Four days later, Christmas is saved!!!

I admit to significant disappointment with the Marks & Spencer iced fruitcake I purchased in mid-December. While it may have been an excellent fruitcake by U.K. standards, it was not the kind of fruitcake I'm used to eating.

The photo below shows a proper-for-me fruitcake made locally at a shop near the old bus station. I've already been charged with being a "blogger," and now some have charged me with being a "foodie." I have no defense. I never imagined that I would sink to such depths in retirement. 

Nevertheless, this is a most excellent fruitcake, and I shall be ever grateful to my friend for gifting it to me. I'm not sure what 2023 has in store for us, but 2022 has certainly finished on a high note.

Fruitcake lovers of the world, be proud of your exquisite taste!!!

20221229

A very large snail carrying a very large shell on his back.

The shell was so large that it made me think of a seashell. Put this one in the record books as the absolutely largest snail ever sighted by me. (Slugs are a different story. Go, Banana Slugs!)

20221226

Apparently, I live on 2/3 Street.

Suddenly we have a street number: Two-Thirds Street. At this stage of life, I had hoped to make it to at least One Street, but I guess it is not to be. That's okay. I like our street.

20221226

A rainbow-ish sunset.

I mean, it looks something like a rainbow. Quite a bit of color in those stripes.

20221226

Old Town Korat on a Christmas Day Sunday afternoon.

Who knew how precious it would be to be able to go outside. Here are a couple of photos from Old Town Korat on Christmas Day 2022.

อนุสาวรีย์ท้าวสุรนารี
Thao Suranaree Monument

โรงแรม เมืองทอง
Mueang Thong Hotel

Merry Christmas 2022 and Happy New Year 2023 to all.

Merry Christmas 2022 and Happy New Year 2023 to all. 

20221224

Storks or cranes? I'm going with cranes until a birder shows up to help me.

I love these big birds up at my partner's hometown. Storks or cranes? I wish I knew. I'm going with cranes for now--at least until a birder shows up and helps me out.

The elusive ฬ-จุฬา sighted.

It's just like the photos in the alphabet learning books.

20221224

Perhaps I melted to death and was reborn into this new, cooler world.

Once again, after eight to ten months of melting, I live. Perhaps all I wanted for Christmas was to be able to enjoy being outdoors.

20221218

The beautiful restaurant that happens to have good food.

I admit it. Even if the food were crap, I would still patronize the beautiful restaurant during nice weather. Fortunately for us, the food happens to be very, very good. 

20221214

Thank you, Mother Nature, for a wonderful day.

High temperature today was 26 degrees. That's not bad at all. Thank you, Mother Nature, for this precious gift. I've been meaning to get down to กระโทก / Krathok (โชคชัย / Chokchai), and today it happened. 

What a nice little town! I parked the bike at บึงกระโทก / Lake Kratoke and had a walk-around. What happens if you drink a whole pot of Earl Grey tea? Yep. I paid three baht (less than 10 cents) to use the restroom near the playground across the street. It's the first time I've paid in a while, but fair enough. The system works. The people who operate the restroom make enough money to keep it clean, and it was clean.

I have now visited Krathok town center in a very limited fashion. Not a problem because I intend to go back, maybe next time all the way down to ครบุรี / Khon Buri, as well...

Lake Kratoke

Fruit and vegetable market

Thao Suranaree monument

Appears to have been a lot of Chinese immigration to this town back in the day.

124 kilometer loop today. My longest ever here.

Thank you, Yamaha Motor Company.

The Exciter 155 is a mighty little beast.

No regrets on my purchase decision.

Negative Covid test to start the day.

If I have Covid, I have Covid.

But there's no reason to give it to someone who could die from it.

20221214

Sunset before a week of (relatively) cool weather.

It's 24 degrees at 20:22, on its way down to 17 by 06:00 tomorrow morning. This is like heaven for me, and it's supposed to last for a week. Here's the sunset that introduced this weather.

20221212

Just this one time for Christmas (until the next time...).

When I first saw the quality fruitcake at Central Plaza a couple of weeks ago, I looked at the price and walked on. Today, I looked a bit closer. They still had the big fruitcakes for USD 35. But I found a smaller (410 gram) iced fruitcake for USD 17. I was going to wait until tomorrow morning to try it out, but sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today... (It's no wonder I am Fat Bastard...) In my defense, I did a pretty decent bicycle ride earlier this evening.

20221212-2018 edit: This UK fruitcake is very different than the fruitcakes I was accustomed to in California. One thing is certain: It will have to be consumed with coffee or tea. It does not taste right without.

20221212

The lake at Suranaree University of Technology

Just after you enter the SUT (Suranaree University of Technology) campus via gate 1, there is a very nice lake.

It has occurred to me recently, after not driving a car for a year, that I need to maintain my driving skills in case of an emergency. On this day, at the parking lot for this lake, I felt it--just like Jack Black having to take a solo in School of Rock. I got behind the wheel--on the right-hand side of the car, mind you--and drove around that beautiful campus for a while. My biggest issue was the same issue my partner had when she first switched over: I kept turning on the windshield wipers, the control for which is exactly where the turn signal control is in American cars.

I kept the rule, Do Not Hit or Be Hit, and the driving felt good. I shall do it again and again there--I hope...

20221210

December full moon visit to Wat Sala Loi.

After witnessing the brilliant full moon of December, it was time for another visit to วัดศาลาลอย / Wat Sala Loi. As always, there were bright colors in abundance. 

ป้า พร / Aunt Pohn was our wonderful neighbor when we first moved here. She has crossed over to the other side. It's fair to say that she was the primary thought on this visit, but something about Wat Sala Loi causes a greatest hits track of those who have gone before to play in my head. It's a good thing, though. When I come out of there, I feel very clearly my responsibility to live each and every day to its fullest. Those who have gone before me insist upon it.

20221209

I find myself sitting in salas.

As was the case at the temple in Sacramento, I can often be found sitting in various ศาลา / salas. Here's one at สระธรรมขันธ์ / Taamakan Pond. There was a guy fishing there when I arrived, so it does look promising as a potential fishing spot. It might be possible to sit in the sala while watching one's pole. We shall see.

20221208