Ricky went to Japan

Per usual, I wrote this a while ago and I’m only finishing it now, to explain the time gap between what I wrote initially and now. At some point I will switch to past tense.

I write this in the San Diego airport as I prepare to board my flight to LAX, which in turn will fly to Japan. This is actually my first time out of North America; it's a little hard to believe I’ve waited until my mid-thirties to do this. Then again, maybe not. It wasn’t that long ago the world seemed to be closed due to Covid. And prior to that, I was working crazy hours in San Jose, and then prior to that I was in school and therefore didn’t have a job, meaning a trip like this would be quite expensive.

I think what I’ve partially learned is there are some ways to make a trip like this cheaper. I’ll write about what I’m doing to make it cheap, which doesn’t necessarily mean you should do the same.

First, I used airline miles to book the trip. I earned a decent amount of them from flying for work and what not, as well as signing up for a credit card. So the flight was free in a sense.

Next, in Japan I stayed in capsule hotels. These cost something like $50 a night, which is quite affordable.

The food and transit in Japan are all generally pretty cheap. You can take public transit anywhere, and the cities are also very walkable (although big, so you will get some steps in!).

I loved that even in the airport, the prices are pretty reasonable. I bought a sandwich from a vending machine for $2 there (there were actually three halves, each different: tuna, beef, and egg salad).

Many of the attractions in Japan are free as well, like visiting the giant Buddha or the LDS temple. I actually went to services there on Sunday (well, at the stake center right next to the temple). That was an interesting experience as well.

The last part I wanted to mention was planning. For this trip, I just piggybacked on my coworker's Japan trip. Normally you would need to plan something like this out yourself. Or, if you paid someone to plan your trip, I think it could be quite expensive. Instead, stealing my friend's plan was free. Nick also helped me understand some of the culture there, which I might not have picked up on my own.

I recorded an episode about it here. I think I ramble about the specifics of the capsule hotel, which does take some adjustment. I think I will have to go back at some point. And also at some point, I might write more about it. Then again, it has been six months between when I started this post and the present, so perhaps not. Feel free to comment on what you think I should write next.

San Antonio

 Brooke and I recently wrapped up a trip to San Antonio! I honestly didn’t realize quite how much history is packed into this city. For reference, Europeans first established a permanent presence in Texas in 1690 with the founding of Mission San Francisco de los Tejas.

I’m actually writing the start of this post from the base of the Tower of the Americas, a 700-foot observation deck and restaurant. It’s been fun and really reminds me of my recent trip to Japan; they have a massive culture of observation towers and decks over there. Sitting here by the fountain at the base, the sound of the falling water completely drowns out the city noise. I haven’t done much "on-location" writing recently, and it’s a refreshing change of pace.

Earlier in the trip, we hit SeaWorld. It was a total blast—definitely a more ride-focused experience than the San Diego location. They also have a Beluga whale and Pacific white-sided dolphin show, which our home park doesn't have. The other two shows we saw, the sea lion and orca presentations, were pretty similar to what you’d see in San Diego.

I will say, it feels like SeaWorld might be hitting some tough times. The park is currently only open on weekends and wasn't crowded at all. While that made for a great experience with almost no lines, I do worry about the company’s future. I’d dive into my pitch for "SeaWorld at Sea"—a SeaWorld-themed cruise ship—but I’ll save that before this turns into a Ricky Rambles episode.

We spent the rest of our time downtown exploring the Alamo and the surrounding attractions. As a kid, I remember idolizing Davy Crockett. I’m not sure how historically accurate the Alamo movie was, but Davy was certainly the star! Brooke and I found ourselves wondering how things might look today if Santa Anna hadn't revoked the Mexican Federalist Constitution. Imagine a timeline where Texas and California were still part of Mexico. I’ll leave the "alternate history" talk there, though, so this doesn't accidentally become a post on my politics blog.

Of course, I had to sample the Texas BBQ. I think I had the best pulled pork and chicken of the trip at Harmon’s. Even though those aren't usually my go-to BBQ items, they were excellent. The brisket and ribs were solid, too—though don't tell anyone, I actually preferred the St. Louis-style ribs.

We also visited Two Bros. BBQ Market. We did the "family-style" box, which was served picnic-style where you grab a box and share. It worked well, though I wish there had been a bit more brisket. The sausage was great, and the smoked turkey was surprisingly delicious. I also appreciated that they had four different sauces to choose from; one was a bit fruity, which was a fun twist.

I’ll be covering more specific details of the trip on Ricky Rambles soon. Depending on my publishing schedule, I might owe you a few more deep-dive posts on some of these spots!

I never ended up sharing my St. Louis post, but similar to that trip, parts of San Antonio felt surprisingly empty. Looking out from the tower, many shops appeared closed. It might have just been nearby construction, but it felt a little odd.

On the flip side, other areas like the freeways were absolutely packed. I was also surprised by the variety in the suburban strip malls—there was a boba shop right near our Airbnb! The suburbs here have a bit of a rural vibe that reminds me of Eagle, Idaho, just with more boba options. The architecture, however, feels more like Kansas City.

Overall, it was a great trip. There are still a few things in the general area I’d like to do, like visiting Ryan Holiday’s bookstore, The Painted Porch, or eating at Oma’s Schnitzel Haus. Both were a bit too far outside the city for this run. I also still need to link up with Jeff in Fort Worth for the lunch he won through The Frug Life.

I’ll be back to Texas soon—I’ve definitely learned that this state is massive and it takes a while to get between cities!

More updates to come soon.

Brooke and Ricky go on a cruise!

Over 6 years ago Brooke and I went on our first cruise on the Norwegian sky. I mostly liked the experience and you can see some of my blogs on it here.

Just this month we returned from our second cruise ever, this time on the Norwegian Jade. Instead of a video though, I’ve recorded my thoughts on my podcast Ricky rambles, which, by the way, if you haven’t signed up for it, I think you should. I think it is the spiritual successor to the YouTube channel. 

Anyways here is one of the episodes coving the cruise below, I will most a few more over the next few days.

Small Town

 

Like many of my posts, I wrote this a while ago, but it sat in the 'to be edited’ folder for a long time. Well, if you are reading this, it is out.

We bought a home over a year ago, in the suburbs of San Diego. Most of my adult life I have spent in the suburbs of one place or another- San Diego, San Jose, Utah, etc. But I can’t help to wonder from time to time, what might it be like to live somewhere other than the suburbs. I sometimes think back to my time in Wyoming, or even the ranch we stayed at in San Jose (of all places [the other place in San Jose was an apartment]) and wonder what it would be like to live in a more rural area. Perhaps even at that cabin in the woods I always think about.

On the other extreme, I think about moving downtown, or to live in the downtown of a city. It could be fun to really experience a walkable living experience. I sometimes don’t love driving everywhere. In the suburbs it's the only option. If I lived in the city, I might experience something else. 

Or, what if I combined both of those? What if I stayed in the downtown of a very small town? I have passed through small towns over the years each with a downtown, or really, more like a main street. You know, the kind of place you would see older looking two story buildings with an aged storefront on the bottom floor. I have sometimes wondered what it would be like to stay in the apartment upstairs. 

Well, I’m finally living that experience right now (when I initially wrote this article that is). Now I know what it is like. Musty! Ok, maybe not every upstairs apartment in a small town’s main street smells musty, but the one I am in does. Which is a bit unfortunate, because otherwise the place is so quaint. You can open the windows to see a pretty quiet main street. I sometimes think things in the suburbs close early, but here things really do. Most of the shops are closed at 5 or 6, the restaurant below us at 8, the gas station at 10, and then I think that is everything. 

My one other complaint staying in Nauvoo, Illinois, by the Mississippi river, is the flies. There are a lot and they are annoying.  Otherwise, it is a lovely little town. The sites run by the LDS church are nice, lots of free stuff which is fun. 

Some other properties in the area aren’t run by the LDS church but rather the Community of Christ (well they were at the time, that has since changed!), which was once called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I thought some of their recounting of history was interesting, maybe I will go into more detail on another blog of mine. I’ll add a link here if I ever get around to it. 

Ok now back to present day Ricky. The time in Nauvoo was very enjoyable. I should write about the experience overall, rather than just focusing on one aspect of the trip, the odd little apartment thing we stayed in. 

I guess there are really just a handful of things to do there, see historic sites related to the early Latter-day Saints and go to gift shops that cater to people that go to such sites. Still, both parts were enjoyable. I even bought something from one of the gift shops there and I was tempted to buy more, which isn’t very frugal of me. 

Anyways, it was a little funny how it all worked out. I had never gone to Illinois in my life, when suddenly I went twice in the space of a month. Once a personal trip, this trip to Nauvoo, and then again for a work trip, for a conference. And I haven’t been back since. Hopefully I will make another trip out that way at some point there. 

Bryce Canyon

 Brooke and I took a much needed vacation this week(well, quite a few weeks at this point) to Bryce Canyon. The last time we went on a vacation was August of last year. Although, at my current production schedule, this post will probably be out in August of next year!

 

I’ve been to quite a few national and state parks in Utah, but I don’t remember going to Bryce Canyon before. The main feature of Bryce is these interesting standing rock pillars called hoodoos, which are formed via water seeping into the ground and then freezing, causing gaps to expand between the rock. Eventually they form these stand alone pillars.

The park was fun, although, I will say, it is kind of just one thing. Like here are some hoodoos, travel a bit, now here at the same hoodoos from another view point. Then you hike through the hoodoos. This hoodoo looks like Queen Victoria. So the one experience is like a kind of one note. Granted there is a lot more variety than the St. Louis arch, which was truly one note (here is the arch, and that is it).

 

I thought the accommodations were kind of fun. We stayed at the “Ruby Inn”. For dinner, there was a buffet, the Cowboy Buffet and Steakroom. Which I thought was great. Granted, this wasn’t a fine dining establishment (think hometown buffet). But all the meat options were pretty good, there was meatloaf, smothered pork chops, ribs, pot roast, teriyaki chicken. There was also salmon, but I didn’t want to eat that at a buffet in Utah! The salad bar was good, something like you would have at a sizzler, or any other salad bar. I probably ate 4,000 calories.

 

I think the last time I went to a buffet was Hometown Buffet near Van Nuys after my grandfather’s funeral. It was fun to go to one again. I didn’t need to eat anything until breakfast the next day, and even then, I wasn’t starving. The breakfast buffet was also good, but it was mostly just the same fare any hotel breakfast place would offer, well, an upscale one at least. Eggs, potatoes, meat of the day, carb of the day (pancakes or french toast), yogurt, fruit, cereal, cottage cheese, oatmeat, toast, bagels, etc.  I guess one nice thing is the syrup and salsa were both in the hot food section and were warm, which was a nice touch.

All the Meat You Will Eat

 If case you haven't heard yet, I wrote a new book,  a children's picture book in fact! I had a little episode of my podcast Ricky Rambles where I talk about it.

Link to the book

San Fransico has a Beach

 As you probably know by now, Another Boring Life story Blog has some major content issues. Not that Brooke and I haven’t been doing fun stuff, we have, but we have some issues getting the content written and then published. This post was from our San Jose days, which seems like a lifetime ago. That said, I still remember this restaurant and now that I think about it I do want to go back. Ok, so let's travel back in time like 5 years to when I wrote this, maybe at little more.

Brooke’s Mom came to visit, so we went to San Francisco for the day.  We went to the Golden Gate State Park and that was fun. This time, blackberries were in season, so I picked a few. Some of them were really good! We heard a band playing in a tunnel and they had really interesting acoustics. Listening to the jazz music bound off the tunnel walls, it was pretty enjoyable. After playing a while, I noticed them backing up and splitting the tip money between them. It reminded me of my childhood playing music in front of my house at Christmas time and splitting up the tip money. We made a lot less money than them! We also went inside to split it up, not out in the open.

We also visited the botanical garden, it was pretty interesting. There was a section on nice smelling plants. We smelled some sage that smelled like pineapple.

Later in the day, we went to the beach in San Francisco. It was cold, so we didn’t go in the water or anything. We went to Cliff House, a restaurant overlooking the ocean. It was like 30 bucks an entree, so a little expensive, but it was really nice. I had a braised lamb shank with shiitake mushroom. And the star of the dish was the mushrooms, they were sooo good. They were perfect umami explosions. Brooke got a pork chop with broccolini, which was pretty good. I thought to myself, surely the broccoli was made by one of my audit clients in Salinas.

 

We stopped by the beach in Half Moon Bay. On the way we drove through Pacifica, which is where Democracy Now is recorded. It is a quaint little town, reminiscent of earlier times. There also is a huge tunnel to pass through on the way to Half Moon Bay. When we got to the bay, even though it was approaching dusk, it was hard to find a place to park.  Apparently the beaches there close promptly at dusk. There were a lot of people there for some sort of pumpkin festival.  After a little bit, we drove back.