since i wasn't working today (a saturday), i didn't receive any group encouragement text from my supervisor. i kind of miss those, especially the late evening ones where she tells everyone how many cases were closed today.
i started watching the 2018 ruth bader ginsburg's documentary. i realize i knew nothing about her, all her accomplishments and the things she did for equal rights for women and men.
i was going to take the motorcycle to belmont and was ready to go when the motorcycle wouldn't start. it was cold last night - with temperature dipping into the upper 40's - and the fact that i haven't been riding the motorcycle much were all contributing factors that resulted in a dead battery. i dug out my battery jump starter but it failed to jump the battery. i even removed the seat so i could connect to the battery directly, but it still didn't work. i think the problem is i haven't charged up the starter since last winter, so it was down to 75%. that should've been enough, but after a few attempts, the capacity level dropped to 25%. i took the starter inside to recharge and ended up taking the bicycle instead.
i got a chance to try some fresh soy milk. my parents had some waiting for me, a combination of soy beans and chinese red dates (jujubes). i could taste the sweetness and fragrance of the jujubes, but after i stirred it, the sediments on the bottom obscured the taste of the dates. my father whipped up another batch, this time a combination of soy beans and roasted peanuts; it tastes more of peanuts. soy beans have a very faint flavor that can easily be masked by other flavors. as for the joyoung DJ13U-G91 soy milk maker, it seems to be a very well-built machine. the thing that surprised me is how heavy the lid assembly is, which also contains the motor that drives the blender and microprocessor that controls the heating and cycling. it came with 2 lbs. of complimentary soy beans that arrived in a separate box, from an american company called laura soybeans. their prices are much cheaper than elsewhere ($12 for a 5 lbs. bag, with a $4.95 flat fee shipping), and their beans are advertised as 2019 crops, still yellow and vibrant, unlike the ones my father got in chinatown (though the chinatown soy beans are much larger). while searching online, i found an even cheaper place (also US based): soypro sells 10 lbs. for $35 (10 lbs. for $22) with free shipping.
my mother made some wonton soup for lunch.
in the late afternoon my father and i were outside doing some yard work. he was trimming the buttercup squash plants and pulling up any dead vines, along with any dead tomato plants. we also trimmed back all the vegetation along the western side of the house, where a bunny surprised us by hopping out of the foliage. 
i did some weeding in the raised beds and watered parts of the lawn. i also reseeded some foxgloves. later in the evening when i realized how could it was going to get tonight and the next few nights (lower 40's), we decided to move all our tender plants indoors: cactuses in the basement, jasmines and gardenia in the sunroom. after monday the night time temperature will be a more seasonal 50's and we can move the plants back outside again.
after dinner i pedaled back home. with my battery jump starter charged up to 100% capacity, i went outside and tried to start my motorcycle. it didn't work at first, until i realized i had to turn on the ignition first. the moment i did that, the smart plug led went green, i pressed the start button on the handlebar, and the motorcycle roared to life. so that proves it was definitely an issue with the jump starter. when i brought it back inside to recharge, i noticed it was already down to 75% (although the 4 led lights indicator is not that accurate).
game 3 between the celtics and heat was tonight. it was do-or-die for boston, as no team has ever come back to win a playoff series after a 0-3 deficit. the big news was what happened after game 2, when there was angry shouting coming from the celtics locker room and a rumor that players had to be restrained from fighting with each other. seems like the team was imploding under the weight of playoff pressure. the celtics started tonight's game with a totally different strategy: more aggressive, attacking the basket, increased defense. gordon hayward also finally rejoined the team after an ankle sprain injury. boston lead throughout and would end up winning the game. but it took a lot of hard work, and in the final minutes once again lost a commanding lead, allowing miami to get within striking distance. for the heat, their play seems so effortless, like they could score points at will if they wanted to. can the celtics sustain this intensity into game 4 next wednesday? at least they'll have a few days to rest and practice, formulate some new strategies. if they can win game 4, it'll be a brand new series, best out of 3, anything could happen.
after some research, i bought a new motorcycle battery to replace the one i currently have, i've jumped started that thing one too many times. it seems like i'm on schedule to replace the battery every 5 years. the first replacement was august 2010, a scorpion brand battery. the battery i currently have is from june 2015, sigmastek brand. this new one i bought through amazon - throttleX brand (ADZ14S) - for $50. motorcycle batteries either seem to be super cheap (and i assume inferior quality) or super expensive, there doesn't seem to be any middle ground. i ended up picking one that had a good amount of positive reviews even though there were the stray reviews that said the battery didn't hold a charge for very long. it's not due to arrive until the end of the month. whatever the case may be, i feel like it'd at least be better than my current battery, which works fine during the summer, but once the weather gets cold, it goes dead and i have to jump start the bike if i want to ride. cold season riding is hard enough without having the extra burden of jump starting.