My Tai Chi Journey

Gotta say, it's pretty enough out there.

 

Mahalo @AxesAreBetter.

 

When I parked my bike to go and teach my tai chi classes this morning, I saw a grasshopper on the wall over my parking spot. I reached within 2-3 inches of it to secure my chain. I had calm and peaceful intent, and he did not flinch. After I chained up, I thought he was such a cool guardian. When I came out and was ready to bike it home, he stayed on duty. Mahalo faithful bud!

My guardian grasshopper

 

Took the more scenic route home.

 

Night rider tonight. Stayed home from the last afternoon early evening group ride to make dinner for the family. Went solo instead. I like the dark. Wasn't so dark with a blazing bike light. But that is more for my safety, as was the blinking red halo belt.

When I ride at night, I most times will swing by our tai chi tree.



When I got stuck in a long traffic light, I made a detour and turned around in a parking lot. I always try to aim my light low so as not to blind anyone, including this cat. Spied cat trying to be all inconspicuous like.



And when I got home, I was greeted by the lights we still have in our bushes. Monkeys like them, so I will leave them up. May change the location and configuration at some point, but they will stay up.

 

Usually, on Tuesdays, I will commute by bike. It is my long exercise day. I bike to my morning tai chi classes (6-10 miles depending on the route I choose to take). Teach two classes, then bike back (also 6-10 miles). Then I bike over and teach my long class (about two hours) and bike home. Then soccer practice for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Today was slightly different because my truck was in the shop overnight. Nothing major, just getting old like me. So after changing all the fluids and filters, and brake pads and stuff, it should be good for another 6-7 years.

After my morning tai chi classes, I get the message that my truck is done. So instead of biking back home, I biked to where my truck is. But I decided to take a path less traveled. Less people, less cars and more fun. Of course, I called my wife to let her know where I was going.



Then before going to pick up my truck, I stopped at a new little hole in the wall in a large park to pick up lunch.



Had spicy ahi on sushi rice.



After getting home, I had some of the leftover coffee that the wifee didn't finish from the French press.



I really love our tai chi tree. It is an old big monkeypod.





We're not the only ones enjoying it.







Because I only ate light today, had to have a pre-soccer snack. When I looked in the fridge, I spied a jar of home made lilikoi butter one of our wonderful neighbors gave us. Snack mystery solved.





When the little monkey saw, her snack mystery was solved too.

 

Was gonna bike with the family later this afternoon early evening, but things change. So I killed two birds with one stone. Ran my errands by bike. I gotta tell you, with all the traffic we have been having, biking doesn't take too much longer than driving. If I drive to do what I did today, it would normally take 30-45 minutes to make my two stops.

By bike, I took under 55 minutes. But that doesn't tell the whole story. I took a longer, more roundabout and scenic route. Sorry, didn't stop for pictures. Didn't have to find a parking spot because I had already scouted out spots to secure my bike in advance. And I took a long way home that included an extra 2.5 miles of steep hill. I thought about turning off on a side street to catch my breath a couple of times, but just powered through. Rested after getting home.

So my legs were tight, was breathing hard and was sweating buckets. But the extra 10-25 minutes was so worth it.

Sometimes, when the wifee drives to the Y (about five miles away) and I meet her by bike, I only get there about 5 minuted behind her depending on traffic. So not bad.

Now to eat something.

 

Each of my different tai chi classes has their own (they want to own it, I guess) annual potluck/lunch. One is really elaborate. They plan it all out. In addition to the food, they have music, performances, hula, magic... much...

In my other large class, it is always food. Food all the way. Well, that was today. Here are some of the food and folks. Warning: MUCH FOOD.





























I stopped taking pictures at this point to get out of everyone's way.

And one of the ladies brought a couple of bushels of various long stemmed roses for the ladies to take for Valentines Day. She even insisted I take one for the wifee. The monkeys were bummed they couldn't come with me (and eat). They had a homeschool park date and speech and debate that pretty much ran the whole time of my potluck.

It was interesting that my friend's wife (in California) contacted me about sending her in-laws to my class. They came by today.

Anyway, I hope that wasn't too much food for you all.

My smaller class that meets at the park will have our lunch on Monday.

 

My small class at the park wanted to schedule their own lunch for Chinese New Year. So we had a nice intimate group of about a dozen for lunch. One of my students told me I had to demonstrate something tai chi related to officially kick off lunch. And we are in a restaurant. So I say ok, of course. Reminded them of one of the very fist lessons.

Had them put their tongues behind their top teeth and close their mouths. Then reminded them that that forms saliva in the mouth. No we could eat.

My lunch was a starter of pokechos (poke nachos - raw marinated ahi on won ton skin chips).



With a main meal of pokedon (poke donburi - raw marinated seafood on rice) and tempura (fried shrimp and veggies).

 

On my fatbike commute back from my morning tai chi classes, I took thelong way back and stopped at the top of our soccer stadium to take a picture. Would have been ok if the sucky photographer didn't get his finger in there.



I saw lots of flowers blooming and thought to take pictures, but that would have been lots of stopping, so I didn't. But I did stop to take one of the sailboat in front of the radar array (in the ball). That is the closest I have seen a civilian (I am assuming) boat so near a naval vessel. Picture is very zoomed, otherwise the sail would just be a speck.



Had leftovers before going back out to my afternoon classes.



But also had an afternoon energy booster.



So sweet and juicy.

 

On my morning ride back, I smelled smoke. And at my afternoon class, I saw the smoke. There was a fire on the west side. It is on the right side past these students. I couldn't get everyone in the shot and catch the smoke.

 

Some scenes from today's fatbike commute between tai chi classes.

Goose, goose, DUCK!



I took the soccer stadium again. Made sure my thumb did not photobomb.



I cruised under these trees for a moment of shade.



Pearl Harbor



The path less taken (because it is a dead end).



Trees



A jungle stream

 

Had a quick and light snack before running out to my next classes.

Made broth



Seaweed noodles