Days In Bed / Alive Again

 

Song:  Alive Again

Group:  Chicago

For the past almost week...

 I had spent most of my time in bed.

I had developed bronchitis...

and besides having a deep cough almost every time I breathed in deeply...

I was physically drained.

And so...

I stayed inside most of the time...

and in bed sleeping as much as possible.

Even my appetite waned...

and so...

on each day...

I would just make something fast and easy...

and then just go back to bed.

I tried working some more on the deck...

but I only got so far as merely spreading out another roll of carpet...

without any cutting or sealing.

I was just too physically depleted to go further.

With the temperature dropping...

the chill in the air made me cough even more...

so I could do no more.

I still haven't progressed beyond this point...

even though it has been many days.

I must ensure I fully heal this time.

I would use leftovers to make something quick to eat...

and then go back to bed.

Yesterday...

I started feeling better...

 so I made Salmon Ochazuke.

I then went back to bed until after 9 PM...

when I felt I wanted to eat some Indian food

(it was a good sign my appetite was returning).

I had found several Indian food restaurants that stayed open until midnight.

And so...

I drove to Old Town Colorado Springs to one of them.

I arrived at around 10 PM.

Of course...

at that hour...

I was the only one there.

They played Bollywood movies so customers could watch while they ate.

I ordered some vegetable samosas as an appetizer.

I also ordered Tandoori Chicken...

...and plain Nan.

--------------

Although I was getting my appetite back...

it was not fully back yet...

and so...

I took back one leg of chicken...

and three pieces of nan.

Just as I was pulling out of the parking lot...

I had seen one man on a bicycle dressed in multiple jackets...

and hauling around his belongings in plastic bags.

I usually don't feel sorry for people who choose drugs over their very lives...

but I knew that it being after 11 PM...

the temperature would soon drop to near freezing in a few hours...

and I knew he would need the extra calories...

so I pulled up beside him and asked if he would like my leftovers.

He gladly received the styrofoam takeout tray...

and I drove on.

I only blogged about this incident to illustrate the inevitable result 

of living life as a grasshopper.

Choosing immediate gratification over deferred gratification

(being the grasshopper instead of the ant)...

leads to a steadily degrading lifestyle which eventually becomes torturous...

which they then attempt to escape through the momentary dulling through more drugs.

This young man (looked to be in his thirties)...

was emaciated.

He couldn't even feed himself properly.

The sad part is...

at anytime...

he could get his act together.

There are multiple opportunities to work...

and to receive assistance, in the United States

(I know there is a world of difference in being homeless and starving in some other countries.  

I feel for them...

for they truly have no choice in a large amount of the cases...

but there is simply no excuse for it here, in the US).

-------

We become the culmination of our actions and inactions in life.

It is mostly not a one time event which changes our lives for the better...

or for the worse.

It is for what we strive...

or for what we allow...

to become habit.

It is what we do...

or do not do...

as a matter of habit that determines the quality of our lives.

Think long term over the short.

Short term thinkers are the ones who end up in prisons...

and living on the street...

 instead of providing for themselves...

thereby earning their true freedom in life...

and their eventual peace and serenity...

and so...

deep happiness.

-------------

No...

I am not the paragon of patience...

far from it.

But...

I have learned to control, or at least tame, my immediate impulses....

mostly by keeping my long term goals in mind...

of keeping the dream alive at all times.

Once again...

I think having a big dream...

of which is subjective to each of us...

is the main goal to realize in childhood.

It provides the direction...

the drive...

and the eventual path to its fruition.

All of the most successful people in life had one thing in common...

the big dream.

If the dream is sincere enough...

big enough...

a sacred calling...

it will guide you on the path to becoming the ant...

instead of the grasshopper.

It is the lack of a dream for a better future 

which leads people to become the grasshopper in life...

and so...

ending their ability to truly live it...

even before they start.

---------

Ah...

I am sure you can tell I am feeling better...

I am arrogantly proselytizing once again  :)

Almost Done / Sad News

 

Song: Vincent

 Artist:  Don Mclean

Yesterday...

I still felt slightly off.

As I didn't wish to push myself...

I stayed in bed longer before rising...

and I then took care of some things inside before starting on the deck.

This is the front side of the 2nd deck...

And this is what I had left to carpet.

I took out one roll of carpeting.

I laid it out with the correct amount of overhang measured out.

I had lain out some excess carpeting from some previous days' work...

and I will use them to fill in other areas.

I was part way done here.

I must make the separating cuts on two posts at a time before I can fit the carpet to the posts 

and make the desired multiple cuts needed to form fit the carpet around each one.

Otherwise...

the resulting torque of the twist 

would throw off the measurement and cutting of the one before it.

I sat down and rested for a few minutes here...

knowing I would only get to this one carpet on that day.

I just felt a little depleted.

Knowing I had many days in which to complete the job...

I didn't wish to allow myself to get sick again.

I tacked down the carpet...

and put everything away.

I still had to do my laundry...

and take a long hot shower before I went 

to my customary Tuesday night out at Maggie's.

I sat down in my usual table at Maggie's...

not knowing this would be the end of my weekly visits.

I then received my sad news.

I learned that this was the last night for their half off pricing...

as it was a limited promotional trial run

(I know they lost money on me...

as I would usually get the most expensive dishes :)

I felt like eating a lot of meat...

and so...

I got the full rack of BBQ ribs once again.

The soup was excellent as usual.

Their ribs are just so succulent.

I am going to miss them...

as although I can always just cut my visits down to once or twice a month...

I had so looked forwards to my once a week visit.

I was only halfway done here.

My final bite.

It was like saying goodbye to an old friend  :(

------------

I was so full when I got home

that I just lay down in bed as my food digested.

 I had become so tired that I just didn't feel like updating the blog

with that day's events.

------------

It is still morning as I am updating this while drinking a cup of coffee.

I will soon retrieve another roll of carpet...

and start on the other long portion still open.

I will still have to fill in the open end after fitting the long side...

and then fit, cut, and tack the end portion...

and I will then have to seal the whole side's carpeting.

I don't think I can finish it all today...

but I should be able to at least cut, fit, and tack everything today.

Butter Sautéed Ponzu Salmon / Sealing Deck

 

Cover Song:  Wicked Game

Original Song By:  Chris Isaak 

Performing Artist:  Jamie Dupuis

For breakfast today...

I had a craving for salmon and potatoes.

So...

I took them out of the deep freeze and began preparing them.

I decided that I would butter sautée the salmon...

...and for the potato wedges...

I just baked them at 425 F for 30 minutes.

I love potatoes...

and so...

I bought about 20 lbs of frozen potato wedges...

some pre-seasoned...and some not.

I started by melting a half stick of butter in a pan as I defrosted the salmon...

and as the potatoes were baking.

This was the salmon I would cook.

I had it on medium heat...

then salt and peppered them as they cooked.

The potatoes were done...

and the salmon was almost done.

I had the larger piece of salmon...

and I gave Bandi the smaller portion...

and some fries.

I still have some leftover salmon and fries...

so...

I am thinking of making fish sandwiches tomorrow.

I poured Ponzu on my piece of salmon.

It was so good.

This was my version of Fish and Chips.

------------

As it is not supposed to rain or snow for at least the next week...

I started on sealing the carpets I had lain yesterday.

After I had finished...

I realized I would have to wait until tomorrow to lay the side carpets...

as it was too windy.

Had I tried today...

the wind would have kept lifting the carpet

during the measuring phase.

But...

no worries.

I now have an open weather window of many days.

I am supposed to get my delivery of sealant tomorrow.

If it is still windy then...

I will just start waterproofing the upper and lower railings.

----------------

As it is still rather early in the day...

I am thinking of just resting in bed for a few hours...

perhaps taking a nap...

and afterwards...

 brewing some peppermint tea...

and then practicing some music in the loft.

As there are clouds in the sky...

I am hoping for a beautiful sunset once again.

As I lay in bed...

if I notice colors forming...

I will come back up to the loft and go out on to the 3rd deck to take more photos.

------------

While not spectacular...

it was another nice and serene sunset.

And so closes another day.

I will now brew some tea...

come back up to the loft...

and work some more on my cover song

(I still have a long way to go).