Michigan

Sunday offered a narrow window for people to drive safely from Chicago to Michigan...

St. Joseph, Michigan

February 1, 2026 

Archetype = Tinkerer

Have you received "Your Year with ChatGPT?"  Here is what I got for mine.  About 8.5% of their users are under this type.

When I asked ChatGPT how my type was derived, he answered the following - 

What I actually used (transparent version)

1. Your question style

You often ask:

• “Are you sure?”

• “Is that really the formula?”

• “Isn’t it actually…?”

That’s classic hands-on verification thinking — you don’t just accept a model, you poke it to see where it breaks. That leans Tinkerer more than, say, pure Theorist or Authority-seeker.

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2. Your learning preferences

Across topics (regulatory formulas, Photoshop tools, hiking logistics, OA management, protein intake), you tend to ask:

• Where exactly is the tool?

• How does this work in practice?

• What happens if I do X instead of Y?

That’s very different from someone who mainly asks “What’s the framework?” or “What do experts say?”
You want operational understanding, not just conceptual correctness.

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3. Your tolerance for iteration

You revisit answers:

• challenge them

• refine them

• adjust assumptions

That’s a hallmark of the Tinkerer mindset:

“Let’s adjust the model until it matches reality.”

People with other archetypes often want closure faster; Tinkerers are comfortable staying in the messy middle.

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4. Cross-domain curiosity

You move easily between:

• technical / regulatory topics

• creative tools (Photoshop, AI editing)

• physical systems (hiking, clothing materials, joints)

That pattern often belongs to people who enjoy systems, not just subjects — another Tinkerer signal.

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What I didn’t do

• I didn’t run a personality test

• I didn’t lock you into one box

• I didn’t assume this is your only archetype

Archetypes are lenses, not labels. Most people have 2–4 that show up depending on context.

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Important nuance

You likely also show traits of:

• The Analyst (precision, logic, correctness)

• The Pragmatist (what actually works)

The reason “Tinkerer” surfaced is that when something doesn’t add up, your instinct is to experiment or challenge — not defer.

Hangzhou

Hangzhou is the capital city of Zhejiang Province in China. It's about 180km southwest of Shanghai and has a population of close to 11 million people. Today, Hangzhou is a major technology hub, home to Alibaba and other tech giants.

Hangzhou was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279). The city nurtured literature, painting, and garden design in ancient China, and is still well-known for its Buddhist and Taoist temples. In addition, Hangzhou has been famous for its Tea (Dragon Well tea), Silk and Embroidery. Marco Polo famously described Hangzhou as “the finest and most splendid city in the world” during the 13th century.

West Lake, A UNESCO World Heritage site, has inspired countless poems, paintings, and classical Chinese gardens for nearly a thousand years!  

Hangzhou, China

November 2025

The Handwritten Letter

Wow, the following email was from almost 20 years ago - where did time go???

Believe it or not, I found a hand-written letter from Professor Thomas, mentioned in yellow below. The letter was sent to Rudi, who was in China back then, and it was dated as October 13, 1988 -- 24 days after I arrived in the US. Because the handwriting is hard to recognize, I typed it into the attached Word document. Professor Thomas called me Tang Pei in the letter. That's how I was called in China.

Yeah, we once relied on hand-written letters to communicate with one another, and it took more than 10 days for the letter from China to arrive in the US. We were patient back then, taking time to think, write, and read messages from others that took so long to arrive -- anticipating and appreciating every word in that long-awaited letter...  

Cherish today -- tomorrow is likely to be even more unrecognizable!

From: Pei Tang <tang_pei@yahoo.com>
To: Pei Tang <tang_pei@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 7:21 PM
Subject: 19 years...

It was 19 years ago, on 9/19/88, I arrived in this country and started my life in America.  It's been a great experience.  Looking back, I am grateful for all the opportunities I have had over the past 19 years.  I am particularly thankful for all the help and support I received from my graduate school professor, Dr. Edwin Thomas, during the early and most difficult days of my long journey in America.      

 

The following is an interview Michelle did for school when she was only 10.  I can say that it still accurately reflects my belief today. 

 

 

By Michelle Zhang

2/25/2001

 

For this report, I interviewed my mother who immigrated to this country from China.  She, like most other immigrants, came here for more opportunities to be successful in her career.  She also wanted to provide a better life for her future children. 

 

She came here in 1988 as a graduate student.  Right before the trip to America, she was a graduate student in Beijing.  Her life was not as bad as some immigrants because she knew some English.  In her high school in China, she was taught the American Language.  She was a little scared of her new life she'd have to start.  She didn't know anyone and only had $45.  After the first few weeks, she came to realize that people here were open and friendly.   

 

Fortunately, she did not experience any racism and prejudice.  She made many American friends at her job and they all respect her a great deal.  She says she likes America because you have all kinds of opportunities, and if you work hard, you are sure to succeed.

Ocean Beach

To stand at the edge of the ocean, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, is to feel the rhythm of life itself...  

Ocean Beach, California

December 18, 2025

The Desert Adventure

This desert adventure was first attempted in March 2024. But it had to be cancelled at the last minute due to a strong-wind advisory. 

The 2025 desert adventure started with Picture 1 — totally packed and ready to GO!!

This was the first time I camped in the desert — or to be precise, the first time I ever camped. I’d spent countless dark nights out in the desert photographing the night skies, but I’d never actually slept in the wild without the comfort of a hotel bed.

Well, it’s never too late to try NEW things! Honestly, I was quite nervous in the days leading up to the adventure — I had no idea what to expect or how I would ever fall asleep under the stars.

The 2-hour drive along winding hillside roads brought us to the desert just before sunset. Kevin was so proficient at setting up everything — from the campfire to all the cozy furniture. I never imagined having a nice dinner in the desert, but to my delight, we enjoyed homemade sausages, desert stew, s’mores, and mulled wine. WOW!

It happened to be the night of the Geminids Meteor Shower, with over 120 meteors per hour at its peak. The gentle, quiet, dark night was filled with our cheers as meteors streaked across the sky. I have to say — I saw more meteors that night than I had in my entire life.

Sleeping under the stars turned out to be surprisingly peaceful. I remember waking in the middle of the night and seeing countless bright stars above me. They seemed to be looking back, as if they knew I adored them. When I woke a second time, the red clouds had filled the sky, wrapping the desert in a breathtaking glow — it was simply amazing.

Before everyone else woke up, I took a hike through the wilderness for almost 2 hours, alone, hiking and running under soft winds and the warm morning sun. The little desert park wasn’t famous or exotic, and it didn’t require extensive travels to get there. Yet it had its own quiet charm — unassuming, serene, and utterly captivating. I loved it.

Anza-Borrego State Park

California

December 13-14, 2025

Faxi Temple (法喜讲寺)

Faxi Temple is one of the famous Buddhist temples near West Lake in Hangzhou. It was founded during the Five Dynasties period (around year 936–939 AD), and over the centuries, it's been rebuilt and renamed. The name Faxi Temple started in Qing Dynasty. 

One of the significant features of Faxi Temple is a stone-carved inscription and dedicatory stele nearby its scripture storage hall. The level of detail is absolutely stunning!

Hangzhou, China

November 10, 2025