Blog

Short blog posts, journal entries, and random thoughts. Topics include a mix of personal and the world at large. 

Any song

I don’t really have any topic to write about today, so this will just be a train of thoughts. It’s important to keep up the writing even when I have absolutely nothing coming to mind. Often times I would troll twitter to look for news topics and whatnot, but this morning I am drawing a complete blank. I don’t want to write about former President Trump getting deposed in New York today. Hey look, the markets are up so far!

There’s a natural ebbs and flows when it comes to working in education. The middle of August is sort of the deep breath before plunging back into the bustle of the regular academic semester. But we don’t get to relax, at least not for those of us in IT support. We are busy getting things ready: the multitude of computer labs on campus, and making sure incoming new faculty have computers ready to go for Fall. With a week and half to go before classes begin, the deadline is quickly looming.

And then once I get home from all of that, I’ve got my own round of things to do. I imagine most other single people would simply collapse onto a couch and veg out of a bit before even thinking about dinner. Well, I don’t have a couch. Soon as I enter the home and put my stuff down, I start a pot of a rice cooking. In between that 30 minutes of cook time, I put my stuff away properly, wash up a bit, clean the floors, and cook the rest of dinner.

I take my time to eat dinner though, because that is never to be rushed. Not after an already long day at work. Once I’m done eating, then it’s an hour of piano practice. And after that I would get some reading in. Then it’s already time for bed. In a way I’m like a kid that have an evening of homework to do. That’s why I jokingly refer to my weekday nights as school nights.

That’s it for today! Off to work.

The two great loves and hates.

Forever homebody

To be interesting, one must do interesting things. I try to go do interesting things, but it seems I usually end up staying home. A homebody to the end! My life is as interesting as the video games I play, and the books I read. Which is to say, those things are interesting to me! Just perhaps not to others when they ask me what am I up to lately. Videos games and books, while they have good stories, don’t make good stories.

I thought moving out my parents’ home will free me the dictates of their schedule. I am free to plan my days how I want and when I want. Go on a mini trip at a moment’s notice? Sure! I don’t have to inform anybody else. No need to tell my mother I won’t be home for dinner for the next few days. Sounds great in theory, but in practice I’m as much a homebody as ever. The only difference is I can eat dinner when I please.

And why wouldn’t I stay home most of the time? It’s got everything I could possible need to entertain myself. Even my beautiful BMW M2 is parked right outside my window for me to look at from time to time. It’s as close to a car-in-the-living-room-as-an-art-piece as I will get. And because I live two blocks from a mall with absolutely everything else - food, shopping, a movie theatre - why would I think to leave and go on adventures?

But really, I should. What I need is an extended road trip somewhere to nowhere. I haven’t done one of those since way before the start of the pandemic. I’m taking the first week of August off from work, and I probably should take that opportunity to go somewhere. What I shouldn’t do is stay home, no matter how fun - to me - home can be.

Kalbi pho is too luxurious.

Automotive enthusiast's life: car detailing

For an automotive enthusiast (the quintessential car nut), the weekend is that wonderful occasion when you can finally spend some quality time with the car(s) you love. Nothing is more in line with “car guy” tradition than washing and detailing the car. People that love cars tend to make sure their automobiles are well maintained and in quality running shape. Cleanliness of course is the one big factor that contributes to the beauty of the car - as it was meant to be seen. 

Being a huge car guy myself, I spent this past weekend performing a full detail to my beloved Toyota Corolla sedan. The whole process took a grand total of eight hours because I was deliberately being extremely precise about it. During the washing process I made sure to clean inside the engine bay of all the road dirt and grime that has accumulated in six years of ownership. I even took the alloy wheels off in order to clean them from the inside. Some call it obsessively anal, I call it obsessively thorough. 

After washing the comes the arduous task of hours upon hours in clay barring (to get rid of paint contaminants), polishing, and touching up the paint where road debris made annoying rock chips on the front end of the car. Last step is of course protecting all the hard work with a nice coat of wax.