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[personal profile] smallhobbit
Week 4 of the Stuff I Love: Top Ten Edition promoted by [personal profile] dreamersdare   This week's theme is Relationships in our media, but as it doesn't particularly appeal, I've gone for general stuff I love, again in no particular order.

Photo cross-post

Feb. 22nd, 2026 09:41 am
andrewducker: (Default)
[personal profile] andrewducker


Spent the afternoon at Hugh and Meredith's, where Hugh showed Sophia how his 3d printer works (and how he makes 3d dungeons out of foam). Very cool stuff, and they both enjoyed their souvenirs.
Original is here on Pixelfed.scot.

2026 Photo #4

Feb. 21st, 2026 12:03 pm
smallhobbit: (Default)
[personal profile] smallhobbit





Baked last Saturday, this is the final 6 of 24 left a couple of days ago.  All gone now!

The baking process can be seen here: Melting Moments

Angel’s Month Indulgence #7

Feb. 20th, 2026 01:27 pm
lovelyangel: Belldandy Illustration from A!MG OVA Mook (Belldandy Sweet)
[personal profile] lovelyangel
Gyudon at Ikenohana
Gyudon at Ikenohana

Today I went to my local Japanese restaurant, Ikenohana, specifically for a gyudon makeup lunch. I already know that Ikenohana has excellent gyudon – and it would be the unicorn chaser for the Donburi Factory experience.

I had actually made a lunch reservation – and got my usual table. Service was fast and excellent. I received hot green tea, ice water, a salad, and miso soup for starters. This all was included in the price of the donburi.

Salad, Miso Soup, and Green Tea at Ikenohana
Salad, Miso Soup, and Green Tea at Ikenohana

(I’d actually eaten about half of the salad before the miso soup arrived and I took the picture.)

The miso soup was prepared, not instant – and had a rich taste not present in the thin soup at Donburi Factory.

The donburi was delicious, as always. This is to be expected from a restaurant that also serves excellent sukiyaki. And benishoga (red pickled ginger) is always provided. (I could have used some for the Donburi Factory gyudon.) Presentation is a huge step up from Donburi Factory, as the gyudon was served in a ceramic bowl, the miso soup served in a lacquer bowl, and restaurant non-disposable chopsticks were provided.

The Japanese servers recognized me and called me by name – and were super polite as always. I always feel spoiled by them. This is all to say that atmosphere and service were outstanding. I was very happy with lunch.

Because service was quick, I was finished with lunch in 40 minutes, even as I was reading Apple News during lunch.

A price comparison between my two donburi lunches this week is revealing:

PicTitle
Gyudon Price Comparison

Guess where I’ll be getting my donburi from here on out (not that there was any question)?

View from the Window - February

Feb. 20th, 2026 04:30 pm
smallhobbit: (Gloucestershire Peregrine)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
Given that we've had only a couple of days when it hasn't rained at some point, my photos this month all include grey skies:

The Friday Five for 20 February 2026

Feb. 19th, 2026 02:18 pm
anais_pf: (Default)
[personal profile] anais_pf posting in [community profile] thefridayfive
When did you last . . .

1. Scrounge for change (couch, ashtray, etc.) to make a purchase?

2. Visit a dentist?

3. Make a needed change to your life?

4. Decide on a complete menu well in advance of the evening meal?

5. Spend part of the day (other than daily hygiene) totally/mostly naked?

Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.

If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!

tiny long-tailed tit

Feb. 19th, 2026 07:19 pm
turlough: red house in snowy forest ((winter) seasonal)
[personal profile] turlough posting in [community profile] common_nature
We've had a very persistent winter here this year and this has happily meant that I've had lots of visitors at my bird feeders. Today I had the opportunity to photograph this adorable little Long-Tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus caudatus) while it was hunting for seeds on the bike-shed roof just outside my window.

Click to enlarge:
small black and white bird with very long tail feathers

one more photo... )

The Education Meme (Part 3)

Feb. 19th, 2026 12:36 pm
smallhobbit: (Default)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
Final part of the meme originally posted by [personal profile] used_songs  [TS = The Son, TD = The Daughter, MH = MiniHobbit aka Granddaughter]

For the most part, you were able to study and complete assignments without any struggle.
Me: Yes, I don't remember any major difficulties
TS/TD: As far as we could tell TS was doing okay, the school didn't tell us of any problems.  He didn't do as well at his GCSEs (age 16 exams) as he and we'd hoped, but he probably wasn't working as hard as he should and there is only so much one can do with a teenager.  After a few months he was struggling with his post-16 education, so we agreed he could leave and start work.  TD did the essential work as quickly as possible since she was keen to be out and about in the evenings - she was very involved in guiding/scouting.  She sailed through her post-16 college because she was academically more able than many of those there, but at the same time the teaching staff pushed her to achieve more than she would have done.
MH: As far as I am aware she is - she's only 9 so there's a way to go.

Test-taking came easily to you.
Me: Yes, in the majority of subjects
TS/TD: Both coped but neither is naturally academic.
MH: I don't think there's a problem

You read at grade level or above.
Me: Definitely
TS/TD: TS could read well and enjoyed reading - apart from Jane Austen at age 15 (no, teacher she is not wonderful for a teenage boy).  TD refused to read and at one point I was starting to get concerned, until she received a bank statement and discovered that she'd been taxed on her tiny bit of interest.  It turned out she could read perfectly well if she needed to.
MH: Currently about two years ahead of her actual age.

Your mathematics skills were at grade level or above.
Me: Yes.  I have a maths degree
TS/TD: Both were quite competent
MH: Yes

Adults responsible for your care supported your academic journey for the better and for the worse.
Me: Yes, I passed the 11+ (I am that old), so got to grammar school  Both my parents were pleased and supported me in all I did.
TS/TD: We did our best for TS and when he wanted to do his post-16 education at school we agreed, although it might not have been the best solution for him.  That was where his friends were and he was reluctant to go elsewhere.  Since then he's gone on to gain a lot of practical experience, including relevant qualifications.  He was far happier than if we'd pushed him to finish his post-16 education and go to university, so yes, we did support him.  We encouraged TD to go to a practical college, which was what she wanted, and then we supported her as she looked at her future career, went to university to study nursing and got her degree.  Then ten years later she changed to train as a paramedic, so had to do a second degree, which she passed with first class honours.  We cheered her on and went to her graduation.
MH: Yes.  It will be interesting to see where she ends up.
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Photos: Flowerbeds

Feb. 18th, 2026 07:56 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith posting in [community profile] common_nature
The first crocuses are blooming! I just had to take pictures when I spotted them this morning. Yesterday they were just buds.

Walk with me ... )

Angel’s Month Indulgence #6

Feb. 18th, 2026 03:38 pm
lovelyangel: Chisato Nishikigi from Lycoris Recoil (Chisato Angel)
[personal profile] lovelyangel
Chisato Nishikigi & Takina Inoue
Chisato Nishikigi & Takina Inoue
Lycoris Recoil 1/8 scale figurine by Alter

ChisaTaki!

10 Months Ago I preordered the Lycoris Recoil Chisato Nishikigi & Takina Inoue 1/8 scale figurine by Alter from CDJapan. The figurine costs 22800 yen (about $145) – but shipping, duties, and customs fees added about 17000 yen ($110). Definitely an indulgence.

Well, that was way back in April 2025 - and since then, suspension of the de minimis tariff exemption caused havoc, and certain shipping options were no longer available. When the product was finally released this month (originally scheduled for January), my order was suspended until I chose a different shipping / tariff-handling method. Based on more recent transactions with CDJapan, I chose FedEx FICP – which was cheapest, anyway. The change required an additional 9400 yen (about $60). The final, cumulative damage came to around $315. I guess it would have been cheaper to go through Crunchyroll. Ah, well. Anyway, bird in hand and all that.

The figurine was delivered today. My photography studio is not yet set up, so I’ve improvised a photo locale - and consequently was limited to the kinds of photos I could take. I took the bare minimum.

Lycoris Recoil Chisato Nishikigi & Takina Inoue 1/8 scale figurine by Alter

Lycoris Recoil Chisato Nishikigi & Takina Inoue 1/8 scale figurine by Alter

Lycoris Recoil Chisato Nishikigi & Takina Inoue 1/8 scale figurine by Alter

Lycoris Recoil Chisato Nishikigi & Takina Inoue 1/8 scale figurine by Alter

I love having a ChisaTaki figurine in my collection!

Angel’s Month Indulgence #5

Feb. 18th, 2026 01:57 pm
lovelyangel: (Toradora Ami 1)
[personal profile] lovelyangel
Gyudon and Miso Soup at Donburi Factory
Gyudon and Miso Soup at Donburi Factory

Today I tried out a new-to-me restaurant for lunch. I visited Donburi Factory, a place I discovered recently by happenstance. The restaurant is not far from where I used to live and work in Beaverton – and it’s only about 10 minutes from my current home.

Given the lack of fast food gyudon places around here, I was interested in finding out if Donburi Factory could serve as a substitute for Yoshinoya. Donburi Factory’s gyudon (beef donburi) isn’t cheap, so it qualified as an indulgence. I also splurged by ordering a miso soup.

I arrived at the restaurant at 11:30 am. Two customers with takeout orders were exiting the venue, leaving the restaurant devoid of customers. There was indoor seating – primarily two-person tables - which was perfect for me. I placed my order; it came to about $21.50, and to that I added 20% tip – an unusually expensive lunch for me.

The miso soup was hot, and I’m pretty sure it was an instant soup. It looked and tasted generic – and had those tiny, uniform tofu cubes. I wouldn’t order it again.

The gyudon was steaming hot – it had taken 10 minutes to prepare – and the portion was generous. There was a surprising amount of beef. Unfortunately, the flavor was unexpectedly bland – even with all the onions. The counter person had offered me a choice of spicy or mild – and I chose mild. (I’d never even heard of spicy gyudon before.) The beef had a slight amount of flavor I associate with gyudon – but not much. Most of the beef bowls in the area have a teriyaki flavor, and this bowl had none of that – which at least put the bowl closer to gyudon than most. Anyway, this beef donburi was underwhelming.

I ate half of the bowl and asked for a lid so that I could take the remainder home. I’ll have the second half of the bowl for lunch tomorrow. I don’t have any ginger in the house, but I can add more sesame seeds tomorrow.

At any rate, I doubt I’ll be returning to Donburi Factory.

Angel’s Month Indulgence #4

Feb. 18th, 2026 01:52 pm
lovelyangel: (Shun Angel)
[personal profile] lovelyangel
Saint Cupcake Dots for St. Valentine’s Day
Saint Cupcake Dots for St. Valentine’s Day
iPhone 13 mini photo

(Oops. I forgot to post this last Saturday. It’s been sitting in my composition document for half a week.)

For St. Valentine’s Day, I bought Jenni four Dots from Saint Cupcake. I chose two favorite flavors – Toasted Coconut Cream and Carrot Cake. I filled out the selection with the two monthly special flavors – Chocolate Covered Cherry and Raspberry Cream Cheese Lemon Sparkle. (I had planned the selection in advance of driving into Portland by studying the Saint Cupcake Menu. Upon arrival at the bakery, I made sure all for flavors were available as Dots. Also, I timed my arrival at the bakery for 10 minutes after their 11:00 am opening.)

The indulgence is that I bought a duplicate box for myself. I usually just get myself two Dots – a Toasted Coconut Cream and a Carrot Cake – but I wanted to try out the special flavors. I’d not had either of them before. After lunch today, I tried the two limited-edition Dots. They both were tasty, of course – and unique. I’m happy to stick with my favorites, though.
andrewducker: (The Hair!)
[personal profile] andrewducker
Three minutes ago Sophia asked me how to spell "pregnancy simulator", and now I'm getting the regular buzz of notifications as she installs apps on her phone.

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