Week #30 of 2025 has arrived... What can you tolerate?  What can you endure?

Time to walk over to your 4K Weeks poster and fill in another square.  Done?

There is this great clip about weak men and tough times. It doesn't have to be men of course... My family is pulled into the future, prepared, due to the equal labor of my partner and me. These are slightly tougher times than my previous 40 years.  It's all cycles.  

That's not a political statement.  Everyone knows that things are tougher now, and seem likely to get a bit tougher before they get easier.

And so, what can you endure?  None of us can, on our own, wrench the trajectory of our culture in the direction of easy times.  It takes all of us.  And the irony is that just buckling down and preparing to tolerate the tough times IS WHAT BRINGS ABOUT THE EASY TIMES.  It's true in exercise and in the sweep of history.

ON WEEK #30 OF 1917...

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, who performed as the exotic dancer Mata Hari, went on trial for allegedly spying for Germany. This was alleged to have caused the death of thousands of French soldiers.

She was 2,137.14weeks or 40.98 years old.

WHAT I CONSUMED THIS WEEK

My wife sent this to me... I'm feeling it this week. (NYTimes)

	Freakonomics Radio, What Does It Cost to Lead a Creative Life. As a person who makes his living partially on his creative output, I really like hearing about how other "creative" people do it.  I liked this interview, and also how much Stephen Dubner seems to like David Adjmi.
	10-25: The Science of Motivating Young People, David Yeager. This is what I am reading now... both for my role as a father, and as a business owner.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Keep silence for the most part, and speak only when you must, and then briefly." - Epictetus

I am so bad at this. Just the other day, we were buying a car for my daughter, in the thick of negotiations, and my wife laughed because I just can't seem to SHUT MY MOUTH!

I think its because I have strong opinions, and if I don't air them... CHAOS!

But... remember, self...most things don't matter at all, some things matter a bit, and a few things REALLY matter. Save the words for when things really matter, and if you are asking yourself if this matters, it doesn't.

WHAT I AM THINKING ABOUT THIS WEEK

Who wants you on their boat?

My wife is reading this book, A Marriage At Sea, by Sophie Elmhirst. She was explaining it to me right before bed this evening... Based on a true story, while on the ocean, a couple is suddenly forced onto their life boat, and has to survive for months based on the things they could quickly grab, and the force of will of the woman.

My wife also mentioned that she thought about abandoning the book because the guy is kind of a drag and she quickly tired of him. But she also wanted to see how it ends... conundrum.

Cut to 3:15 this morning. It has been absolutely POURING since 9 PM. Huge crack of thunder and lightning right behind our house and our power goes out. The thunder wakes us both, my wife gets up to check on the kids, and I think about the basement and the sump pump.

A few things occur to me.

Thought: I really should have solved the battery back-up problem before now.

Thought: There is likely water in the sump. It doesn't run often, but this is a lot of rain.

Thought: Our power went out likely because our transformer was hit.

Thought: There is a very real possibility we won't have power until tomorrow.

Thought: I should go check on it.

So, I go downstairs in the pitch black, get a few flashlights, and sure enough the sump is halfway full.

Thought: I should get a tape measure and see how fast it's rising.

By the time I get back it has already risen three inches or so. The whole thing is only 24 inches deep.

Thought: I need to start removing water from the sump.

Thought: What do I have that I can use?

When I get in this mode - a nothing-matters-but-solving-this-problem mode - it can seem stressful and intense to those around me. Internally I am pretty calm and analytical, but it is high energy and focused.

I cycled through a whole bunch of options, and the best plan was to use my small battery-powered shop vac to suck up the water and pour it, five gallons at a time, down the floor drain (That last part is my wife's genius idea. Sometimes in the heat of it I overlook simple solutions... I was going to walk it upstairs and chuck it outside.)

Thought: I have two batteries here, and eight more in my shop. I should get the water as low as I can and then go get the batteries. I wonder how long I can keep at this. At 7 AM, I can probably get my buddy's battery backup.

So I make four cycles of sucking water out of the sump (it has risen to the top when I start). That lowers the water about halfway and I can see the water coming in... relentless.  My wife has brought me clothes... since I am likely going to be doing this all night. I am still barefoot and shirtless in my pj shorts. And as I get ready to change into them, the power comes back on and the sump pump chugs and sucks all the water out. MIRACLE OF MIRACLES!

It had been 35 minutes since the power went out.

Later on after everyone has had sleepytime tea, and we are all trying to sleep, I say to my wife, "I am sorry for how intense—"

And she stops me and says, "No need to say anything else. I want you on my boat."

Are you an asset to the people on your boat or a liability?

I think nearly every personal attribute fits into this question. Attitude, aptitude, personality, mood, communication skills, etc., etc., etc.

In every attribute, you should try to be the person that, when shit hits the fan, people want on their boat. If you do that, you will find yourself on a boat full of people you want to be on a boat with.

*Also, regarding the brass tracks of a sump pump, pumpspy.com the battery backup is on the way... fool me once...

Until next week!

Spencer,

Owner of 4KWeeks

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