Yan brought back fresh figs, and we decide to make the most out of them. First, there are quartered figs with blue cheese and walnuts drizzled with honey. Then, there’s fig flatbread with more blue cheese and arugula. All this turned out so well.
This marks hundredth day since getting married to Yan. Each day has been special. To celebrate this milestone, we dressed in lavender and purple to match our wedding’s theme color and took some silly poses at Prospect Park. Yan didn’t realize what we were doing until I told her why…
The Huntington Library is holding its last summer evening concert event on the lawn. There are only a few times when the gardens are open beyond 4:30 pm, and this is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the grounds around sunset. For lunch, we grilled some vegetables and made focaccia sandwiches…
The main purpose of this trip was to check out the summer Milky Way. I had gotten a wide angle lens, and this is the perfect opportunity to try it out. After having tea with friends this afternoon, we timed our arrival to Joshua Tree right at sunset. Surprisingly, even…
We wake up to warm dry conditions on the last day. The clouds have completely left, and everything except for the ground cloth is bone dry. Mark discovers that his tent has fallen apart, the plastic window in the rainfly detached from the vestibule’s awning. He sticks his head out like a turtle. It’s time for a new tent.
It is sometime in the early morning when I awaken. Peering outside, I see bright stars. The clouds have rolled back, and I figure it is safe to open up the rain fly. My shoes are still wet, but everything else stayed dry through the night of rain. I would later find out that it was not so with Brad and Grant, whose tent leaked with the incessant drip, drip, drip that soaked much of what was inside their tent. The morning is beautiful, though, with bright warm sunlight drying up the shoreline. Here, we dry out our gear.
I wake up to condensation along the head of the tent. The foot is also damp. With our fly completely closed and the temperature dipping to dew point, beads had formed along parts of the tent. I reach for the towel and mop up most of it. Our clothes on the line are dry though.
Into the Woods. That’s what this first stretch of trail reminds me of, and it reminds Yan of that same movie we watched in the plane while on our honeymoon. Lee Ridge Trailhead begins as a small inconspicuous orange flag trail marker a half mile south of Canada. I would have missed it had it not for Ms. Ranger’s directions. Stepping off Chief Mountain Highway through the border of brush alongside the road, the trail emerges. Little did we know that this trail would transport us to a trip that will challenge our gear and push their limits.
Backpacking gear normally lasts for years—the same sleeping bag, clothes, stove, backpack, and all the little miscellaneous stuff. With much of the gear list the same, packing for this trip was relatively easy. I had pulled out my list, updated it with the new tent and cook set, and checked everything off. Yan just followed my list and added her gear. Except for the sleeping bag and backpack, she had pretty much everything from before, ready to go. Working with the list and a small kitchen scale, we had gotten each of our pack’s base weight to less than 20 lbs.
The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons meeting took place in beautiful Eugene this year. One of the highlights of the meeting was Bernard Chazelle’s lecture on Bach’s life and music. This is especially fitting for this meeting, since this is where the Oregon Bach Festival takes place. Outside of…
This Fourth of July picnic turned out to be a busy one, between grilling everything and being on call. At least I got to meet everyone, have dinner, and take some after-sunset pictures. From our vantage point, we counted at least fifteen different fireworks shows throughout the valley, from east…
The week in Providence started out with the Emerging Leaders Forum and the Resident Leadership Forum. I chaired this year’s program, along with Bob Hart. Another highlight from this year’s meeting: Gary Botimer was inducted into AOA. Learning about the city of Providence was fascinating, especially after touring Roger Williams’s…
It’s now a little over a month since our lavender-colored wedding. With the Highland Springs Resort putting together a party in celebration of lavender, this is the perfect time to get together with the bridesmaids once again. The day is sweltering, but once under the shade at the Lavender Festival,…
The last morning in Kauai was also another lazy one. The previous evening at the market, we had seen some sea asparagus and decided to try it. Along with egg muffins, we have sautéed sea asparagus—crunchy but very salty. Our first stop is the nearby Opa‘ekaka Falls. Across the street,…
Today will be an exploration of the southern part of the island. After a lazy breakfast, we find a seal on the beach. A sign describes this tagged individual that looks withered. She had just given birth and is here to rest. Then, we drive down to Po‘ipu. Snorkeling is…
Through all the busy-ness of wedding planning and hecticness of travel, we had not had a chance to plan the activities on Kauai. This is the first order of business in Honolulu. We make several phone calls and book the next day’s activities during the transit. The hop to Lihu‘e…
The time in Hong Kong will be filled with eating and hectic sightseeing. The eating part will be mainly about exploring vegetarian restaurants. Upon landing and then travel by express train into Central, the heart of Hong Kong, we taxi over to Hong Kong Garden, where LockCha Teahouse serves both…
The flight back to Bangkok last night was again without any hiccups. This morning, we decided that we would beat the crowds. Having gotten up early for the buffet breakfast, we make our way to the Grand Palace complex. Already, there are throngs of tourists like ants swarming to get…
Day 7 rolls into Day 8 as we are now stranded at the Kunming airport. The agent at the check-in counter had told us that our flight no longer exists and that we are to check with the international supervisor. Then, we are told that we had been rolled over…
The flight from LA to Shanghai is uneventful, but this would not be the case for our travels through China. Before the flight, we had downloaded the jetlag conversion app, Entrain. After plugging in the parameters, the app puts out a schedule of when to start light and dark exposure.…
This first day of being married begins after catching up on much-needed rest. The wedding ceremony yesterday and the reception last night went exceptionally well, and just about everything went as planned. This morning is beautiful. We stand on the balcony to take in the crisp morning air. After a…
Of all the previous hectic days leading up to this big day, none can compare in terms of hecticness. After getting engaged, the initial rush was to get the invitations out. That, we thought, would be the biggest milestone to check off. Little did we know that that was only…
It’s exactly four weeks until the wedding, and my best man brother Andy put together an amazing guys’ sailing trip. Everything had started with a text message from Andy about doing a bachelor party. Coincidentally, on one of my surgery days, the anesthesiologist Brent suggested that we go on a…
This most beautiful Valentine’s Day starts out with all the makings of a perfect day, and as it turns out, the day could not have unfolded in a more perfect way. It’s a bright and warm Sabbath morning. After church, Danny says to Yan, “Just stay in the same outfit…
Assembling this dessert in shot glasses is similar to making tiramisu in a pan. The only problem was that all the stores were out of ladyfingers. Apparently, those ladyfingers are seasonal. This time, instead of using store-bought ladyfingers, I made them into disks instead of fingers: separate the yolks from the…
