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  • Checkin to εε›½η™»γ‚Šε£ι§…

    εε›½η™»γ‚Šε£ι§… 35.12771094187779 139.0377502652162
    Oct 24, 2021
    by James
    in Kannami-chō, Shizuoka, Japan
    Today’s Fuji.
    Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park Juukoku Pass
    πŸ”—permalink 3 interactions
  • Checkin to εε›½η™»γ‚Šε£ι§…

    εε›½η™»γ‚Šε£ι§… 35.12771094187779 139.0377502652162
    Oct 24, 2021
    by James
    in Kannami-chō, Shizuoka, Japan
    Riding a cable car. It’s soo steep! Almost like you’re going up a mountain…
    πŸ”—permalink 5 interactions
  • Checkin to Oratche (ι…ͺθΎ²ηŽ‹ε›½γ‚ͺラッチェ)

    Oratche (ι…ͺθΎ²ηŽ‹ε›½γ‚ͺラッチェ) 35.1031347069236 139.0147275678082
    Oct 24, 2021
    by James
    in Kannami-chō, Shizuoka, Japan
    Feeding the cows
    Rice Paddies Next to the Cows
    πŸ”—permalink 8 interactions
  • Oct 20, 2021
    by James
    As a Mac user since 10.1/10.2 the new MacbookPro look fantastic, exactly what I wanted from a new Mac. A return to utility. Similar my 2014 MBP. As someone who wants a repairable computer, however...it's mostly what I expected...not. Their chips are so much better than the competition. Slower/louder/hotter and a disrupted workflow is a hard sell.
    πŸ”—permalink
  • The Week #67

    Oct 19, 2021
    by James
    • Technically from last week, Jacob linked me to this short video about Dutch continuous sidewalks. I never thought I'd become excited about sidewalks (other than them existing) until I saw this video. And it makes so much more sense: bring cars up to people level, not people down to car level and make cars a guest in human environment.
    • I went to the office to work for the first time (at Octopus) and the first time since early February 2020. I rode the train around 6:30 and arrived at the station around 7:30. The trains weren't super crowded either where I rode (in the very front).

      There's also a Tully's nearby in the IBM headquarters where I could decompress with a coffee and work for a bit before going in. I used to do this when I was going in to the BeProud office.

      It was great to meet part of the team in person. Going out to lunch in a social setting was a lot of fun too. I can't remember the last time I did that. Each Friday's is "family dinner", where there's a small presentation followed by beers at the office, which was also a lot of fun.
    • We got a second quote for solar panels on our home. 2 down, 2 to go. This time the talk was much better. Not just the price (about 10k less), but it felt like he was communicating when we asked questions, not just giving us canned sales responses.

      He recommended QCells panels and a Japanese battery. Overall kilowattage from his quote was a bit smaller as QCells (like most foreign solar panels) tend to be larger square (like foreign roofs) so they tend to leave gaps along the edges. Domestic manufacturers tend to make smaller / non-square panels, so you can get the most of your small roof. This company is also going to produce a quote for us with domestic panels as well. Will be interesting to see how they come out.
    • After last weeks' unseasonably warm weather (and two trips to the beach!), the temperate finally decided to drop. These times when the weather suddenly changes are the easiest to get sick, so I've got to take extra precaution to keep healthy this week.
    • Covid cases were down to 23 in Kanagawa and 29 in Tokyo Monday. Monday is usually a low count day, but it's the lowest they've been in over a year. At this rate I think we'll be down to single digits again soon...maybe next week? Let's hope it stays this way.
    πŸ”—permalink
  • Checkin to ζ³‰εŒΊε½Ήζ‰€

    ζ³‰εŒΊε½Ήζ‰€ 35.41781258229794 139.4887429202621
    Oct 18, 2021
    by James
    in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
    Waiting to get my MyNumber card. Applied using my phone a few weeks ago, super smooth.
    πŸ”—permalink 6 interactions
  • Keeping Hydrated πŸ’§

    Oct 16, 2021
    by James
    I mostly drink two things: black coffee and water. Unless I actively think about it, I usually don't drink enough water in a given day. While I enjoy the taste of water, I have a habit of just sipping my coffee and getting a refill from the maker when it runs out.

    This isn't a good habit. Sometimes when I go to sleep at night, about an hour after I fall asleep, I'll wake up with my feet feeling sore. Problems if your feet at night cause me alarm. Usually as feet problems can be signs of diabetes.But it can also be cause by having tired feet because you were on them all day and they're tired. Or, as I discovered, dehydration.

    Drinking nothing but black coffee, which dehydrates despite being a liquid, is a good way to end up really dehydrated. In an effort to drink more water I've been taking my old Laken water bottle with my coffee upstairs with me when I start work. Doing so has kept me drinking more water and I can't remember the last time I my feet were sore at night.

    I love my little Laken. It's forest green. I've had it for probably a decade at this point. It has a dent at the top that gives it some character. The cap has a great clip that I can use to attach it to my bag so it doesn't fall out.

    But it's a bit small, only about 500ml. I often find myself needing to buy a bottle of water to refill it, which defeats the purpose. And that clip I love? It's kind of a pain to unhook when I'm walking around town and want a quick drink. The mouth is also a bit small, about the size of a regular plastic bottle, so I always spill a bit when filling it up. And it's not insulated, so it sweats as much as I do during summer.

    So I upgraded today to a 946ml (32oz) Hydro Flask. It's the opposite of my first bottle. It's big. It's got double-wall insulation, so it won't sweat and drinks keep cold/hot. I can put hot liquids in it. The mouth is huge. The lid doesn't have a hook, but it does have a loop that I can use to strap it to my bag. It'sΒ  freakin' purple (technically "eggplant").Β  It's a tank.Β 

    My old water bottle lasted me a decade still has plenty of life left in it. I hope this one keeps me hydrated for many years to come.
    πŸ”—permalink 4 interactions
  • Checkin to Tully's Coffee

    Tully's Coffee 35.31103396326208 139.4872309830384
    Oct 16, 2021
    by James
    in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
    Another day. Another Tully’s. w. Taco Rice.
    Taco Rice
    πŸ”—permalink 8 interactions
  • Oct 15, 2021
    by James
    Yes! Checkins now display inline on micro.blog. The secret was physically removing the title tag, not just setting it empty (which was a slight pain with Django).
    πŸ”—permalink 2 interactions
  • Checkin to 鉄板焼さぢろく

    鉄板焼さぢろく 35.684765 139.78304
    Oct 15, 2021
    by James
    in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
    ひる
    Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki with heaps of veg.
    πŸ”—permalink 9 interactions
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Photo of James Van Dyne James Van Dyne Japan

Web developer living in Japan.