So here is my second official 72 picture (someone holding up a 7 and a 2, which happens to be my heigth). This one is taken in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. This is the city I was born and grew up in; when I was a kid there was a Wall that prevented people walking up to the gate, so this picture has a lot of meaning. (Some of you might remember that same spot in which President Ronald Reagan told “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”)

Well, it finally happened years after his speech. Thank you Mr President, Thank you America. (And thank you Rainer for taking this picture).

TS

It has been a long time since I posted something here. Actually one of my patients had a great idea: He recently had company from the East Coast and they wanted to see the famous Route 66. So, since I am 7′2″ he mentioned that there should be a Route 72.

I told Lisa about it and she had two poor guys hold up a sign with 7′ 2″. The picture is taken by a brave soul who saw the bull approaching - that’s why it appears blurry.

So thanks for the picture. (I would appreciate it, if you wouldn’t get into danger to take my 72 pictures).

So for all the rest out there, let’s see what you can come up with. Be creative, hold up a 7 and a 2 and email them to me.

Thanks,

TS

Now here is something special: the combination of the words “new car” and “fun”. Claudia and I had to look for a new car, since our old white SUV’s lease was running out. We always wanted to have a convertible, but we did’t want to sit too close to the ground. So we decided to get a jeep.

Now here our experience:

I called several dealerships and tried to acquire the price by phone. The standard answer was that I had to come in to the dealership - I guess after a few hours of talking to me I would agree to anything…

But then I called Russ in Scottsdale. I asked about the price for a jeep and he told me that he would look for the right car on his own (hey, this means I don’t have to drive there!) and then he would send me a fax with all the specs and even the price.

When we decided on the right car, he checked out my credit score and told me over the phone my monthly payments. (none of this “let me talk to my supervisor - he might be able to lower the price for you.” Which usually leads to hours of psychological wear down of the customer.) We agreed on a time for me to come in and I was able to leave in less than two (yes, 2!!!) hours with my new car. The craziest thing is that Russ apologized about five (yes, 5!!!) times that he kept me there so long. [Has he ever bought a car in his life? Our last car cost us not just an arm and a leg, but also eight (yes, 8!!!) hours of our life.]

So our experience was awesome, thanks Russ. If you ever need to get a similar car, just give Russ Boettcher a call (480-577-9969). He promised he would treat everyone as good as he treated us. (And yes, he did save us a bunch of money in comparison to the two other dealerships we checked with).

[When you look at the picture, you can see that my head almost sticks out of the car. It is a tiny bit tight, but still very comfortable to ride.]

TS

When you look at this little sweety, would you believe she is only 9 days old? This week she is definitely my youngest patient. For those who want to know, I lightly (no, she didn’t even cry) adjusted her lower and mid-back with my pinky finger.

TS

I do love my journal. What an easy way to display pictures and short little ideas. Here is a picture with two sweet young ladies and their stuffed pets. (The girls call me “Dr Tall” - I think this is very fitting).

TS