YCRM&E: March 2014

February. Although 2 months late, I'm making an attempt to catch up with our blog. It seems that when things slow down in my life, I tend to slow down as well. The more time I have on my hands, the more likely I will find ways to waste it. Winter hibernation has hit our family hard. As far back as I can remember, this has definitely been one of the worst, if not the worst, winters in Missouri. Training off season has never been something I am motivated to do. I often wonder how others have the discipline to train indoors for months on end while the temps continue drop and the rocks are covered with mounds of snow for the foreseeable future. Not being able to get outdoors takes a toll on me and this year was no different. It just lasted forever. February was spent with family and friends, working extra shifts in the ER, and playing indoors with M (who is also going stir crazy).

Belated Chinese New Years Celebration with my aunt and uncle from Beijing and our good friends, Sophie, Woody, Calvin, and Angie.

Traditionally for Lunar New Years, our family gets together to make dumplings by hand, strategically placing a lone peanut in a few of the dumplings. Upon eating them later, those who bite into one of the peanut dumplings are then deemed to have good fortune for the new year ahead. We strayed away from our tradition this year and had Chinese hot pot instead. When the weather is dreary and cold, there's nothing better than huoguo, also known as Chinese fondue, or by its literal translation, fire pot. In this simple, yet delicious and convivial experience, everyone sits around a table filled with a colorful array of meats (usually lamb), seafood, vegetables, tofu, and noodles that each person chooses from and cooks in a communal pot of simmering broth. When the snow is falling outside, some Chinese hot pot followed by a friendly ping pong tournament is my definition of a perfect evening!