After coffee \u2014 strong and necessary \u2014 I began my workout on my Total One exercise machine. The Total One is a compact home gym system that uses adjustable resistance and bodyweight mechanics to allow for a wide range of exercises: presses, rows, leg work, and core movements. It\u2019s efficient and surprisingly versatile, ideal for a full-body workout without leaving the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luisa joined me and walked on the treadmill while I worked through my sets. As I exercised, I watched an anime titled Sentenced to Be a Hero<\/em>. The series follows a protagonist unjustly condemned and forced into a deadly trial to prove his worth, blending fantasy elements with themes of redemption and moral ambiguity. The show carries intense action sequences and explores what it truly means to earn the title of \u201chero.\u201d Watching it while training added a certain dramatic energy to the workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Afterward, I made vegetable and chicken soup \u2014 hearty, warm, restorative. Perfect for a winter day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the afternoon, we prepared for a friend\u2019s Chinese New Year party. Our friends Sheila and Vinse invited friends and family to their home to celebrate with a wide variety of food, including Chinese hot pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chinese hot pot is a communal dining experience where a simmering pot of broth sits at the center of the table. Guests cook thinly sliced meats, seafood, vegetables, dumplings, tofu, and noodles directly in the broth. It is interactive and social \u2014 everyone participates, everyone shares. The flavors build as ingredients are added, and dipping sauces personalize each bite. It is less about formality and more about togetherness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We drove to Sheila and Vinse\u2019s home in Bridgeport. There was congestion on the highway leading toward downtown Chicago \u2014 the usual bottleneck. We arrived around 3:45 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both sides of their family were present. Luisa and I greeted everyone. Sheila\u2019s brothers, Boyle and Brian, were there with their families. We greeted Vinse\u2019s father, Oscar, and his family as well. Candice \u2014 Luisa\u2019s coworker and the librarian at her grade school \u2014 was also at the party. It felt warm and communal immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spread of food was impressive: fried chicken, dumplings, various fried rice dishes, roasted duck, roasted pork, other Chinese delicacies, and of course the hot pot bubbling at the center. Everyone was enjoying themselves. The children spent their time in Vinse\u2019s game room, which is practically an arcade museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vinse\u2019s hobby is collecting and refurbishing pinball machines \u2014 especially vintage ones. The room was filled with beautifully restored machines, their lights blinking and chimes ringing. There were also electronic arcade cabinets lining the walls. It was nostalgia brought to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After some time, Robert \u201cFluke\u201d Aguilar joined us. Fluke had tickets to a live music event happening nearby \u2014 also tied to the Chinese New Year celebration, the Year of the Horse. The event featured multiple artists and Asian food vendors. Some vendors were even giving out free liquor samples and dishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luisa and I left the party to attend the event with Fluke. It was held at the historic Ramova Theatre in Bridgeport. Originally opened in 1929, the Ramova is one of Chicago\u2019s oldest neighborhood theaters. Recently restored, it blends vintage architectural charm with modern venue upgrades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We found street parking and entered after passing through a security checkpoint. The interior was beautiful. The stage was high and commanding. The lighting cast warm hues across the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I sampled Tsingtao beer from a vendor offering free pours. It was crisp and refreshing. Luisa tried various seltzers, including S.Pellegrino. Fluke had some THC gummies and seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We visited food vendors including Kasama, 312 Fish Market, Phodega, and Saucy Porka, from which Fluke ordered a dish. The energy of the crowd was festive and celebratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first act was Maylani Sapaula. She performed an intimate set accompanied by an electric guitarist. Her voice was beautiful \u2014 strong pitch, excellent intonation, and a natural stage presence. She performed three or four songs, a mix of originals and covers. The crowd loved her. I hope she becomes well known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main act was BOBO.xx, a band from the West Coast. They had incredible stage presence and high energy. One of their songs was a touching tribute to a friend who had recently passed away \u2014 emotional and sincere. Despite some issues with the venue\u2019s sound system, they delivered an impressive performance. I hope they make it big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the show, we decided to head home. Fluke was feeling the THC gummies pretty strongly, so we drove him home. On our way out of the Ramova, we grabbed a few complimentary S.Pellegrino seltzers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was an eventful day \u2014 gaming nostalgia, exercise, warm soup, family celebration, music, and community. A winter Saturday filled from morning until night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Celebration at Sheila’s and Vinse’s. Live music at the Ramova Theater.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[134],"class_list":["post-3699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-journal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3699"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3724,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3699\/revisions\/3724"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.jsantos.net\/_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_3008-scaled.jpg\")
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