Lost Time

Today marks the third anniversary since we took delivery of our 2019 Kia Niro, though it doesn't seem that long ago. Time became really wonky after the pandemic arrived and February 28, 2020 seems like a year ago.

Our odometer also lends itself to having me believe that we haven't had our hybrid crossover vehicle for that long, as the meter shows just over 50,000 kilometres, a milestone that would normally have been surpassed in under two years. We have made several trips to the GTA, for Kid 1 and Kid 2, but because I now work from home and the car leaves the garage only a couple of times a week, our hybrid automobile is getting even better mileage.

It even runs well when DW and I have our kayaks strapped to the roof and the trunk packed with paddling and camping gear. And there's something about cruising in rush-hour traffic on battery power, watching the range of the car increase, that gives us satisfaction.

While I wasn't crazy about the look of the Niro when we first purchased it, the large grill and pulled-back headlamps have grown on me. I get excited when I see another one on the road (we don't see many in Ontario but we did see quite a few of them in Portugal).

Both DW and I love this vehicle. We enjoy it way more than we ever thought possible. When we lived in South Korea, Kia made flimsy cars: their fit and finish was terrible and they ran rough. I had had the opportunity to drive a few of them in the two years that we lived in Chŏnju, and considered them one of the lamest of vehicles of which I've ever found myself behind the wheel.

The idea of ever owning one would make me laugh.

But when Hyundai absorbed Kia, the quality in both vehicles dramatically improved. The Niro is a solid car, handles well, has some pep, and is quiet (something that could not be said of the Kias of the late 1990s). The fit and finish is well-done, and there are more comforts and useful gadgets than on any car I've ever owned.

I would seriously consider buying another Kia in the future.

Of course, this Niro is only starting its fourth year, and we aim to have it for at least 10. Let's see how it ages.

But I wish my hybrid car a happy third anniversary, though time seems to have been lost and it seems like only yesterday when we left our Ford Focus at the dealership and drove you off the lot. May you continue to run smoothly.

My 2023 Reading List

It's a modest list. I don't want to set myself up for disappointment.

I'm still trying to get back into the habit of reading before going to bed. I have to tell myself to put my smartphone down for the evening and leave it there. But I'm getting better.

I haven't purchased a new book in years because the ones that I did buy have been collecting dust, their covers never cracked open. And so I've made those books a priority this year.

As I said, it's a modest reading list. If I get through them, I'll add more. I have plenty of unread novels on my book shelves. But here it is, including the book I've already read:

• The Lonely Hearts Hotel, by Heather O'Neill (finished): I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
• Hungry Ghosts, by Peggy Blair (in progress): Peggy is a friend of mine and she gave me this copy of her novel some years ago. I've already read her first two Inspector Ramirez novels and so far, this one seems to be the best one.
• 
  A Song For The Dark Times, by Ian Rankin: Ian is one of my favourite authors and I've met him a few times (he even recommended a whisky to me and it's now one of my favourites). I will never tire of Scottish crime novels and Rankin's John Rebus stories are addictive.
• A Heart Full Of Headstones, also by Ian Rankin: Kid 1 gave Rankin's latest Rebus novel to me for Christmas, but because the Rebus stories are chronological, I have to start with A Song For The Dark Times first. I imagine these books will be read in quick succession.
• The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt.
• The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam Johnson.
• My Name is Red, by Orhan Pamuk.
• American War, by Omar El Akkad.

The final four novels were given to me many Christmases ago but all they've done is collect dust on a bookshelf. It's not a huge list, but given that I haven't done much reading at all over the past several years, it's a good start.

If I finish these books before 2023 has come to a close, I can certainly add more titles to my list. After all, there are so many books in our house that I haven't touched. This is just a start.

And as soon as I finish these books, I'll likely pass most of them on. Last year, I complained that I've collected so many books that I could start my own small library. I need to let most of them go, but like my reading habits, that task fell by the wayside.

Wish me luck.

Upgrade

I always buy my own gifts. At least, my own Christmas and birthday gifts, when I know exactly what I want.

There's no room for error, no way that I'm given something that's similar but not exactly the same thing. Coming from DW, the money's coming from our joint account, so the gift is being funded from the same source.

And I don't need to wait for the exact date, be it December 25 or the first week in March.

If I want it, I get it, and attribute the gift to that special occasion.

I've wanted this device since it first came out, late last summer. I was thinking that it would have been nice to take with us to Portugal, but I couldn't justify the cost on top of the price for our vacation, so I decided to wait. If there was a sale price at Christmas, it would be the gift to myself.

It didn't go on sale. Not for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, nor Boxing Day.

I really wanted to have it for our trip to Mexico, but again, I couldn't justify the full price. Come my birthday, I said, I'll get it, no matter if it's on sale or not. Because I received no gifts for Christmas, save a book from Kid 1, I could say that it would be a combination of Christmas and birthday gift, to myself.

The last time I ordered a video camera from Insta360, it took nearly two weeks. I wanted to have it in time for my birthday, so I ordered the Insta360 X3 camera last Friday.

On Sunday, I received a notification that the camera had shipped, and that I would receive it on February 23 (yesterday). Only six days. Excellent.

But on Tuesday, I received another notification that the camera was out for delivery and would arrive that day. I was excited, and looked out the window to my home office every time I heard a vehicle roll down our street. I was like a kid, on Christmas Eve, waiting by the fireplace, waiting for Santa to come down the chimney.

It arrived just over an hour after my delivery notification.

I know: I have two Insta360 cameras already. I received my first camera, the One X, just before DW and I left for Mexico, in 2019, to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. And I took it with me to South Korea in May of that same year.

In the summer of 2020, Insta360 came out with the One R, a modular camera that allowed you to change the lenses from a 360-degree module to a single, 4K lens, to a lens with a one-inch sensor. I continued to use my One X for underwater video and as a backup, and I used the One R for most of my kayaking videos.

(I'm actually on my second One R, having pooched my first one in an underwater mishap while kayaking.)

In 2021, when the X2 came out, it was touted as the successor to the One X. It had a touch screen (though small) and could go underwater without the dive case that the One X required. At first, it attracted me as an upgrade to my first camera, but after watching a couple of reviews on YouTube, I learned that the video quality was not much of an upgrade and it didn't have any features that I didn't already have with my One R.

If I had the One R, said one reliable YouTuber that I follow, it wasn't worth putting out the money for the X2.

And so I waited.

Insta360 came out with three new cameras in 2022: the one-inch One R edition, the One RS, which was a slight upgrade to the One R, and the X3. The one-inch One R was slightly attractive but it was much more expensive than my budget would allow. The One RS was only slightly better than the One R, but the X3 was much improved from the One X.

Better resolution, more features, could go underwater, up to 10 metres, without a case, and had a large touch screen that is only slightly smaller than my first smartphone. I wanted it but would have to wait.

The waiting is over.

My One X still captures decent video, including underwater, and so I'm going to continue to use it with its dive case when I go snorkelling. It's a good backup camera.

I'll continue to use my One R, as the interchangeable lenses make it quite versatile. On our recent trip to Mexico, I used the One R with the 4K module for all of the underwater footage that I captured in Akumal Bay.

But the X3 is now my main video camera and I can't wait to attach it to the deck of my kayak or clamp it onto my bicycle. For the next few months, while we still have snow, I'll be putting it through its paces, getting to know it.

It's also supposed to be good as a digital camera, capturing images at 72 megapixels.

I've promised myself that this will be the last 360 camera I buy until it wears out. With my three video cameras, I don't think I could justify owning a fourth while any of these three are still going strong.

That's the plan, anyway. Stay tuned.

Beer O'Clock: Organic Hazy IPA

It appears that my past few beer reviews have been about breweries that are located in Southern Ontario, and that's entirely a fluke. When I choose a beer to review, I'm either captured by the funky label or I'm in a particular mood for a certain style of brew, and seek it out in something I've never had before.

When I focus in on a can or bottle, I may recognize the brewer. If it's a brewery with which I'm familiar but I don't recognize the beer, I tend to pick it up if I like that brewery. If I don't recognize the brewer but am still attracted to the style of beer and the packaging, I'll take it home and learn more about the brewery there.

Such is the case with the past new brews that I've reviewed. I didn't discover the location of the brewery until after I brought the can home and after I've tried the contents therein. (I try not to read a label too much because I don't want to be influenced by any descriptions.)

The label on this can was pretty obvious about where the beer was from. Larger than the name of this IPA—I was in the mood for a juicy, hazy IPA—was the word 'London.' For all I knew, this brew was made in the UK, but I had my doubts. I've never had a hazy IPA from the birthplace of IPAs.

And it wasn't until I sat down to try this ale that it dawned on me that my past several reviews have come from Southern Ontario: Sarnia, Hamilton, Burlington, and Toronto. And now, London.

There are so many breweries from this part of the province that it's no surprise that I would stumble onto a few. So how does this cooperative, organic ale go down? Let's take a look.

Organic Hazy IPA (6.5% ABV)
London Brewing
London ON

Appearance: when the contents of the can moved into the glass, it appeared clearer than I had imagined; but after it hit the glass and the effervescence kicked in, it grew to a cloudy, pale apricot with a foamy, white head that left a thin but solid cap that remained in place.

Nose: tropical notes of pineapple and lime led the way to guava and a touch of lychee. The aromas, themselves are deliciously intoxicating and inviting.

Palate: more tropical flavours and a touch of pine and cantaloupe. There's a bitterness in the mouth that isn't overpowering but does slightly upstage the fruit. On subsequent sips, those bitter hops blend with the guava and pineapple, and grows to a more balanced finish.

The ale took some time for my mouth to adjust to everything.

Overall impression: this is a good hazy IPA and was just what I was looking for. Though not quite as juicy as I've had in other hazy IPAs, it didn't disappoint me at all. It's easy to drink, and though it boasts a higher alcohol level, the alcohol does not stand out. I would happily reach for another.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺

Organic Hazy IPA can be found in the LCBO and you can order directly from London Brewing—a $10 delivery fee to anywhere in Ontario is well worth it.

I'll try to branch out from Southern Ontario for my next review but I won't promise anything. For the most part, I've been impressed with the brews I've tried and there are oh so many more breweries from which to sample.

Cheers!

South March Highlands