Simple Living

Keeping it simple and since letting go of the Apple SE2 I’m down to my 2 automatics and 3 Casio’s.  I’ve gravitated towards these specific watch models and find it provides sufficient variety. For everyday it’s any Casio or the Rolex.  For travel and outdoors it’s G-Shock.  The Omega is my oldest and flashiest and when I need something none of the others can offer it’s the right choice. The Casio’s are all about 50 grams heavy, followed by the Explorer 100 grams and the Omega is the heavyweight at 165 grams. Next Watch? The Speedmaster or the Submariner have always been on my list, but the cost has only gone up and made them more and more unobtainable.  On pre owned market I’m looking at $4k for the Omega and $8k for the Rolex. Another consideration is Tudor Pelagos 39.  It’s about the price of a Speedmaster. Outside the Casio’s anything below $500-1,000 isn’t appealing due to the lack of fit and finish that I’m used to with my Omega and Rolex.  Surprisingly, the Omega Seamaster is pro

I’ve swapped back to my 5600 Casio G-Shock and finding it fits me better than the A168.  My tastes in watches ebbs and flows and I’m happy I kept many of my older watches as it allows me opportunity to rotate them in my collection. There is something about a G-Shock that fits my outfit and just makes it all work.  I also finally got free of the allure of the Apple Watch.

Im liking white wines more and more.  Sometimes I do want something chilled and I’m gravitating towards those with a dry finish and found the Santa Margharita Valdadige hits the spot with their Pinot Grigio. I’ve learned this Italian wine is from Tyrol in Northern Italy and the grape is identical to the Oregon variety called Pinot Gris.  Oregon’s is a bit sweeter from the few I’ve sampled so I’m partial to this Italian one.  There is also a French Pinot Grigio/Gris and I’ll try some to compare. When it’s on sale I try to buy several as these pair nicely with many dishes from pasta to steak. Flavor Profile: Dry Not Sweet Balanced (not sour / low acidity)

My next stop in the world of Champagne brings me to House Tattinger and I look forward to compare it with my previous tastings from Veuwe Cliquot and Bollinger. I’m preferring dry wines with a hint of apple, pear or citrus.  Looking forward to see how this one tastes. Review I’ll rate this below Bollinger, but above Veuwe Cliquot.

I'm standardizing my portable power bank solutions and settled on 3 models from Anker: PowerCore 10400 / A1214 - 10k - USB PowerBank 334 / A1642 - 10k - Type C, MagSafe PowerBank 622 - A1611 - 5k - Type C, MagSafe Weight vs Capacity - 10k is optimum After debating this for a while I chose 10k as a good balance between weight vs capacity.  5k is ideal for a short term 1 up charge and the 10k can give me 2 re-ups for longer trips. 20k or more while nice is not needed for my current travel plans as I’m typically near a hotel or power outlet.  As none of my needs require 'off-grid' living 10k is perfect. Wireless vs Wired While more expensive and slower charging speeds the convenience of wireless charging by MagSafe is more appealing than wired.  But having the option to charge faster over a wired cable is also nice.

Since expanding into wine, I’ve also enjoyed food pairings and one of my favorite has been dipping bread in balsamic and olive oil. My favorite combo has been: Frantoi Cutrera - Primo - Extra Virgin Olive Oil DOP Guiseppi Giusto - Aceto Balsamic Vinegar IGP (red label) The Giusto Red is a lovely thick balsamic and blends nicely with the Frantoi Primo olive oil.  I’ve tried other brands, but always end up back to these 2. Oils has 3 levels of quality assurance: DOP - most strict and for Balsamic vinegar must be Italian and 100% grape must and no more tha from 7 grape varieties.  Also aged for a number of years. IGP - medium strixt ans for balsamic vinegar allows minimum 20% grape must, 7 grape varieties but can be grown anywhere in world.  They allow for other ingredients like caramel coloring and 60 days minimum aging. Commercial - pretty open category.  The rating system doesn't guarantee its the best, only the minimum standards.  There are many IGP that surpass a DOP.  So the

Exploring other coffee spots and gave PJ’s a try.  The vibe is of a franchise and they had an overwhelming menu so opted for a cold brew. Cold Brew They suggested the pecan flavored and I added some whole milk.  It was quite nice and better than a regular iced coffee.  I’ve only had cold brew a number of times and mostly from Starbucks. I wouldn’t mine stopping in again, but tend to prefer non-franchise.  Starbucks while decent has made everything taste the same.

Nespresso isn't cheap and I'm averaging $1.50 per serving.  While its still cheaper than a coffee shop, its benefit is more convenience than a good cup of coffee.  Still there are some flavors I'm finding pleasant and really enjoy the Pierre Homme Hazelnut and Double Espresso. I'm also really loving the iced coffee options and addicted to the LE Coconut and will need to pick up more when they restock.  And since experimenting with the PH Double Espresso, I'm finding almost every strong Espresso pod like Altisso and up are perfect mixed with hot water into an Americano. That's basically it for me a couple Espresso's for an Americano base or the LE Coconut on ice.  Doing it that way helps me keep the cost down and enjoy the convenience of a Nespresso machine.  I can then ration about 1 sleeve per week and limit my consumption for the weekends when I hit 2-3 pods per day. My favs: Coconut LE PH Hazelnut PH Double Espresso Kona Espresso LE Any strong Espresso (A

Over the years I've had a chance to own and try several different models of Android devices and while I'm primarily an Apple user, I'm continually impressed by how far Android has come and even surpasses iphones in screen quality, cameras, battery life and UI. Performance however is where it still lags and requires ever increasing specs on chipsets and memory to keep pace with the iPhone.  After 3 years the typical Android is considered slow...iPhone that's not even middle age and can go another 3 years to at least 6 years when it's comparatively slow. When Android bridges that performance gap it'll be the decline of iPhone to becoming a niche brand.  Even though I'm an Apple fan, I remain agnostic.  It's unlikely to happen as the problem is not the specs, but the Android OS.  Which is weird as Linux is fast on old computers and Android is based on Linux, yet somehow it cannot duplicate the same performance experience on a more powerful device like a fl

I picked up a Samsung A15 5G.  It’s a decent budget phone and is about the same as my older A32 5G, but with a better 90hz OLED screen, nice 5,000 mah battery and 128gb memory.  It’s also a plus to have 3.5mm headphone jack. Initial Review.   The screen is awesome and resolution beats the A32 hands down and is actually better marginally than my iPhone 14 Pro.  What sucks is performance after sleep mode.  UI and apps are functional and decent, where you may encounter problems is when you let apps go into sleep mode.  But I got it to watch streaming shows and it’s awesome. Overall it’s a budget phone but nicely done to make it feel comparable to an iPhone 15 Pro Max, but obviously not the same performance. This is great for streaming videos and for single applications, heavier lift apps and any multitasking will be limited.  It's almost like a phablet and I plan to use it as such for travel.   Specs: Release - Dec 16, 2023 Android 14 | One UNI 6 Screen 6.5" screen (1080 x 2340 p

Found a great bagel shop in Texas.  Beats Einstein Bro in quality although the price is higher, but it’s worth it when you want a quality bagel. Got the Salmon Lox on Onion & Chives Schmear and a classic Bacon & Eggs.

I forgot what I ordered but wanted to record it here I had a decent Negroni and some Watermelon energy cocktail.  Was good.

Sometimes I just want a margarita and some chips.  Mi Cocina is most elegant choice.  It’s not the best margarita, but it’s decent and strong.

It’s actually difficult to find good Chinese food in Dallas and only dim sum spot I could find is in Richardson.  Apparently it’s very popular so parking lot and tables fill up early.