Lake Zurich Fishing - Two for Four

Went fishing this morning from 6 AM to 11 AM with my friend Jim at Lake Zurich.  I got four hits, but only landed the last two.

The first two came off the hook after a short fight.  The first one, I believe I did not set the hook properly to hook the fish.  We saw that it as a large mouth bass (as were all the others) when it broke through the surface of the water.  Same thing happened with the second fish.

By the time the third one was on the line, I made sure the hook set was good and we landed it.  13" Large Mouth Bass... which broke my dry spell of last year.  All last year, I didn't get any fish!  The fourth fish was a 14" large mouth bass.  All fish were caught with Gary Yamamoto's Senko plastic worms (6") that were Texas rigged. (photo courtesy of the internet):

Both fish were released back to the water.  Felt good to get something finally!  Jim wasn't as fortunate and didn't even get a nibble.

Brookfield Zoo - Field Trip with Balanced Exposure Students

Another fun field trip with my students from Balanced Exposure!  We had a very nice day today with temperatures in the low 70's.

Students learned to shoot and compose their shots, deal with color balancing and even how to take a photo of a waterfall properly (you can see two versions of a waterfall above... which do you prefer?)

Click on the photos to see a larger version.

ThermoWorks RT-600C Super Fast Pocket Thermometer

Several weeks ago, I purchased the ThermoWorks RT-600C Super Fast Pocket Thermometer on sale directly from Thermoworks, but did not get to try it until yesterday when I barbecued chicken breast and chicken legs on my new Weber Spirit E-310 gas grill.

In the past, I'd cook up food on grills and judged its doneness by the way it looked.  However, I always felt that the best way to do it would be to measure the internal temperature of the food, but I never had a thermometer to do it with.  With this inexpensive thermometer (approx $19 on sale), I finally had the chance to see if I would improve on my grilling skills.

I checked the internal temperature of the chicken and stopped cooking when the chicken's internal temperature reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit (the recommended doneness temperature).  To me, the chicken looked a little under done as I'm used to grilling chicken until it was a lot darker (which also meant much more dried out!)  But going to an internal temperature of 165 degrees actually made the chicken juicier and it was cooked enough!

Going forward, this little device will be the way I judge whether the things being cooked on the grill is done or not.  Well worth the money!

Lodge 10.5 Inch Cast Iron Grill Pan Set

Always wanted one of these, so I picked up this Lodge 10.5 inch Cast Iron Grill Pan set from Costco for $19.99.  It comes with a silicone handle holder and a black grill pan scraper.  Not a bad deal!  I hope to use it on my new Weber grill for times when I don't want to grill directly on the grill grate.  Obviously, the silicone handle holder must be removed before putting on the grill!

Here are the first burgers using the grill pan.  Nice grill marks!

One side note... I'm not thrilled with the silicone handle holder.  When the handle is hot and you use it to lift the pan, it tends to want to slide off the handle due to the weight of the pan.  That's not good when you have a hot pan and can't grab the pan to prevent it falling without an accidental burn!  I much prefer the standard cloth handle holders to the silicone!  Be sure to use a cloth handle holder and wear an oven mitt on the other hand when transporting a hot grill pan!  Using the silicone handle holder is only good if you are not going to lift the pan while it is hot.

Weber Spirit E-310 Gas Grill

After owning a mediocre grill for many years, I finally purchased a good one... the Weber Spirit E-310 gas grill.

Recommended by America's Test Kitchen as the best gas grill for under $500 (check out the video here: https://youtu.be/mUPX-9zkMeA) I decided that larger wasn't necessarily better for the money.  I wanted a grill that could cook evenly throughout its grilling surface.  America's Test Kitchen's video convinced me that this grill would be the best.

Apparently Weber grills aren't discounted below a certain price from retailer to retailer, so my family and I decided to purchase the grill at Ace Hardware since they offered free assembly and delivery.  We went last Friday but found they did not deliver on the weekends.  Monday was Memorial Day, so we asked if they could deliver at 9 AM on Monday since we had a huge family party happening for lunch that day.  They said they could do it.

Sure enough,  precisely at 9 AM, the guys delivered the assembled grill!  I fired it up and grilled lots of burgers, hot dogs, brats, and kebobs for the party.  And just like the video said it would do, the grill performed perfectly!  I had the entire surface area of the grill covered with each type of entree and every time... no hot spots on the grill!  Each burger came out exactly the same as the other regardless of where that patty was located on the grill.  On my old grill, if I had the patties in the "sweet spot" where the heat was best, the other areas would not even cook at all!  You could expect the meat to be raw!  Not the case here.  Perfect grill marks on everything and nothing burnt!

After the burgers, I put on Hot Dogs, Brats and Kebobs and they all did the same thing.  Nothing burned and everything was evenly cooked with nice grill marks.  The grill grates are made with porcelain enameled cast iron so heat retention is very good.

High praises for this grill!  If you are in the market for a grill, consider the Weber Spirit E-310 grill.  While it is more expensive than most grills its size at $499 on sale, in my opinion, it's well worth it.

Rode VideoMicro - Microphone for DSLR Cameras

The Rode VideoMicro microphone is an inexpensive microphone solution for DSLR video shooting. It is powered by your camera (be sure your camera has this ability) so it does not need an external battery source.  It's small and lightweight and also includes a "dead cat" wind screen too!  While not as full sounding as their more expensive versions, Rode offers a nice solution for those who want a very small and lightweight mono microphone to improve their audio quality.  Priced around $59.

(Images borrowed from the internet)

First Field Trip of the 2016 At Chicago Botanic Garden

It was a chilly day today for our first field trip of 2016 for Balanced Exposure students... but the consensus was that feeling a little cold is better than sweating in the sun! The Chicago Botanic Garden looked beautiful as always!

Images taken with a Nikon D750 and Nikon 24-70mm f2.8. HDR image processed with Lightroom CC.

Steadicam Merlin 2 - Video Stabilizer For Handheld Shooting

For an upcoming class at Balanced Exposure, I purchased the Steadicam Merlin 2 for handheld motion shooting of videos.

It takes FOREVER to get this thing set up properly, but once it is, the shots are amazingly stable!  Fluid shots are possible when using a stabilizer rather than jerky shots while moving.  I'm looking forward to letting my students try this device!

At one time, the Steadicam Merlin 2 cost around $595, but checking the sales price on B&H, it's currently selling for $295.  Still costs more than some may want to spend, but it's at least it's within a reasonable range.

My upcoming class description can be found on YouTube by clicking here.

May 3, 2016 Two Sunfish - No Salmon

I went to Racine Harbor to try my luck fishing today. Nothing. Not even a nibble.  So, my friend Jim and I decided to try Lake Zurich in Illinois.

Ended up only getting two small Sunfish.  One of them is pictured here.

The sunrise was taken at Racine Harbor.  At least we got to see nice scenery!

Final Installment of the Tokio Pub Lunches

Once again, my daughter and I went to Tokio Pub to finish our $57 free vouchers!

We ordered the same things we had done in the past only this time, we got two of the Crazy Dragon Rolls and one Godzilla Roll.  We also added a Shrimp Crispy Rice (reminded us of Chinese Shrimp Toast).  To start out, we once again ordered the Barbecue-Braised Pork Nachos.  Click here to see their menu.

We didn't quite finish our $57, so our waitress suggested we get a couple of Bignet dessert balls that were made of chocolate.  In all, our total bill was $0.  We gave her a nice tip, of course!

Night Real Estate Photography

An example of a night real estate photo.  Image taken with a Nikon Df full frame camera on RAW capture.  Lens used was a Nikon 14-24mm f2.8.

Tokio Pub - Again

Went again to Tokio Pub today!  Got their Barbeque-Braised Pork Nachos again and two sushi rolls (Godzilla Roll and Crazy Dragon Roll) and Tempura Shrimp Buns.

This was part of the "free" deal described in my previous post.  I have one more $57 voucher to use, so back to Tokio Pub next week!  Images were taken with my Apple iPhone 6s+.

Tokio Pub's menu can be found here: http://bucket.tokiopub.com/wp-content/uploads/Main.pdf

Tokio Pub - For Lunch!

Back on January 15, my daughter, wife and I went to celebrate both my daughter and my birthday (we share the same birthday) at Tokio Pub in Schaumburg, IL.

The deal was to have your birthday party at the restaurant on the 15th of every month and get a coupon for each person in your party worth the same as your age!  For us, our birthdays happen to be on the 15th anyway!  Click here to read about their special.

I turned 57 this year, so I got a gift certificate for $57 for use next time.  And, my daughter got one for $57 and my wife got one for $57 as well!  What a deal!

Anyway, we ordered food in January but did not get to go back until lunch today.  My daughter and I used one of the coupons and it covered all of the food above!  We ordered the following:

1. Barbeque-Braised Pork Nachos
2. Godzilla Roll (Shrimp Tempura, Smoked Salmon, guacamole, eel sauce)
3. Two bowls (one for each person) of Grilled Steak in Soy - Ramen Broth
4. Rangoon Roll (tempura fried roll, spicy shrimp, cream cheese, scallion, chilli oil, sweet and sour sauce)

The Pork Nachos were really great.  We really liked it.  We also liked the Godzilla Roll, but my daughter ate all the Salmon off the rolls since I don't eat raw fish.  I just ate the rolls minus the fish on it.  By the time the two bowls of Grilled Steak in Soy- Ramen Broth came out, we were stuffed already!  We decided to take the rest of the food home instead.

The interesting thing about this restaurant is that nobody there was Asian!  Not the servers and not the patrons (except us).  Still, it wasn't bad.  It's Americanized fusion food really.  The restaurant is part of the "Lettuce Entertain You" restaurants, so I guess I wasn't so surprised that it wasn't real Asian food.  We still liked it.  It's a bit expensive for what it is, but trendy places are like that.

Check 'em out if you want something different and try going when there is a special like the birthday specials!

All images taken with an Apple iPhone 6s +

Five Guys vs In-N-Out

How would I rate Five Guys Burger and Fries over In-N-Out Burger?

First, I'd consider taste... The In-N-Out to me is a bit tastier because it's greasier.  Some would say juicier.  But, the Five Guys has more toppings and condiment choices which are included in its price that adds tastes of its own.

An In-N-Out Burger costs around $3.45 per Double Double (two patties, two slices of cheese).  The Little Cheese Burger from Five Guys is $4.59.  It's about the same size as the Double Double.  But you get only one patty and one slice of cheese.  However, you get a lot of condiments and toppings with the price of the Five Guys burger.

The fries are more costly at Five Guys but they give you a lot more.  It is also fried in peanut oil, which to me, makes it tastier.  There was supposed to be a secret menu like In-N-Out has, so I ordered their "Cheese Fries" (which was supposed to be a secret menu item).  I was told they didn't have Cheese Fries, just regular fries.  Disappointing!

In the end, the Five Guys cost more, has less meat and cheese but gives you more toppings and condiment choices for the money.  The In-N-Out burger is less expensive, greasier but tastier.

What's important to you?

In-N-Out Burger

The Double Double is probably the most ordered burger from In-N-Out Burger.  I recall my uncle telling me how "juicy" they were.  But after ordering several of them recently on my trip to San Francisco, I couldn't help but notice that juicy really meant "greasy"!

The burgers are wrapped twice in paper, but look at the bottom photo of the inner wrapping.  Also look at the second photo and notice the sheen on the buns.  I'd call it a bit greasy.  What do you call it?

Still, the burgers are pretty tasty.  Compared to Five Guys burgers, the cost is more reasonable as well.  Which do you prefer?

2016 San Francisco - Fisherman's Wharf

I went to visit my mom and sister's family this week in San Francisco.

Lots of sights to see out there, but the easiest for me to get around with my scooter was Fisherman's Wharf.  Had to get some In-N-Out food, so I ordered a Double Double burger (two patties with two slices of cheese) and Animal Style Fries (Thousand Island, Grilled Onions and Cheese on Fries) and a drink.  Cost was $11.09 (yes, it was expensive, but you just got to do it when you are in California!)  I also ordered a cup of clam chowder at one of the street vendor's booth (got to do that too for $6 and tax). 

I saw a street performer playing smooth jazz on his Fender Stratocaster, so I had to talk to him and give him a tip.  He was really good.  I had seen him out there in June 2015 as well.  Like me, he's been playing over 40 years!

I also had to take a photo of Alcatraz prison.  I've been there before in the past (as a visitor, not as an inmate).

Also, while at Pier 39, I saw a Zoltar fortune telling machine!  Remember the movie "Big" with Tom Hanks?  If you haven't seen that movie, go check it out and you'll understand why I needed to photograph it.  By the way, all the images here were taken with a Canon 70D and Canon 18-135 IS STM lens... except for the Zoltar image.  That was taken with my iPhone 6S+.  Not bad for a phone photo, eh?