May 2nd-3rd, 2019 Grand Canyon West, Arizona to Leeds, Utah to Moab, Utah ClarificationAlison has asked me to point out that she most definitely does not agree with my assessment of the Grand Canyon (i.e. a big-ass hole in the ground). As she says, it is "one of the most beautiful sites I've ever laid eyes on." Grand Canyon West, Arizona to Leeds, UtahOn Thursday morning, we rose early (recall that our body clocks were on Eastern Daylight Time) and had breakfast at the fake "Wild West" restaurant situated in the similarly fake "Wild West" town where our cabin was located. We then hit the road and headed northwest back to Las Vegas, then northeast to Leeds, Utah. The sole claim to fame of Leeds is that (A) it is 40 minutes from the entrance to Zion National Park and (B) right on Interstate 15 that runs from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. There is absolutely nothing to speak of in Leeds, save for a few RV parks, one of which was where we glamped for the night. Leeds, Utah to Moab, Utah Friday proved to be a much more interesting day. After checking out of our tent-away-from home, we had a truly wonderful breakfast at River Rock Roasting Company. Both the food and the views were terrific. After breakfast, we headed north on Interstate 15 for about 100 miles, then east on Interstate 70 for another 200 miles. The views along Interstate 70 were varied and breathtaking. Had we continued along the interstate, it would have taken us to Denver in another 300 or so miles. Instead, we exited onto Highway 191 for the last 30 miles to Moab, Utah. Between the advent of nuclear technology and the end of the Cold War, Moab boasted the largest uranium mine in the world and grew in population by 500%. Once the Cold War ended, however, the mines closed and most of the people left. Since the 1970s, tourism has become the driving force behind the town, given its proximity to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Once we arrived in Moab, we checked into the Moab Valley Inn, then walked the 3-block length of the downtown and found a place to eat dinner. After returning to the hotel, I sat down to write the blog and Alison lay down on the bed and was snoozing soon thereafter. Mustangs aboundPeople you meet around the fire pitAfter checking into our glamping tent on Thursday evening, we wandered over to the communal fire pit where a fire was roaring. Already around the fire were a young couple from Austin, Texas that were both vacationing in the area and considering relocating to this part of the country. Also at the fire pit was a 60-year old man and his small dog. The dog was named Austin but I didn't catch his owner's name. This gentleman appeared kind, gentle and thoughtful and had worked in the various national parks out west for almost 30 years as a handyman. He said, unprompted and quite matter-of-factly, that he could neither read nor write. That presented certain challenges, like passing his driver's exam, which he was proud to have done recently. I was very much taken aback by this. In this day and time, there are still people living in first-world countries that are illiterate? Apparently so. In the United States, the literacy rate hovers around 87%, meaning that 13% of all Americans cannot read or write. Oh my goodness! I had no idea. PhotosHere are some of the photos we've taken over the last couple of days.
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May 1st, 2019 Grand Canyon West, Arizona Getting hereThe Grand Canyon itself is a little off the beaten track, and the western rim, our destination for yesterday, was even further off that track. It's only two hours from Las Vegas, into which we flew, but that second hour takes you deeper and deeper into a seeming desert-like wilderness. We awoke in Richmond as 3:00am, got on a 6:05am flight, and after a layover in Atlanta, had a four-hour flight to Las Vegas. Another hour to buy some supplies at the local Trader Joe's, plus two more hours in the car, and we pulled into Grand Canyon West a little after 4pm local time. After a tour of the western rim, we had dinner, arrived at our cabin overlooking the edge of the canyon, and tucked ourselves into bed around 9:30pm local time (12:30am Richmond time). All in all, it was a very long, but interesting and fulfilling day, That is one big-ass hole in the groundEveryone speaks with awe about the Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. But, truth be told, now that I've seen it myself for the first time, I must say that I'm one of those (probably rare) people that is underwhelmed by the canyon. Yes, it is big — 277 miles long and 18 mile wide — and it is deep — approximately one mile, but is is ultimately just a big-ass hole in the ground. It is the perfect example of millions of years of erosion and the powerful ability of water to carve paths through easily dis-solvable rock, for example limestone and dolomite. By contrast, the Vredefort crater in what is now South Africa was formed from the impact of an asteroid a mere 6-9 miles in diameter, and that crater is roughly the same size as the Grand Canyon. The difference, of course, is that the Grand Canyon took 5-6 million years to form, while that crater was created instantly upon impact. Now that's impressive. PhotosHere are some photos that we've either taken or collected recently. Next up
May 1st - 15th, 2019
​Utah Heading west
I received two enthusiastic thumbs up during my last checkup at Johns Hopkins, so Alison and I decided to take advantage of my reasonably good health and head west for the first two weeks in May. We plan on staying in the following places:
Camera
I've been using a Nikon Digital SLR camera for about a decade now. At the beginning of that time, it took photos that were clearly superior to those taken with my smartphone. Nowadays, however, the tide seems to have shifted along with major advances in smartphone camera technology. So, this trip will be the first one that I take and photograph without my (relatively) clunky Nikon in tow. To give me more flexibility with the smartphone photos, I've purchased inexpensive wide angle and macro lenses for my iPhone.
Time will tell how good these pictures really are. Books
My very favorite book of all time, covering both the fiction and non-fiction genres, is A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. About a decade had passed since I read the book for the first time, and although I have a strict policy of never reading the same book twice (as there are so many other books waiting to be read), I decided to return to the book for a second reading.
After reading it the second time, enjoying it at least as much as the first time, I realized that I wish I had been taking notes as I read. So, as soon as the second reading was complete, I turned back to Page 1 and read it for a third time, taking notes as I went. I cannot overstate how much I enjoy this book. In fact, when my time on this earth is done and I am cremated, I'd like to take two things with me in the casket: (1) photographs of my wife and children and (2) a copy of this book. Photos
Here are some photos that we've either taken or collected recently.
Sunday, February 17th, 2019 Lexington, Virginia Rachel DuncanI never met Rachel Duncan. I did see her on stage and heard her perform many times, as Principal Trumpet of the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia. At the age of 33, having already performed with prestigious orchestras around the world, Rachel was a rising star in the classical music community. Rachel left our world (suddenly, unexpectedly, sadly) in August of last year. In September, the University of Virginia held a memorial service for her at Old Cabell Hall, home of the Charlottesville Symphony. Eli and I attended the service, which was structured as a series of musical performances from Rachel's closest friends and co-workers. Rachel's husband spoke eloquently of her, after which he performed (also on the trumpet) an original jazz work with the UVA Jazz Ensemble. Lastly, the jazz department's John D'earth led the mourners out of the auditorium to a slow and haunting rendition of Patsy Cline's Just A Closer Walk With Thee. The service ended with Rachel's husband on stage, alone, playing the closing notes of the song to an empty auditorium. The entire service was incredibly moving. It was, really, beyond anything that words could express. So, I won't even try. Health updateIn my last blog post, made almost a year ago, I said: All of that explains why I need the procedure (installation of a TIPS, or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt). As for when and where, the procedure will be done this Wednesday (March 14th) by the Interventional Radiology staff at Johns Hopkins. I will be monitored for a day or two and then sent home, barring any complications from the procedure. I'm happy to report that there were no complications from the procedure that prevented me from going home after a couple of days in the hospital. I was unlucky enough, however, to exhibit one of the known complications from the TIPS procedure: hepatic encephalopathy. To quote Wikipedia: The first stage of hepatic encephalopathy is characterized by an inverted sleep-wake pattern (sleeping by day, being awake at night). The second stage is marked by lethargy and personality changes. The third stage is marked by worsened confusion. The fourth stage is marked by a progression to coma. I quickly advanced to the third stage, rendering me (in my own words) a "happy dimwit." It was a very odd feeling, listening to someone speak, hearing the individual words, but having no ability at all to string those words together into something imbued with meaning. Luckily, however, "there's a drug for that." In this case, it's a drug called Rifaximin. Although it was developed and approved for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, it turns out to be an excellent treatment for hepatic encephalopathy. Go figure! Fast forward to SeptemberWith the encephalopathy under control, I was able to steer clear of doctors and hospitals for a good, solid six months. In early fall, however, my hemoglobin started to drop. To combat this, my oncologist started me on a course of steroids. That did the trick to remedy my hemoglobin, but the steroids also made me susceptible to other "opportunistic" infections (since steroids work by "shutting off" one's immune system). In my case, I came down with a case of cryptococcal meningitis. That's a fungal infection in and around the brain. The diagnosis and initial treatment for it cemented my inpatient status at Johns Hopkins for a couple of weeks in November. The complete treatment for this type of meningitis takes a full year, but it is as simple as taking a daily pill. All in all, I continue my tour of modern medicine and the seemingly miraculous solutions that it can provide. What will the rest of 2019 bring? Who knows, but I bet it will be something interesting. MusicI've discovered a few new bands lately. Here is one of my favorites: Jenny and the Mexicats. Although many of their lyrics are in Spanish, a language that I do not know, I find their music and melodies to be infectious. Your mileage might vary. Photo collectionsHere are some photo collections from some of the highlights of the last year. Click any of them for more pictures. PhotosHere are some photos that we've either taken or collected recently. Tidbit
Sunday, March 11th, 2018 Richmond, Virginia Health updateWhen we last left off, the plan was to:
Since then, it's been decided that it doesn't matter much where I am bleeding because the next step would be the same regardless of the actual source (e.g. esophageal varices, gastropathy, anorectal varices): relieve my portal hypertension (high blood pressure in the veins leading into the liver). The current standard of care for my condition is the installation of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). Despite the intimidating name, the procedure is simple in concept.
It's all in the nameBreaking down that mouthful (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt) explains how the procedure is performed:
When and where?All of that explains why I need the procedure. As for when and where, the procedure will be done this Wednesday (March 14th) by the Interventional Radiology staff at Johns Hopkins. I will be monitored for a day or two and then sent home, barring any complications from the procedure. That all sounds easy enough, right? MusicMy latest musical discovery is a group called Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ). They aren't so much a band as a rotating collection of entertainers: singers, musicians and tap dancers. The brainchild of pianist and arranger Scott Bradlee, PMJ has carved out a very entertaining niche for themselves performing modern pop music (e.g. Rihanna, Beyoncé) in the style of classic American genres (e.g. swing, jazz, soul, funk and such). Below are the videos for three songs that represent their style:
BirthdaysA slew of family birthdays have already been celebrated this year. Here are a few of them. Click any of them for more pictures. PhotosHere are some photos that we've either taken or collected recently. Tidbit
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