I finally have a niece. My youngest sister in Chicago gave birth to a baby girl, Josephine Elizabeth, There's video and pictures of our visit 12 days after the birth. My brother-in-law better stop changing the URL's, it would be his fault if the links are broken again.

Alex meets Benji, my first nephew, for the very first time here in Ann Arbor. Also pictures of everyone else! December, 2006

Pictures of Alex late 2006

We have a dog name Max, we got him from the Huron Valley Humane Society about a month ago. I wasn't going to post the pictures until we were sure to keep him. The same weekend my sister came over for a football game with Michigan vs Wisconsin, please see score next with this link. 22-September-2006

Ann Arbor had another dance festival called dancing in the street. My friend Chuck who is a great musician played in his band, The Millers. September 2006

Canoeing at the southern most point of Continental Canada, Point Pelee National Park

A weekend trip to Austin Texas and Corpus Chrsti

Sinilga took a train to Chicago to meet Albina, who was flying through from Kyrgyzstan to Texas.

For our friend Oksana's last week in the USA, we drove her to Niagara Falls and back, the long way.  No visa for her! 21-April-2206

More pictures from years past.  Chuck and Laura performing at the Del Rios, now closed.  And she also performed at the Jefferson's Market

Chinese New Year 2006 here in Ann Arbor and some restaurant in West Bloomfield Hills.  Mike Perini, John Zwyer and Melissa Layman was with us.

Sinilga was in Siberia for a month, December 12th to January 12th.  In Russia it is a major holiday.  Yes it was very good over but she made it back safely.  Now we go to Dalat to celebrate her Birthday on 19th of January. 2005/2006

I still have many pictures I have taken over the years of my past travels that I have yet to organize or show to others.  The Lena Pillars are a little known natural wonder that few have seen. 2003

Benji and parents showed up here in Ann Arbor between Christmas and the New Year for a visit. 2005

For Thanksgiving, Sinilga and I went to Doug and Mary Kelley's for the celebrations.  Eating a lot is more like the description of what happened there.  A friend of Sinilga picked her up 5 am the following day for the Black Friday Shopping. 24-NOV-2005 

November 3rd was the start of Berea College College Homecoming Weekend, it the 150th anniversary of its founding, I'm from the class of 92 graduated with a major in sociology and a minor in history with an education endorsement. 7-Nov-2005

More Halloween Madness.  Okay, it wasn't that wild, but the bonfire was pretty...impressive.  Thought somebody might call the fire department or the police.  Turned out the Sheriff was the next door neighbor and they were already warned.29-October-2005

We tried to enjoy some fall color up north this year.  It was a bit cold and and bit cloudy.  Still, it was an adventure! 16-October-05

My sister and her husband on an exotic trip, again.  It was to Greece and the islands.  Posted on Al and Lin-Wei's webpage, the Stickler.Org.  They didn't get us anything.

It's always raining in Jean's garden.  We went to raid it for some vegetable after we attended Shelley's wedding.  24-September-2005

Sinilga's Father passed away on September of 12th, 2005 in The Republic of Sakha.  He will be buried in his home village in the north of the Republic.

Hamtramck Festival over labour day  weekend.  We brought our own chairs. 5-September-2005

Labour Day Weekend, On Sunday we went to Point Pelee in Ontario, the southern most continental part of Canada.

Has it been one year since Sinilga and I gotten married?  So what did we do?  Yes we took another road trip.  Ontario again, it fitted our budgetary needs.  It was so cool to listen to Erasure songs on the radio, such as Oh l'Amour and Always 21-August-2005

I passed the State of Michigan Nursing Board, so I get to add BSN & RN to the end of my name.  5-Aug-2005

Between me graduating and starting my new job as a cardiac nurse, Sinilga and I decided to take a 2 week road trip, again.  Here are some pictures and explanations.  May-2005

In July we had the Ann Arbor Art fair.  My nephew, Benjamin whom we saw on our road trip came to visit Ann Arbor.  And on the Forth of July,  Juan and his kids visited us.  Plus a side trip to Hidden Lake Garden with Sinilga.  July 2005

Graduated from the University of Michigan Nursing School with a Bachelor of Science Nursing degree.  Sorry no pictures!  I did not attend my ceremony, but I did get my diploma about 2 months later.30-April-2005

A good friend of mine of over 20 years just passed away yesterday (Sunday 24th of April, 2005) 0600.  She battled cancer for over 19th years.  I think that she lived her life to the fullest.  Rest in Peace Sister Bridget. 25/4/2005

Change of Plans, I'll be working at the University of Michigan Health System's Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Unit.  This is a telemetry unit, I start there June 20th.

Warm weather finally arrived, and Sinilga has her new green card (permanent resident status) to try out.  So we went to Windsor, Ontario.  There is a restaurant there that we go every few months, we as in my friends minus Sinilga, until now. 16/4/2005

Last weekend, my friend Bill and I drove to Virginia and back, cutting through West Virginia. Sinilga had to attend a conference so she could not go with me.  Pictures here for explanations. 11/4/2005

My sister and her husband were married last year, they just now posted their honeymoon pictures from France and Italy.   What took so long?  And some pictures of them out at Yosemite's last year. 31/3/2005

I am getting set to graduate on April 30th, 2005.  I were thinking of moving to Seattle than we thought about Chicago, now I'm having cold feet.  We are now thinking of staying in Ann Arbor after I graduate, we've been flip-flipping (trademarked by the neocons). Sinilga also received her provisional green card today.  The interview with the INS was pretty much anti-climatic, a non-event.  The guy interviewing us was business like but polite.  It wasn't like that movie. 21/3/2005

Steers and Queers from Texas!  It's been 3 months since I bothered to update this page.  One of my good friend from Berea College got married this Saturday.  Because of our scheduled green card interview with the INS, we could not go to St. Louis for the wedding.  God I miss the food at a Chinese wedding, it's the best. 19/3/2005

Finishing up my penultimate semester has proven to be a great pain in the keister.  Doing the usual shopping and such.  Saying good-bye to very good friends, Rachel and Donald.

Недавно мы нашли рынок, где продаются дешевые фрукты и овощи. Теперь мы ездим туда раз в 2 недели и и закупаем овощи. Здесь также помещены фото с прощальной вечеринки наших друзей Рейчел и Дональда, они переезжают жить в штат Небраска. 20/12/04

December 7th, 2001, the first time we met was at a Max and Erma in Ann Arbor.  We went back to celebrate our 3 year anniversary.  Also the anniversary date of when the sneaky Japanese military attacked Pearl Harbor.

7 декабря мы отметили 3-летие нашего знакомства в ресторане, где нас познакомили наши друзья Нина и Фред.

We're into the Christmas thing.  Sinilga find everything fascinating and fun about Christmas Holiday.

This is more of a re-run. A story of 3 guys looking for fun in Montreal Canada in the year 2000!

My favorite nephew in Philadelphia celebrated his first birthday, he was born on October 1st, 2003.

Фото с дня рождения племянника ЛД Бенджамина, которому исполнился 1 годик 1 октября.

Sinilga's Thanksgiving with the Gannon's Family.  Please also visit links to the world biggest (?) Christmas store and the chicken palace.

Фото с Дня Благодарения в гостях у Оры, а также фото в самом большом в мире магазине рождественских игрушек

Rachel's Birthday @ Leopold's Brother

День рождение нашей подруги Рэйчел

Hidden Lake Garden, located near Tipton Michigan, was a very nice park owned and run by Michigan State University.  Here are some pictures taken with Sinilga.

В прошедшие выходные (14 ноября 2004) мы ездили в парк Hidden Lake Garden, до которого примерно 1 час езды. Очень красивое место. Фото здесь.

An aborted trip to Canada, 2 immigration hassles from 2 different countries, and all we have to show for is this.

Well, the people have spoken, this time.  But here are some pictures of my friends having fun in Ann Arbor!

В день президентских выборов мы следили за развитием событий в предвыборном штабе демократической партии.

Halloween Pictures Here 2004

Фото с Хэллоуина

Our wedding and honeymoon pictures from the Keys are finally organized.

Мы наконец-то организовали наши фотографии со свадьбы и медового месяца, которые можно посмотреть здесь.

About a month after our wedding we had to attend another wedding.  My youngest sister, the last remaining single, got married in GreenBay Wisconsin.  September 25th, 2004.

Через месяц после нашей свадьбы младшая сестра Лин-Джея вышла замуж. Свадьба состоялась в г.Грин Бэй, штат Висконсин.

We had our honeymoon in Florida Keys.  We were there for 11 days.  We stayed in Duck Key, a resort residential island right on the water in a private home.  Our schedule flight was a few hours before they closed the Miami International Airport because of Hurricane Frances.  Pictures and Details here.

 На ша свадьба состоялась 21 августа в 4 часа дня во дворе наших друзей.. Пришло около 70 гостей. Нажав здесь, можно посмотреть фото с этого памятного дня. Мы провели наш медовый месяц во Флориде. Здесь можно посмотреть наши фото.  -- 20/09/04

Thank you to all who attended our wedding, Thank you to all those who sent their best wishes to us on our wedding day.  Great pictures of this day, August 21st, will be posted in a few weeks.  Happy journeys to all who traveled far!

There's a lot of work to be done in preparation of the wedding.

Bob and Alma visited us in advance of our wedding.  Had a blast with Alma's grandson, Zach. My sister Lucy and her family visited and gave her son, Benjamin, the first chance to see her grandmother.  With all the wedding preparations we still had a chance to relax and hang out at the park. --August 19th, 2004

The wedding is only a few days away for us.  Aura, our friend, has taken over for many of the necessary organization and work.  So if you are attending with or without dishes to share, please call her @ 734-239-1300

Please join us at our Wedding 3:00pm Saturday August 21st.  Bring a dish to share.  Sinilga has arrived in Ann Arbor.  8/2/04 2100.

Sinilga will arrive in Detroit 8pm August 2nd.  Her interview at the US embassy in Moscow was pretty much a non-event.

Finally moved to my new apartment.  Sinilga has 10 more days left in her hometown before she flies to Moscow for her interview at the American Embassy.  Here are some pictures of her and her friends saying their goodbyes.  July 2004

Wedding date for Sinilga and me is set for August 21st.  If the K-1 Visa is to be granted in a timely manner after her July 28th interview in Moscow embassy.

Moscow has notified my Fiancée that her interview date is set for July 28th.  The interview will probably be less than 10 minutes and she'll be on her way...sort of.  DHL handles most expedited mail service for the US Moscow embassy.  They will notify her when her K-1 Visa will be ready.  Hopefully the wait after that be only a few day to 2 weeks.  More details here.

Yuck, I had another b-day, I'm now 35.  Oh the agony....6/17/1669.

Significant development, the National Visa Center has informed me that the unknown security agency has finished its security check with Sinilga's Petition, it has been forwarded to Moscow's Consulate May 28th,2004.  Now we have to wait for the consulate to issue an invitation for interview to Sinilga.

Well, I signed the lease for my new apartment.  Also I just attended my childhood friend's wedding in Chicago.  It was on May 22nd.

Ah, sweet summer!  But wait, I have classes all summer, 16 credits.  As the summer progress, I will still be unsure when my Fiancée will arrive here in United States.  Until there's a definitely interview date set in Moscow, there's really no telling.  Therefore I came to the conclusion that it would not be fair to even plan a wedding with definite date.  So in the meanwhile I found a nice 1 bedroom apartment near work and school so I can walk and save my car for something else. May, 2004

Looks like the Nebraska service center has approved my petition to bring my fiancée over to United States.  The coveted NOA2.  There is still quite a bit of bureaucratic hoops to jump through but now I can see light at the end of the tunnel.  April 15th, 2004.

BCIS has informed me that they do not have my divorce decree from my previous marriage.  I was divorced in 1996.  Funny, what did they do with the original I sent them?  Right...do not disagree with the government.  I hope that is all they ask for.  I hope to get initial approval, called NOA2, in a few weeks.

Well the winter term in Nursing School has been kicking my butt.  Now I am looking forward to Spring and Summer terms kicking my butt.  Enrollment at the U of M.

Looks like Bureau of Citizen and Immigration Service - Nebraska Service Center in Lincoln has sent me a "Request for Evidence".  Now I will wait for "IT" in the mail and figure out what more I have to do to get my Sinilga back to me. 3/17/04

A good friend of my recently lost her sister/friend in tragic circumstances. Feb 8th, 2004. Ruth Ann Borger Wyatt

Each Year in Ann Arbor, the folk dancing community throws a big weekend dance even called The Dawn Dance.  It's been a few years, but I think I want and try and dance a little bit more.  I gotta get my girlish figure back.  So years ago, it use to run straight through dawn, hence the name.  But I think they don't want to do that any more. 2/04

Even more cute pictures of my nephew Benjamin month of January 2004

The last week of 2003, I visited Chicago to see my sister, one of my childhood friend Pey-Lih.  And I visited Juan, who had a new son that I saw for the first time!

Looking over my new schedule for the up coming semester for the winter of 2004.  It looks pretty busy.  Last semester I often forgot assignment due dates and often double booked myself for events.  I've tried calendar books, but I often abandon it soon after.  But this time I thought, maybe a PDA?  I'm joining the new millennium!

Spent 4 days in Philadelphia plus driving time just to visit my 2 month old nephew.  I managed to get days off of work on the Thanksgiving weekend for this trip.  My sister from Chicago also visited.

Egad, just saw my class schedule.  This well be my heaviest schedule yet for school and work.  I do not know how I am going to do this, I love my sleep so much!  I am also suppose to some how fit my hospital work schedule and my volunteer hours in too.  This is for Winter of 2004 at the University of Michigan, School of Nursing..

My good friend Chuck Anderson often plays music around town and at events around the state.  He does it for the love of music and but he actually have a very different day job.  Click here to see him at his latest gig in Dexter, MI, 11/15/03

My very good friend Juan had another baby, Estaban, this Summer.  Juan is a medical doctor now  living in Chicago, we graduated together from high school in Ann Arbor.  Seems like everyone is having babies this year.  I guess I feel like my own personal biological clock is ticking away.   Oh wait, I was just told that it does not apply to men.  But still, I feel the pressure....

For a school project, I am with a group that is developing a website focusing on how to relieve stress.   Wanna peek? Fall 2003.

Happy Halloween! October, 2003 More Crazy Pictures Here

My friend Martha just had her baby, Perrin!  Here's her message...

Sinilga & I are engaged to be married August 28th, 2004.  If there are no major delays, theoretically, she can come back on July 17th, 2004.  That's over nine months from now!  Together with a law firm I hired, we have filed papers on September 5th,2003 and tried to time her receiving her K-1 Fiancée visa with the lifting of the State's Department restriction.  We received our Notice of Action on September 9th, 2003.  BCIS/INS have informed us that there is at least 180 day processing time, but they are actually slower than that.  Someone calculated it to be as long as 2 years if they do not change the way they do things or hire new personnel..  So in the meanwhile, I use this website to keep track of the days.

I became an uncle this Wednesday (October 1st, 2003).  Benjamin, Born October 1st 7:35 EST to my sister, Lucy & Simon (PhD guy  from North of England).  19 & 3/4 inches and 6 lb 14 ounces.  Due Originally October 15^th.   Her labour started when the water broke the evening before @ 7:30 and was at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, downtown Philadelphia, within the half an hour.  I already arranged days off from work @ UM Hospital for Thanksgiving weekend.  I am very happy for my sister and glad that she was the first to have a kid.  Pressure is off of me!  She is 3rd oldest of 4.  Pictures here.

September 21st, what a weekend.  Just came back from a Road trip.  My sister Leeza married Howard from Arizona.  This also happen to be the same weekend my best friend, Charley,  from college also got married in Taiwan to a beautiful lady he met in Georgia, USA.  Well, her name is Sunny and she was actually visiting the States at the time.  She is from Taiwan.  Also my very good friend Berrin was also married this weekend in Istanbul to Serhat.  Well instead of splitting myself into 3 to try and attend all three weddings this weekend and risk medical problems, I chose the cheapest one.  I went to the wedding here in the States.

Well, I've done it now.  I was already accepted into another Bachelor of Science for Nursing Program here at the University of Michigan.  Now I've gone to a slight different program that will allow me to continue into graduate program for Nurse Practitioners.  The last 2 years of nearly full time school as been rough on my schedule and my pocket.  I have another 2 years to go.  I expect to graduate in the spring of 2005.

Just this July(2003), I came back from The Republic of Yakutia within the Russian Federation to say hello to Sinilga's family and her friends.  I never thought I would wind up visiting the world's coldest city, Yakutsk.

Yikes, just came back from Taiwan over the new year(2003).  I spent a life time wondering what it was like in Taiwan.  Well, now I know.  Spent 2 weeks there where my friend Charley also came over to visit from Okinawa.  I think the food was way too "authentic" for me in most cases or I was way too "American".  John, farm boy from Ohio, also joined on my trip to Taiwan.  He's never been west of the Mississippi up to now.

July 17th, 2002.  One of the the worse day of my life.  My fiancée left the United State because her visa told her so.  Actually the visa issued to her by the states department stipulated her entry to the exchange scholarship program here in Ann Arbor based on her staying in the United States no more than 1 year.  While she was here, she sure covered a lot of grounds.