Year: 2009

Dad’s Birthday and Trip

December 31, 2009

For Dad’s birthday, we went out for dinner on the actual date. Then, we planned an extended vacation, revisiting some of the familiar places that we had toured when we were much younger. It was a big combined celebration, of birthday, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
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Jun Jun’s Farewell

December 9, 2009

Jun Jun, also known by Jack, has been in Loma Linda for the past several months. He came from the Second Hospital of Tangshan and mainly shadowed Dr. Mudge and me. For his farewell, we got together to make pizza, one of his favorite American food.
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Thanksgiving Weekend

November 29, 2009

One of the highlights was just having a simple picnic lunch right by the pond, on the deck over the vault. Also, I had the chance to visit the aquarium, Huntington Library and the new Chinese Garden, the Getty Villa, and El Matador beach near Malibu.
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Hope Channel Opening Ceremony

November 14, 2009

Kandus and Brad Thorp invited a lot of people to the opening ceremony of the Hope Channel’s production center in Loma Linda. Brad gave a nice devotional about the satellite dish and performed symbolic footwashing as well.
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Pond Construction

November 8, 2009

After several months of work, the pond is finally done and filled to the right level. Everything seems to be working well. The only thing left to do is to perfect the level mechanism to autofill and to finish some of the edging detail where there is exposed liner.
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Angelus Oaks to San Bernardino Peak

November 7, 2009

We climbed San Bernardino Peak today. The hike started from Angelus Oaks. We left Loma Linda around 6:00 am, arriving at the 1W07 trailhead forty minutes later. It was cold, but I started out in shorts, a quick-dry t-shirt, and a beanie to prevent heat loss through the head. It turned out to be fine,…
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Pond Construction Progress

August 30, 2009

Today, the high was 106 degrees F. Anyhow, it was a day for outdoor work, wrestling boulders into place around the pond. The depression had been excavated already, and months ago, I helped my dad with a homemade water level to figure out the elevation of the entire perimeter. After filling up the pond to…
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Seattle and Olympic Penninsula

August 2, 2009

I enjoyed the Western Orthopaedic Association meetings. The lectures were good, and I had an opportunity to network with some of the exhibitors as well. The association arranged a cruise tour of Tillicum Village. The best part was the cruise to and from the island. It allowed time to relax and appreciate a skyline view…
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Rainier’s Northern Loop Trail

July 29, 2009

I arrived in Seattle. The first part of the trip will be a backpacking excursion along the Northern Loop Trail of Mount Rainier National Park before joining the Western Orthopaedic Association. Sunday morning, Brad and I drove to White River Ranger Station to pick up our permits after having breakfast at IHOP. We then parked…
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Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Delegation

June 23, 2009

Dr. He Chao and Li Hong came with a delegation from Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital to visit Loma Linda. We had everyone over to our place for dinner. Dr. Hadley and Donna came as well. It was good to see so many friends from Hangzhou.
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Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Graduation

June 21, 2009

Like every year, the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency graduation banquet was held at the Redlands Country Club. The graduating residents are Joe Bowen, Sam Chen, Kevin Dahl, and Chad Harbour.
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Savannah

June 16, 2009

Transiting through Atlanta, I arrive at Savannah. The rental car process is interesting. Budget, where I rented from, is closed. I get help at the Avis counter. They give me the keys, I go outside, and there’s no security. I just drive off, and then in two days, I will have returned the car without…
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South Florida

June 14, 2009

Traveling filled the entire past week, making it feel much longer. The first stop is Florida. It’s Tuesday night. I check in at LAX for a red-eye flight to Orlando. After boarding, I take an Ambien and drifted off, to be awakened upon landing at MCO. The transit is painful—both because it is a long…
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School of Medicine Graduation

May 24, 2009

It was great to see so many students accomplish so much and get to the point of commencement. The hooding ceremony is always inspirational, with Henry Lamberton reading notes of appreciation from the students. This year is a special year, because my cousin Aimee is part of the graduating class. After commencement, we had a…
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Maui

May 22, 2009

Last week, on Wednesday, I arrived in Maui for the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons’ Annual Meeting. After getting the car, I picked up my parents and Alice before heading to Kapalua. We checked in at the beautiful Kapalua Villas, and our condo overlooked the golf course and ocean. That evening, it was an…
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Forest Falls

May 2, 2009

It’s springtime, and a small group of us went to Forest Falls to enjoy the scenery. Also with us was Jun Jun Zhang from the Second Hospital of Tangshan. He will be visiting for a few months.
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Hope Channel Filming

March 10, 2009

Partnering with the Loma Linda Chinese Seventh-day Adventist Church, Hope Channel began filming a health series targeted toward the Chinese population. I spoke about general bone health.
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Grand Canyon

March 2, 2009

We’ve all been looking forward to the Grand Canyon hike. Very early Saturday morning, as the mercury plummets to below 20 degrees F, Todd and I pull into Mather Campground after a very long drive from Las Vegas, post AAOS. The frozen ground crackles under our feet as we step out of the car. Brad…
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