The Comic Book Guy

Since Fred Adair opened up his own store four years ago -- Crazy Fred's -- it's been a haven for fans of comic books abd the game "Magic: The Gathering." Here's the profile of "Crazy Fred" for my "A Living in La Mesa" column: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/fred-adair-is-crazy-about-comics-and-keeping-his-customers-happy-with-rules-and-manners#c

The all-Thanksgiving Team

On ESPN.com's Page 2 blog: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=5849089

"#@^*&! The Writers Write," Part III

More fun with words (spelling/word-choice mistakes I've found recently in the stories I edit for websites):

-- An exercise regiment. (The whole 7th Cavalry was doing push-ups!)
-- Add a little Cheyenne pepper. (Those Indian spices can be hot.)
-- Horizontal Airlines. (I wonder if Horizon Air knows it's gone flat?)
-- The Straight of Magellan. (He just sailed ... well, straight, I guess.)
-- Use course sandpaper. (Of coarse!)
-- This is suburb to cook with ... (Especially outside the city.)

San Diego's Winter Wonderland

Winter in San Diego sometimes is more beautiful than summer. There's no June Gloom and the crowds are down, so locals and visitors often go camping at the state beach parks in Carlsbad and Cardiff. My feature on those winter beach campers in the Union-Tribune: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/21/winter-can-be-hot-time-camping-beach/

Queen of the water

Becky Jackman has swum the English Channel, the Catalina Channel and the 28.5-mile circuit around Manhattan to complete the "triple crown" of open-water ocean swimming. She also runs the La Mesa aquatic program. Her story, which ran as part of the "A Living in La Mesa" series: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/jackman-turns-aquatic-life-into-calling-especially-at-beckys-pool#c

No hearing? It's no problem for Helix linebacker

J.J. Rogers is a linebacker at Helix High School, one of the San Diego area's traditional powers. He's also a great student, a multisport athlete -- and deaf. http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/talk-about-heart-helix-linebacker-jj-rogers-savors-role-on-cif-bound-team

Calm, cool and collected in the operating room

When I met Liz Mourar  for the first time, she was in cycling gear, wheeling her bike through the main lobby at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. Cycling, cooking, the beach, golf and her animals keep her balanced after stressful days running an operating room all day long. Her story, for my "A Living in La Mesa" column: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/free-safety-of-the-operating-room-she-organizes-teams-in-the-or#c

Bill Walton on "Billy Walton"

Bill Walton has had an amazing career, first as a basketball player -- perhaps the finest, most dominating college player of all time -- and then as a sports commentator. He very graciously took time to talk with me at his beautiful home near Balboa Park in San Diego, where he described what it was like to grow up in La Mesa in the 1950s and '60s.  http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/bill-walton-recalls-the-most-perfect-childhood-ever

La Mesa's history hidden in park

Collier Park is a little shabby around its edges, a park that's a bit hidden and out of the way for most folks to visit or use. But it's truly at the heart of La Mesa's history. This is another in my "Faces and Places" columns about La Mesa. http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/hope-springs-eternal-for-historic-but-unsung-collier-park

He's the King of the Kitchen

Larry Lewis is a master chef, and the instructor and program director of the San Diego Culinary Institute. I really enjoyed my time speaking with him for this profile for "A Living in La Mesa." http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/well-seasoned-chef-helps-others-master-worlds-oldest-profession

Vexing varmints vs. vegetables

If you're a gardener, you know how frustrating it is to have your prized produce ruined or eaten by some varmint that thinks your back yard is a salad bar. This story ran as the centerpiece in the San Diego Union-Tribune's Smart Living section, with a great illustration by Cristina Martinez Byviik: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/29/theyll-beat-you-to-the-munch/

"Look into my eyes ..."

Judy Callihan Warfield is a hypnotherapist who works with people to help them lose weight, quit smoking, sleep better or deal with severe health problems. Here's her profile that ran in my "A Living in La Mesa" column: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/shes-100-percent-committed-to-90-percent-of-brain-and-helping-people

Hiking the Double Peak Trail

The Double Peak Trail in San Marcos is a 5-mile roundtripper to one of North County San Diego's highest peaks. The only real challenge is if you're not paying attention and almost step on a rattlesnake. Here's the story I did for the San Diego Union-Tribune's regular hiking feature: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/17/tale-two-trails-double-peak-san-marcos-pulls-doubl/

He delivers

For more than 20 years, Robb Vermeyen has delivered the mail in La Mesa. He's also a non-stop activity addict who's always on the move. Here's his profile in my "A Living in La Mesa" column: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/rain-heat-gloom-of-night-no-problem-for-robb-vermeyen

"#@^*&! The Writers Write," Part II

More fun fodder from funny folks who write for the websites I edit:

"Vegetable-friendly restaurants" (instead of vegetarian-friendly): Well hello there Mr. Carrot!
"The menu includes fried plantations": Just a guess, but I think that's plantains.
"They stalk the cupboards": Using very stealthy chefs, I suppose.

Just a day at the park ...

La Mesa is filled with parks and places where people regularly gather. One of those places, little-known Aztec Park, is the subject of my first "Faces and Places" column that will run on the La Mesa Patch site: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/aztec-park-is-a-hidden-jewel-with-a-loyal-following

He does organ transplants

Randy Jarvis has carved out a niche career, specializing in restoring the types of Hammond organs used by 1960s and '70s rock bands. Now that musicans again want that sound, he's selling those instruments around the world. Here's the story on him for my "A Living in La Mesa" column: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/organ-repairman-is-a-hero-to-hammond-lovers

Hey, it's "A Living..."

I'll be doing a weekly column called "A Living in La Mesa" where I talk to people about their jobs, what they entail, how they got into their careers and what they like (and don't like) about them. Here's the first one, about the head librarian in La Mesa, Liz Hildreth: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/dont-judge-a-librarian-by-her-cover-story

A coach on a mission

There are some football coaches who win no matter where they go. Troy Starr, who coaches at Helix High in La Mesa, is one of those. Here's my profile of Starr: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/helix-coach-got-audibles-from-day-care-as-new-dad

"#@^*&! The Writers Write," Part I

One of my jobs is to work as a copy editor for several websites. Often, the material is dry. But it brings a bit of joy to my day to be able to fix the hanging fruit of stupid or lazy mistakes. (I think, "Well, at least I'm smarter than that guy!") In the last couple of weeks, for instance, I came across these rotten peaches:

Marine Core (they're looking for a few good apples?)
Statue of limitations (what, the statue had no arms?)
Great Smokey Mountains (nope, no "e" in Smoky... and the entire story was about this misspelled region)

Also, one story about the best bike tours of D.C. included a whole section on Segway rentals (ahh, Segways are those motorized stand-up scooters. D'oh!).