Modern Simple Living

Travel Journal 1st Epic California Coast Road Trip San Diego → Los Angeles → San Francisco 13 Days ~1,400 Miles 12 Nights 4 Cities 1 National Park Will fly into San Diego and embark on a California road trip — really taking time to enjoy things. 13 days, a full loop from San Diego to LA and San Francisco, with stops in Yosemite, Napa Valley, Monterey, and the Pacific Coast Highway. While I've been to California countless times, I never really attempted to take in many of the famous landmarks and destinations at a more leisurely pace — it was always a quick 5-minute snapshot and, in hindsight, not an efficient way to truly appreciate things. Table of Contents ①  The Route ②  Los Angeles — 1 Night (Marina Del Rey) ③  Yosemite — 2 Nights (Curry Village via Merced) ④  San Francisco — 2 Nights (Nob Hill, The Marker Un...

Gear & EDC Flashlights The Right Light for Every Spot 5 Lights in Collection 700 Max Lumens $2.60 Lowest Per-Unit Cost 2 Power Types Once you start thinking about where you actually need a light, the list grows fast. The glove box. The work bag. The crossbody. The garage shelf. The answer isn't finding one perfect torch — it's accepting that different situations call for different tools, and that some situations call for a light that doesn't depend on a working outlet. For most part I've not needed anything particularly brighter than 300 or 400 lumens and found that sufficient for everyday needs, including occasional camping and outdoors. For future, I'll pivot and focus on headlamps and likely pick up the Fenix HM50R as I ended up using my headlamps more than the flashlights when camping, they were more convenient, but when I needed to t...

✦ ⚙ ✦ ⚙ ✦ ⚙ ✦ Watches & Horology Fossil DE-5009 Chronograph Back Again, Different This Time ⚙ ◆ ⚙ $23 Secondary Market 3 Subdials 2× Times Owned I owned a Fossil DE-5009 before and let it go. That was a mistake. A deal came up and I grabbed another one — $23 on the secondary market, which is almost embarrassing considering what I paid at full MSRP years ago. There is something about this watch that makes it more compelling now than it was then. It doesn't follow the mainstream, currently dominated by Apple smartwatches and digital Casio G-Shocks. A vintage-inspired bronze case, cream chronograph dial. The kind of watch that looks like it belongs on someone's wrist in a Jules Verne novel. Table of Contents ① Why Another One ② The Bronze & Cream Combination ③ The Trade-Offs ...