I tried to keep my schedule light ahead of the holidays, but the usual barrage of meetings, paper reviews, and other obligations kept me busy this month. Westley at least got more rest with a new mattress-in-a-box, although the bookcase bed frame we wanted is backordered until next year. He also finally completed his COVID vaccine course this month, which made us feel better about bringing him to the Ob-Gyn holiday gathering at Sac Zoo where we missed the new baby giraffe but witnessed an intense lion roar that upstaged the animatronic dinosaurs on display. Back home, we checked out the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, which despite mixed reviews, was entertaining and channeled well the vibe of the original anime. Unfortunately, the final weeks of 2021 turned out to be rough on our wallets. First, we missed our property tax deadline that set us back a hefty late fee. Melody’s car then got rear-ended by a cannabis-scented couple on Stockton Ave.. And when I took Westley for family swim time last Sunday, I accidentally left my non-water-resistant cell phone in my swim trunks. Unable to revive the drowned device with rice or dessicant packs, I frantically ordered a replacement Pixel 5A from Google, which luckily arrived at our doorsteps minutes before we had to leave for our flight to LA. With so many things having gone wrong, we kept our fingers crossed for our week-long holiday in SoCal.

I spent much of November preparing grant reviews for study section and progress reports for my R01, R21, and BrightFocus grants at work, while also gathering for holiday lunches with my lab and primate research team. Our contractors pulled through and completed our outdoor kitchen just in time for the long weekend. So we took Wednesday off to rearrange the patio furniture, wax the outdoor cabinet, and tidy up our outdoor living space. We spent Thanksgiving morning biking to Pioneer Park where Westley made his first attempt at tennis with his new racquet. Most of my in laws were unavailable or not interested in gathering, but we did invite our niece over for some beef noodles, lemongrass pork summer rolls, and butter mochi, in between trying out Beat Saber and First Steps on our new Oculus Quest 2. Compared to our previous forays into VR, the new headset and controllers felt intuitive and immersive, which combined with my referral code bonus and holiday sales afforded me a few new games like Vader Immortal and Pistol Whip as well. We returned to Vacaville on Black Friday for HomeGoods and Jockey. A new arcade at the shopping outlet got Westley excited, but the pinball machine was malfunctioning. We instead warmed up with Ramen 101 before heading home to set up our Christmas tree and get haircuts. We attended Liam’s Pokemon-themed birthday party at Pioneer Park on Saturday, followed by an afternoon of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. We had gotten the game for PS4 from a sale, but decided instead to get a PC version for a more familiar interface. Between rhyming games and hunting wolves, this latest entry to the series felt familiar but continued to favor role-playing over stealth-based elements. Having just completed the engrossing end game to Cyberpunk 2077, this was the perfect transition to even greater immersion with my new 49″ Odyssey G9 gaming monitor. With the winter weather setting in, I look forward to warming up in my room with some hot chocolate and family time ahead.

New Orleans is one of my favorite food cities in the country, but traveling during a pandemic to attend AAO in person meant that some compromises had to be made. Having procrastinated on air ticket purchase until the last minute, I was stuck with a flight that arrived at midnight Friday. Fortunately, my friend Kareem got a rental car – actually a truck – which helped me escape the taxi line, cancel my Lyft, and check into our 2-bedroom suite together. On Saturday, I registered for the meeting, practiced my talk, and indulged in crispy Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken for lunch, before giving my subspecialty day presentation. After meeting with industry colleagues and attending some receptions, I joined my friend Daniel on the patio at Margie’s Grill to chat about his transition from academia to industry. I taught my OCT course early Sunday, which left me the rest of day to set out in casual wear to enjoy the city. Filling on delicious gumbo and crawfish etouffee from Oceana Grill for lunch, I relaxed at Jackson Square to local jazz musicians while reviewing NIH grants, then compared beignets from Café Beignet and Café Du Monde with my colleague Jeff, where Café Beignet’s version won by a slight margin. Dinner at Gris-Gris with UCD folks included chicken gizzards, fried oyster “BLT”, and oyster pot pie appetizers, followed by hearty shrimp and grits. I had little sleep before boarding my 7am flight back, where I had trouble keeping my eyes open as I compose this blog entry on the plane. Hopefully I will get some rest before covering a surgical case when I return.

Both clinic and lab work has been getting busier since the pandemic. We see more patients in clinic, and have fewer qualified personnel in lab. I still managed to submit three grant applications to the Foundation Fighting Blindness this month, however, including a 5-investigator team proposal for the Translational Research Acceleration Program which had a foreboding acronym. Between upgrading my PC to Windows 11 and my Pixel to Android 12, both of which offered visual enhancements that I did not ask for, I also binged on new Netflix series like Squid Game and Midnight Mass. The Korean battle royale show was surprisingly engrossing, while the limited horror series provided a slow burn as well. We also embarked on Apple TV’s adaptation of Foundation. For me, Asimov’s iconic series was probably my favorite read of all time. So it was disappointing that the showrunners had to deviate so far from the original source material to keep the show relevant to today’s audience. With recent approval of the Pfizer vaccine for kids, Westley was able to revisit farm friends at Grandpa’s Barn, plant cabbage on his field trip to Fiery Ginger Farm, and earn popcorn and cotton candy at the Upstander Carnival at Davis Central Park that was aimed at discouraging bullying. For Halloween, we showed our parental commitment by hand-crafting a robot costume for Westley from cardboard boxes, toilet rolls, and metallic spray paint. The ankle-length design limited his mobility for trick-or-treating, requiring a modification to waist-length mid-trip. Westley seemed less interested in the candy, and more interested in feeding his new venus fly trap, which he named Trapper Keeper FlyEater or Justin for short. Along with his pet spider Aphider, this meant doubling the mouths to feed insects to. The atmospheric river and torrential rain slowed our outdoor kitchen project a little. But with our new marble counter finally set in place after a fiasco with an inexperienced fabricator and fractured slab, we hope to once again enjoy our back patio.

Traveling to San Antonio during the pandemic was a calculated risk. Texas had banned vaccine and mask mandates, but the ASRS meeting gave me a chance to present a talk, moderate a session, and serve as panelist. To minimize COVID risk, I was determined to avoid large gatherings and free meals, and planned a 4-day quarantine post travel. I checked into the resort on Saturday in time to catch the first poster session, then found a quiet corner at the Genentech reception for some BBQ brisket, mac n’ cheese, and sweet tea with a colleague. I spent the next day meeting with industry partners, and ended with a dip in the pool followed by gator bites and lobster tchoupitolas at Smashin Crab. I attended more of the meeting Monday, but spent the afternoon exploring the city. My first stop was the Alamo – the Franciscan mission that became the site of the resistance for Texan independence from Mexico that ended with a siege and massacre in 1836. After my audio-guide tour of the cultural icon, I embarked on my own walking tour of the city, stopping by the Menger Hotel, Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, and Majestic Theater, before strolling briefly past the river walk to the San Fernando Cathedral and Bexar County Courthouse on the way to the Historic Market Square. El Mercado is the largest Mexican market in the U.S., and gave me a chance to taste strawberry tres leches cake from Mi Tierra Cafe. After dining solo on gougeres and Duroc pork chop at Maverick, I returned to the hotel for a late-night swim and Squid Game before calling it a night. I presented on my last day, then hung out with my friend Parisa before a delayed flight and tight connection that at least let me enjoy a Smash Burger on the way back. The rest of the week was clinically busy, leaving me only time for two instant noodles and two visits to Pho Saigon over my four nights at an Airbnb guest room. I barely saw my host during the few hours I spent in the unit, but the quarantine did give me a chance to catch up with emails and grant writing in my office. I finally drove home on Saturday for virtual fellowship interviews from my home office until I got my negative COVID results. The grueling week away from my family left me longing for the COVID vaccine approval for children.       

The emergence of the COVID delta variant had me concerned for my first work trip since the pandemic. So when the CDC authorized vaccine boosters for healthcare workers, I quickly went for my third Pfizer dose, despite having just gotten my flu shot the day prior and preparing to board my red-eye to NYC that night. Trying to sleep in a middle seat with an N95 mask was a challenge, but I was glad to be back in my hometown. After picking up some baked goods, we tried out cold nian pi, cumin lamb noodles, soup dumplings, and sweet soy milk from a nearby food court for lunch. By the time I was home, I was running a 102-degree fever and chills which had me conked out for the rest of the day. I felt better on Sunday, and shared take-out dim sum and a walk with my folks around the neighborhood. The Green-wood Cemetery provided a tranquil setting for the stroll that included a public art installation at the chapel. After a hot everything bagel with honey almond cream cheese, I reminisced with my friend Wei on his front porch before feasting on Peking duck and Nile perch with my folks and heading up to the Upper East Side to check into the Helmsley and catch up with my college roommate Ed at Hex & Co.. My 2-day itinerary at Weill Cornell was packed with deans and chairs, doctors and researchers, and a tour of the Dyson lab. Strolling through the Rockefeller University campus reminded me of my first lab experience as a high school student, and my research seminar there felt like homecoming. Dinner with faculty at Zero Otto Nove, and lunch with my parents at Japan Village in Industry City the next day also reminded me of the amazing culinary offerings of the city. On Wednesday, I took reprieve in a Minute Suite at LGA before my flight to Chicago. I stopped for mediocre ramen en route to my hotel and Retina Society conference in time for my presentation. The rest of the meeting reminded me of the energy of a live meeting, although attendance was tepid. The to-go bag lunches were delicious and appreciated, but the unmasked receptions and gala were cringe-worthy and just short of a super-spreader event. I did arrange for a dinner date with my colleague Christina at Michelin-starred Porto, where highlights included an uni toast, smoked octopus, and wood-oven turbot. On Saturday, I caught up with my cousin Steve and friend Nieraj over arancini and pistachio gelato from L’appetito before flying home. My first work travel since the pandemic gave me a chance to reconnect, but also brought unease about the callousness of meeting organizers. With more upcoming travel to higher-risk locations, I hope to plan more carefully.

The start of kindergarten for Westley meant new routines and new classmates. Our decision to move him into a Chinese-immersion class also meant a new language, which he thankfully adjusted to without much drama. One of the themes this month was the moon and moon cakes. Although our search for a nut-free version proved more difficult than expected, one of his classmate’s mom stepped in to show off her baking skills. On weekends, we underwent asymptomatic screening more regularly due to the rise of the COVID delta variant. We also took advantage of the final days of the Manor Pool to reinforce his swimming lessons. Having promised to get him a bigger bed if he stayed dry for a week, we kept our word and shopped for twin bookcase beds, despite his regressing after the 7-day streak. With our outdoor kitchen project finally commencing, we also spent time in our yards trimming maples, replacing plants, and adding more propagated kurapia. The extra trimmings weighed down our organics trash bin, and took off Melody’s toe nail as collateral damage. Westley also had his share of bumps and scrapes from kindergarten. While recovering, we explored the first few chapters of IO Interactive’s Hitman anthology. Its unique stealth assassination mechanism emphasized problem-solving and creativity in a refreshing way, but was slightly mature for our 5-year-old. He instead took up domino art as inspired by a recent documentary, and befriended our neighbor’s affection-seeking cat. As the only uninjured family member, I tackled home electronics upgrades with a new soundbar, 4K projector, and wifi extender. The setup let us watch the new Paw Patrol movie while backyard camping last week. Hopefully, the outdoor kitchen will be ready in time for the cooler fall weather.

We took advantage of Westley’s summer vacation week before kindergarten for a family trip to San Diego. Armed with a Go San Diego pass and theme park reservations, we braved our 6 AM flight in doubled masks and N95s, snagged our Corolla rental, then headed to Safari Park. On the way, we stopped by H-mart for snacks and a nap, got distracted by pho for breakfast, and grabbed banh mi for lunch later. Our day at Safari Park was long and hot, but we were buoyed by a balloon ride and seeing the crash of rhinos on the Africa tram. Exhausted, we abandoned our chance to see the only platypuses outside of Australia for seollungtang at Woomiok and rolled ice-cream at Bing Haus. We settled into our Airbnb, where our view of the airport and bay from our cuddle couch provided a relaxing setting for a night of intense planning for Legoland the next day. Our precisely-calculated itinerary helped us hit multiple attractions with minimal wait times, including rollercoasters (the Dragon, Coastersaurus), water rides (Pirate Reef, Splash Battle), and digital experiences (Ninjago, Emmett’s Flying Adventure). Melody loved the Deep Sea Adventure which we repeated, while Westley’s favorites were the Build-a-Boat and Build-and-Test stations – essentially, Lego building – although his failed Raptor climb led to a mini breakdown. Dinner at Campfire featured venison tartare, sea bass, and a whole lamb’s head, and we finished with an ice cream sampler from Handel’s that included our first taste of Blue Monster flavor. We awoke early Tuesday to get banh mi for the San Diego Zoo. Having missed the Outback area at Safari Park, we first tackled the sleeping wombat, slumbering Tazzy devil, and drowsy koalas before getting grossed out by urine-sipping giraffes. After lunch overlooking gazelles, we rode the Skyfari to surprisingly active tortoises, then ended our hippo walk with a Kangaroo bus ride back to the park entrance. Dinner at Harumama paired tonkotsu ramen with kawaii chicken, cow, and bunny buns that also provided leftovers for breakfast next morning. At Seaworld, we enjoyed a Sea Lion show, Dolphin Days, and an Orca Encounter while munching on mortadella and caprese sandwiches, then confirmed Westley’s rollercoaster affection with the Journey to Atlantis ride. We visited nearby Mission Beach afterwards, where a surprise soak from an errant wave led to a sandy naked car ride back for a shower before we could enjoy the fried seafood at Blue Water and Extraordinary Desserts. We spent the next morning among seahorses and touch pools at Birch Aquarium, followed by crab sandwich and salad at El Pescador. We played at La Jolla Shores all afternoon, building sand castles and boogie-boarding, then returned to Convoy for savory noodles at Shan Xi Magic Kitchen and a MNGO sundae. With luggage in our trunk, we spent our last day at Balboa Park to operate flight simulators at the Air and Space Museum and gawk at imaginative miniatures at the Model Railroad Museum. We relaxed at the 6th Avenue playground after a late lunch of ramen before returning to the airport for our late flight home. We recuperated over the weekend, with repeat COVID testing and a laid back gathering for my lab tech Brian’s departure. Hopefully, we’ll have a chance at international travel next year.

The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics commenced last month amidst the controversy of the COVID19 pandemic and emerging Delta variant. Family and fans were not allowed to attend, while Simone Biles’ withdrawal from team finals raised mental health awareness. Our free Peacock subscription gave us access to replays of gymnastics, swimming, and track & field, as well as newer sports like skateboarding, rock climbing, and surfing. The games inspired Westley to advance to level 2 at Swim America, as we encouraged him to practice at Manor Pool. At home, I caulked the guest bathroom and added more LEDs to my desk for Cyberpunk playing. We also learned to propagate kurapia ourselves, which needs constant watering to survive the summer heat. We had to invest in a lawnmower also to control the growing sod, although installing bat-shields did not appear to be equally worthwhile. Our long-awaited Loom & Leaf memory foam mattress arrived at last, although memory foam pillows we got at the same time were too firm and exacerbated our backaches. The bedding change necessitated a revisit to the laundromat to wash our comforter, which gave me a chance to take Westley to the Dollar Tree and Fire Wings. Starved for social interactions, we invited Emmeline and Pam over for grilled pork summer rolls and playdates with Westley’s cousins, as well as Liam’s family for biking and Mr. Pickles’ sandwiches. We also tried soup dumplings at Tasty Dumpling and spicy hot pot at Happy Lamb, and were satisfied by both. With our upcoming family trip to San Diego, we hope to find even better Asian food to keep us fueled for our action-packed week. 

Despite easing of pandemic restrictions, the record-breaking summer heat kept us largely homebound over the past few weeks. We ordered kurapia plugs to fill in the bald patches of our backyard lawn, but found the auger bit I used to be both a blessing and a curse, as it damaged some of the irrigation lines that we had to fix. We also learned to use diluted white vinegar to unclog our showerheads, although the same DIY trick damaged the finished to our kitchen faucet. At least we knew better and hired professionals to replace our garage door springs, which appeared to have snapped while we were both at work, fortunately. At the same time, we had to coordinate both plumbing and drywall repairs after discovering a leak from our 2nd floor tub overflow which led to water damage to our 1st floor bathroom ceiling. Between all the home repairs, we treated ourselves to Localis at Home, where we enjoyed a 7-course tasting menu at the chef’s home in the Placer County Foothills as his restaurant underwent renovations. We had to wait until sunset to cool down and enjoy the outdoor patio, where we chatted with some friends we ran into until late evening. Over the July 4th weekend, we tried our hands at smoking some country-style ribs with Traeger pellets and a Brinkmann electric smoker that we got for free off Craigslist. Our new wireless thermometer worked well for monitoring the cook of the meat, but the rub recipe that we tried was too salty, requiring us to balance out with some stone fruit salad and smoothies made with our new Vitamix blender. In preparation for our outdoor kitchen remodel, we ordered a sink, faucet, access doors, trash bins, and refrigerator. We also drove to Rancho Cordova to browse countertop materials, settling on a handsome honed marble called Dorian Grey. Now, we just need to find a contractor to get the job done!