Bluey’s First Service

Posted on May 22, 2021 by vanbraman

Today I took Bluey to the dealer to get the first service. It was only earlier this month when the odometer clicked past 5,000 miles.

oil change, first service, Ford, Bluey, Covid reduction of milesI have had Bluey now for about 18 months, so amazing that I have only driven just over 5,000 miles.

Bluey got an oil change and the tires were rotated.

car wash, service, oil change, bluey, clean carBluey also got a bath and is now nice and clean.

clean air vehicle, hybrid, plug in hybrid, tagSince Bluey was nice and clean I decided to apply my CAV (Clean Air Vehicle) stickers.

I had not applied them yet since I have not been driving much.

cav sticker, bluey, clean carHowever, I am now going to the office more often and traffic is starting to pick back up.

I will now be able to use the express lane if traffic starts to back up. It will also be helpful when the on ramp metering lights are active.

Steven

 

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Tokyo Memories

Posted on May 21, 2021 by vanbraman

This afternoon I have been thinking of a trip that I took to Tokyo seven years ago.

The trip was not a training trip, but instead was to provide technical support for a conference.

Cherry Blossoms - Japan - Traditions - Cherry Blossom Viewing - TokyoI was lucky that the conference was scheduled right at the height of the cherry blossom season. I have now been in Japan several times when they have been in bloom.

It was interesting to see the people celebrating under the beautiful trees full of blossoms.

Taiko - Bachi - kumi-daiko - Japanese drumsThe opening ceremonies for the conference included a kumi-daiko performance. Kumi-daiko is performed on different drums or taiko.

Taiko - Kumi-daiko - Japanese drumming - drum performanceThe term taiko refers to a wide range of percussion instruments.

Starter at Shabu-Shabu - Japanese Cuisine - Beautiful plating - Eat with your eyesDuring the conference we had a special team dinner to celebrate our accomplishments during the week. We had a lovely Shabu-Shabu dinner and really enjoyed the cultural experience. Click on the link for pictures from the entire meal.

Ueno, Japan - Cherry Blossoms - Japan - Blossoms - Beautiful Cherry BlossomsAfter the conference I was able to spend Sunday with one of my Japanese colleagues and his family. We made a trip to Ueno to see more of the cherry blossoms. Then on Monday I visited our Tokyo office for some service and training meetings.

Welcome Aboard - United 787 Entertainment system - Boeing 787Another memory from the trip was the flight home, as it was my first flight on a 787 Dreamliner. See: First 787 Flight

Many more memories of the trip have wandered through my mind today. I also have some other wonderful memories of working on the project we were there for.

Steven

 

Posted in Culture, Food, Japan, Memories, Nature, Seasons, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment