It's OK to play with swords

Stuart Lee got tired of driving all over San Diego County, giving fencing lessons. So, he opened up his own fencing studio, Lion Heart Fencing Academy, in a big box building in La Mesa this year. Now he has kids trooping in from all over, learning how to cross swords and duel. Lee's profile for my "A Living in La Mesa" column: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/nerds-en-garde-stuart-lee-points-to-fencings-appeal#c

Play sports "Jeopardy" on ESPN.com

This is the first "Jeopardy" game I've done for ESPN.com's Page 2. This will run every Friday on the website. http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6448975

Garth Brooks + baseball + charity work = busy dentist

Jeff Gray is a dentist who specializes in sedation dentistry, meaning a "pain-free" practice that allows fearful patients to actually walk through his door. He's also been devoted hours to charity work and loves to hang out with a good friend of his: Garth Brooks. His profile for my "A Living in La Mesa" column: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/sleep-is-for-sissies-jeff-grays-busy-life-is-more-than-brightening-smiles#c

Padres get their "Big Stick" in right field

Golf company TaylorMade and the San Diego Padres have formed a three-year partnership, with the result being a giant replica of a TaylorMade driver being erected in the right-field corner, just inside the foul pole. There's no doubt the 80-foot aluminum golf shaft & club (painted on the fence) is going to be a talker and a cool feature of the park for a long time. My story on ESPN.com's Page 2: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=6399806&sportCat=golf

A famous surfboard on display

Bethany Hamilton was a top teen surfer when she was attacked by a tiger shark in Hawaii in 2003. Today, her story has been made into a movie -- "Soul Surfer" -- and the board she was on that fateful day is displayed at the California Surf Museum in Oceanside. My story for ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6395339

The watchmaker

Michael Helmi is an upbeat, always-smiling kind of guy, who has a greeting for every customer who comes through his door. He's a fourth-generation watchmaker who loves what he does. His profile for my "A Living in La Mesa" column: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/what-makes-michael-helmi-tick-hell-fix-your-clock-when-hes-in-the-zone

Yeah, that Michael Vick will never play in the NFL again ...

In the summer of 2008, Tiger Woods was riding high, Michael Vick was in prison and Pete Carroll looked as if he'd be at USC forever. Most people at the time would have bet that things would stay that way. But, obviously, they would have been wrong. My piece for ESPN.com's Page 2 on some bad bets in 2008: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6346636

The walk up Moro Rock is unforgettable

The hike up Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park is one you'll never forget. It's not long and it's not hard, but the sheer granite cliffs and the amazing views of the river valley far below and the Sierra to the east are worth every step. My story on Moro Rock for the travel section of the San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/apr/10/terror-delight-find-equal-footing-on-moro-rock/

The All-Masters baseball team

Early April is a wonderful time of year for a sports fan, with the start of the baseball season and the Masters at Augusta National. Why not combine them, to make an all-Masters baseball team? My post on ESPN.com's Page 2 blog: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6321681

A different kind of city park

Briercrest Park in La Mesa, built on the site of a former reservoir, is designed for the very young and the very old, with tactile and sensory features, a walking path and undulating, grass-covered mounds. My story for the "Faces and Places" column on La Mesa Patch: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/briercrest-park-is-a-rare-gem-that-caters-to-the-senses#c

The Barry Bonds case: A literary tale

Sometimes, you can take a look at something a different way. Take the Barry Bonds' trial and pair it with sports book titles, and you get some easy matches, for instance. My piece for ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6303625

San Diego dives in to "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives"

Eight San Diego restaurants, from classic diners and burger bars to seafood cafes and pizza joints, have been featured on the Food Network's most popular show, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." To each, it's been like winning the lottery. The customers keep coming. My story for the San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/apr/06/triple-dlicious/

The skinny on former fatties

This spring, several high-profile ballplayers are much sleeker, as they seek to improve after subpar seasons in 2010. A quick look at a few of them in a piece that ran on ESPN.com's Page 2: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=6296686&sportCat=mlb

Making people whole again

Dr. Susan Kaweski is a Navy veteran who gravitated to doing plastic surgery because she can put people's lives back together. Her offices, in the historic Morrison House in La Mesa, look more like a B&B than a place for clinical work. Her profile for the "A Living in La Mesa" series: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/plastic-surgeon-forges-a-bond-with-patients-that-lasts-a-lifetime

Living on the edge

Greg O'Neil has a little shop in La Mesa Village. The Navy vet, who had to leave the service because of a horrible accident, takes pride in being able to sharpen anything -- knives, cutlery of all kinds, tools,  etc. He's a craftsman, first and foremost. His story for my  "A Living in La Mesa" series: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/on-razors-edge-navy-injury-dicey-economy-can-be-a-pain-for-greg-oneil#c

What do John Wooden, Kevin Bacon and Kemba Walker have in common?

Long after John Wooden won his last NCAA title as basketball coach at UCLA, the Wizard still has roots deep in college basketball. See how he's connected to the stars of this year's NCAA Tournament in my story on ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6247820

Dude! These boards look awesome

YES snowboards came out with its Great Dudes of History line late in 2010, and it's been a hit with riders everywhere. Who wouldn't want to spend the day on the slopes with John Lennon? My story on ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6246919

Her career came into focus

Hillary Gardner started snapping photos of her young niece while she was in high school, and she hasn't put the camera down since. She's drawn to capturing moments of people in families, their relationships, their smiles, the way they interact. Her profile for my "A Living in La Mesa" series: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/pinch-her-hillary-gardner-living-her-dream-as-family-photographer#c

Joltin' Joe's in Escondido

If you love coffee, you'd love Escondido Joe's, a little coffee house in downtown Escondido run by Damon Parker and his wife. My profile of Parker for the "On the Job" series in the San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/mar/18/job-coffee-provides-jolt-career/

Scoring 50 in a tournament game? It's a long shot

It's been a long time since a player scored 50 points in an NCAA Tournament game, 1987 to be exact. If Jimmer Fredette of BYU were to do it -- and he had 52 in a game last week -- he'd join a terrific honor roll. My piece on ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6227481