Simple Living

Drove to Austin.  About 300 miles one way.  In hindsight, I should have left earlier and with a full tank of gas. I ended up stopping halfway to fill up when the Camry could have easily gone all the way without stopping, but a brief 10 minute stop was nice. I’m total about 5.5 hours on the road.  I stopped at about 3 hours to fill up. Budget Hotel - $50 Gas - $67 Food - $50 Parking/Bike - $16 Total $183 Normally, the hotel would have cost $150, but used some Hilton points. Stayed in Pluegerville at the Tru by Hilton.  Decent place, the breakfast was free, it was simple fare with mostly oatmeal, waffles and scrambled eggs.  I’d prefer some choice of fresh cut fruits.  Enjoyed the unlimited free coffee. Room was small, but clean and comfortable. Breakfast at Tru. Austin River Walk.  Was over 91 degrees so could only stand it for an hour or so.  Tried a bike ride and that was fun. Lunch was at De Nada.  Mexican Food.  The Barbacoa was amazing as well as their Queso. Rest of the day was ch

I got a chance to visit the Surplus Store in Austin and it lived up to its name in finding cheap Victorinox Swiss Army knives. They had them arranged in several set of bins ranging in price from $1 for basic 58mm Classics to $3-4 for 91mm and specialty scales 58mm Classics. Most were in rough shape and had seen better days, but there are a few hidden gems and for $9, scored 6 58mm Swiss Army Knives: Memory Signature Rambler Classic x3 The Memory, Signature and Ramblers go for $15-20 each online and the Classics at least $3 a piece so overall a $69 value for $9. This is the price point that makes this hobby fun. Update - 7/1/22 - Cleaning 🧼  Finally got around to cleaning the knives I bought.  Most were surprisingly already clean with no dust or debries between the scales. I’m liking the Rambler and may use that for my EDC.

Upgrading My Linux Rig with an Inland 256GB SSD Overview I recently received a free Inland 256GB SSD Hard Drive from a friend and decided it was the perfect opportunity to upgrade my Linux rig (an HP15 i3-4010u from 2014). Although the laptop runs perfectly fine with a traditional 500GB HDD, the performance benefits of switching to an SSD were too tempting to pass up. Upgrade Difficulty Ratings I’m rating the difficulty of this upgrade from Easy 1 to Difficult 5 : Physical Installation: Easy 1 The physical installation of the SSD was straightforward since I'm familiar with disassembling the HP15. It took me about 15 minutes to swap in the new SSD. Linux Installation: Medium 2 The installation of Linux posed more challenges and required three attempts . I used various USB drives, but the best method turned out to be booting into non-persistent mode with Linux Mint for the installation. I also tested Lubuntu and Elementary , but both felt sluggish. While I love the GUI of Element

Going Green with Jackets in 2022 This year, I decided to embrace green for my jackets. I splurged on a dark green varsity jacket and an olive green chore overshirt jacket . I'm still waiting for Adidas to restock a collegiate green track jacket that I have my eye on. Finding My Style I’ve found that green suits my wardrobe now that I have all the basics in place and am ready to add a bit of color. My go-to look has become somewhat of a uniform: blue jeans , white shoes , a black or white t-shirt , and a green jacket . This combo really helps break the monotony of sticking to only white, navy, or black jackets. Planned Purchases: Varsity Jacket - $28 - Donated Chore Overshirt Jacket - $40 - Donated Adidas Track Jacket - $40 - Never Bought I opted for entry-level versions of these classic jackets to experiment with styles, colors, and textures, with plans to upgrade to better-quality versions later. The exception is the Adidas track jacket—I already own three and am satisfied wit

Omega x Swatch Collaboration Update I was really excited about the Mission to the Moon and Mars versions of the Omega x Swatch collaboration, so I made it a point to be in line on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, they only had a few units for sale, and I wasn’t able to snag one. I’ll keep checking in to see if I can eventually get my hands on those pieces. Thoughts on the Collaboration It’s kind of cool and exciting that Omega and Swatch teamed up for this wild collaboration—it actually makes sense. I’ve always had a soft spot for chronographs, and I hope to own the original Omega Speedmaster Professional someday. In the meantime, this Swatch version would make for a fun daily wearer. Update - 4/20/22 However, I’ve been hearing some concerning reports that some of the watches bleed ink. I saw a video for the blue Neptune version that claimed the blue dye left a stain on a person's wrist. I’m hoping this issue is limited to specific colorways and doesn’t impact the red Mars or

Maintenance & Fuel Log for 2015 Toyota Camry XLE Total Maintenance Cost Lifetime: 2022: $1,200 2023: $1,370 2024: $250 2025: $225 2026:  $225 2027:  $225 Total: $2,820 (+$675) Currently, I'm averaging $940  a year in maintenance cost but this is due to emphasizing preventive maintenance.   It should start dropping and trend closer to $600 a year by 2027. Maintenance Cost by Type Consumables (19%) Tire Services : $205 Brakes and Rotors : $325 Preventive (55%) Oil Changes : $500 Fluid Change/Cleaning: $1,050 Engine (13%) Belts: $300 Spark Plugs: $140 Other Services : $300 Total Maintenance Cost : $2,820 The cost is heavily weighted on preventive as I want to keep this car for at least a decade and thus far am pleased with the quality of the engine and powertrain.  I should see it start to trend down as all I need are oil changes for most years. 2015 - 2021 Based on previous owner history they meticulously maintained it with oil changes every 5k miles.  Part of the reason

Samsung A32 5G Review Initial Impressions Price Point : At $100, the Samsung A32 5G offers impressive performance. Performance Comparison : It matches or exceeds the iPhone 11 in most areas, except for screen display quality, which falls short compared to Samsung's usual high standards. Display Screen Quality : The 6.5" TFT LCD (720 x 1600 pixels, 60Hz) display is a letdown considering Samsung's reputation for AMOLED screens, particularly when streaming high-quality video is essential today. Nostalgia for AMOLED : The user misses the AMOLED screens of older models like the Note 4 and S8+, recognizing the significant impact of display quality on the overall experience. Longevity Two-Year Review : After two years, the A32 5G remains responsive and snappy, comparable to the newer A15 5G. This durability highlights the benefits of investing in quality devices. Comparison with A15 : The main distinction is the AMOLED display on the A15, which users increasingly prioritize over

My Everyday Carry Update I'm really liking the simplicity of the Casio A168 and normally rock that most days, swapping it for my G-Shock 5600 on weekends. I’m also preferring a lighter weight kit and have gone back to the Victorinox Cadet. Otherwise, it's the same gear I've been using for almost two years. While the iPhone 11 has performed great, I’m looking to upgrade to something with 5G. I’ll wait until November to upgrade to the newer iPhone. Feb 2022 EDC: Apple iPhone 11 Victorinox Cadet Swiss Army Knife Casio A168 Watch Leather Wallet  

Exciting Find: 1991-1992 Swiss Army Knife Explorer I found a nice example of a 1991-1992 Swiss Army Knife Explorer model. I dated it based on the tang stamp on the main blade, which indicates it’s from 1986-1992. It has to be from after 1991 since it includes the carrier hook on the bottom tools. The old-style grey magnifying lens confirms it’s an older model Explorer, as those were produced from 1973-2004. Overall, it's a good find for $20! This piece will complete my collection as a counterpoint to the similar four-layer Huntsman. The choice of Phillips screwdriver and magnifying lens makes this a useful addition to my gear.

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