Ground Control

Fun day with my sister. It brought back so many childhood memories for me. We used to go to a couple different arcades when we were kids with our dad.

All the games at this place were standard prices (so for the most part, just a quarter), and were on original machines with original software.

We played all the games we could find from our childhood and had a blast. As you can see from the pic, I did well enough, on my first try on DigDug in years, to get on the high score list.

So much fun...I could have stayed there for hours.

On another note, we had super good parking karma and also were able to check out the Pride Parade on our way home.

This place didn't have our dad's favorite game so next time we are all together, we'll have to go to the other arcade because they have Missile Command.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Bananagrams

In Memoriam Grandpa Davis 1921-2015

Golfing with Gpa in Minnesota 10/2014

Today, a light in our family went out. We all lost one of the most special people in our lives and I personally lost one of my favorite humans on this entire planet.

I only got to have him as my grandpa for the last 22+ years, but that never changed how much I loved him and enjoyed spending time with him. He made me feel loved from the very first day we met.

He is the reason I ever gave the game of golf a chance. We were in California for our cousin's graduation and family get together and a lot of the family was heading to the course, and I decided to go. I didn't have any of the equipment and I think I only hit the ball about 25 ft per swing, but I fell in love with it right there. My feet were so sore after the round because I rarely got back in the cart with my short shots...LOL. As soon as we got home, we purchased for me, my first set of clubs and shoes. Years later, I play now with a set that Gpa made for me. Since we used the same size clubs, even over long distances, it was convenient for him to create clubs for me that would fit perfectly. I am so grateful to him for all he has done for us.

Due to distance, I wasn't able to spend as much time with him as I would have liked. I was able to see him at least once a year the last few years and on a couple of years I got even more visits in. During one visit last year for a memorial service, a bunch of us were able to go through pictures and albums with him and hear some of the stories/dramas of his young life in Nebraska. This past year we had 3 visits, the last one in October in Minnesota after his big move from Nebraska. The weather was amazing and we managed to get in three days of golfing in the short 5 days that I was there.

He was always so fun to take out to eat, because you could be guaranteed he would play games with the staff, thoroughly confusing them while giving us all a good chuckle. During my most recent visit, he convinced the manager at the pizza joint we were ordering from, that he wanted a part time job as a delivery boy. They even gave him a little tour while the manager threatened the teenagers working for him that Gpa was going to be their new boss...LOL.

He really did try to live life to the fullest, even when he was not feeling so hot. At times, he would get frustrated on the course because he couldn't hit the ball as far as he used to, and I would tell him that if I was still able to play golf at 93, I would be thrilled. He never let his age stop him. He was definitely an inspiration.

I know that he had a long good life and I am glad that he isn't in any pain or dealing with the frustrations of his progressive conditions, but selfishly, I am going to miss him so much. I really hope that I live up to being half the person that he has been to so many.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Surprise Bday Gift

The Book Thief

Read this book a few years ago and absolutely loved it. Today, I finally saw the movie. I felt like they did a god job of it.

I highly recommend both of them. The stories are hard but they are things that we should never forget and should always learn from.

A decade ago, we were able to visit the holocaust museum in DC, while there as tourists. It was a life changing experience. I left there feeling like a trip to that place should be a requirement for graduation in the US so that will never forget and will always learn so we do not repeat the errors we humans have made.
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Last Month on In My Words...The Untouchables

Old Comforts

One lovely thing about finally getting all of our stuff and then getting it unpacked is seeing some of the stuff we have had in storage for years, once again.

This cup is one of my souvenir purchases before we left Japan the last time, and it is one of my faves for a big cup of tea or even to use as a soup bowl. It has a small map of the island as well as some map points of some of the major spots on the island. It also has the name of the island and country in kanji on the sides.
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Two Years Ago on In My Words...Two Favorite Things

Minnesota 2014

Just got back from a trip to see Gpa at his new digs in Minnesota.

I think I lucked out because we had fabulous weather pretty much the entire time I was there and so over the 6 days, we were able to golf 9 holes on four of them. It was so much fun and being that it was the last week of October, it might have been some of the last golf of the season for both of us.

I was able to see two of our cousins while I was there, one of which, we golfed with and I am hoping that now that Gpa lives closer to them, each time we come out to visit, we'll get to see them as well.

Gpa's new place is cute and he has everything he needs set up pretty well. Being that he only moved 19 days before I came out to visit, we did a lot of errands while I was there to finish out some things that he needed to get done. We worked on getting his paperwork for his driver's license, setting up the bathroom the best way to work for him, and tried out a pizzaria within throwing distance of his apt that turned out to have pretty good pizza. Gpa is doing great adapting to the new surroundings, and will know all the local shortcuts in no time.

We drove by and even parked in the lot at Mall of America but didn't go in so that is on the check list for next visit for sure. I would love to check out some of the other touristy things next time as well as maybe some geocaches.

It was a really great visit, and I am looking forward to getting out there again!
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Two Years Ago on In My Words...Catching Up and Cold

Smile 94/100 Fireworks

Was out of town for the 4th of July but that was okay. My MIL and I went to a park nearby and watched the city's fireworks display.

It was a long well done display. The main launch area was behind an airfield and there were parts of the display that shot off from different areas of the airfield in a diagonal across the main display area. It was pretty cool to see the different display options.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 using the continuous shutter option with the natural light setting. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color and light balance and then added the fuzzy border.
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Last Year on In My Words...Driving Some Balls

Smile 90/100 Borrowed

So I made a little trip to see family this week and because of the cost of checking bags, I have taken to only bringing a carryon when I can swing it. A short trip like this, is a perfect example.

My carry-on that I normally use, is apparently one inch too wide to be a carry-on anymore, so I borrowed this bag from my SIL because it fits under all the requirements and I knew I wouldn't have to worry. I am going to buy one eventually, but for this last minute trip, this was a perfect fit.

I have another trip coming up in a few weeks, and I will be borrowing this bag again. Hopefully I can find an economical replacement soon. I took this pic in the airport in Denver between flights, with my Fuji Finepix f50 and edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then to add a fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...In A Pinch

Smile 89/100 Google Gift

I am actually pretty thrilled to have this Chromebook from Google. They gave them to us at the last conference they hosted and I use it much more than I thought I would.

It is super light which makes it comfortable to take along. The battery lasts a long time, so I don't need to have it plugged in all the time or bring the adapter for everywhere.

It is a great little Internet computer and convenient to bring on trips when I don't need to do a lot of offline work. I took this picture at the airport in Denver on my way home from a family trip with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Technical Difficulties

Smile 80/100 Speed

Couldn't catch one of these guys sitting still so had to get a fast action shot.

When I was a kid and we would come up here, we called them Chipmunks, but apparently they aren't. They are very similarily colored though so the mistake is understandable. They are actually called Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels.

You used to be able to feed them so they were super tame. I remember having one climb all the way up my leg to get a sunflower seed I had placed on my thigh. Now, you are not allowed to feed them, and not only are there lots less of them, they are not eager to come up to humans any longer. Probably for the best but it was still fun to feed them when we were kids.

I took this shot with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash or macro. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color and light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Oops, Rufus

Smile 79/100 Mountain Blooms

These little guys were blooming along the path when we were at the national park. So pretty and obviously very hardy or they would not be able to survive the harsh temps.

There were bunches of them all over the ground where the trees weren't blocking the sun.

Of course I had to stop for a macro shot of them. I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, and light balance and then added teh black fuzzy border.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Feeling Good

Smile 78/100 Crater

While my niece was visiting from out of town, we drove to Crater Lake National Park for the day.

It was an absolutely perfect day, not too hot, but the sun was out and the lake never looked brighter. I was completely amazed at the color of the water.

There was very little snow left when we were visiting but this was a very bad year for snow pack.

We spent the afternoon exploring, and then visiting with a ranger who discussed the creation of the lake and the volcanic activity in this area. We then drove to the other side and had a little bit of a picnic lunch before heading back home.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Bucket List 2

Smile 62/100 Curry

Okay, so there is this awesome fast Japanese curry place in Japan call Coco's. For most of us that have lived there, we have had addiction problems with it at one time or another.

Leaving Japan makes most of us into recovering addicts. There aren't many places outside of Japan that this restaurant is found so we are forced to make do.

One of the ways that I do this, is by using the closest Japanese curry I can find and creating a little bit of "Coco's" in my own kitchen. Now if you have really good friends still living in Japan, you can occasionally get them to send you actual real packets of Coco's curry, but if not, Golden Curry in the black box is the next best thing.

For this particular dish, I varied a bit in that I used leftover jasmine rice I had in the fridge rather than using Japanese rice. I used Trader Joe's chicken drummettes because they are the "cleanest" freezer breaded chicken that I can find, and then I added fresh quartered mushrooms.

One of my favorites to have at the real Coco's, was a seafood one, so I might have to try this with shrimp next time.

I took in our kitchen this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but with the macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color and light and then aded the fuzzy border.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Yummy In My Tummy

Smile 55/100 Music

I have been wanting to get us a wireless speaker that we could use for the pool deck or outside when doing yard work that would have decent sound without being huge.

This JBL Charge seems to be just the ticket. I used a few gift cards from Amazon and bought this baby. It does everything I have wanted and am very happy with the purchase.

I highly recommend this baby if you are looking for some portable music you can share while not spending a ton of money. It sync'd with my 7th gen Nano with no problem.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash and but macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color and light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...Led Zeppelin

Smile 53/100 Bald Eagle

I am pretty sure these are the first bald eagles I have seen that weren't in captivity or in Alaska.

These guys were hanging out  along some fields that were getting watered at the top of the hill going up to my FIL's house.

We looked for them on our way out but ended up only seeing them on our way back. Must have been the time of day that did it.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light, and then added the fuzzy border.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...WC Rufus

Smile 51/100 Laab Muu

One of  my favorite Thai dishes to make. Normally this would have khao neow (sticky rice) with it, but I do this version when I am trying to limit my calorie intake.

This can be made with ground chicken as well but I happened to have ground pork in the fridge so that was the decision maker.

It is really hard to stop eating this...but I am better at limiting myself to one serving...LOL

I took this picture in our kitchen with the flash turned on using my Fuji Finepix f50. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Six Years Ago on In My Words...Bunco Success

Smile 42/100 Sister Moutain

We live very close to a chain of mountains here and this is one in that chain that is not too far from where we live.

My SIL and I were on our way to visit my FIL for the day, and we had her daughter and two grand daughters in tow. We had a winding road up to the top of the smalller pass and then we had this beautiful view as we started to head east.

It was a beautiful sight to see. I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Bucket List 2

POTD Day 26 I Am Here

Of course I can't show my face or where I actually am, but I am at an extended stay for the night and limited to the webcam on my Chromebook...LOL.

Fun and exciting stuff. Was able to try this really yummy seafood restaurant and it was amazing.

Luckily didn't run into any crazy road rage people during the drive, and I listened to an audio book in one direction and the BBC World Service over the Internet Radio on my phone in the other. Overall, a very productive visit.

I took this picture with the webcam on my Samsung Chrome book, and did no editing.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Sparsely Living

POTD Day 15 Evening

Well, I was volunteering tonight, but I don't have any pictures of that, however I did pull this off the traffic cams for the accident I was stuck in for 20 mins. If you look on the left side, you can see the backup...I was in there. I was on my way to the volunteer gig.

Never did hear on the news what happened or if the people involved were okay, but I did watch 3 state troopers, a EMS supervisor, an ambulance, and a fire truck all go down the shoulder while we were waiting, so I assume someone got hurt. I also noticed that there were three smashed up cars, and 1 Budget truck. There was also a semi truck but I don't it was anything, but a witness to the accident.

Fortunately the wait wasn't longer and I did get where I needed to be with time to spare.

I didn't take this picture, but I did edit it in GIMP 2.6 for privacy and to add the fuzzy border.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Car Crash (my accident in Japan)

POTD Day 10 Far Away

This is a picture of Lake Elsinore from up on the hills above the city. One of our cousins from this area was married last summer and we went down for the occasion and did some sight seeing as well.

My SIL and I took this drive up the Ortega Hwy over the hills to meet my MIL down near San Diego and we stopped at this view point to take some shots. So not only is the lake Far Away in the image but the location overall is Far Away from us since we live a long distance from there.

The trip as a whole was really great, we had great weather, and visits will all the family. Couldn't have asked for a better occasion!

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...In Other News

POTD Day 2 Something Borrowed

This is, but one example of the bikes that are available for use by anyone while on Google's campus. I have only been to the Moutain View campus but I imagine they have bikes like these on all their campuses of decent size.

As visitors, we of course were enamored with them....they are just so cute. We were even able to ride them (although I didn't) if we wanted. I think it is pretty cool that the promote the use of bicycles and public transit like they do (they have a shuttle system that brings workers in from the local cities so they don't all have to commute in cars everyday). I like to see big businesses taking responsibility for helping our environment.

I took this pic with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP with cropping, light and color and then added a fuzzy border.
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Last year on In My Words...Red Skies At Night