"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" -- Mark Twain

That quote came up more than once over the sunny- yet- not-warm Memorial Day weekend.... When I landed on Saturday morning, Melissa drove us over to Knob Hill to pick up Christen for breakfast. I immediately got out the camera. Christen lives on California Street >> this is a picturesque street that a trolley line runs on. You can see the Golden Gate Bridge from it on a clear day. As soon as Christen jumped into the car and I asked her about the awesome view >> she immediately replied that I would not believe how many tourists come around and stop in the middle of the street (when you're walking just behind them) taking pics all the time. ha.

After an awesome breakfast and catch-up, Mel and I dropped Christen off and headed home to change for a hike. The winds were INSANE. I mean, it was chilly & windy yet clear and sunny. The hike was amazingly beautiful with views that could not be matched -- we hiked to the old bath house. Not a long hike, but we felt a little beat-up after being in that crazy wind!


It was a long, beautiful and active weekend. Saturday night we got a group together for eats at a nice Italian place in North Beach. And, on Sunday, Andy, Mel and I went over to Marin County for another hike. This time, warmer, not windy, and with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and the Bay with the city in between!

Awesome weekend! Mel is the #1 best hostess a house-guest could hope for (not to mention an amazing friend). It was great to see and spend time with Andy, Christen & Paul too!

Today, a friend had a Mastectomy

My very good friend has been in surgery today, to remove a breast that has cancer. The surgery took almost four hours, when they had earlier predicted it would take two. It's very hard to concentrate on much else when your girlfriend is getting a breast removed.

This buddy has fearlessly dealt with eight rounds of chemo -- and, in a very short timeframe from the conclusion of that phase, was scheduled for today's surgery. Her outlook has been nothing short of amazing. I'm sure, any woman reading this, can't help but for one moment put themselves in her shoes. I'm not sure I would have been as graceful and positive after the news of my diagnosis and throughout the treatments as she has been.

The wonderful news of the day is... when they were performing the breast removal, it turns out that she was a candidate for a breast implant... so, as of right now, I understand that they were able to replace the breast they removed with a fake one. What a wonderful thing that is. Previously, we were under the impression that it would be months before she might be a eligible for reconstruction. I'm really scared right now, but also really excited that the surgery went as well as the phone calls from her Mom seem to report.

Please say a quick prayer for my buddy >> and all the other People >> especially today the Women who are 1st on my mind >> those who've had to deal with the loss of a breast or other parts due to cancer. My friend is very young, so, it's particularly shocking to understand her battle with this disease at her young age.

Organizations who donate to cancer research and work for a cure include:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp
http://www.revlonrunwalk.com/
http://www.aacr.org/

CHIROPRACTIC >> my testimonial

Our bodies were built to work and withstand a lot -- but, over time, they need our help to keep them working top-notch.

In the fall of 2004 I sought the help of a chiropractor because I had been in daily knee pain for years, and at the time had also begun to battle lower back pain that only seemed to be getting worse.

I'd visited sports therapists, orthopedic surgeons and had tried a litany of suggestions from friends and coaches on ways to diminish the pain I felt sitting / standing in my knees. I was on anti-inflammatory and taking over-the-counter pain meds -- and in general, I just felt like I was falling apart. Some of the professionals I'd visited suggested that endurance sports probably weren't something I should stay involved in... that my body just could not withstand the pounding of a marathon or longer triathlon.

Finally, I happened-in to see Michael Billauer in Marina del Rey. Through 3x weekly visits (at first), in less than 6-months time, my knee pain was GONE. I mean, sure, my knees ache after a hard workout, or a race... but, I mean, GONE is the daily, painful ache in my knees. Additionally, my lower back pain subsided. On top of that, I no longer needed my allergy medicine (not kidding). I had been taking alegra once daily for the 8-months prior, but after about four months with Michael, that was a thing of the past.

After you've made a certain amount of progress and your body has adjusted closer to correct, then you no longer have to go as frequently as I had gone in the beginning. Currently, I visit Dr. Lynn Kerew in Santa Monica once or twice a week, depending on what I've been up to. This morning I was there, and afterwards, you just feel such a surge of power going through your body. It's an amazing energy >> and it's your body's energy & power, coming from within... you've just allowed, through the adjustment, the body to work better.

Honestly, no matter what your ailment might be... my friends laugh.... but I always suggest chiropractic. Treat the cause, not the symptom. If your body isn't communicating to itself properly (and your body's communication highway is your SPINE), then any of your systems might be affected. Don't run to the RX counter before visiting your chiropractor... that's my new rule of thumb. And, it doesn't happen overnight. Routine visits, just like consistency with most things, will yield the best results.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND:
Dr. Lynn Kerew http://www.lynnkerewchiropractic.com/home2.htm
Billauer Family Chiropractic http://www.backdoc4u.com/