Despite being on retina call for the widely anticipated solar eclipse last week, my pager remained surprisingly quiet. Melody and I had noticed the sky getting darker while working from home, and not having purchased the appropriate eye protection, ended up casting some funky crescent shadows in our yard. I saw no cases of solar retinopathy, which I attributed to the media’s excellent job at raising public awareness. We took advantage of the quiet weekend to bring Westley to the Sacramento Zoo, where he got to practice his animal sounds with actual animals. The zoo was small, but just the right size for him to comfortably explore amidst the sweltering heat. We also cheated on our usual HK spot to try out the Jade Fountain Cafe next door, which did not disappoint. At home, we finally completed our role as Pathfinder in Mass Effect Andromeda, which despite being generally panned by critics, felt overall worth our while. This gave us the chance to focus on Link’s journey in Breath of the Wild. Whether it be collecting korok seeds or killing bokoblins with their own arms, the beautiful open world continues to impress, although the combat seemed more challenging. This weekend, I had to drive down to Berkeley to participate in an advisory board, but gave me a chance to try out a new ramen joint and stock up on Marta tumblers from CB2. With early Labor Day sales, we also got a new set of Dansk flatware from Macy’s to replace our 10-year-old wedding set. We are still left feeling unsettled, however, as our bathroom renovations continue to drag along due to multiple delays. I can hardly wait until the contractors are done so we can enjoy our home again.

It’s been 5 years since I left Boston for fellowship, and I finally got a chance to revisit New England for this year’s ASRS annual meeting. Melody’s parents helped watch Westley on Friday, so we made it a dinner date at Empress Tavern before my red eye flight out. My room was not yet ready when I arrived, so I changed in the hotel bathroom to attend the morning session. For lunch, I met up with my friend Leo and his family for some beef noodle soup at Shangri-La, where customers still lined up before opening as I had remembered. After attending case presentations and checking into my room, I joined my co-fellows for dinner at Fin Point, having begrudgingly abandoned my B&G reservation to accommodate an extra person. Sunday brunch with my med school friends at the Cheesecake Factory brought back memories of old times when the place was still new and hip. I left room in my stomach so that I could head to Haymarket afterwards for clam chowder and lobster roll at Neptune Oyster. The wait was shorter than I expected as a solo diner, and gave me just enough time to pick up some cannolis and eclair from Mike’s Pastry. I returned in time to present my poster, then hung out with my college friend Ben for more chowder at Summer Shack and late night gelato at the new Eataly. I spent my last morning at the exhibitors’ booths, testing the new hypersonic vitrectomy system from B&L before checking out of the hotel and heading to Brookline to inspect my old condo. My old pad had seen better days, and I was glad that we were finally able to find a tenant at the last minute. I met up with some fellows for seafood newburg at the one of the oldest restaurants in America, picked up fish chowder from Legal Sea Foods and soy sauce noodles from Hong Kong Eatery, and made use of another airport lounge on my way home. The whirlwind conference trip did not contribute much scientifically, but gave me a chance to see how the neighborhoods have changed and took me down memory lane with old friends and good food.