Posts

Posted on

Snowmageddon 2026 and ADD: fixing the stove top

Snowamegeddon 2026

Stuck at home and refusing to shovel the driveway yet, my self diagnosed ADD is on overdrive. I decided to clean the house and finally decided on fixing my stove top. A burner has been off line for about 20 years. I think it worked at first after we moved in (new build) but it shortly went out. Probably could have had it fixed under warranty but didn’t want to deal with it then.

This little guy’s hasn’t been functional for years

we’ve gone this long need using it do we really need it?  Is it worth having someone come fix it? I had multiple attempts at starting but was always deterred by analysis paralysis. Wasn’t sure how to get started. Yes, I could search online but that’s also takes time.

Well 20 (maybe 19) years later here we are. sometimes you just got to jump right in.  With the momentum of avoiding other cleaning and shoveling we have progress. I wasn’t sure how to get the cook top up and then get to the element. There are actually no tutorials for this specific model. 

Glads top finally removed.

Looks like mybwork here is done… Now I’m just waiting for the new ceramic element. I hope I dont leave it like this for another 10 years. YS will kill me.

Now off to my next project. I guess I really should shovel…

Posted on

Columbus Day 0

We sat at ORD for 3 hrs in the plane at the tarmac.

After a Hella long ways back. I think that was over 24 hrs with delays and layovers. Finally made it back to Columbus! 

Due to ground traffic. It took forever to get to the dicing stage. By the time we were done the icing they already used 2,000 lb of fuel. They had to refuel so they took another hour. But alas we’re home

Left Tamsui at 700am to the airport (6pm ohio time on monday)

Landed CMH 327am. 

Going to sleep.

Posted on

Taiwan Day 11: until next time

6am: original plan was to leave at 6am to avoid the traffic. We’ll that didn’t happen.

730am: traffic…

Gaggle of escooters

The scooters get to inch up at stop lights. The scooters are like flies everywhere. Driving a car here would be so stressful.  You have to co standby watch out for scooters zipping past.

Made it to the security check. Apparently no photos allowed here (I got yelled at).

So we checked in. Went through security. They stopped Vivienne for a second and asked her didn’t she already scan the ticket?  Didnt know what that was about until we sat down at the lounge. Appare5the united Desk checked us all in but Juju. They printed vivi boarding passes 2x. (One for juju)   somehow juliette made it through the security check point. This seems like a major security risk.

Well luckily we caught this otherwise they were in process of giving juju seat away.

1150am flight was delayed. Now in process of take off.

730am PST landed at SFO and now at customs.

Went to the AMEX Centurion lounge at SFO. It’s at a temp location while the usual terminal is undergoing reno. It was packed and super loud. Guy at the bar is talking very loud and yelling profanities. Kids next to us are doing the 2-5 year old scream cry whine.

Food was good but we had to go somewhere else. Checked out the Canada Air Maple Leaf Lounge at SFO (Gold Alliance partner). That’s pretty nice.

Outside terrace @ Maple Leafe lounge SFO
Comes with jet fumes.

After a long layover we made it to ORD. Short connection time we ran to the gate. Now the flight is delayed. Yay. Tired.

Posted on

Taiwan Day 10: last day in Taiwan. Visiting Grandfather’s resting site

honoring the ancestors

7am: off to Taipei. We are heading the my grandfather’s resting site which is in these mountains, and a little far. The most difficult part of this venture is getting up the small winding road up the mountain. For those that know me, I was that motion-sick kids on the bus.

Wendell Borton – motion-sick kid

YS and I opted to take the train/rail down 1.) reduce me getting sick with my dad driving, and 2.) his RAV4 can only fit 5 people.

Riding the MRT can get packed but we figured out a great hack to get seats!

Packed
Sitting all the way baby!

807am are we there yet…still have 50 min

We are ahead of them!

The girls are in the car with the grandparents.

So Taiwan cemeteries are usually on top of mountains.

… hillsides were historically less valuable for farming but offered good drainage and spiritual significance, with mountain slopes providing ample space and auspicious placement for tombs…

-Google Gemeni

Often there is a lot of shrubbery that can over grow. It requires a lot of upkeep. On top of that the stairways up are very treacherous.

So we had to cut back all this growth to get to the tomb.

The path.

Mr frog
Cleared out the foilage. What kind of mosquito vector disease do they have here?
Born 1904 i think. Passed on 1980
Loquat flower
Banana

Checking out Ximending before we get packing. One of my favorite places in Taipei to go. Lots of food and stores/nightlife.

Cousins
Sierra really wanted Vivi and juju to have these pretty hair clips and wear with her.

I posted about this before but they have air raid shelters everywhere. Apparently the MRT subway station is a commons one.

We made a stop at Ximending. Very popular spot especially for the younger crowd. Apparently they film a lot of the Taiwan Dramas here too.  Definitely a spot to check out if you are in Taipei.

This large door swings over and seals up
Mister Donut
Quick stop by the underground mall
Hedgies are popular this year
Ximending
They blurred the picture of the risqué product.  I can’t quite make out what it is…
Posted on

Taipei Travel Hacks: LRT MRT

Sometimes finding a seat on one of the subway/metro/light rail in Taiwan is like winning the lottery, while also being packed like sardines.

Monday morning rush hour

Depending on logistics I.e how long/far you need to go, this hack will almost always guarantee you a nice seat .

TLDR: take a train to the terminal station. As everyone gets off, pick your seat.

I’ll use our current trip as an example.

We need to go from suburb of Tamsui (North) to the southern part of Taipei to visit my grandfather’s resting site.

General idea of where we need to get to
Hongshulin MRT/LRT Transfer station

So we take the LRT down to terminal/transfer station. From here we get on the MRT. We could go straight down to Taipei from here. There are a few seats open, but YS and I want to sit together. so we just go the other way to the terminal stop at Tamsui MRT station. It also only one stop away.

Once we get there we watch everyone most people (ok well I guess other people figured this obvious hack out too) get off.

The dark blue seats are priority seats for elderly, disabled or geriatric travelers.
Not too busy but not enough seats.
Got our seats

I don’t actually mind standing for 90 min on the MRT, but when you are carrying a lot of crap or have the kids with you, this is a life saver.

Getting packed

Happy sitting!

Posted on

Taiwan: day 9 wharfing/exploring before we get ready to go back

LRT
Ride the Light Rail in Taipei for 1NTD with any AMEX card

Here are the restrictions for the promo:

1. Only one American Express card can be used for payment. The card must be tapped on the card reader at the station entrance/exit to complete the payment and receive the discounted fare.

read more Read more hidden text
AMEX promo

2. The promotion will end when 30,000 discounted transactions are completed, or at 23:59 on October 31, 2026 (Taiwan time), whichever comes first. If the number of eligible participants exceeds the limit, the first person to complete a contactless payment will be eligible.

3 This activity applies to all stations along the Danhai Light Rail and Ankeng Light Rail lines.

When using your American Express card to ride the Danhai Light Rail or Ankeng Light Rail, you must complete the transaction and payment upon entering and exiting the station to ensure that the deducted amount and travel record are correct. The rules for paying extra for unused or expired cards upon entering or exiting the station are in accordance with the regulations of New Taipei Metro.

5. If your card reader fails to scan, please visit the station service counter for assistance or call the original card issuer. For information on passenger information for the Danhai and Ankeng Light Rail, please refer to the Passenger Information (Light Rail System) on the New Taipei Metro website.

6. This offer applies only to contactless payments made using an eligible American Express physical card or through an eligible card in your mobile wallet. Payments made using an eligible American Express card as the source of funds for QR code payments are excluded. Credit/debit cards are payment tools only; the company does not guarantee the quality or performance of goods or services sold. Cardholders should carefully evaluate any goods or services they purchase.

7. If any offer is not provided immediately in accordance with the terms of the promotion, please notify American Express immediately for assistance. American Express will provide the offer as soon as possible within [90 days].

Offers are only available to members holding American Express

So $1 NTD is equivalent to abut $0.03USD

So we decided to explore Tamsui some more. The LRT now goes down all the way down the the Fisherman’s Warf

Local restaurant along the wharf.
I think this dude is injured.
Along the Tamsui Wharf
Posted on

Taiwan Day 8: haircut, Taipei adventure, and late night ramen

830am: headed to get the workout in

Drizzle a a little cold

1000am: got to get my Taiwanwse breakfast

1130am: Haircut for the girls

10pm: late night dinner stop on the way home

24 Hr Ramen shop. Yiguo Ramen

Interesting concept.

They have shelves of ramen that you choose a pack
Choose your protein add-in
Then you pay. And go back for the veggies which are included.
Add water
Let it cook
Then you eat

Some places around Taipei leave sticky notes and pens for people to draw and leave notes behind.

Some of the drawings other people have made
Some people are pretty good at drawing.
Guess who made this one.
Mommy
Juju
Juju
Juju
Vivi
Who’s drawing is better?

Well we just felt that earthquake. 5.4 mag. Video doesn’t really show much though.

You can see the lights moving. It was definitely more notable than the videos lets on.
Posted on

Taiwan Day 7

1030 am. Late start. I guess I may have acclimated to the time change just as we will head back soon.

Foraging for more local breakfast food.

Well we ended up just getting lunch at Sushiexpress – revolving sushi place. It’s super cheap!

https://www.sushiexpress.com.tw/Epaper/1162

All the food we ate was less than 40 USD.

For dinner we went to this Japanese place by the Tamsui MRT main station.

Labubu hat. She didn’t want it

Very interesting experience. Food was good too. We had to grind our own seasoned seed to mix with the salad dressing. The salad was a shredded cabbage you find in sushi boxes.

Posted on

Taiwan Day 6: Xmas

Ho ho ho

Rainy day out to explore during Xmas

Kids are wiped out from Cybercube yesterday. If you haven’t played a grid game/active floor tile game you should try it. They have one @Polaris.

So we are off to explore. Taiwan doesn’t usually observe Christmas as a holiday for schools, but apparently they changed that for this year. Well they technically call it “National Constitution Day”. I think stores are still open.

Posted on

Taiwan Day 5: Christmas Eve

730 am. Back day.

Warmup run
Saw this on the way back and had to share it.

11am on way for Christmas Eve lunch /Dimsum. Though I love the public transportation in Taiwan, the fragrant odors you encounter can be intense. Luckily it’s not the dead of summer but the mix of BO and being crop dusted still sucks.

Ensuring the smells of public transport.
Lunch @ Citystar 24 hr dimsum

https://maps.app.goo.gl/kh6q8RXS7kPYvwzP6?g_st=ic

Pretty good!

Next off to play some games at Cybercube. They call it an active tile/grid game. It’s really fun and much more physically demanding than I expected.

CYBERcube

CyberCube | Taiwan’s first immersive motion-sensing game | Pre-register on the official website https://share.google/skDZ4lF0a7vxBYfSV

They have multiple locations in Taiwan.

They apparently have similar games in the US. They actually have one at Polaris.

Random desert shop. I like the logo
I guess mangoes are out of season:-(. I really wanted shaved ice with mangoes.

For christmas eve dinner, the family opted for Sezaria. Its a Italian resturaunt in Taiwan. Vivi and Juju loves this.

Juju and Vivi really love the pesto pasta.

Happy Xmas eve!