wear hoodies again! I spent three years stuck in slacks and button-down shirts.

Expanding My Ink Collection: Iroshizuku Triple Mini Set I picked up another triple mini set of Iroshizuku Ink. For the price of one 50 mL bottle, I got three smaller 15 mL bottles to sample different colors of ink. This brings my growing collection to about eight different Iroshizuku inks. I believe there are at least 26 standard colors, along with several seasonal and special editions, making it an exciting addition to my writing arsenal.

Staying Secure: My New Apple AirTag I’m a bit paranoid about losing my keys, so I bought an Apple AirTag and a key case. Overall, it cost me about $40 ($30 for the AirTag and $10 for the key case). It works as expected, and I feel a little safer knowing I have a way to locate my keys. If it continues to work well, I might consider adding one to my car as a way to track it—heaven forbid it ever gets stolen!

New Ride: 2015 Toyota Camry XLE I picked up a 2015 Toyota Camry XLE as a replacement for my Lexus IS250. I’m optimistic that the Camry will deliver the famed Toyota reliability, but I’m hedging my bets with a $3,200 extended warranty. The Camry cost me about $18,000, plus the warranty, bringing the out-the-door price to around $23,000. Yes, it’s a bit high, but this is the top-level trim for the four-cylinder model, and it had only 88,000 miles. The previous owner also did oil changes every 5,000 miles or six months, which is a big plus. Although Toyota advertised the 2AR engines could go 10,000 miles or a year between oil changes, I believe in sticking to 5,000 miles or six months. I did the math, and no matter how I spin it, the monthly cost to own any reasonable car was going to be about $350-$400. The Camry hits the high end of that range. Specs - 2015 Camry XLE Engine: 2.5L - 4 Cylinder - 2AR-FE HP: 178 @ 6000 Torque: 170 @ 4100 Transmission: 6 Speed Performance: 0-60: 7.9 secon...

First Flight with Southwest Airlines I recently flew for the first time on Southwest Airlines. Yes, I know—what took me so long? I don’t have a good answer! Overall, I found Southwest to be very reasonably priced for what they offer. It’s a low fare for a decent seat, complete with a pretty good Wi-Fi entertainment system, and they provide some free drinks and snacks. I got to enjoy free movies and text friends while flying, which was pretty awesome. Honestly, considering the quality of airline meals that other carriers offer in economy, the simple snacks Southwest provides are not half bad. Sadly, there was no alcohol available. I can see the appeal of enjoying a beer or some hard liquor with the pretzels. Perhaps in a few months, they may bring back liquor sales. I’ll likely fly Southwest again, as it’s so affordable for what they provide. For my flights, I experienced both the 737-Max8 and an older 737-700. I prefer the Max8 for its additional bathrooms, but otherwise, both planes a...

New Anker Power Core 10400 Both my old 8 and 10 amp power banks died, so I replaced them with a new Anker Power Core 10400 (10.4 amp). I’ve always wanted an Anker, and I figured now was as good a time as any to get one. I got this one for $20, which is quite cheap, but it’s a slow charger with a maximum output of 12 watts. The Power Core 10400 is an older model and usually retails at a lower price. The reason it’s so affordable is due to its max output speed on charging, which is about 12 watts. This is fine for smaller devices but would take forever to charge larger phones that are accustomed to 15-45 watt fast chargers. Despite the wattage limitations, it has good capacity relative to its weight and size. However, because of the slow charging speed, I can only use this for smaller devices. If you can snag this for $20 or less, it’s worth it. Otherwise, I recommend spending a bit more for a faster charging model. Newer Anker power banks can run at 4.8 amps or higher, translating to 24...