Simple Living

Epic Road Trip: Los Angeles to Dallas Overview I recently embarked on a thrilling 3-day, 2-night road trip from Los Angeles, California, to Dallas, Texas , covering approximately 1,500 miles . The route choice was a mix between I-10/20 and I-40; ultimately, I went with I-10 to Phoenix , then cut over to I-40 through Albuquerque. Important Reminder: Always check the weather! I ran into storm clouds over New Mexico and Texas, resulting in some harrowing moments on the road. Day 1: Los Angeles to Phoenix (400 miles) 11 am : Hit the road heading towards Palm Springs. 1 pm : Lunch at Felipe’s (delicious tacos!) and enjoyed some sights of the dinosaur attractions. 3 pm : Quick stop at Joshua Tree for the iconic desert views. 6 pm : Arrived in Phoenix, Arizona . 6 pm : Dinner at Nogales or Lupita’s Sonoran Hot Dogs (a must-try!). Day 2: Phoenix to Amarillo (705 miles) 🌧 7 am : Breakfast to fuel up for the long day ahead. 9 am : Scenic drive through Payson, AZ —mountains and beautiful ...

Spring Cleaning: Selling Unused Items Overview I'm in the process of decluttering my space and making room for things I truly value. I've identified several items that I seldom use anymore, and I've listed them for sale. While selling electronics often means taking a hit on their original purchase price, it’s a step towards better financial management. Items for Sale Here’s a breakdown of what I’m letting go of and their respective prices: Victorinox INOX watch - $300 Swatch - $400 Timex - $170 Tiffany Ring - $250 Tiffany Bracelet - $200 iPad (2018) - $150 GoPro 5 - $150 Switch Lite - $125 PS4 - $175 Fire HD8 - $25 Sansa Clip - $40 Anker Speaker - $15 Financial Summary Total Cash from Sales: ~$2,000 This total represents about 60% of the original value of all these items. Reflection While it stings to see how much tech depreciates, especially selling electronics for less than half their original value, I recognize the worth of the experiences I had with them. B...

Watch Experimentation: Finding the Perfect Strap Discovering New Styles It’s incredible how a simple strap change can transform the look and feel of a watch. I’ve been on a journey with my Zenith, trying out various combinations, and nothing quite felt right. Here’s what I experienced: Leather : Too dressy for everyday wear. NATO : A bit too casual. All Metal : This isn’t a sports watch vibe. The Hirsch Strap Surprise I never considered the Hirsch strap since it's designed for a 20mm lug width , while my Zenith is 19mm . To my surprise, it fits—barely! This unexpected combination has turned out to be a fantastic choice. The Result I’m really enjoying this new setup. It strikes a balance between semi-formal and semi-casual, making it ideal for daily wear. This experience has reinforced the importance of experimenting with different styles; you never know what combination might work perfectly! Update - 8/2/22: The Timex Mk 1 Mechanical Temptation The watch bug has bitten again. I ca...

Watch Collection Update: 2022 Review Current Collection As of 2022, I've streamlined my watch collection down to six pieces, with plans to add a few more. Here’s what I have: Rolex Explorer 114270 Omega Seamaster 2531.80 Zenith Cal 126 Seiko SKX781 Casio G-Shock DW5600 Casio A168 Future Additions I’m excited about my upcoming acquisitions: Omega x Swatch (Mars) - November 2022 Apple Watch SE 2 (44mm) - October 2022 Timex Mk1 - August 2022 (but I ended up selling this) Daily Wear Insights My daily wear has primarily leaned towards quartz models, but I do enjoy sporting my automatic watches like the Seiko and Omega occasionally. My hunch is that one of the following will become my main daily wear: Timex Mk1 Omega x Swatch Apple Watch SE 2 This may lead to my quartz watches getting less wrist time, while the mechanical ones will see even less. Culling the Collection Again? To reach a more manageable collection of 7-8 watches, I parted with the Victorinox INOX and am considering le...

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 amazi...

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: $385 2025: $305 Total: $2,955 Currently, I'm averaging $985  a year in maintenance cost but this is due to emphasizing preventive maintenance. Maintenance Cost by Type Consumables (23%) Tire Rotations and Alignments : $205 Brakes and Rotors : $325 Battery: $135 Preventive (53%) Oil Changes : $500 Fluid Change/Cleaning: $1,050 Engine (15%) Belts: $300 Spark Plugs: $140 Other Services : $300 Total Maintenance Cost : $2,955 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 I purchased this car as I don't agree with the Toyota 'recom...

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.