TAVR For Minimally-invasive Aortic Valve Replacement

TAVR stands for transcatheter aortic valve replacement. It is a minimally invasive procedure where the replacement valve is inserted through the femoral artery. No heart-lung machine or opening the chest. The new valve is actually jammed right inside the old one, which is shoved out of the way. Needless to say, this is a great … Continue reading TAVR For Minimally-invasive Aortic Valve Replacement →

Update-Focusing on Health, Not Weight

I've been following my own advice about focusing on health, not weight, since march 8. And it has been going well, I'm more relaxed and am eating healthy, and am still active. But in that time period I was less active on average than usual because of my collarbone rehab. I usually wear comfortable clothes … Continue reading Update-Focusing on Health, Not Weight →

Shoulder Update- Canoeing and SUP Still OK, Kayaking is Borderline

My orthopedic doc sent me for an MRI for my shoulder and discovered a torn rotator cuff. He said it is moderate in size and he would normally want to do surgery to fix it, but I am asymptomatic- no pain or weakness in relevant motions like shoulder rotation. He will monitor the tear and … Continue reading Shoulder Update- Canoeing and SUP Still OK, Kayaking is Borderline →

A Beautiful Hike On Mt. Umunhum, Plus a Setback

Mt. Umunhum is a distinctive landmark in the San Jose area. It is the fourth largest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 3,486 feet, and is topped by a distinctive white concrete box. The box is the foundation for a cold war era radar tower and is 8 and 1/2 stories tall. The mountain … Continue reading A Beautiful Hike On Mt. Umunhum, Plus a Setback →

Hiking and Rock Scrambling in The Pinnacles

The high peaks at Pinnacles NP- Where the Condors Live! I am fortunate to live only 58 miles from a beautiful National Park- the Pinnacles. It is famous for being one of the main spots Condors live, but it is also an area of spectacular beauty. From the National Park Service (NPS) description: "Some 23 … Continue reading Hiking and Rock Scrambling in The Pinnacles →

No Goals, No Glory

On my recent hike at Pt.Lobos, I saw this saying on a guy’s tee shirt. It happened to be the day before the Big Sur Marathon, and he and his wife were visiting from Philadelphia to run it, and were sightseeing at Pt Lobos. They were both fit and healthy looking. I grew up about … Continue reading No Goals, No Glory →

Pt Lobos With Friends

Point Lobos is a beautiful rugged peninsula jutting out into the pacific just a few miles south of Carmel. It's name is derived from the Spanish "Punta de los Lobos Marinos" or point of the sea wolves (the Spanish term for sea lions, which I like because they sure sound more like wolves than lions … Continue reading Pt Lobos With Friends →

Relentless Spirit- The Missy Franklin Story

Melissa "Missy" Franklin is a highly decorated American swimmer (she actually has dual US Canadian citizenship). She won 4 gold medals at the Olympics in London in 2012, and 11 gold medals at the world aquatic championships (a record until broken by Katie Ledecky in 2017). Missy retired from swimming competitively in 2018, because she … Continue reading Relentless Spirit- The Missy Franklin Story →

Heavyhands walking on the “Minnie Path”

I'm back to doing my "heavyhands" (brisk walking with hand weights) and nordic walking now that the collarbone permits it. This local path is a favorite. We call it the "Minnie path" because there used to be a beautiful cat Minnie that "held court" at the playground. If you sat on the bench she'd climb … Continue reading Heavyhands walking on the “Minnie Path” →

Santa Teresa County Park, with Almaden Meetup

Santa Teresa Park in South San Jose is 10.8 miles north of my house (says google) so I rode my e-bike there to meet with friends from my Almaden Meetup on a nice spring morning. Loking out on South San Jose from near the start. Downtown is off in the distance to the left. Some … Continue reading Santa Teresa County Park, with Almaden Meetup →