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Touring the Golden Circle, Iceland (July 27)

hiking, iceland

Sunday, July 27, 2025. . . Starting: Hotel Island, Reykjavik . Ending: Geirland Hotel, Kirkjubæjarklaustur . Highlights: Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss, Strokkur Geyser, Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Reynisfjara, Vikurfjara Black Sand Beach, Vík . . . . . . I woke at 06:30, showered, dressed, and packed my bags. Inna also woke up and dressed. After our bags were packed, we took the elevator downstairs to try…

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Exploring Reykjavík, Iceland (July 26)

iceland, restaurant, spa

Saturday, July 26, 2025. Starting: Hotel Island & Spa, Reykjavik, Iceland . Ending: Hotel Island & Spa, Reykjavik, Iceland . . Highlights: Hallgrimskirkja Church, Einar Johnson Museum, Harpa Concert Hall, Magic Ice Reykjavík, Sky Lagoon . . . . After a restful night of sleep, I woke at 07:30, showered, shaved, and dressed. After Inna awoke and dressed, we decided to try following a one-day…

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Exploring Reykjavík, Iceland (July 25)

iceland, restaurant

In 2017, Inna visited Iceland with a Photofly Group tour. She raved about the beautiful waterfalls, hikes, and natural wonders, and urged me to consider Iceland for our next trip. Last year, we finally found an opportunity to plan a journey of our own, with an additional stop in Scotland. . . . . . Inna booked excellent business-class airline tickets from San Francisco to…

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Alpine iLX-507 Digital Receiver in Toyota Sienna

audio, tech

When my audio system in my 2008 Toyota Sienna died, I looked into replacing it with an OEM system, but it was challenging to find one for an older vehicle. . . I looked around and decided to replace it with an Alpine iLX-507 Digital Multimedia Receiver, as it was well-regarded and supported wireless Apple CarPlay and HD Audio. . I found a well-rated auto…

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Canon R8 with 28-70 f/2.8 IS STM

camera, tech

After 10 years with my full-frame Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and a variety of lenses, I decided to sell the entire system to fund a lighter, travel-friendly camera and lenses. . . I packed my gear in its original boxes and shipped it out using UPS on July 20, 2025, to Adorama: . . Canon 5DS DSLR Camera . Canon EOS EF 16-35 f/4L IS…

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Building Windows 11 Server

pc, tech

With my 10-year-old Windows 10 Intel Core i7-4790K server nearing the end of its life, I decided to build a new Windows 11 Server for media storage and occasional gaming. . . . . . I purchased the mid-tower Fractal Design Define R7 case to accommodate 4 hard drives. Most newer computer cases lack sufficient space for hard drives, and this one is among the…

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Hiking Seven Springs Trail, Saratoga

california, hiking, sf bay, strava

On Saturday, June 21, Inna, Alex, and I decided to hike around Saratoga. Inna found a highly rated trail on AllTrails.com, called Seven Springs Trail, and we decided to hike it. . . The trail had panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area, including the new Apple campus in Cupertino. The grass was all yellow (burned out), so this hike might be more scenic…

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Windy Day at Coyote Point

california, sf bay, wing foiling

After checking the iwindsurf.com forecast and noticing the crazy 25-30-knot winds, I decided to wing-foil at Coyote Point (since Crissy Field had wing-foiling championships and would be very busy). . . . On arrival at Coyote Point (a 45-minute drive from San Jose) via US-101, the wind was showing as 25 knots. It looked crazy windy on the water with large waves everywhere. . I…

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PRS SE CE24 Electric Guitar

guitar, tech

PRS SE CE 24 – Overview . The PRS SE CE 24 combines elements of PRS’s USA-made CE line (notably the bolt-on neck) with the affordable SE series made in Korea (by World Musical Instruments). It’s a modern take on a classic PRS workhorse—versatile, playable, and elegant without the Custom 24 price tag. . . . . . . Key Specs. FeatureDetailsBody Mahogany (back) with…

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Wing Foiling a Coyote Point

california, sf bay, wing foiling

After checking the iwindsurf.com forecast, I decided to wing foil at the nearby Coyote Point. Inna decided to join me and watch me foil (and also stop by the nearby Equator Coffees coffee shop). . . . On arrival at Coyote Point (a 45-minute drive from San Jose) via US-101, the wind was showing as 14 knots, but the small wings used by most wing…

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SwingVision for Tennis

tech, tennis

To improve my tennis skills, I decided to use the SwingVision software to record and identify areas for improvement in my game. . Here is a SwingVision-processed video of my doubles match: Boris & Dan vs. Katie & Phil: . Here is another SwingVision processed video of my doubles match: Boris & Partner vs. Eyal & Phil: . The cost of the software is $149.99…

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Hike to Mori Point

california, hiking, restaurant, sf bay

With the temperature in San Jose approaching 97 degrees Fahrenheit, we considered our escape to cooler climates. Initially, we considered visiting Crissy Field in San Francisco, but the traffic there was quite heavy (with a 90-minute drive time). . . Instead, we decided to revisit Pacifica, where temperatures were hovering around 60°F (and it was only a 50-minute drive). We loaded our Tesla Model Y…

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Donner Hush I Pro Travel Guitar

guitar, tech

For silent practice and travel, I decided to purchase the Donner Hush I Pro Electro-acoustic guitar. This guitar can be easily disassembled, fit into a tiny, thin travel case, and brought on flights with me. It has a built-in headphone amp powered by a lithium battery that lasts up to 8 hours. . . . . According to Donner:. PLAY WITH STYLE - DONNER breaks…

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