the elbow incident

Just when I was starting to realize that it's tough to get interesting & consistent material for a blog... should I take a day trip to the mountains for some cool pics? ..profile my favorite ski tracks? Something more riveting needed to just 'happen'....which I proceeded to find when my Colnago wheel got caught in San Fran's finest trolley tracks, launching 195 lbs over the handlebars and making a smashing introduction of my elbow to the pavement. My first view was of two German tourists staring straight over me, not saying anything. An ER visit, trip to Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and scramble to check COBRA coverage later, I am in the fine hands of Dr Frank Chen tomorrow for my first surgery. Plate and pins and attempt to but the loose fragments back together (you can even see the fragments in the pic). Its the 'Olecranon' Process' that took the hit and separated from the Ulna. Huge bummer for this rare period of free time and reintroduction to biking, and a great outlet to blow off steam...but the mood is fine. Will approach the months of therapy with gusto. Big thanks to Mike and the Maser family for making the last couple days so smooth / T

Updated photo from April 9th. I went in today to get the cast removed and had a peak at the photos taken during the surgery. MUCH more metal than I expected, but grateful for having something holding it all together. Frankenstein lives! Bring on the physical therapy...

Golden Gate

We have had a lot of sun the past couple weeks and today was especially clear on the back of a day of showers...which cleared the air of pollution. After meetings in the city, I headed up to Marin to do my favorite climbing ride - a loop from Mill Valley to Stinson to Ridgecrest and back. For those with Motion Based - the link (not todays) is attached just below. I am beginning to feel my legs return after 1.5 years of in Paris, where most of my rides were 6 miles of bus chasing and people dodging to work every day. I was 25 min off my all time best without putting the peddle to the metal. ..its about 4000 ft of climbing http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/333248
The climb from Bolinas to the top of the 'Seven Sisters' of Ridgecrest is my Church...ALWAYS inspirational, particularly on the Ridge. I needed it today..and got it.

Then it was off to get the evening light on the GG Bridge and city. It is usually much more photographically interesting with some fog rolling accross the bridge and picking up evening light. But the clarity today and color was sweet.

I also got a nice view of the City Hall from my porch (see bottom)..a 2 sec exposure on the tripod. ...and it ain't a NASA telescope but the 200mm exposure of the crescent moon and Venus ended another great day of temporary retirement. Its sideways by the way...Venus running faster towards the horizon and should be displayed below the moon.

- T

1st Post, Headlands

this will be a first for me...a blog. there is a 90% chance that it will get dropped from my priority list, but so far in the first two lines it seems cool. Perhaps a nice outlet for the dramatic increase in free time. If it lives, this thing could serve several purposes (in addition to the free time thing)...an update to friends/family/loved ones, a chance to do something with the output from my new Nikon D200, an outlet for random thoughts (that will always be brief, i swear), and a chance to share with others some of the things i love in life. We'll see. It better be captivating.

This was me waking up this AM, en route to Farley's coffee...where did this grey come from? It's hard to smile for self portraits. Farleys has administered caffeine to me in Portrero Hill for 6 years now.

I am one week into a return to SF, fresh from finishing up 15 mos in Paris, and visiting Sweden, where the pavement pounding of 9 interviews yielded 3 actionable leads, and my fingers are crossed. The going is slower here surprisingly, but i am looking for companies/roles in a pretty tight niche, so patience must rule. So this is where March finds me - looking for the next big thing after 15 mos running a finance org for a mobile music provider called Musiwave.

I am loving this new camera....D200 with an 18-200 and 12-24 lens. Takes shots like below in the Marin headlands....on or near my 2nd favorite running trail called the Coastal Trail.



This is one of the most specatacular sites in all Marin...a must see in Feb/Mar each year. A true valley of heather, full bloom, with heights that are twice me. Access this scene simply by driving up Highway 1, 1/2 mile from the Pelican Inn, another must see. A little known secret for the romantics - take someone for a hike out of Muir Beach, plant a big one on her 600 ft up on an overlook, and then just by chance, wander into the low-ceiling bar of the Inn for a pint. 100% guaranteed she falls for you, 120% if its at night during a full moon.

Here's another favorite view, that i first saw in a Galen Rowell book...a savana-esque tree so high above the marine layer that it seems to be suspended. Park on the first lot on the right on the road heading up to Mt Tam from Pantoll Ranger Station. Its one of the views on my trusty, #1 ranked trail run that hits a 70 ft waterfall, single track high above Stinson Beach, and then a tough slog back up to Rock Springs parking lot.

On the same route...a major reason why Spring is the best time in Marin - the poppies wake up from winter...and Mt Tam steadily drains itself of the storms (blog wouldnt take my TIFF image). There are at least 20 spectacular waterfalls on the Catarack Trail

Hope to get out there this week again. In the meantime need to keep pressing ahead on the job leads. T