Just Another Speck in the Great Big Blogosphere

q2 call

2010-07-14T21:39:00.003-04:00

Last week, I was at hospital overnight Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Having to stay overnight at the hospital when there's not much going on, as sometimes is the case, gets tedious, so on Sunday, Annie brought the kids over for a couple of hours around dinnertime so we could all spend some time together. After dinner, we walked around the hospital a bit, and even though there's really not much to do, the kids still managed to find ways to amuse themselves. After days and days away, it was nice to see everyone, even if it wasn't at home!

The Badger

2010-06-28T22:54:00.004-04:00

Ethan just went to his first Cub Scout Day Camp for 3 days last week. On the second day, it rained for an hour, so we all retired inside for lunch and some... um... shall we say, inspiring, camp sing-a-longs?

When it was nice outside, though, Ethan got to do all kinds of fun things, like the obstacle "Oh I Wish I Were Six Inches Taller" course, shooting bebe guns, and making posters, decorating buckets, and other fun things that boys 8-10 like to do!

My Emergency Room shifts (where I happen to be rotating right now) at the hospital just happened to allow me to accompany Ethan for half days as a parent... how fortunate! We had a lot of fun together -- I'm really glad I got to be there with him!

Happy Birthday from Auntie Mic!

2010-04-12T23:18:00.002-04:00

Footloose

2010-03-12T22:11:00.002-05:00

Went to Ethan's elementary school performance yesterday evening -- whoa, James, Lilly, and Isaac -- will you take a look at dem moves! (And I thought it was just Ethan who was supposed to be performing! :)

Ethan's Baptism

2010-03-11T20:43:00.004-05:00

Arrived at the church early to fill the font (8 a.m.)

Somehow, James thought I was filling up a personal bathtub for him and kept trying to get in...

Let the kids play piano with the innards exposed to keep them entertained.

Gotta love the jumpers!

Definitely gotta love the food (dessert crepes with all the toppings -- thanks to Wifey Supreme!)

Mmmmm... I love baptisms :)

Speaking of Dentists...

2009-12-23T19:53:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I've bragged about Wifey, but after today's performance, she definitely deserves some bragging rights. On Sunday, more-or-less on a whim, we decided to host all the dental types in our ward for brunch this morning (around 20 people besides our family, adults and kids included). I was thinking, you know, go buy some bagels, some mini muffins, some mini quiches, serve them up with a little bit of orange juice and cream cheese or something -- no, no, no, Wifey was not going to stand for such mediocrity. If we were going to throw a party, darn it all, we were going to do it right!

This is what she made instead:

In case you can't tell, that's four different kinds of juices, seven different kinds of fruits/berries, two kinds of quiches, two kinds of breakfast casseroles, two kinds of scones, and two kinds of homemade pastries. Hello yumminess!! Needless to say, if people didn't enjoy themselves while here, it certainly wasn't for lack of preparation on her part! She recruited some guests to bring some of the fruit and juices, otherwise, she pretty much made everything herself. From scratch, even. Wow.

Didn't get any good photos of the adults, but here's a cute one of Lilly chatting up two brothers. Good times!

A Very Merry Gingerbread FHE

2009-12-23T19:42:00.007-05:00

Last Monday night, one of the other families in our ward and us got together to eat candy for dinner -- I mean, decorate gingerbread homes, then attempt to eat a nutritious meal afterwards (yeah right!). Gotta love the final products, pictured here:

Lilly's House

Ethan's House

James's House <-- you can tell where the majority of his candy went to (hint: not on the house!)

Isaac's House

Unfortunately, beautiful though they may have been, they didn't last very long:

(18 hours later)

Poor kids -- so obviously candy-deprived! You'd almost think they live with a dentist or something :)

Training for the Circus?

2009-12-17T20:34:00.004-05:00

I dunno what they're teaching these kids in gymnastics, but if one day I get back from the OR to find out that Ethan's gone to join the Shriners, all I can say is, "I guess I should have seen it coming!"

A Season for Remembering

2009-11-02T21:33:00.008-05:00

One year tomorrow... still miss you, mom.

Church Face!

2009-10-31T21:47:00.005-04:00

Mom had a "church face" that was characteristic enough to bear special mentioning by Steve when we all got together last year. I always thought it was something she'd picked up from all those years in church meetings, but I came across this photo (circa 1953) as I was cropping a bunch of scans I'd made of popo's photo albums:

In case you couldn't tell, mom's the kid in the back -- hello, church face!

Um... WHAT kind of honey was that again?

2009-10-24T23:45:00.006-04:00

As I was working out downstairs today, I happened to glance over at the storage shelves, and what should meet my eye but this shocking sight:

Gross!! I mean, I didn't even know this kind of honey existed! One thing's for certain -- no self-respecting Chinese family should ever consider patronizing this brand. I'm going to have to have a little chat with Wifey about this...

Open Sesame!!

2009-10-13T21:00:00.007-04:00

If only it were that easy! So, you already know about the trench that I made Ethan and Isaac dig for me over July, August, and September. Finished the trench and *poof!* went all my motivation to proceed further, until... free labor arrived on Sept. 26!

"Why certainly, Andrew, you are welcome to stay at my place for as long as you want... as long as..."

Work harder slave!

What's that? Afraid of a little glass, you say? You wimp, keep working! Faster!

Okay, fine, so I did work a bit too -- introducing brothers Dai Pig Pen and Sai Pig Pen. (That concrete saw sure creates a lot of dust!) Unfortunately, we didn't isolate the work area very well and the concrete dust got all over the basement, so all we managed to get done that day was to knock out windows and make a few cuts in the concrete block. Then, Andrew and I spent the rest of the evening vacuuming pretty much the whole basement. I think we spent more time cleaning than we did working!

A couple of weeks after Andrew left, I started knocking out the concrete block one evening after work. A scarily easy task, to be honest, considering this is what is supporting the entire house!

Hello, daylight!

If it weren't for that silly grin, I'd say that coolie's pretty hot...

...especially when he strikes a pose.

Last weekend (Oct. 10) we finally had a dry Saturday, which I promptly took advantage of to cut out the second window opening (much faster this time -- Sai Pig Pen must have been slowing me down, haha).

Had enough time to frame the opening and install the windows that same day (night?). Ta-da!!

Outside view!

Panoramic view of the basement bedroom, window and all!

Now, to finish the window well... I'm thinking of waiting until spring, what do you think?

And Then There Were Two

2009-09-19T14:27:00.004-04:00

I even wiggled this one out on my own!! Dad and mom both offered to help, but (and how do I say this tactfully?) I guess I'd have to say they pretty much suck at pulling out teeth painlessly.

"Dad, dad, take a picture of my teeth, too!!"

My Little Salmon

2009-09-13T21:13:00.008-04:00

A few days ago, daddy was reading to us a little bit about how salmon flip and squirm and wriggle their way upstream over rocks and waterfalls to get to their hatching grounds. We didn't know what that meant, so daddy gave us a demonstration -- looks like we learned our lesson well!

Totally unrelated -- here's a funny random picture for you -- James's idea of, "Smile big for the camera!"

Good Thing Daddy's a Dentist

2009-09-13T18:53:00.004-04:00

Hurrah, Ethan finally lost his front tooth! (With a little bit of "coaxing" from his oral surgeon daddy, that is -- no worries, the sting only lasted a second...)

Blackberry Loves U2... and so do the Tangs

2009-09-13T18:51:00.027-04:00

U2 North America Tour, Chicago IL -- Opening Night!!

I missed the Atlanta show of U2's Vertigo tour a few years back by a hair, much to my (and Andy Ewing's) chagrin -- that's a whole other story on it's own, actually, so I won't get into details here...

Anyhow, to make up for it, Annie and I made the trek from Ann Arbor to Chicago for a night out (without the kids, even!) at U2's 360 Tour, which kicked off in Chicago last night (the North American leg of it, anyways). Here's our photojournal of the evening:

We parked in a nearby downtown lot, grabbed a bite to eat at the first restaurant we came across (a yummy and affordable Japanese restaurant, as luck would have it) and walked over to the stadium -- in good company, as you can tell!

I can't really do it justice, but this panoramic hopefully gives you a sense of the stadium and just how gi-normous U2's 360 set was -- this huge 4-legged tarantula-spaceship thingy arching over a good half of the field. Biggest set for a rock show I've ever seen.

Check out where the cameramen get to sit -- 12 of them (3 on each arm) were hoisted up snugly against the legs of the spaceship before the show got started, and there they stayed throughout the whole gig.

Annie and I waiting fo the show to start. (Don't ask about the scar on left brow, that is, again, a story for another day...)

The grand entrance -- the band kicked off things with "Breathe" from their new album.

The set is billed as a 360 stage, and it really is a good design, but there's definitely still a front and back to the performance -- we were sitting in back, which sometimes kinda sucked, but on the other hand, we 20% of the audience who were behind the stage felt really special when anyone from the band came around back to play -- just for us. Larry Mullen Jr.'s drums were even set up on this rotating lazy-susan-type thingy that every once in a while would spin around so he could face us for a song!

Bono loves us!

The video monitors on the set were honeycombed together -- during the concert they started up high, then expanded until they seemed nearly to touch the stage itself, and then collapsed back together again down low before lifting back into their starting position. This configuration is during their rendition of The Unforgettable Fire.

And, if I remember correctly, this is during Where the Streets Have No Name.

Nearing the end, Annie offered to take a shot of me with Bono singing on the monitors in the background, but I botched it and blinked when the red-eye reduction flashed me!

Alas, all good things come to an end... what a fun night though! Definitely worth the trip -- looking forward to next time!

"Have You Found China Yet?"

2009-09-13T18:51:00.024-04:00

So, looking at this picture, you may wonder why we've accumulated such a extensive pile of dirt at the side of the house over the past two months (and this is only a small portion of it). The simple answer, as I explained to Lilly when she asked me that exact question, is, "Mom told me to."

Here's the hole all that dirt came out of -- dug by hand, shovelful by laborious shovelful, 99% by yours truly (Isaac contributed maybe 2/3% and Ethan maybe another 1/3%). My neighbor, Dave, who has watched me with amusement as I've labored over the weeks, keeps asking me if I've found China yet. Hardy har har.

And the reason why the big hole? I'm finishing the basement, and to make it a bona fide living space, one has to install an egress window. Annie figured, as long as you're going to dig a window well for that egress window, why don't we make a really big window well that'll let in lots of light? And, while you're at it, if you're going to install one egress window, why not two? (More on that in a second.) The red lines below outline the approximate size of the enlarged window (4x4 ft.):

To meet the requirements of an egress window, it has to be a certain size. We picked 4x4 horizontal sliding windows. To install a 4 ft window, one has to dig a hole that's at least a foot deeper for drainage and whatnot, so the hole is 5 ft deep. Because of there'll eventually be two windows installed more or less side by side, I ended up digging one long trench for both of them - 20 ft long. Building codes dictate that the finished window well be at least 3 ft wide at its base, with a ladder or terraced steps built in for easy escape. Annie wants terraces, which I'll get to after the windows are installed. As it is, the walls slope upwards and outwards from 3 ft at the bottom to 6 feet on top, so, an average of 4.5 ft wide. So that makes it a 4.5 x 20 x 5 ft hole, or 450 cubic feet (16 2/3 cubic yards) of packed clay -- of roughly 250 wheelbarrows full of clay. Ouch.

Here are the boys standing in the hole for reference:

The boys wanted pictures of themselves sitting on the edge of the hole -- what fine-looking children! (Isaac was bitten by some kind of insect two days before this photo -- hence the swollen right eyelid.)

Here they are again!

I'll get more photos up when the windows are being installed!

In Which James Tries His Hand at Poohsticks

2009-08-25T21:18:00.011-04:00

I was off work most of today, so we took the kids canoeing this afternoon. Fun times, us and our little crew. Ethan tried his hand at paddling, as did Isaac and Lilly. We brought some treats and stopped at a convenient spot for a little picnic and some fun in the water. Took some photos...

Annie soaking up the sun

James

Lilly

Huck Finn... oh wait, I mean, Isaac

If Isaac's Huck Finn, I guess Ethan's Tom Sawyer.

While they all played, I picked a shady spot on the shore and took some iconic photos (if I do say so myself :)

Then, as I was taking a series of stills each about 2 seconds apart...

Needless to say, I dashed in and saved James's life (thank you thank you) -- now I know why Annie suggested I change into a swimsuit instead of the jeans I was wearing. Poor James! Here's a final shot (zoomed in) of him floating like poor Eeyore in Ernest Shepard's illustrations (slightly blurry because I think that's when I realized who that floating speck in the middle of the viewfinder was!).

Huck Finn decided to swim home beside the canoe (j/k -- but he did want to get out in the deeper water for a while -- so did Tom, but I didn't get a photo of him, unfortunately).

And here we are, safe and sound back on shore, all hands accounted for!

What is that Heavenly Sound?

2009-07-20T19:03:00.002-04:00

Merry Christmas! (oh, wait, is it March already?)

2009-03-01T10:50:00.001-05:00

Christmas has come and gone (whoa, can't believe I'm talking about Christmas way into March here!) But yes, Christmas, and along with all the good food, yummy candy, travel (to Niagara Falls), and guests (Auntie Nancy, whoo!), we of course got a fair number of presents. Here's my favorite present -- from mama and yeye to Isaac and I.

But the presents haven't stopped flowing yet -- anyone recognize these?

Soon after Christmas, dad found a set of these Encyclopedia Britannica for kids in pristine condition online -- the exact same set that mama got for dad (and his siblings) many years ago. They're long since out of print and now a bit hard to come by, so Dad was pretty excited when he found these! Dad has many fond memories of hours spent sitting in front of the bookshelf jumping from article to article in these books, and I look forward to doing the same. So cool, eh?

Last but not least, we started piano lessons last month. Mr. Weston, my teacher, comes over to my place every Tuesday after school and puts me through my paces. I already knew him before, as he sometimes substitute teaches at Wines Elementary, so that was helpful. I love taking lessons from him! So far, I've learned the treble and bass clefs, how to read C and G above middle C, and F below middle C. I'm just starting on half notes, dotted half notes, and whole notes. Practicing every day gets to be a bit of a chore, but so far it's been very rewarding!

All Grown Up

2009-03-01T10:48:00.000-05:00

If mama were still around, I'm sure I would have posted a lot sooner than this, as long before now she would have been emailing and calling to ask what I've been up to lately and bemoaning how quickly I change over the days and weeks she hasn't heard from me!

You can hardly blame me, though -- I've been busy! After the embarrassment of having to report to my neurologist that I only know 10 or so words, and the humiliating offer of a referral to a speech language pathologist to help me ramp up my speaking, I've been diligently working on picking up more vocabulary, such as "I'm hungry," "Dada? Um..." (a la Isaac), "Help me," "Up," "Bounce," etc. I'm no Ashlyn (who at my age knew all her multiplication tables and square roots to 12), but I'm getting better at making my wishes known!

I'm also taking more opportunities to do things independently, like eating,

And bathing... well, not quite there, but I give it my best shot every once in a while. (If only my short stubby arms could reach above my head!)

One major step forward has been my move to a big boy bed, with a custom-built rail on the side so I don't fall out at night. I didn't know exactly what to do with it when I first got in, but I've since figured out how easy it is to get out whenever I want, and I grace my parents' room with frequent visits through the night -- not usually wanting anything but to be tucked back in bed, but hey, I do like to have the option!

What is it you want me to do in this big thing?

Bounce, anyone?

Oh, this is what you mean!

Who Knew Letters Meant Something?

2009-03-01T10:40:00.000-05:00

I'm going to have to call 2009 "The Year of Letters." Who knew letters meant so much? Suddenly, after Christmas, it occurred to me that maybe I could read scriptures like Ethan does, and I've since made great strides in reading my own verse when we read scriptures each evening. It's slow going, and I still need help with the big words, but I have caught on amazingly quickly to sounding out words I didn't previously know, and remembering them for next time come across it!

I also started piano lessons in February, with my favorite substitute teacher Mr. Weston (who also happens to teach piano). Letters again! Only this time they mean notes on the keyboard. Middle C, G above middle C, G clef, F clef... letters are everywhere! My lessons aren't quite as long as Ethan's (his are 30 minutes long, while I can only manage to sit still for 15 minutes), but still, I love taking piano!

HandyTang

2009-03-01T10:35:00.001-05:00

While we were living in Edmonton, dad finished the whole basement right under my nose, and I, more interested in playing tennis and chasing girls at the time, didn't even lift a finger to help. Neither did any of my other brothers, for that matter, but Michelle, loyal daughter that she is, spent many an hour with my dad, if not exactly helping (besides handing him tools and helping to paint), at least offering him company and moral support.

So, now I'm a homeowner, also with an unfinished basement, and, sadly, lacking much experience in being handy around the house. But, unwilling to let that be an obstacle, a couple of months ago, I made my first attempt at framing a partition wall with a pocket door. A smallish wall, and I'm glad for that, because it still took me all day! Call it my experimental wall, if you will, because I figured that if I could manage the small wall, I would press forward with framing the rest of the basement. So, here you have it, from beginning to end (well, the pictures actually pick up from middle of the project, but, oh well).

Addendum: Crooked framing notwithstanding, I decided to call my first wall a success and have since framed the rest of the basement -- pictures to come later! Now stuck at electricity... will keep you updated!

Texas

2009-03-01T09:13:00.005-05:00

We just got back from Texas a couple of days ago -- an incredibly long drive to and from, but still, worth it for the fun visit we had with grandma and grandpa. (Oh yeah, and Uncle Andrew and Uncle Aaron, too, but most of the time they were playing video games in their bedrooms, so I didn't get actually get to see them much.)

Grandpa and grandma have been in Washington, D.C., for the past month while grandpa works on painting a big mural at Lockheed Martin Flight Service headquarters. It's the second one he's done for Lockheed Martin -- in fact, the reason why he got this job was because someone from up there saw the mural he painted at his workplace in Texas and thought it was so good, they wanted one up there, too! Here's us standing with grandpa in front of the mural he did in Texas. Isn't he a great artist?

Artwork aside, the main reason for our visit was to welcome Uncle Shaun and Aunt Kari's new baby Olivia into the world. She came a couple of days after we arrived -- so the timing was just right! Mom doesn't want another baby of her own, but she sure was excited to be able to hold someone else's baby for a while (and then give it back when she was done!).

We, on the other hand, only got to see her through the glass. No holding for us!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-11T21:37:00.023-05:00

I'm on a roll here, so here's a belated post about our Christmas with Nana. No, actually, come to think of it, she did a great job of describing it, so I'll just refer you to her blog :)

http://sweetntangy.blogspot.com/2009/01/michigan.html

Ha!

One thing she only gave passing mention to though (not that I blame her), was that after being sick on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, on Dec. 27 (the day that Nana and I took the two older boys to the Children's Museum), James had a series of short (<1 min.) seizures spaced 2-3 hours apart, beginning shortly after he woke up that morning. After a couple of visits to the Emergency Department through the day, he ended up being admitted to the Children's Hospital that evening for a couple of doses of anti-seizure medications and an MRI under general anesthesia the next morning.

The upside of the story: James got to have an MRI. I mean, how cool is that, to be able to see the inside of your own noggin'? I, for one, have been wanting an MRI for years now, just so I can peek at my grey matter, but somehow I haven't been able to convince the insurance company to pay for one!

(above) James MRI - sagittal slice
(above) James MRI - coronal slice
The downside: the hospital sucks. I mean, don't get me wrong -- the nurses, clerks, techs, doctors, and residents were great, but James sleeping three times for 30 minutes each over 24 hours made for one LONG daynightday! While we were there, he went from this

to this

with only a little bit of this

to break things up!

Not that I blame him -- he hated the hospital gown, the glow of the pulse oximeter through his sock, the IV and plastic guard on his hand, the arm board on his wrist, the EKG leads on his chest (he tore those off within the first couple of hours), the nurses taking vitals every four hours, and, to boot, he wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything all night prior to general anesthesia. And once he started getting anti-seizure medications, he hated that no one would let him go free to walk around on his own because he couldn't do it without tripping all over himself (an unfortunate side effect of the medications). In fact, pacing the halls with him all night, he got into a pattern of holding out his hands and crying for every nurse we walked past to take him from me -- and the ones who did soon found out what he was really looking for -- someone to put him down! Upon which I would take him back and he would howl despairingly -- until the next nurse passed by, that is... So yeah, pretty much his whole life sucked at the hospital.

Actually, there was one bright spot to his stay: he was sure glad to be able to eat again once he got back from his MRI, downing two cups of pedialyte and a cup of yogurt immediately afterwards, followed by a cup of milk, a cup of jello, and some cereal about an hour later!

I was glad he had such a good appetite, but he ate so much, I was actually worried he'd throw up and end up having to stay another night -- in which case I'm pretty sure I myself would've had to have been hospitalized in the psych ward for his own protection! But he didn't (and I wasn't) and we got home just in time to crash for the night and get up the next morning ready to drive to Niagara Falls that day (with the doctor's permission, of course)!

Anyhow, all is well -- he has one more test left this Tuesday, but the doctors didn't see anything suspicious on the MRI and at this point they think it was an isolated incident somehow brought on by his illness. Still, they told us to keep watching him, and gave us a prescription for emergency anti-seizure medications should he have another incident (an incredibly expensive prescription, I might add -- thank goodness for TriCare!). He's back to his normal self now, so I guess so far, so good.

Thanks to all who prayed/fasted for him -- we appreciate your faith on our behalf!

Happy Birthday, Mom

2009-01-11T19:40:00.011-05:00

As far as my kids are concerned, any excuse to have sweets is a good one (although there was a little bit of disappointment when they found out I was only making the shape of a 62 and not actually 62 cupcakes...). Never one to miss out on an opportunity, when I mentioned it was too bad mama wasn't here to give presents to, Ethan came up with an ingenious plan: "I know -- maybe we can give presents to ourselves!" No, we won't be doing that, but nice try, bud. Whatever the case, happy birthday and love to you, Mom, from the little Tangs (MI).

I Am Not A Number, I'm A Free Man!

2008-12-13T00:35:00.005-05:00

Wifey has prevailed and my previous screen name of "blade" will now become a relic of history for the crime of its "1990s-ish-ness." But keen surgical steel is still my love, so #15 it is.

2 bucks to anyone who can tell me where this post's title comes from. :)

Am I Okay?

2008-11-22T20:38:00.017-05:00

So, I'd like to think I'm okay, and you know, for the most part, I think I am. I mean, it's been nearly 3 weeks since mom died now, and since coming back, I've been very busy trying to catch back up in med school. But in quieter moments -- as the children are going to bed, or as I prepare to go to bed -- I realize there's still a profound sadness deep within my heart. And I'm not the only one -- young as they are, mom's passing hasn't been lost on the children either.

Ethan, in his prayers, has started saying, "Please bless yehyeh, grandma, and grandpa to be healthy and safe, and mama to be happy in heaven," and today, after finishing his prayers, added "Dad, I miss mama."

Isaac has started praying fervently to "Please bless Ethan, Isaac, Lilly, and James not to die when they're kids." He was particularly attached to his mama and yehyeh -- in fact, the first sentence out his mouth after Annie told him that mama had died was, "Is yehyeh still alive?"

Lilly, with sweet innocence, when asked about mama the other day, said simply, "Mama is at Jesus' place."

James -- well, James is just James. (And thank goodness for that!)

*******

Anyhow, moving on to lighter things -- I mentioned building a fence in the backyard the weekend before I skipped town, which I haven't done since I was just a wee thing working for Jack Payne at Classic Landscapes. Good thing, too, since it's been snowy and cold since returning home (more cold than snowy, to be honest, but there's definitely been a bit of both). Annie took photos along the way, so, from start to finish, here it is:

Oct. 30

Measuring and cutting 4' boards with Isaac...

...and Ethan's help.

--------------

Oct. 31

Spacing the rails

Finished view of the rails up...

...and posts lopped down.

-------------

Nov. 1

Carrying boards from garage to backyard.

Nailing in boards.

Last full board! (I had to cut a sliver of a board to fill the gap)

Ethan, my ever-present helper.

Finished product!

There's No Place Like Home

2008-11-17T18:35:00.006-05:00

After a two week absence, we finally made it home late last night, and I gladly echo Ethan's thoughts just before turning in for bed tonight, "Dad, I'm glad we're home."

When dad called me to tell me about mom, at 5:02 p.m. two weeks ago to the day, I was sitting at our computer having just finished stitching together shots I'd taken moments earlier into a panoramic photo of our backyard. Then, as you can imagine, after dad's news I never quite got back to posting backyard photos that evening, and the next morning found me in the Detroit airport in the company of my dad, awaiting a flight to Minneapolis.

Now I'm back, and to pick up where I left off, this series of photos should hopefully satiate the curiosity of the few choice people who have asked what happened to our backyard moonscape. The last shot I posted was Oct. 2, which I reiterate here for continuity's sake, followed by Oct. 19 and Nov. 3. I don't have a photo from today, but it looks much different than Nov. 3, as we arrived home last night to find a blanket of snow covering our yard!

Oct. 2, 2008

Oct. 19, 2008

Nov. 3, 2008

(check out the fence I built!)

Funeral Day

2008-11-11T23:59:00.002-05:00

Mom's funeral was today and it was wonderfully uplifting. All throughout, there was that wonderful sense of faith and fellowship that can be felt wherever a community of Saints has gathered, today made all the more poignant for the occasion. It has since occurred to me that in this sphere of existence, perhaps no two events are more miraculous than birth and death, with the fleeting glimpse they give us into the unfathomable grandeur and scope of the plan of salvation. Certainly, my faith was strengthened today, and I'm sure that's exactly what my mom would have wished. Thank you to those who were able to attend, as well as for those who were able to offer love and support in so many other ways. I think we're all going to be just fine.

Amy S. P. Tang

1947-2008

Amy Tang, née Chan, beloved daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother, was unexpectedly called home to our Father in Heaven on Nov. 3, 2008 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Amy was born on Jan. 11, 1947, in Canton, China, to Konyil and Maureen Chan, the second born of four daughters and a son. In 1960, she became the first of her family to immigrate to North America, reuniting with them three years later in Utah. In 1963, that same year, her family was sealed together in the Logan Utah temple and shortly thereafter, she moved to Calgary, Alberta, then to Ste Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, the following year. Amy graduated from MacDonald High School in 1965 and subsequently attended McGill University, ultimately receiving a bachelor of science in biochemistry in 1969. In 1971 she met her beloved husband in Salt Lake City, Utah, to whom she was sealed for time and all eternity in the Cardston Alberta Temple, in Alberta, Canada, on July 6, 1974.

In 1994, Amy obtained a second bachelor of science in home economics with an emphasis in nutrition from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. In 1996, she immigrated with her family from Canada to the United States. In 2005, she earned her third bachelor of science in elementary education from Husson College in Bangor, Maine. In 2007, she was naturalized a citizen of the United States of America.

Above all, Amy treasured truth. A passionate student, she had a lifelong love of learning that blessed the lives of all those around her. With her broad life experiences and her innate ability to apply what she had learned, she was an exceptional mother and teacher who was an unfailing source of inspiration and wisdom to her family.

Amy was predeceased by her father, Konyil Chan, and her older sister, Irene Chan. She is survived by her husband, Terry Tang; her children, Clarence (Annette) Tang, Michelle (Steve) Barker, Andrew (Liew) Tang, Jason (Heather) Tang, and Nancy Tang; her seven grandchildren, Ethan, Isaac, Lillian, Andersen, Ashlyn, James, and Jaxon; her mother, Maureen Chan; and three siblings, May Wong, June Lee, and David Chan; as well as many extended family members and good friends. Jaxon was born the day after she passed away, and an eighth grandchild is due on Dec. 7, 2008.

The Tender Mercies of the Lord

2008-11-06T20:24:00.006-05:00

Although busy with tasks and errands as we prepare for mom’s funeral, being in Winnipeg has been somewhat difficult with reminders of mom’s recent presence all throughout popo's house – clothes draped neatly on chairs, grocery items carefully wrapped and labeled to take home, reminder notes to herself scribbled in permanent marker, and most poignantly, personal effects – glasses, wedding ring, watch – that mom will never wear again.

After receiving a disappointingly inconclusive preliminary autopsy report yesterday, I picked up mom's journal hoping to find some extra clues to why this might have happened. As I leafed through the last few pages, I found no such clues, but noticed that over the days since her arrival to Winnipeg, she'd written of day outings she’d taken with popo, favorite foods she’d enjoyed while here, wonderful friends she’d met at church, and noted each day whether she’d had the opportunity to talk with dad.

Most touchingly, among these descriptions of the daily events of her visit with popo, the last paragraph of her last journal entry was a reflection of her life and the Lord's tender mercies towards her -- the bounty she'd enjoyed, the variety of her experiences, and, above all, her wonderful family – husband, sons, daughters, and grandchildren. “My cup runneth o’er with richness,” she seemed to say, “and my life is abundantly full.” Although lamenting her imperfections, she expressed her fervent, sincere gratitude to the Lord for all the blessings bestowed upon her, not knowing that within the next 24 hours, she would be unexpectedly called home to that God who gives us all life, her final testimony borne, her mission in this life inexplicably complete. And though we who were left behind carry heavy hearts, yet we may rejoice that we were so privileged to have known, loved, and been loved by such an one as my mother. Merciful indeed is our Lord!

My Siblings are Awesome

2008-11-05T01:35:00.008-05:00

Mic's tribute to mom
Ange's tribute to mom
J's tribute to mom
Nana's tribute to mom

Look forward to seeing everyone soon!

Mom (1947-2008)

2008-11-04T02:51:00.015-05:00

LOYAL AND TRUE

All through my life
You were there
Loyal, devoted, true

Hungry, you nursed me
Helpless, you cradled me
As an infant, you nurtured me well

Inquiring, you taught me
Excited, you encouraged me
As a child, learning from you was my joy

Rebellious, you prayed for me
Unrepentant, you chastened me
You were a steady rock in my turbulent youth

Wandering, you anchored me
Unsure, you counseled me
Away from home, you continued to light my path

Impatient, you reasoned with me
Discouraged, you buoyed me
As a father, so often I sought your advice

Now I'm a man
Career and family in hand
And the sure hand I relied on is gone

But I know who you were
I know how you lived
And though I wish so much you were still here

I'll be loyal and true
To the example you've been
I promise my children will know you in me

Mom, I love you
Mom, I miss you
Mom, I'll see you again someday

- Clarence Tang

As If You Needed Another Reason to Visit...

2008-10-26T22:35:00.011-04:00

Yesterday, dad's good friend Dave Jarvis came up from Ohio to visit with his family (mom, Micheline; James, who's exactly my age; and Andrew, who's about Lilly's age) for the day. We went and toured a cider mill, drank cider and ate donuts, played with his kids in our basement, and went out for dinner together in the evening -- fun! But, as if all those activities weren't good enough, Dave also brought the Best Present Ever as a belated birthday gift for dad. I'll give you one guess as to what it was and three hints to help out:

1) It's the same present Dave got for dad about 20 years ago for his birthday!

2) It sets up like this:

3) The box cover looks like this:

********************

Okay, fine, the last image gives it away (didn't want to make it too hard, you know). I'd never even heard of this game before, but now I'm a full convert! I can assure you that if quality death and destruction is what you seek, look no further -- this game is IT. I fully admire and appreciate both dad and Dave's good taste -- I mean, it's no wonder this game has been in production 20 years!

So, gameplay is simple enough -- you first set up the Knights (the good guys),

then you set up the Orcs (the bad guys),

and then -- smash, crash, bash -- you shoot away at each other's fortresses until they're completely destroyed!

And, lest you think this is a game only for boys -- Lilly even got in on the action with us (just look at the intensity in her eyes -- this princess means business)!

We're not picky -- whether you be young or old, male or female, all challengers are welcome. Come visit us -- we'd love to blow you away!

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

2008-10-23T20:05:00.006-04:00

In high school, while rummaging through my parents' closet one day, I found an old camera my mom had gotten from her dad -- on old half-format that was so primitive you had to have a separate light meter to set your aperture/exposure time, a manual focus ring you had to set by measuring (estimating, rather) the distance between you and your subject, and although it had a jack for a flash, you had to hold it in your free hand because there was no flashmount. I thought it was the coolest little camera and ran around for two weeks taking pictures of everything... until I had to get the film special developed for over 20 bucks, as I remember. Boo! Anyhow, in that two-week burst of photocreativity, I snapped this choice one of mom and dad in their room one evening. I love it!

Hurrah for the Bike Tutor!

2008-10-21T21:44:00.009-04:00

So, in an effort to get both Lilly and I actually riding on a bike and not just being towed in a trailer, mom and dad went ahead and bought a crossbar-mounted gizmo for us to sit in (no, not at the same time, you silly!) -- what a brilliant invention! This thing is imported from England (= $$$) but, given that dad's searches yielded nothing comparable Stateside, they took the plunge, and I, for one, definitely have no regrets. Even Lilly, who's normally a bit of a scaredy-cat when it comes to bikes, loves it! It's so fun sitting up front with the wind in my face, high enough to watch the world pass me by, able to turn and look at my dad if I want -- it sure beats sitting 6 inches from the ground staring at his butt and breathing fong-pei! (j/k)

Here in Michigan, winter is definitely coming on, but with the chillier air has come some gorgeous fall colors. Last Sunday morning, dad took us on a walk around the block, and we got to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage. The street we live on isn't much to speak of, being kind of a main road and all, but turn the corner and take a few steps into the neighborhood and this is what greets you:

Luckily, we weren't in a rush, so we got to spend plenty of time finding and picking the most colorful leaves and berries to bring home to mom.

But it wasn't until we got to last corner before heading home that we found what we'd been looking for the whole time -- a friendly neighbor who had raked all the leaves into neat piles on the side of the street, perfect for jumping in! Too bad dad didn't think I was old enough to go on the street -- but Ethan and Isaac sure looked like they had fun in all those leaves!

More Visitors!

2008-10-12T11:45:00.004-04:00

Val and Kyle Yamagishi drove down from Toronto to visit us on the same day that grandma and grandpa left to fly back to Texas. It was a short visit, but a fun one -- this is a video of us taking Val and Kyle on a walk through our neighborhood.

In Which Grandpa and Grandma Come to Town

2008-10-11T18:29:00.001-04:00

This past week, Grandma and Grandpa flew on a plane to our house to visit for a pretty much a whole week! Well, seeing as it wasn't a holiday week for us, life kept trucking along even during their visit -- Ethan went to school during the days, Isaac went to school during the mornings, Mommy went to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Daddy kept going to school, too. James still stayed at home all the time, but I skipped one day of preschool to hang out with Grandpa and make him do manly My Little Pony puzzles with me.

James, of course, was at home every day, and both Grandma and Grandpa accompanied him and daddy on their usual Tues/Thurs morning walk -- Grandpa's finger sure is a lot bigger than daddy's, though,

and his shoulders are definitely more comfortable to sit on!

On our last day together, we carved pumpkins -- Grandpa is a really good pumpkin carver, but he was so slow, we finished before him and started playing Silly String around him. From the front, he looks every bit the distinguished artist,

but from the back...

Bwah ha ha ha -- now I know why they call it "Silly" string!!

Our Moonscape

2008-10-02T20:09:00.006-04:00

Well, it's Day 8 since the grass was laid, and, like I said, I don't know about this whole "mowable at day 10" thing. I don't want to complain much, because, well... there's definitely there's a smattering of grass there, but, the fact of the matter is, it seems a bit patchy, don't you think? Especially in the middle where all the runoff is -- anyhow, I called the landscapers and asked them to come and have a look -- I'm hoping they'll say, "Whoa, we need to reseed this thing!"

It Takes Two (and then some)

2008-10-02T19:45:00.007-04:00

Normally I'm all consideration and fair play, but sometimes you've got to take whatever advantage you can get -- especially when you're arm wrestling with a big strong Naval Officer like my dad. So you use both hands, recruit your brother, lean with all your combined weights... and, geez, my dad is strong! We were practically jumping up and down on his arm before we got it down to the table!

I'm in Gr. 1 Again

2008-10-01T19:53:00.005-04:00

You know, it's very exciting for Ethan to be growing up and going to Gr. 1 and all, but I don't like his teacher much. And how would I be expected to like a teacher who assigns me homework every night? Oh sure, she SAYS it's for Ethan, but puh-leese, I know it's just a conspiracy (don't ask me what for -- I just know it is)! So every night I find myself counting up by 1s, counting down by 10s, counting up by 5s, doing number grids and tally marks, counting jellybeans, drawing pictures of elephants (and counting them, of course)... I mean, hello, is all this really necessary?

My Hairstylist Chose My Major

2008-10-01T19:39:00.007-04:00

So, mom brought me to a real hairdresser in the mall today and I got... a BOY cut. Boo! What kind of crap is this anyways? What cruddy hairdresser would dare give a princess this haircut? Does he think I'm going to be an English major or something?

And my hair takes so long to grow, too... poop, poop, poop. My leg hurts just thinking about it... "Mommy, mommy, I need some medicine so I can sleep tonight... please, please, I NEED some!!"

Isaac's Salon

2008-09-30T19:56:00.005-04:00

A hairdresser across the way from where I live was offering a one-time "End of the Month" special today -- free haircuts for all siblings 3 years old and under. Well, my hair was definitely in need of some touching up, so I decided to give him a try. After assuring me he had plenty of experience with my hair type, he deftly used a pair of Crayola scissors to trim my left side. I dunno -- the blending job he did wasn't stellar, and the look on mommy's face when she saw his handiwork leaves me wondering if maybe I should have gone to a more reputable establishment (which is, in fact, exactly what mommy's planning on doing with me tomorrow). I guess the old saying still holds true: "You get what you pay for." My instructions for next time an offer like that comes my way: "Thanks Isaac, but no thanks."

It is a Miracle!

2008-09-30T19:48:00.003-04:00

Amazingly, I went out to check on my mud this morning, and I was greeted by a diffuse smattering of color all across the yard. One day, nothing, and the next, voila -- it's incredible! Not like I could putt on it or anything, but still, the visible progress is heartening!

Grass(lings)!

2008-09-29T21:44:00.006-04:00

Incredibly, I went out this evening to begin my watering routine, and as I crouched down low to inspect my lovely mud, lo, but what did my eyes behold? Small wisps of green straining their little thin heads out to meet sun! Only, there was no sun to behold because of the rain clouds overhead (which, incidentally, having dumped torrents tonight, very well may have washed my little grasslings away into the netherworld.) More to come tomorrow...

Ixnay on "Preschool"

2008-09-27T23:38:00.005-04:00

So, daddy's starting to feel a bit burned out with all the posting he's doing tonight -- guess who gets the short end of the stick here? Yeah, you guessed it -- the youngest, of course. Good thing I'm so easy going!

After hardly seeing dad at all last year, I actually see him quite a lot this year -- he stays at home to take care of me a couple of days each week, and on Sundays he's in nursery with me and Lilly. I like that I get to spend a lot of time with him. For a week or so he and mom tried me out at Lilly's preschool (preschool for her, daycare for me), but I wasn't very happy to be dropped off to spend the whole day away from home without a proper nap. So dad decided he'd start staying home on Tuesdays and Thursdays to take care of me while mom is at school, and I seem to be much happier for it -- it's just him and me at home on those days, so I definitely get plenty of attention -- lucky me!

Summer Pictures

2008-09-27T23:02:00.007-04:00

A couple of months ago, dad left home one morning with the boys (well, not James, I guess), and I didn't see him again for five weeks! Ethan and Isaac have all kinds of pictures posted on mama and yehyeh's blog, but none of me, so I thought I'd share some, too.

While dad was gone, mom took James and I out for dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant. We ate on the outside patio -- mmm!

We flew to New England to meet daddy at the end of his training -- my first plane ride ever. I loved it -- wasn't scared at all!

One of my favorite parts of the trip was hanging out watching TV in the hotel room in the evenings.

After we met daddy, we went to Boston Harbor to sightsee -- I don't seem so happy to be with him again, do I?

We went to IKEA to look for a bookshelf soon after getting back to Michigan. We didn't come home with a bookshelf, but we did come home with a pretty pink princess cover for my bed!

As a beginning-of-the-school-year present, we all gotf the kids got new books from dad and mom -- here's the book I got -- "Fancy Nancy" -- one of my favorite library books. I thought Auntie Nancy should have one, too, so we sent her one for her birthday!

It's been really dry in Michigan all summer, but you know what they say -- "When it rains, it pours." A couple of weeks ago, it really rained hard, and we got a chance to splash in the puddles. Whoo hoo!

I'm a Kindergartener!

2008-09-27T22:54:00.004-04:00

After a fun summer in Maine with mama and yehyeh, ending with daddy's graduation from Navy Officer Training in Rhode Island, it's already fall and I find myself back in Michigan. This year I started kindergarten with Mrs. Roth at Wines Elementary -- a momentous occasion! I love it there, and while kindergarten is technically only half-day, on Tuesday and Thursday I go to an extended K-care while mom goes to her classes. Both kindergarten and K-care are really fun, and it's great to be able to go to school with Ethan each morning. Sometimes, when we have time, mom even takes us to school on our bikes!

Yep, I'm definitely growing up, but it's not like I don't have lots of time to play still. A couple of weeks ago it rained really hard, but it was a warm kind of rain, so dad took us out on a rain walk. Normally when it's wet out, dad and mom are always telling us not to splash in puddles -- on this walk though, we were let loose and got to splash as much as we wanted -- it was so fun!

Fall Blues

2008-09-27T22:43:00.003-04:00

Summer is over *sniff sniff* -- but what a fun summer it was! Isaac and I spent 5 weeks in Maine staying with mama and yehyeh while Daddy was at Navy Officer Training, which included three weeks of daily swimming lessons and one week at the Bangor YMCA day camp, not to mention numerous outings with mama and yehyeh on the weekends. We got home at the end of July, but still talk about it occasionally even now, two months later. Mama and yehyeh were great -- I hope we can go back next summer!

I'm back in school now -- Gr. 1 at Wines Elementary, and while I really like my teacher, Mrs. Kennedy, I'm not terribly happy about missing out on so much playing time each day, not to mention having 5-10 minutes of homework to do each day! Gr. 1 definitely isn't quite as fun as kindergarten, although we do learn a whole lot more. The holiday season is just about here though -- I can hardly wait!

A Change of Pace

2008-09-27T20:41:00.012-04:00

When people find out that I (nominally) maintain five blogs -- one for me and one for each of the kids, the inevitable question asked is, "Wow, how do you have time to do that?" And, as should be obvious by the sparse, intermittent posting I do, the truthful answer to that question is, "I don't." So, for the sake of simplicity, starting today, I'm going to try consolidating all our blogs into one, which hopefully will get us enough posts up so my mom stops wondering aloud every couple of weeks if we're still alive or not... :)

The first year of residency is officially over! Actually, it's been about a month already, but I'm only now getting around to posting about it. Started med school in August and boy, let me tell ya, the change in pace is remarkable. No call, no patient responsibilities in the hospital, just classes, exams, and evenings/weekends at home. Enough time to host visitors,

grill a scrumptious birthday dinner for Wifey (okay, I admit it -- I didn't make the cake!),

work around the house,

go for walks in the rain,

and, of course, Saturday movie night (which we've moved upstairs to take advantage of the upstairs sound system)!

I'm not the only one who's had a change of pace, though -- everyone else (but James, that is) started school the day after Labor day, and since then, we've been busy adjusting to the new routines. Ethan in particular had a hard time with starting Gr. 1, feeling like all-day school seriously cut into his playing time. Isaac has enjoyed being in kindergarten -- his teacher loves how helpful and considerate he is. Lilly started two-day-a-week preschool at Gretchen's House, and James stays at home with his daddy on those same two days while Annie is brushing up on her English and Math at Washtenaw Community College.

As the faithful followers of our family milestones may remember, a little over a year ago, soon after we moved into our new house, "Annie razed the backyard to her neighbors' chagrin.". It had been... shall we say, "left fallow" over the year since then.

No more! After a failed attempt to recruit what turned out to be a rather unreliable landscape company earlier this spring, we finally succeeding in getting a (different) landscaping company to come this past week to bulldoze down our weeds, spread new topsoil, dig in a row of fence posts, and seed a new lawn! I stayed home two days in a row to "supervise" (not that I was needed much, but it's always helpful to be available to ensure the laborers get the particulars right).

The neighbors on all sides are ecstatic -- 3 of 4 of them approached us at one point or another to say how excited they were for us, but the last told us he's really going to miss the weeds (haha). I never realized how much attention the state of one's yard attracts!

DAY 1:

Bulldozer grading the yard

Bobcat moving topsoil from the street to the backyard

Our neighbors admiring the bulldozer operator's "blade work"

DAY 2:

Marking out the shrub/garden beds

Installing the fence posts

All seeded and ready to grow

Ever since they seeded the yard, I've spent 1-2 hours each day dragging hoses around the yard (trying not to sink too far into the mud while I do so) to make sure the seed stays nice and moist. They say it'll be mowable in 10 days, but I'm not sure I believe that: Today is day 4, and the yard still looks pretty much the same as the day it was seeded -- which is to say, a big mud hole. Maybe I'm just being pessimistic, but to go from mud to mowable grass in only 6 more days seems a bit of stretch! I'll keep you updated, though...

So long, ODS!

2008-07-25T12:00:00.004-04:00

Not that I didn't enjoy my time at Officer Development School, but by the end of 5 weeks, I have to say it was really starting wear on me to be away from home. I can't believe the guys in OCS (Officer Candidate School), who spend 13 weeks there (I met a couple of them at church -- nice guys, all, but sheesh, 3 months away from their wives and children!)

Graduation was supposed to be outside on the astroturf field, but it rained the night before, and all goose poop on the field got soft and "muddy" as a result. Oh well. The gym was fine, I guess. The white uniform is very classy, except for the cover, that is. Makes my head look like a mushroom. All the same, here are some of my graduation pics, compliments of my dad, who attended with my mom, Annie, and all the kids (she won't let me post a photo with her in it though -- says it was a bad hair day). All in all, a great experience, but I'm glad it's over now!

Here at last

2008-06-21T14:16:00.015-04:00

After a sad parting in Michigan and over a thousand miles of driving later, Ethan, Isaac, and I finally made it to Bangor yesterday evening, where we were greeted by the always-studious mama.

Other than one missed turn, whereby I ended up on I-80 instead of I-90, the trip was long and uneventful, punctuated only by the occasional, "Dad, are we at mama and yehyeh's house yet?" As usual, Ethan and Isaac were great travelers, amusing themselves with toys, food, and fighting. We stayed the first night in Waterbury, CT, continuing on the next day to Bangor, finally making the turn off Ohio Street on to Sunny Hollow Place accompanied by the crescendo of Ethan and Isaac's Chant of Anticipation -- "green car, green car, green car, YAAAAAYYYYY!!!" as they spotted mama and yehyeh's CRV. Upon arrival, Ethan and Isaac wasted no time settling in, promptly taking over Nancy's old room and the rest of the house with their toys, books, bikes, and clothes.

Various friends have wondered if the boys will be okay being left with mama and yehyeh for 5 weeks, but considering one of Ethan's first questions when he saw me come out of the downstairs computer/guest room this morning was, "Dad, why are you still here?" I think they'll be okay. To be honest, I'm more worried about mama anda yehyeh being able to handle two active, noisy boys in the house without going crazy!

Zorro, the yard boy, came by to mow the lawn today, but so far no yehyeh sightings have been reported. Hopefully I'll have a chance to see him before I leave tomorrow morning for Rhode Island!

"... so help me God."

2008-06-11T20:06:00.010-04:00

It's official -- after an hour spent reviewing and signing documents on Monday (Jun 9), I raised my right hand and was sworn in as an Lieutenant in the Navy Dental Corps, followed by a few more signatures (pictured below). It was a neat experience, but like a lot of significant events, the moment passed by so fast, I'm not sure I'll really understand what happened until years from now, when I look back at where it all started! My parents drove all the way out from Maine to be there with us, and I'm very appreciative of their support!

So, next step: Officer Development School in Newport, Rhode Island, where I'll be spending pretty much all of July learning about how and what it means to be an officer in the Navy. Officer Boot Camp, if you will. I just hope I meet the physical fitness standards -- I never was much for pushups and situps!

After the commissioning ceremony, and since we were already in the vicinity, we all went to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI, where we spent a few hours wandering around all the exhibits with the kids. This is Lilly in front of a 1955 Corvette that Annie fell in love with ("Do you think they'd be mad at me if you took a picture of me sitting in the car?").

I'm not a huge car guy, but I have to say I admire her taste!

In the Navy

2008-05-13T22:48:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, I finally got a long-awaited letter in the mail:

After six months of emails, forms, phone calls, forms, interviews, and more forms (not to mention a fairly extensive background check and physical exam), my application to join the Navy Dental Corps has finally been approved! On the other hand, I'm still holding back on my excitement because it's not a done deal just yet -- I'm still waiting for commissioning documents to come down from the Secretary of Defense, and all the while, my window of opportunity is slowly closing. I hope they make it here on time (i.e., in the next 2-3 weeks)!

If everything goes well, I should be commissioned as a Lieutenant in the USN in mid-June, and my Officer Development Training will go from June 23 to July 25. I guess we'll see what happens!

Camping

2008-04-30T12:50:00.002-04:00

So, the first day of the camping season happened to coincide with the end of my "vacation" (in quotes because although it was a vacation from seeing patients in the hospital clinic, really it was an opportunity to be at school for classes 8-5, so I still wasn't at home much!).

Anyhow, as it was beautiful weather, we decided on an impromptu overnight camping trip to nearby Pinckney State Recreation Area. And when I say nearby, I really mean it -- the state park is closer than our chapel is! We all had a great time -- tinfoil dinners, Smores, pancakes, a lake nearby, and James got to experience sleeping in a tent for the first time. Not surprisingly, he ended up in his daddy's sleeping bag for most of the night -- and Wifey had a similar experience with Lilly over in the girls' tent!

All told, it was a great trip and we look forward to more camping to come over the summer!

My Work

2008-04-04T21:52:00.005-04:00

So for those of you who are wondering what I do as an oral and maxillofacial surgery resident, here's an example -- this is a couple of photos I took on my phone in the OR quite some time ago -- the two guys operating in the background (far left) have just harvested a leg bone (fibula) and associated blood vessels, and the two guys sitting at the microscope are suturing in the vessels and plating that leg bone to reconstruct a jaw bone (mandible) that was partially resected because of cancer. Cool stuff, eh?

Note of Appeasement

2008-03-23T20:42:00.002-04:00

Dear Family,

Under pain of death, I neglected my studies today in favor of editing 5 glorious minutes of video from Ethan's birthday party yesterday... inadvertently losing it all in one ill-considered click of the mouse. What survives is posted on James' blog.

Next weekend, perhaps?

Love,
Blade

Movie Night

2007-12-29T17:57:00.000-05:00

Hereby announcing the beginning of a new Tang family tradition, the secular Saturday corollary to Monday night FHE... Movie Night. To include ordering Take Out and watching a Projected Movie in the basement on the Silver Screen (silver screen and projector yet to be procured) in pristine 5.1 Dolby DTS Surround Sound (receiver/amplifier/speakers yet to be procured). To be followed by Root Beer Floats (if we remember to buy ice cream). To include Friends as deemed appropriate (if we ever make any in MI). Not to include late bedtimes leading to Sabbath morning fatigue (fat chance).

Annie Razes the Backyard to Her Neighbors' Chagrin

2007-11-04T20:55:00.001-05:00

My Twenty-Twelfth Birthday!

2007-10-18T20:42:00.000-04:00

Celebrated my Twenty-Twelfth Birthday (per Ethan) in style this year -- unfrosted box mix chocolate cake and all! (Can you tell Annie wasn't around... sniff sniff... she was in Idaho for Shaun's wedding the next day)!

Putting Candles on the Cake

Blowing out the Candles

Group Photo

My Presents (from myself, to myself)

(Some of My) Coworkers

2007-09-02T21:34:00.000-04:00

It's probably occurred to some of you to wonder who I'm spending all this time away from home with -- well, tonight we had a BBQ over at the Big Cheese's house and I seized the opportunity to introduce some of my coworkes (coresidents and faculty especially). This isn't even half of them, but that's better than none, right?

And, although this doesn't come out on the video, for interest's sake, I find it odd that 8 of the 17 oral surgery residents are from Canada (Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary x2, Montreal, Toronto x2) as is one of the five full-time faculty members!

Such a Good Lookin' House!

2007-08-08T13:52:00.000-04:00

As of about three weeks ago, we are new homeowners! Sorry with how long it took to post anything about it -- residency has been busy...

It's a 1246 sq. ft. bungalow w/ unfinished basement. 3 beds, 2.5 baths. Hardwood floors throughout except in the master bedroom addition. Nice little front and back yard. We're really happy with it, and very grateful we were able to purchase it. Hurrah for us!

If you have the time, here's Wifey's video tour of the house (7:30) -- enjoy!

Such a Good Lookin' Girl

2007-07-08T19:09:00.000-04:00

Most of you already know how hot my wife is, but for those of you random blog readers who happen to stumble upon my little Speck, I'd hate to leave you with only the paparazzi shot of her on the sidebar!

First, my personal favorite -- taken with the built-in Webcam on Wifey's MacBook using PhotoBooth (note that it's a mirror image -- an unfortunate quirk of PhotoBooth's):

Here's a more picturesque shot, taken at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in... yep, you guessed it, Jasper!

This the "come hither" look, taken in Londonderry Chapel in Edmonton:

And this is the "You jerk -- why are you making me carry her?" look, taken at the Calgary Zoo:

And last of all, Wifey's cute looks passed on to the next generation:

So Much to Say, So Little Time!

2007-07-03T21:22:00.000-04:00

The next year in Ann Arbor seems like it's going to be a busy one. Surgery (or, rather, interning) looks like it's going to be a busy job, with hardly enough time to sleep, eat, and take care of the family, much less blog!

Enough of that though -- at least we ended off our time in Edmonton with a bang, as all the Tangs gathered together for a family reunion (in part made possible by the Wongs' willingness to host us!).

Among all the activities -- the Waterpark, a Chinese dinner out, dim sum, visiting mama's gravesite, the zoo, Hawrelak Park, James's baby blessing and a quadruple birthday party -- one of the most memorable moments happened as we were all sitting around listening to mom regale us with stories from her travels (sorry -- inside joke: I'm under strict instructions not to divulge any further info -- guess you had to be there!).

Greetings from Negative Edmonton!

2007-05-19T13:10:00.000-04:00

(l to r: Clarence, Lilly, Isaac, Annie, Ethan, Natalie, Sydney, James, Minn Va, Darren)

This photo was taken at the Wong's place in SW Edmonton, thus proving that negative Edmonton does indeed exist!

(P.S. Check out Sydney's missing front bottom teeth!)

Charging... Shock Delivered!

2007-05-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

I've always wondered if I should be worried that my heart skips beats, so while learning how to read heart rhythms at school, I printed my rhythm strip and took it to a medical resident I know. He took some measurements on the strip and used a complex medical formula to calculate my time of death as May 11, 2007, 3:04. At the time, that left me only five days -- Eeek!

Well, it's now two weeks later, and my friend obviously messed up the calculation, because I'm a week late dying already and still wondering when I'm going to croak!

P.S. The skipped beat is the weird-looking spike near the beginning of all the other spikes.

Genealogy Pilgrimage

2007-05-10T01:00:00.000-04:00

Wifey and I took a trip down to Calgary and Cardston three weekends ago to do some temple work for Tang ancestors in our direct line. It was a neat experience. We went down on a Thursday evening, stopping at Uncle Sam and Auntie Lily's place for the night. The next day, Auntie Lily had to work, but we were able to go down to the Alberta Temple with Uncle Sam to do an endowment session. While we were there, the temple office gave Uncle Sam a big box of Tang names that had already been completed -- baptism to sealing. Pink for women, blue for men, cream for sealings ("Fu-ren" means "wife," by the way).

It's amazing how old some of the names are -- check this one out from around 2492 BC!

We spent another night at Uncle Sam's, and the next day, before leaving to go home he and Auntie Lily drove us out to visit Mama's gravesite. As we were driving to the cemetery, Uncle Sam found himself on the wrong side of the C-train crossing barrier when it came down on the trunk of his Towncar :)

At the moment, Mama's gravesite is marked by a plastic placard, but the permanent stone marker has been ordered and should be installed by the end of this month.

I guess Baby James wasn't too impressed by the cemetery.

Wifey and I are both very happy we had the opportunity to go down. It was really nice to get away and spend some time with Uncle Sam and Auntie Lily. Thank you to them both for hosting us so generously for three days!

Salt Pillar

2007-03-18T22:41:00.000-04:00

I told her not to look back! Poor Lilly... (*sniff sniff*)

Taking the Sick Out

2007-03-03T21:59:00.000-05:00

I do apologize for my lengthy absence. As you can tell from the video, I've had a bad case of the sick, and the premiere specialists in the field (Drs. Ethan, Isaac, and Lillian Tang) were not immediately available to surgically remove it. With my condition, I've not had the energy to post much, but they finally were able to find the time to treat me. Thanks to their expertise and TLC, I'm finally better and looking forward to posting more often!

O Christmas Tree!

2006-11-27T00:48:00.000-05:00

If I were you, I would just ignore what Mr. "135 lbs. and still shrinking" had to say in his comments on my last post. As proof of my incredible might, I refer you to the following photo essay of me single-handedly putting up the Christmas tree two nights ago.

And while you're considering on my brute strength, Mr. Man, consider too that this ain't yo' mama's wussy Scotch Pine scraggly branched excuse for a Christmas tree, neither!

My Ride

2006-11-19T18:17:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember my cycling prowess from UNC days, when I regularly flew around the countryside, either in training or racing, attired in form-fitting silky sleek spandex.

Now that we've moved to Edmonton, things surely have changed, and because of my trusty racing steed's adversity to snowy, icy roads, I have had to store her away for the winter in favor of a more stable, slower version of two-wheeled transport.

But before you laugh at my having had to take a downgrade not only in speed, but also in sexiness (admit it, you like spandex, you know you do!), how cool is it that now I get to ride around town on studded tires? So bring it on old man winter, I'm ready for anything now, aww, yeah!

Snow!

2006-10-29T19:06:00.000-05:00

It started snowing lightly Friday evening and it kept falling through most of Saturday. Just a nice, light, fluffy kind of snow. I took this photo at about midnight Saturday night after getting home from work -- there's probably 4 inches on the ground there. This is why I love Edmonton!

More Genealogy

2006-10-09T02:17:00.000-04:00

On the subject of genealogy, while in Calgary early last month, we spent an hour or so on a Sunday afternoon with Uncle Sam and Auntie Lily. Uncle Sam kindly showed us the genealogical records he'd been working on, which was really exciting to see. The photo below is of the original, handwritten record he was able to procure in China for the price of a cell phone (that's a whole other story there!). We didn't want to handle the pages much, as they seemed quite worn and the characters rather faded, but we did ask to see the page on which our yeye, Biu Tang, would have recorded the birth of each of his sons. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, although yeye's brothers all made the effort to have their sons (i.e., dad's cousins) recorded in the book, our yeye apparently did not think it a very high priority, and our branch of the line ends with him. So you can see for yourself, I've circled his name in red (digitally, obviously!), and as Uncle Sam pointed out, you will note there are no descendants written below him, although we know he had quite a few -- I mean, we all Tangs and Tang cousins have to have come from somewhere, don't we!

Blast from the Past

2006-10-09T01:31:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago, while at the Poons house, we had the opportunity of leafing through a worn album displaying photos taken in the early Hong Kong branch some forty years ago. Much to our delight, included among their smiling faces were a number of photos of dad as a youth! Well, tonight we went over to the Poons again for Canadian Thanksgiving, and this time made sure to bring a scanner so we could capture some of those memories. Thank you to Uncle Tony for graciously allowing us access to his photos!

Photo #1: Dad and Auntie Evelyn

Photo #2: Dad getting ready for the Christmas party -- he painted the Jerusalem background scene beside him -- good job!

Photo #3: left to right, back to front: Uncle Sam, Uncle Norman, Sheldon Poon, Dad; Auntie Ellen, Auntie Grace, Auntie Evelyn, Uncle Tony, Uncle Kenneth; Auntie Fanny, friend

Photo #4: Uncle Tony skip roping on the railing -- what a dangerous fellow!

Photo #5: You fool! Didn't you just hear me tell Uncle Tony that's dangerous?

Photo #6: GQ'ing it in front of the stone lion guarding the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (in HK).

Photo #7: Uncle Sam, Auntie Fanny, Auntie Goo-ma, Uncle Norman, Dad, Auntie Grace, Auntie Evelyn, Uncle Kenneth (Uncle Gordon wasn't born yet)

Photo #8: Proof that all Asians look the same -- lots of Tangs, guess who they are!

Photo #9: More proof -- even the bikes they ride are the same!

Photo #10: Dad leading the music.

The Proper Technique for Injury-Free Orange Peeling

2006-09-17T10:19:00.000-04:00

The other day, Wifey seriously injured her thumb while peeling oranges for the kids. Laugh if you will, but it was bad enough that three days later, she accidentally bumped her thumb the wrong way and had to bite her lip to keep from cussing out loud. Considering we live in a cuss-free home, that's saying a lot. We've contemplated suing the orange company for physical injury and emotional trauma -- after all, the orange had no label warning of the potential for "thumb injury due to thickness of peel" -- but we can't find a lawyer in Edmonton who'll take the case. Sometimes Canadian benevolence isn't such a good thing -- such an outrage would definitely have been worth something in the U.S.!

So for my inaugural foray into the blogosphere, here's an online tutorial on peeling oranges for your children, especially written so my Canadian readers don't have to experience the same [uncompensated] trauma Wifey just went through.

1. Hold orange in hand (use opposite hand if left-handed), navel up.

2. Make intial circular incision near the top of orange with sharp paring knife.

3. Make four to six evenly spaced vertical releasing incisions extending downwards from the circular incision and converging at the bottom of the orange.

4. Reflect and resect a full-thickness peel starting at the circular incision...

...and continuing sequentially with each vertically released section of peel. Note the use of the index finger to reflect the peel.

5. Use the index finger to begin opening the orange...

...switching to the thumb only when both of the following two conditions have been satisfied: 1) continued use of the index finger becomes awkward enough that dropping the orange becomes a risk, 2) the force required to finish opening the orange has diminished to the point at which thumb injury is no longer a danger.

6. Gently separate each wedge of the orange, being careful not to tear the delicate inter-wedge membranes.

7. Divide the orange according to the number of your children and their appetites.

8. Your kids will love you!