ET the Doc - Random Thoughts
ET's journey of changing the world, one bit at a time.
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Yo-yo passing
Yo-yo, our big white Labrador, join us in 2009, when Fang was 9 and “graduated” from his hamster. We took yo-yo from Salinas shelter after visiting many places. When we first came to the shelter, all dogs were excited, barked and jumped. There was only one young dog, sit calmly and majestically as if he was the prince of the shelter. I immediately know he is the dog that we wanted. After the shelter checked numerous factors of the house and the family members, we finally adopted him. Since he is a Labrador retriever, we expected him to pick up balls back and forth like a yoyo, hence our naming of him.
The day that I picked him up was a sad day. He was obviously traumatized because he was just got neutered. He looked at me with an expression “what have you done to me!!” I felt bad, since he was so healthy and handsome, I figured that he must had been chosen to breed. I don’t know why he was in the shelter. He was clearly a well cared pet with a very nice brown color double collar. Maybe he was lost, we’ll never know his original family.
The first few nights yo-yo was nervous and cried all nights in the kitchen, we came down to see him a few times during the night. He was well trained and will go to the backyard to release himself automatically.
He was a great match for us, our town Carmel was known for a perfect place to dogs. Almost every household has a dog, shops welcome them, beach is one of the rare beaches that dog can be unleashed and roam free. I ran with yo-yo many times to the beach during sunset, a handsome Labrador on Carmel beach during sunset, the epitome of perfect picture.
Yo-yo tried a few time picking up tennis balls but after after a couple of throws, he would not retrieve more. Maybe he is too smart knowing there is no point getting the ball back, or he was just too lazy. I wish I could discuss this with him.
We walked him every day, on the beach, in downtown, in Mission trail, in Hutton canyon. DD treated yo-yo as a brother, they grow up together. DD often walked yo-yo at mid night, I guess they both enjoyed the misty Carmel and contemplate the meaning of lives together.
DD went to college a couple of years ago. When he returned home, he and yoyo will continue their mid night walk. Yuan Yuan also enjoyed walking yoyo whenever she came home.
In 2021, around 13 years old. Yo-yo started to show his old age. While still exciting to go out every day, he breathed heavily when we walk him, having difficult time climbing uphill from the beach. He develop tumors on his face and lost most of his hearing. In early October, he refused his regular dog food and only eat human food. We know his days are numbered.
The end came quickly, he refused to eat any food and often hid in the corner of the backyard for hours. The very last days, I put his bed under the piano next to me in my study, he does not move much but still struggled to open his eyes to catch the last few glimpses of his family. Oct 20, I video conferenced with Yuan and Fang to let them say the final goodbye to yoyo. Both of them were really sad and cried.
Oct 21 in the afternoon, yo-yo died. He has a great life in Carmel with a family that adore and took care of him. We buried him at the corner of the backyard, his favorite hiding place.
We will miss you, yoyo.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
200 KM Circling South San Francisco Bay Bike Ride
Finished a two-day, 200KM bike ride around the south San Francisco Bay. Felt great and rewarding after the BIG RIDE 2021.
Most of the ride is on the wonderful San Fransico Bay Trail. While the total 500 miles of trails are partially finished and most of them are not paved, it is still a nice trip riding thru miles of shorelines, seeing a very different silicon valley.
I am writing this post, hopefully as a resource for others who want to try it. I will cover the route planning, equipment, packing, and point of interest.
Routes
Day 1, 115KM, from Alviso Marina County Park to Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point
Day 2, 107KM, from Alameda back to Alviso Marina County Park
Schedule
Day 1 -
- 9:00 AM Started at Alviso Marin Park
- 10:30 AM Stop at Palo Alto for a break and snack
- 12:00 Noon Lunch in Foster City
- 2:00 PM start the afternoon ride (riding through SFO is so cool)
- 3:30 PM take a break at Millbrae
- 4:00 PM heading toward San Francisco, a slight climb
- 6:15 PM arrive at the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point and complete the day
- Took our car and drove to the City of Alameda for dinner and hotel
Day 2 -
- 9:00 AM Started from Alameda downtown
- 10:30 AM took a break at Oyster Bay shoreline park - so tranquil and beautiful
- 12:00 Noon Lunch in Union City - nice hot pot
- 1:30 PM start the afternoon ride (riding up and down on the hills of Coyote Hill regional park)
- 2:45 PM take a break in the City of Fremont
- 4:00 PM arrived at Alviso Marin Park, ride the Slough Trail, it is rough and windy
- 5:00 PM Complete the big ride 2021!!
- Two bottles of water
- Three protein bars
- Cell phone plus a 6,400MA backup battery and a cell phone mount
- Replacement tube, tube changing tools, and small hand pump
- Sunscreen
- Thin cycling jacket - some parts of the bay can be windy and chilly. Some can be dry and warm on the same day
- Gloves, backpack, helmets, sunglasses, riding shorts, etc - the usual long-distance riding outfits.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Unplanned Lunch and chagrin
Professor W. Wang and Geoffrey the realtor invited me for lunch. I was planning to have them come to Carmel so I can be a good host, and of course, cut down two hours of driving to San Jose.
They suggested Capitola, near Santa Cruz. I accepted because the Shadowbrook is a restaurant that I had heard about and like to try it. However, they changed their plan to go to Zelda, a run of the milll seaside eatery that was not impressive. The conversation was OK but not exciting. Geoffrey was a nice guy to shared a lot of his experience running assisted and independent living real estate in So Cal.
Since the conversation was not leading anywhere, I focused on the beer and the food. It is not too bad, the hazy IPA was on par so did the calamari. Not sure it worth an one hour drive thought.
Filled with food. I slept for 30 minutes near the vista point on hwy 1. Because of the beer, I wasn’t productive all afternoon. Much to my chagrin.
Should plan better next time.
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Big Fish
The movie big fish is wonderful. We all have to try to make our mundane lives fantastic.
The little boy observed that a gold fish will not grow big in a small tank, but will grow big in a big pond. We all have to put ourselves in to the big ocean in order to grow big - even endure the risk of being eaten by bigger fish.
Journal of 1/26/2021 Taoyuan Quarantine Hotel
This in my Bigu. That many have struggle to find time to do so. But not 100%, since I still have the connection to the world via the on and off of currents.
Reading Sapian, myths or faith is imperidvie. The law, social norms, religion, country are all faith that impact us, sometime make us welling to sacrafice.
Sucess does not equal happiness - the billion of chickens raised in a crowed farm for 21 days before being slaughered is an evaluation success by the sheer number of individuals, but it does not mean they are happy.
Childless couple might have more comfortable lives - without the burden of bringing up children, but are they really better off? Many of the first world's young believe so and acting so.
Liberty, or give me freedom or give me death, is a faith, not a logical conclusion. Hormony and secruty is another believe, widely accepted in the East, is also a faith. Which one is better? Can a happy empire filled with dying generation without offspring considered an successes?
Wealth is a faith, faith create action. There are people, family and tribes that do not believe in wealth and they continue to live in poverty, maybe happily. Should we education our children to be wealth or poor. The answer is not clear.
Saturday, December 5, 2020
Cultivating the next generation with my missions
But it is not for the monetary reward, which I am fortunate enough not to worry about anymore. It is for the mission: to learn, to love, and to serve.
Without the learn, we don't have to tool to move forward, without the love, there is no passion to move forward, without the serve, there is no reason to move forward.
Living by the three missions, I am often frustrated, exhausted, troubled, challenged, but feel every day is worthwhile.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Portola Valley
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Tennis Drama 06 2020
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Bob Lin’s talk for Mount Jade 05 30 2020
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Political Paradigm Shifting - from plutocracy to meritocracy
新舊心情,新舊書法 -2022 朝游碧海暮宿蒼梧 / 1989 頭顱擲處血斑斑
2022 寫卡梅尔心情
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