Choose Strong
For Tim.
Feburary started with a chill but I was prepared. Among the supplies that I
brought back to the old house for the next two weeks were five one-lb canisters
of propane. Four years ago, I bought a portable Mr. Heater for my wife who
needed extra warmth for a few days each winter. It was simple to use and worked
well but she treated the 16oz fuel containers as if they were bombs that would
explode anytime without warning. She switched to an electric heater and since
then the propane set had been left in the garage gathering dust. It still worked
great and, with the heater set at LOW, each can (costing about $3.00) kept the
10x12 room warm for about six hours. I went through all five in 10 days.
The jetlag helped to make the first few days miserable. I found myself only able
to doze for about four or five hours each night. It was not until the ninth day
before I could sleep through an eight-hour block. Sleepless nights and in my
toasty chamber, I finished reading "Walden on Wheels" by Ken Ilganus, twice. I
was very impressed by Mr. Ilganus's thoughts and experiences. Twenty years ago,
I was too awe-struck by Emerson to read "Walden." I felt I was ready now.
My company required two weeks quarantine for employees traveling back from
China, as I found out on the second day home. I emailed the boss and he did not
bother me at all the whole time. It was as if I were given another vacation. I
had no complains about that.
All of a sudden, there was so much time. I kept reading the dictionary, cleaning
the house and yard, exercising, but still found time to kill. I tried to
meditate by sitting lotus and focusing on my breath. Meditation must be so much
more but, as far as I can see, it is a weapen against screen/Internet addiction.
I will get serious with it.
I kept my strength regimen and started one-arm swinging the 40kg kettlebell.
Each arm could do only two sets of 10 reps at the moment. I also reclaimed the
Turkish Getup, three sets on each side with the 32kg. I felt bullet-proof.
I worry about my folks back in China and check the news twice a day, mostly from
Starbucks's parking lot where I can have WiFi. My translation of the first part
of Pavel's "The Cost of Adaptation" has not caught as much attention as I wished
from friends on WeChat. Nor has the Surya Namaskar picture I shared. These so
far are the things I think I can do to help. Most people would prefer instant
gratification, I understand, but I think before asking for help one should do
his own part. As for the epidemic, my guts tell me it will get worse before it
gets better.
Over this period, I finished 18 corn tortillas, one cup of quinoa, a dozen eggs,
four vine tomatoes, a dozen apples, one 20oz beef steak, four packs of Korean
fast noodles, five packs of 8oz brown-rice-quinoa mix, a 48oz bag of almonds,
nine cans of sardines in olive oil, and about two pounds of shelled peanuts,
fried in coconut oil in my Lodge dutch oven. Every evening, I would cook a
simple and delicious meal. The combinations included
- five tortillas with a filling of green onion or sliced onion, fish, and Korean
deonjiang,
- steak seared medium rare with brussel sprouts, both cooked with coconut oil in
the Lodge,
- a pot of fast noodle with seaweed, veggies, and/or eggs,
- quinoa cooked in the pot and flavored with extra virgin olive oil, lemon
juice, cumin, and salt, and
- scrambled eggs.
I also finished a bottle of Chinese hard liqor (二锅头), a bag of Godiva
chocolates, and about three galons of water.
Friday marked the end of the two-week timeout. 9:00am, first time in a month, I
went up MP. The hills were wearing a coat of lush winter grass decorated by
black cattle. The olive trees were sprouting new leaves and the white and cherry
dogwood blossoms and pink-white magnolia were announcing the coming of spring
under a cirrus sky. How blessed I am!
P.S. The hours I slept recovering from the jetlag:
date(night) hrs slept
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fri 2020/01/31 4.5 (12:30 - 5:00am)
Sat 2020/02/01 5.5 (9:00pm - 2:30am)
Sun 2020/02/02 12.0 (9:00pm - 9:00am)
Mon 2020/02/03 3.5 (9:00pm - 12:30am)
Tue 2020/02/04 6.0 = 3.5 + 2.5 (8:30pm - 12:00am, 4:00am - 6:30am)
Wed 2020/02/05 3.5 (8:00pm - 11:30pm)
Thu 2020/02/06 5.0 = 2.0 + 3.0 (7:00pm - 9:00pm, 5:30am - 8:30am)
Fri 2020/02/07 5.0 (8:00pm - 1:00am)
Sat 2020/02/08 4.0 (7:00pm - 11:00pm)
Sun 2020/02/09 8.0 (7:30pm - 3:30am)
Mon 2020/02/10 8.0 (8:00pm - 4:00am)
Tue 2020/02/11 7.5 (7:30pm - 3:00am)
Wed 2020/02/12 4.0 (12:00am - 4:00am)
Thu 2020/02/13 4.0 (12:00am - 4:00am)
Fri 2020/02/14 7.0 (10:00pm - 5:00am)
Sat 2020/02/15 9.0 (9:30pm - 6:30am)
Sun 2020/02/16 8.5 (10:30pm - 7:00am)
Mon 2020/02/17 7.5 (10:00pm - 5:30am)
