metz-n-matteo

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Hanging out with the girls Ethel and Ginger, two of my friend Robert's Silkie chickens. ~ Matteo

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Monarch butterfly in my friend Robert's back yard in San Diego. ~ Matteo

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Listen to a mountain stream. We had lunch next to this, created by snow melting on top of San Gorgonio Mountain. ~ Matteo

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Short little hike in the canyon behind my friend Robert's house. I love how canyons bisect the neighborhoods in San Diego. They are pathways of nature that refuse to be developed, allowing coyotes, owls, and other animals to survive in the urban environment. ~ Matteo

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Corvette Diner for dinner last night and a quick stop in Little Italy at Filippi's for Italian cookies! ~ Matteo

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Hanging out with the girls, Ethel and Ginger, two of Robert's Silkie chickens. ~ Matteo

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Finally gots me some Pho! Dinner at Pho Van in City Heights with @groovestar and @milosdca. Good peeps, good food. ~ Matteo

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Tooling around my old running grounds. I lived within a mile from Balboa Park for my almost entire 16 years in San Diego. My most favorite place to run, visit, and photograph. The Botanical Building is an amazing structure and probably the most photographed location in all of San Diego. Completed in 1914 for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, it was time for a complete rebuild and renovation. It has been 2 years and I'm not sure when it will be done. They just reinstalled the cupola in February, preparing for my visit. 😄 Cannot wait to see it finished in all its glory. ~ Matteo

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Out and about in Balboa Park. ~ Matteo

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More Meteor Crater photos, including snow-covered mountains in the distance toward Flagstaff. ~ Matteo

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Red Basin Clams Beds hike into the @petrifiedforestnps backcountry. No one around except me and the rabbits, lizards and Proghorn. Saw fossilized clam beds and the Blue Mesa. Pictures don't capture the true colors of this landscape! ~ Matteo

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Look, a big hole in the ground. ~ Matteo

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So, @dexcom has really failed lately. When I tried the Dexcom G6 a couple of years ago, it was a bust. There were so many issues that after 30 days, I just couldn't stand having it on me anymore. In my opinion, it should never have gone on the market. While planning my month long road trip for 2024, I thought it would be more convenient and safer to have a continuous glucose monitor. I read up about all the improvements that Dexcom had made with the new G7, so I gave it a try at the beginning of this year. They made much needed improvements over the G6: smaller sensor, improved accuracy, better alert options, and less frequent alerts. Alert fatigue was one of my biggest complaints with the G6. The first couple of months were challenging, but I was settling in with using this new tool for my diabetes management. But when I needed it the most, on my trip, it failed. Two of the sensors failed on me in the last 5 days. The first one fell off after a shower within 24 hours of starting. This happened the night before leaving on my trip. Luckily, I had an extra one that was a replacement for another failed sensor a month ago. That backup sensor also failed after my shower tonight, with just 4 days of use. The sensors are advertised to last for 10 days. It appears they have a quality control problem with the adhesive between the sensor and the backing (see the photo where the sensor is peeling from the adhesive). Now, I am 5 days into my trip with no sensors until I get to my destination. I left right when my next shipment was to land, so I had it diverted to my friends place that I'm heading to next week. For the next couple of days, I am back to using a standard blood glucose monitor. It is more accurate and reliable but far less convenient. If the G7 isn't going to be consistently reliable, why continue using it? ~ Matteo

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First hike today @petrifiedforestnps, Long Logs & Agate House. Soooo hard not to carry off some of these, but of course, it is not allowed. That, and they are very heavy! I really like the pieces with the green and red together the most. Metz and I almost stopped here when we moved to San Diego in 1991, but we didn't have the time. This visit is partially about fulfilling a 33 year old dream. ~ Matteo

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Just a short hike late this afternoon in the Painted Desert at the Petrified Forest National Park. More to come tomorrow! ~ Matteo

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Gorgeous!!

Oh how I love the design of a skull

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Sites along Route 66 in Santa Rosa on my morning walk. ~ Matteo