Horace the Pig

Playoff Basketball

2011-05-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

I have no ties to either team, but...Grizz-Thunder...what a game! Nuts! Chuck is right. Westbrook, pass the ball. Preferably not after dribbling for 6 seconds. Zbo, battling. Ridiculous 3 by Vasquez. Who are these guys? OJ Mayo, selfish, but those were some clutch 3's. Love it when the bench guys are so into it. Playoff basketball Westbrook, still going strong. These guys must be exhausted. Zbo sure is. Durant? He's probably not tired but he is pretty much invisible. Get the man the ball. Know your role. The Grizzlies do. I feel bad for Vancouver and Seattle. Particularly Seattle. And Greg Oden. Was that Big Country Bryant Reeves?

The NBA Playoffs! It's FANtastic!

Don't drink the water

2011-03-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Unless you like the taste of rust.

Some seriously rusty galvanized pipes in the new (old) house. Again another post soliciting help of the GardenWeb forums -- got some great advice on the lemon tree, hoping to repeat, this time for plumbing.

When life gives you lemons

2011-02-25T09:31:00.000-08:00

We are fortunate to have a big and bountiful lemon tree in our front yard -- the thing is a lemon producing maniac. A few years down the road our daughter is going to have the world's most prolific lemonade stand.

That is, if the tree makes it a few more years. I've posted a few pictures below, as you can see, the trunk is looking rather unhealthy. It has looked that way for all of the 1.5 years we've lived here, and is not looking any worse, but still I want to ensure the tree's life and longevity are not at risk. I posted the pictures here primarily for the help of the GardenWeb forum (where I posted a thread) but if any of you long time Horace readers are also part time arborists I of course welcome your input as well.

Thanks for looking, and for any suggestions.

Don't get your hopes up

2010-12-01T22:12:00.000-08:00

I'm just dumping a few photos here for some friends, file size is too large to email so this is an easier way for them to see 'em...

But who knows...maybe this post will revitalize Horace. Only time will tell.

Regardless, it was a lovely winter morning at the beach.

Don't miss out! Craigslist deal of the day

2010-07-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hooray, I've been looking for a dinged, yellowed, old, beat-up backyard board for the bargain price of only $250! Even better it looks like the fins are glassed on the nose -- perfect for those fins-first takeoffs I've been working on. Stoked!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Surfboard – Troy Peters design - $250 (palo alto)

Date: 2010-07-19, 10:21AM PDT
Reply to: sale-ytxaw-1850421487@craigslist.org

Troy Peters Surfboard. Dimensions 78” x 18” at widest point and ~1.75” thick at thickest point. In very good shape. It is a Tri-fin board that has not been used in 3 years and used sparingly before that. Or will trade and add cash for a higher end road bicycle 52-54cm.

The American Way

2010-05-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

Woman Suing Google for Dangerous Walking Directions

I'm sure this is exactly what our Veterans had in mind when fighting for our country.

RAIN

2010-05-19T13:21:00.001-07:00

Seriously is it ever going to stop raining down here and start to warm up?? I dislike rain to start but I really dislike rain when I am trying to renovate and move in to a new house, and it inevitably decides to downpour when I have all the moving boxes and other projects outside. Enough already!!!

Addictions

2010-05-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

I have resisted for many, many years...

But at the age of 30 I fear I am developing an addiction to caffeine, in the form of morning coffee.

I don't care what people say, to me, caffeine is a drug, just like anything else. Of course it is accepted in society and the side-effects are minimal, but it is an addiction just like anything else -- cocaine, heroin, marijuana...caffeine.

Rant over.

Maybe I'll be able to surf this weekend. The cold Pacific ocean water is a good caffeine alternative, I've found.

Go Suns

2010-04-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

As soon as Jerryd Bayless tried to go for the highlight dunk instead of actually making points...and got sent packing in the process...this one was over.

Sad to see the Blazers season end but really, I'm not all that disappointed to see Phoenix moving on. Is there a more likable bunch in the NBA? Nash and Hill -- class acts. That video above is great. He got a bit fired up there. GIMME THAT ISH!!!! Watch the replay again and you'll hear him yelling after his block. I like to consider myself a pretty classy sportsman on the court myself but I woulda done the same. Bayless...gimme a break. Who do you think you are? Lebron? "King Bayless" I don't see that catching on.

Dwight Jaynes, an old columnist for the Oregonian and other Portland papers, has a good blog that is my main go-to for Blazers nuggets. I agree with much of what he says. McMillan -- COY?? Not even close. Guy is a disciplinarian and control-freak, and didn't make an adjustment all series. Of course I also know it is the players on the floor that ultimately decide what happens, and it's easy for a coach to look good when you have Nash running the show, making the right decisions. But I think all in all Miller makes pretty good decisions too -- as a coach he needs to realize that and give him some rein to do his thing. The whole fiasco with the whole first half of the season and coming off the bench, ridiculous. The player rotation and minutes? Also bizarre. As a player it's extremely difficult to make any sort of consistent contribution when you're getting only 15 minutes of PT yanked around all over the place willy-nilly. Shorten the rotation. This isn't the high-school JV where everybody should get some minutes (another analogy previously made by Dwight). Anyways all in all a frustrating season, insane injuries, and really rather demoralizing watching my team play. Read Dwight Jaynes blog for more, and, hopefully, next season, Blazers basketball actually is fun again. Even I have to admit it's gotten pretty stagnant and boring and, well, unappealing.

Go Suns.

sugar for breakfast

2010-04-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is basically sugar...and wheat.

Yep just confirmed from the side of the box:

INGREDIENTS:
WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, SUGAR...and then about 5 or 6 other things that basically also sound like chemical names for...well, sugar.

I feel sick.

DROID

2010-04-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Ha, no Flash.

Thanks Cory Caprista for bringing this to my attention. I don't know who is responsible for the original image...but whoever you are, nicely done.

No Stickers

2010-04-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

No option to embed this video directly but certainly still worth a click and a moment of your time:

http://www.surfline.com/video/locals/epic-honolua-bay_42554

Really enjoyed watching that. Great waves and refreshing to see not a bunch of sponsored pros ripping -- albeit -- all those guys certainly do rip. Love the big guys shredding, local mokes!

Took this from the SurferMag forum.

As for my neck of the woods, got some fun waves with Joel this afternoon, beautiful warm sunny day at the beach.

untitled

2010-04-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

McMansions: do not want

hate those things.

Andre Miller...

2010-04-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

Drives the lane, splits two defenders, collects himself, rises up against Chris 'Birdman' Andersen, hangs in the air, at the last possible moment flips the ball over the Birdman's outstretched 7 foot wingspan...

As the ball banks in through the net, both players tumble to the floor...

Miller hits the ground, bounces right back up, runs down the court to play defense.

Birdman...clutches his ankle, summons the training staff, limps to the locker room. Game Over.

Andre Miller, Iron Man. 606 consecutive games and counting. That's nearly 7.5 seasons! How he does these things time and time again amazes me. Guy can't shoot a 3 to save his life, makes his living in the paint, drawing contact, finishing in traffic...over and over and over...every. single. game.

Great player. Love his game. Go Blazers.

Brilliant!

2010-03-18T13:07:00.001-07:00

	1st Round	2nd Round	Field of 16	Field of 8	Field of 4	Finals	Champ
M I D W E S T	(1) Kansas (32-2) (16) Lehigh (22-10)	Kansas	Kansas	Kansas	Kansas	Kansas	Duke Tie Breaker: 151 (Total points in Final Game)
	(8) UNLV (25-8) (9) N lowa (28-4)	N lowa	Kansas
	(5) Michigan St (24-8) (12) New Mex St (22-11)	Michigan St	Michigan St
	(4) Maryland (23-8) (13) Houston (19-15)	Maryland	Michigan St
	(6) Tennessee (25-8) (11) San Diego St (25-8)	Tennessee	Georgetown	Georgetown
	(3) Georgetown (23-10) (14) Ohio (21-14)	Georgetown	Georgetown
	(7) Oklahoma St (22-10) (10) Georgia Tech (22-12)	Oklahoma St	Ohio St
	(2) Ohio St (27-7) (15) UC San Barb (20-9)	Ohio St	Ohio St
W E S T	(1) Syracuse (28-4) (16) Vermont (25-9)	Syracuse	Syracuse	Syracuse	Kansas St
	(8) Gonzaga (26-6) (9) Florida St (22-9)	Florida St	Syracuse
	(5) Butler (28-4) (12) UTEP (26-6)	Butler	Butler
	(4) Vanderbilt (24-8) (13) Murray St (30-4)	Vanderbilt	Butler
	(6) Xavier (24-8) (11) Minnesota (21-13)	Minnesota	Pittsburgh	Kansas St
	(3) Pittsburgh (24-8) (14) Oakland (26-8)	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
	(7) BYU (29-5) (10) Florida (21-12)	BYU	Kansas St
	(2) Kansas St (26-7) (15) N Texas (24-8)	Kansas St	Kansas St
E A S T	(1) Kentucky (32-2) (16) E Tenn St (20-14)	Kentucky	Kentucky	Kentucky	Kentucky	Duke
	(8) Texas (24-9) (9) Wake Forest (19-10)	Wake Forest	Kentucky
	(5) Temple (29-5) (12) Cornell (27-4)	Cornell	Wisconsin
	(4) Wisconsin (23-8) (13) Wofford (26-8)	Wisconsin	Wisconsin
	(6) Marquette (22-11) (11) Washington (24-9)	Washington	New Mexico	New Mexico
	(3) New Mexico (29-4) (14) Montana (22-9)	New Mexico	New Mexico
	(7) Clemson (21-10) (10) Missouri (22-10)	Missouri	W Virginia
	(2) W Virginia (27-6) (15) Morgan St (27-9)	W Virginia	W Virginia
S O U T H	(1) Duke (29-5) (16) ark/win	Duke	Duke	Duke	Duke
	(8) California (23-10) (9) Louisville (20-12)	California	Duke
	(5) Texas AM (23-9) (12) Utah St (27-7)	Texas AM	Texas AM
	(4) Purdue (27-5) (13) Siena (27-6)	Purdue	Texas AM
	(6) Notre Dame (23-11) (11) Old Dominion (26-8)	Old Dominion	Baylor	Villanova
	(3) Baylor (25-7) (14) Sam Hstn St (25-7)	Baylor	Baylor
	(7) Richmond (26-8) (10) Saint Marys (26-5)	Richmond	Villanova
	(2) Villanova (24-7) (15) Rob Morris (23-11)	Villanova	Villanova

Really, DUKE???? I just couldn't pick Kansas or Kentucky like all the other lemmings. Go Oregon -- Kyle Singler get it done!

UPDATE: I also couldn't figure out how to resize this image to get it all to show. So, this will have to do for now.

Depending on how my picks pan out, maybe I'll update this again in a week or so with the remaining portion of my bracket.

DUKE?

UPDATED UPDATE!!!!
Duke pick...Looking pretty solid right now! Nice work Blue Devils! Kyle Singler Oregon boy makin' good! Unfortunately for me though, a few of my other picks did not fare quite so well...so my best possible finish in the NCAA tourney pool is 4th. Yep, 4th, one out of the money. And we're not talking 6 pack beer money here -- 1st place in this pool takes home a solid $2G plus. Coulda come in handy right about now.

There's always next year.

Filler

2010-03-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

Derek Bockelman for Cole Surfboards and Naki Surf from jeremie brillant on Vimeo.

Not necessarily anything mind-blowing as far as surf vids go (I'm just too old to comprehend the skateboard surfing tricks) but...

I thought I'd post just for sole purpose of mentioning that wave from 1:02 - 1:15 -- how he does that huge stall to set up the barrel. Something I'm working on. Not in reeling overhead barreling waves, mind you, but just in the day-to-day stuff I surf, working more in tune with the wave rather than hightailing it out to the shoulder.

Nice job of avoiding other surfers on that wave as well, I might add. That is something I do have plenty of practice with. Blasted buoys!

Untitled

2010-03-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

hands

2010-03-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a great image. I pulled it off BogusBlog -- check the original posting and write-up of Pedro Duarte George, the photographer/artist responsible. Impressive work throughout -- but this one in particular definitely stood out.

I have great respect for people who actually build things, create tangible items, work with their hands. Maybe it's because mine spend most of their time just clacking keys on a keyboard. But I found this image very captivating, the juxtaposition of shaper and surfer, foam dust and sand, work and tan.

It made me want to go get my hands dirty. So I did, building (another) fence at the rental apartment. Now my hands are rough, calloused, and Selin doesn't like holding them.

The fence looks good. A little crooked though.

4-7 ft shoulder high to 2 ft. overhead occ. 8 ft. POOR CONDITIONS

2010-02-24T23:26:00.000-08:00

Despite above report...

Got some GREAT waves today across town.

Sometimes, I wonder...are Surflie's surf reporters really that lazy/incompetent/misinformed...

or do they just purposely mis-report an odd morning/afternoon every now and again simply to appease the locals?

Whatever it is...

Keep doing it!

Entertainment

2010-02-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed watching this ski/snowboard video.

Good footage, crazy tricks, and I enjoyed the song.

Oh to be a college kid again.

Thanks Taylor for finding this.

Pipeline(up)

2010-02-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

Aside from the heavy spitting barrels...shallow jagged reef...and outside sneaker set closeouts...

Here's one more reason I won't be catching a wave at Pipe any time soon.

Paddle battle anyone??

Whoa!

Pic grabbed from the Surfline HD cam which I've been watching for the last 10 minutes. (surf stinks here right now, btw)

(but it didn't yesterday! Score!)

Forget Mavs...

2010-02-13T20:39:00.001-08:00

...the real place to be today...was right out in front of Lazytown!! Going off! Surfed one wave from way outside Hook all the way past last inside section of Tiburones. For me, that's a first. Straight flying down the line -- my favorite, no turns necessary -- good as it gets. Sun even came out. Doesn't get much better!

** Unless, of course, you were competing. For those guys charging Mavs today...well...you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. I won't stop ya! **

SLATER!

2010-02-12T00:48:00.000-08:00

What's this, Slates is playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this weekend?? Sweeeeet!

Notable for two reasons.

1) I did a FB work campaign for AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which was cool;

2) I wonder if the 9-time world champ will get any waves in during his little nor(cen)cal visit? How incredible would that be...have Kelly Slater show up at the Hook? Maybe he'll stay closer to Pebble Beach...Moss Landing? Monterey mysto spots? Fire up the jet ski at Ghost Tree? Supposed to be good solid surf this weekend. Wonder if he'll be on it. Or maybe he'll just play golf. Water is cold here, after all.

Anyways...I'll be keeping my eyes peeled. It would be pretty unbelievably epic to share a surf session with Kelly Slater.

Unless he burns me like the logger at 1:38 in this vid:

Rincon. The Surfermag BB (where I pulled this from) says the logger likely dropped in on him earlier. We may never know.

What's with the gloves??

SURF! MAVERICKS! WEEKEND! LONG Weekend! VALENTINES! SURF! EXCLAMATION POINTS!! SLEEP DEPRIVATION!

-------------------------------------------------

Update! He did surf! Thanks for a couple comments confirming as much, and for Google search to find it. Here's another blogger's Slater story:

www.areyoubreathing.com/2010/02/surfing-with-kelly-slater.html

On a different note, always is interesting how and when people (besides my mom) find this here blog. One of my old posts from last year's Valentine's Day is currently blowing up -- 90+ hits yesterday. That's more than I had all last month combined!

strategery

2010-02-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

Weekend Warrior Joel ponders his triumphant return to the water.

RW Beach, 1/31

Income Streams

2010-01-30T15:15:00.000-08:00

Owning an apartment complex hasn't exactly proven to be an instant moneymaking enterprise (yet)...

but at least the laundry room keeps us supplied with a very steady source of quarters.

Leave me a comment with your best guess on how much money that is...I'll buy a beer for whoever is closest. (or a free load of laundry. your choice)

Surf

2010-01-30T14:14:00.001-08:00

Fun surf on Thursday, had been a while so good to get a nice long two session day in. Here's a few shots I took before session #2, at a surf spot doing a very good job of pretending to be a different spot that it isn't. Kind of like the dude that's playing a dude disguised as another dude, but, not really. Great line. Funny movie.

Shooting from directly on top of the wave like that makes for an interesting perspective. Don't usually see the back side of the wave like that...were lots of these perfect little lined up triangle shapes coming through this particular day. Pretty nice. Looks easy, huh?

Unridden waves are nice too...

Took today off surf to get some more work done...on it full time tomorrow though. Hope for sunshine!

--------------

4/4 UPDATE for anyone who cares: instead of surfing on my day as originally planned I proceeded to get painfully ill. My guess is it was from THIS above posted surf day. Rain + Runoff = Runs (for me). Not fun. I'm finally feeling better now (managed to eat a whole breakfast burrito this morning, that's more food than I've consumed in the past 3 days combined!) but now, of course, the surf sucks. Lesson: Surf when you can!

(or perhaps lesson: don't surf after heavy rains because you might get really sick.)

(nah...that's lame)

(Lesson: Surf when you can!)

Rain

2010-01-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

There's been a lot. Sorry, posts aren't that exciting, frequent, or really much of anything lately. Winter doldrums!

I've been struggling to find motivation lately. In blogging...but in other things as well. Like getting out of bed. It's 9:37 am and I'm still tucked in. The beck and call of my cereal bowl will eventually lure me out. Working (primarily) from home, as I think I've mentioned here before, has both positive and negative attributes. The trick, one I'm still working on, is finding the perfect balance of the two.

I hope the new fence I constructed last month at the rental property doesn't blow over. It's pretty darn windy out.

I wish I had some sort of raisin bran to eat. Instead I will have to settle for Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries. No, not real fresh strawberries, but the dried kind that are included in the cereal. They're really good for about 30 seconds and then they get too soggy. I actually prefer to pick them out of the box and eat them separately. Same goes for the Honey Bunches of Oats with Peaches. Those are better though; the strawberries have a bit of an odd, over-processed flavor to them, which is only enhanced by the milk. Peaches not so much.

UPDATE!!!!! I thought it semi noteworthy that immediately after this above post of utter rubbish, I promptly got out of bed, closed 3 sales that had been lingering around (remember, ABC), cleaned the apartment, and all in all was very productive and motivated. Blogging as a motivational tactic? Perhaps I'm on to something.

Oh, and the fence didn't blow over.

Pigdog

2010-01-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

Knowing pigs are this awesome:

http://www.underweargoesinsidethepants.com/uploads/data/users/1/2010-01-12_155142.png

Just how insanely awesome would a Pigdog be?

(post in honor of Horace. Thanks Ashish V for the link)

Lazy

2010-01-12T14:35:00.001-08:00

~~2009~~ 2010: 12 days in...

Only two surf sessions.

Not gonna cut it.

Have Less

2010-01-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

Why grab possessions
like thieves, or divide
them like socialists
when you can ignore them
like wise men?

- Natalie Clifford Barney

Quotation, format, post title and all stolen directly from Kurungabaa, one of the more eloquent surf-blogs I check on a regular basis. (Google Reader FTW)

And Natalie Clifford Barney, in addition to providing a great quote, also sounds like an interesting character. It is ludicrous that gay rights haven't progressed further since 100 years ago. Get over it, people.

and Happy New Year

2010-01-05T10:24:00.001-08:00

A few snaps from a sectiony but fun November session at an appropriately named spot.

(thanks Colin)

Merry Christmas 1942

2009-12-25T19:44:00.000-08:00

Shoulder picker cherry hoppers!!!!

2009-12-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

Really fun surf today.

That is all. Good night, and good luck.

Barrel-Dodging

2009-12-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

Much like the previously defined 'shoulder-hopping,' barrel-dodging is also at the top of my list of favorite surfing maneuvers. Here's yet another sequence from the other week when we were lucky enough to have a beach photographer (again thank you injured Ramin). Not as bad as that Mulligan sequence I posted earlier -- which still makes me cringe -- but yeah I'd take a do-over on this one if I could. MAYBE there was an exit on that barrel, had I truly committed 100% for it.

Maybe. Or, if I actually had any idea how to backside tube-ride solid overhead frothy barrels. It's a long and treacherous learning process.

The Definition of Shoulder-Hopping

2009-12-09T15:53:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite maneuvers.

Great pictorial explanation courtesy of Surfer Magazine blog.

Mulligan

2009-12-07T23:14:00.001-08:00

If surfing gave mulligans...

I would've ran out a long time ago.

*** Alternatively titled 'Throwing Buckets' ***

A+

2009-12-07T22:46:00.000-08:00

There are A Frames...

And then there are A+ Frames.

Pics taken by Ramin when he was out of action early last week with a minor leg injury. Nice timing.

Too many donkeys, da boogey board, small kine hawaiian borrowing...and my personal favorite, low tide: when da reef stays sticking out

2009-12-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

Hawaiian Surf Report from thegoods:CJ and Damien Hobgood on Vimeo.

Swiped this off the Hobgoods blog, some gems in there. Got to hand it to the islanders it is certainly an interesting narrative and dialect, all their own.

zoom zoom

2009-12-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

Getting old does have its benefits.

Namely, new toys!

For a nice little early Xmas/birthday present, Selin got me a super sweet 400mm zoom lens for my DSLR. Words cannot begin to describe it. I am in awe. And it is so out of my league as a lensman it is not even funny but one day I will learn what all the buttons and different settings do. Or, I won't and I'll just be like my dad.

"Ok family smile!"

8 seconds pass

'dad you get it?'

"hold on hold on almost got it just got to switch this dial, ok, yeah that should do it...smile"

3 more seconds

'dad?'

"just a second I got it"

SNAP

"Oh shoot I forgot to take off the lens cap, Joel, Maddy, get back over there, Nic, stop making goofy faces you're ruining my shot"

Either way, I'm stoked. Thanks Selin!

Time Machine: 1918

2009-11-30T22:29:00.000-08:00

Today at the CVS drug store I purchased 3 full size, not-even-past-their-expiration date Hershey's Symphony chocolate bars for the grand total price of NINE CENTS.

Three Cents per bar!

Google informs me the last time you could get a Hershey's bar for THREE CENTS was 1918.

I thought that was worth posting.

Bombs!

2009-11-24T21:04:00.001-08:00

Got to love surf photography --

The right timing can make anything look good!

Thanks for the great photo Colin -- outstanding surf this morning. And thanks Ramin also, more pics to come later.

SOLD

2009-11-19T15:17:00.001-08:00

BOOYAH!

Our own little slice of the American dream.

Shutterbugs

2009-11-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

I wasn't the only one out messing with a camera on this particular evening. A few of them even had tripods.

I had to settle for a railing.

Corner office

2009-11-16T14:50:00.001-08:00

Can't decide if I would find having this view from my worksite enjoyable...

Or if it would drive me absolutely crazy.

I do know this much...I'd have a surfboard (or two) stashed in my work truck!

In related news, it will be nice when this Pleasure Point sea wall project is finally done.

I HAVE...

2009-11-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

TOO

MANY

And Not Enough Time

Hit some Sections...

2009-11-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Bust some Airs.

Alternatively titled: Fun with surfing, Fun with fast shutter speeds, Fun with photo editing software.

(Picasa 3)

Surfs up Dirk

2009-10-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Dirk Nowitzki: surfer dude, living in his van, down by the ocean, with his surfboard!

Flowing locks, rock it Dirk! (link courtesy of Bill Simmons NBA Preview, good reading)

gnarnage

2009-10-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

I dug this picture Colin snapped of me (or is it Joel?) (UPDATE: Joel says it is him. He might be right) at OB the other day.

Artsy B&W, cool contrast, nice wave shape...

and from that angle...

you can't tell I'm probably about to fall down.

Supper's Ready

2009-10-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

Camping dinner, Bennett Song Style:

2 cans Chef Boyardee, 1 can Green Beans, 1 open flame

Went camping in Big Sur last weekend, beautiful and an easy weekend trip. Will be back again soon. Camping is fun.

And delicious!

What the!?!!?

2009-10-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

Full details here.

Speaking of hockey, I hear there's good surf in Canada. I'd like to visit some time.

Un Gringo

2009-10-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Con una Camara

I've done a lot of surf travel, in my relatively short surf career

Yet I've never managed to get outstanding photos on any of my trips.

Too busy surfing

Surf in, Surf out

2009-10-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

Not much in the world beats walking out the front door, jumping directly in the (warm) water, paddling out to epic lefts...surf an hour (or 2) (or 3) (or 4)...catch your last wave, surf it all the way back to the doorstep, walk on in, and rinse off in a nice outdoor shower.

And don't forget, open the fridge, and get a cold cerveza. Plus lime.

And don't adjust your monitor settings, you're seeing this right, TWO Horace posts in ONE day. We're BACK! (?)

frackin sweet

2009-10-06T10:58:00.001-07:00

dude how frackin sweet is this guy's surfmobile setup??

Puttin' the Yaris to shame!! (although I just washed my clown car yesterday, she's looking noooiiiiice)

Picture swiped from my regular daily google reader surf blog dose, via http://theswallowtailsociety.blogspot.com/ thanks!

Mexico

2009-09-22T00:40:00.000-07:00

Horace lives on.

Plane leaves...in 7 hours.

Time for some sleep.

See you down there. Buenas noches!

THE BIRDS! (2)

2009-08-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Speaking of the birds...

this BLOG has gone to THE BIRDS.

Weak.

Fun surf this morning.

Only a few birds.

And one stinkbug.

THE BIRDS!

2009-08-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Whoa! Checked the PP surf cam and it was a full blown Alfred Hitchcock-esque BIRD ATTACK! Right after capturing this, a set came, the birds left, and it was back to the usual scene. But whoa how would you have liked to have been in the middle of that!!!!

filmed in Bodega Bay, 1963.

ONE DOLLAR 88 CENTS!

2009-07-23T12:08:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows I love cereal.

(Probably) My favorite cereal of all is Quaker Oatmeal Squares.

When they are on sale, I buy lots of them.

Monday they were $1.88 a box at Safeway.

I bought 8 boxes.

It is now Thursday and I have 2 boxes left.

That is a lot of Quaker Oat Squares in less than 4 days.

I wonder if they're still on sale?

DOMO

2009-07-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of going up to Spokane, Washington, and participating in the LARGEST 3-on-3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT IN THE WORLD.

Participating is not the right word.

A few weeks ago I had the privelege of going up to Spokane, Washington , and DOMO-ING the LARGEST 3-on-3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT IN THE WORLD.

That's better!

Who knew that Spokane, Washington, population 195,000, eastern Washington state, near the Idaho border, would be home to the world's biggest 3-on-3 basketball tournament, but, apparently...it is. The Spokane Hoopfest, 20th anniversary.

1 weekend

428 courts

6,701 teams

26,253 players

13,000 games

40 city blocks

And 4 X-TREME DOMO SIGHTINGS!

It was a lot of fun and a great trip. Who cares that we only won 1 game. Hoopfest isn't about who wins or loses. It's about who has the best team t-shirt!

We Win

Thanks Dan O (and family) for organizing and bringing us up to your hometown...and all the good hospitality and free food.

No thanks Zac for pushing us into the '6 foot and over' division.

In addition to the hoopfesting, other highlights included some awesome sunsets and fishing on the houseboat, supporting the local Native American population by making a charitable donation at their casino, debating the merits of various frisbee golf disc personas, and finding my sandal after somebody decided to steal it one day and then bring it back the next. Thanks guy.

Down time

2009-07-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

A few quick snaps from the other morning.

Fun run of surf over the weekend and into the early week...just what I needed.

Time not spent in the water was spent fixing some much-neglected (but much-loved) boards...

And enjoying the long weekend, home at the beach, with fireworks, family, and friends.

How to properly move furniture up a set of stairs

2009-07-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

Any aspiring furniture movers out there, take note.

Here I demonstrate proper technique on moving a couch up a set of stairs.

1. Review the staircase, clear any obstacles

2. Make sure camera is properly positioned and in focus

3. Keep hands ready at all times in case of emergency

4. Maintain position at bottom of staircase, ready to quickly run for cover in the event of any incident

5. Cautiously proceed up staircase, celebrate a job well done

Follow these 5 simple steps and you'll be ready to safely move furniture all over the house, satisfying your Mother's every redecorating whim and fancy.

some kind of paperweight thing

2009-07-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

OMG IPHONE 3GS Unboxing!!!!!

I found this video to be pretty funny. Seriously though, people...sure do love their precious stuff.

Thanks to Quality Peoples blog for the post.

olallieberry

2009-06-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

Look out it's a Berryasaurus!!!!!

olalieberrymuch

What Moves

2009-06-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago Yosuke, Joel, Ramin and I went mountain biking in the mountains west of Redwood City. Skeggs Point. It was awesome. Some epic single track and Yosuke knows those trails inside and out...outstanding guide. He even loaned me a bike (RIP bright orange Klein -- stolen from me way back in college). It was a great time, great workout, and a fantastic outdoor activity on a flat, waveless weekend day. Good times.

But, could somebody please tell Danny MacAskill to stop following me? I mean, I just watched his video below, and...every single move he does...exact carbon copies of my moves on Sunday! It's uncanny! From the 360 flip I launched off the redwood tree at the bottom of Resolution Trail, to the 30 foot drop I bombed off that rock outcropping at Manzanita...they're all there! I give him credit for putting together an entertaining, well choreographed, very watchable video...but next time, Danny, come up with your own moves, ok?

Seriously now though -- insane video. Watch the whole thing. Unbelievable.

Nice to see him wearing a helmet. Good influence for the kids.

San Diago, which of course in German means a whale's ...

2009-06-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

Just back from a quick weekend +1 trip to San Diego, got home late Mon night. Surf report: Scripps, WindanSea, Blacks, something by Bird Rock, Trestles.

Good times, likely just a couple weeks too early for the full trunking it experience, surfed some in boardies and 2-1 top, but mainly 3-2 temps.

To the place serving food on PB beachwalk, wow, that really is a lot of plastic you throw away every day! Something to think about. Ramin and co, not happy campers. (update: More info:) We mentioned it to the server and you could tell she felt bad about it. But they're a small little place, that actually does very brisk business, and as such they have no space (nor time) for an actual dishwasher. So as sad as it is, and really indicative of the throw-away culture that still prevails, it is cheaper for them to throw away the plates/glasses/silverware EVERY SINGLE TIME one person uses it. Seriously, that is BAGS upon BAGS of plastic trash they are going through every single day. The place bills themselves as a healthy food option -- depends whose health you're talking about -- healthy for our bodies perhaps, but certainly not healthy for our environment. Long story short: another consideration when choosing a restaurant. Does the food look good, AND, do the plates look good?

Dodge Durango drinks a ton of gas. But works well as Haole Hauler 2.0. Five dudes, Five boards, Five bags, all inside.

Surfari in PB/Mission Beach...good place to rent some higher quality boards. Rented a 6'3 x 21 x 2 5/8 from there for the three days. Hooked us up a bit and let us return it after closing time on Monday too, allowing for time to get up to California classic Trestles and back.

Southwest Airlines: $49 fares! Score!

Back to work.

A B C

2009-06-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

My new role model:

Parental Advisory Warning: Contains strong language. And Brass Balls.

New blogging format

2009-05-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

Some quick thoughts from a long weekend...

Official summer kickoff! Didn't dust off the BBQ quite yet but I'm sure I will soon. (delicious french toast, pancakes, raspberries, and strawberries instead...)

Waves over the weekend...nothing epic...but some surf out there for those so inclined.

Longboarding at the Hook feels like cheating. OK it is cheating. But it sure is fun.

Rediscovered a new old favorite longboard spot too yesterday...no kelp!

Ding repair extravaganza...

KG fish soon to become the ultra frankenboard -- more than half the deck is currently stripped off, allowing some thoroughly rotted foam ample time to dry before reglassing.

If you haven't noticed it already...the complete every session logs have ceased to exist. Was running out of stuff to say anyways. Maybe they'll come back at some point. Maybe.

NBA playoffs are great

Free organic strawberries are great too

Surf!

(Work!)

Horace Neglect

2009-05-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry Horace. You didn't do anything to deserve this neglect. You're still as trustworthy as ever. You never complain. Never lament on how things used to be. You just keep holding that door, patient, helpful, supportive. Like always.

I've just been busy lately. Lots going on. I promise it won't always be this way.

I hope there are good waves this weekend.

I tried.

2009-05-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

I failed.

I was really going to try and not post any more ridiculous YouTube posts on here...at least for a little while. Trying to bring Horace high-brow, upmarket, establish some serious journalistic credibility. All that good stuff.

But then I saw this.

And I can't stop watching it. Seriously! Never before have I been compelled to watch a YouTube clip time after time after time. I mean, most of em, I can barely make it through once! Maybe it's the Friday afternoon euphoria kicking in or something, but, I'm thinking this might be the best YouTube clip I've ever seen. Just in terms of plain well-done, high quality, entertaining, pop-culture relevant, irrerevent internet time-wasting content...I can't think of anything as good!

Hats off to Steve Porter, who created this video...nearly 1.5 million views and gaining more every day...come to think of it, maybe YouTube isn't such a waste-of-time after all? Internet marketing opportunity? Hmmm...viral marketing...it's on my mind lately...

Just for context, here's a (slightly shortened) version of the original 'SlapChop' informercial starring the infamous ShamWow guy, Vince.

Quality stuff. Well done.

Family Time

2009-05-05T23:04:00.001-07:00

A while ago my folks came down from Orygun to visit sunny Santa Cruz. As usual, the Golden State did not disapoint and delivered a great stretch of clear, sunny, warm days, perfect for lounging outside and spending some quality time by the water. Maddy, fresh off her long Boston winter, quickly blinded us all at the beach (at least for one day, after that, she was bright red...Sunscreen, Maddy. Use it.) Dad surfed up a storm. Joel surfed up a storm. Spotless ran wild. Maddy baked like a lobster. And Mom held it all together and kept the family on track like only she can. (She also did a fantastic job driving, all by herself, on those SCARY california freeways!). It was a great visit and I truly enjoy having my family here. Even when there are 6 of us crammed into my tiny little studio. Tracking dirt in and out. I can hardly clean fast enough.

Come back soon family!

As you can tell, my old man both rips (final photo) and is good at getting himself out of a sand pit.

Tequila.

2009-05-05T22:51:00.000-07:00

Is probably my favorite of all!

I've been neglecting Horace of late. Tonight I went to a tequila tasting cinco de mayo party graciously hosted by a couple old friends from work. Great to see a lot of people I haven't spent time with for a while and catch up on things. I won't get into details here and now but, my work situation is in a bit of flux at this present moment, a few exciting opportunities on the horizon...we'll see what happens...but if I do venture off to the great unknown I will certainly miss many of the people I've had the privilege of working with over the past nearly 7 years.

But enough sentimentalism/nostalgia. Real reason I'm posting now is, it came to my attention at tonight's tequila party that a few of these aforementioned coworkers actually read this here Horace the Pig blog! And here I was thinking the only people that read this thing are: 1) my mom, 2) Ramin (thanks buddy), and 3) myself. (Selin gave up on reading all this drivel long ago. She pretty much scans it: "surfing?" skip. "more surfing?" skip. "Oh that's a nice photo." "YouTube clip? Why'd you post that?? Stupid!" skip. "MORE surfing??" "I've had enough I'm outta here going to my purse forum")

So it was a surprise that these dudes knew Horace existed and actually check it from time to time. Thanks guys!

Actually I don't know what to make of it really. I lost my train of thought here.

Time for a photo post!

Happy cinco de Mayo.

YouTube's finest

2009-04-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

funny:

a little less funny (but still funny):

funny:

"do i have stitches? in my vent?"

Watch in order. Or not at all. You won't be missing much.

Out Front

2009-04-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

Right now

See ya!

to infinity..and beyond!!!

2009-04-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

...or not.

Why's the graph stop at 2006?

More: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124051414611649135.html

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day all.

I'm sad to say I drove to work today. All 1.2 miles of it. When I drive home (again) after work today, the first thing I'm doing is going down in the basement, finding that old bike, and fixing it. From then on, I'll start riding that old bike the 1.2 miles. Whenever I can.

On that note, today's entry on OceansWavesBeaches (the Surfrider blog) resonated with me. Find some meaning. Fixing that bike is small, trivial, but...it is something I can do that to me, has a meaning. And if it took Earth Day, today, to drive me to do it, then Earth Day is well worth it.

Also, you know something I'm interested in? Gardening. And plants. And eco-friendly gardens. Maybe some day I'll do something with that interest. It'd be fun to work on something like that.

(Another thanks to Surfrider (you guys are on fire today) for the entry today on Ocean Friendly Gardens)

Happy Earth Day. Time to go fix that bike.

Spring bloom > winter gloom

2009-04-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Spring is here. Walking around outside -- be it in Dublin, Ireland or Dublin, CA...there are flowers in bloom all around. I like this time of year for that. I also like that along with the flowers, just a little bit of that economical doom and gloom seems to be easing a bit as well...maybe try to balance out my normal economic despair posts with this one here for a change.

Google: The Economy In A Tea Cup

Far from your most in-depth analysis of Q1 earnings but I'll take the positive outlook, for a change at least.

37-39

2009-04-15T17:42:00.001-07:00

Session 37 - Sat April 11 - EL: Epic

Session 38 - Sun April 12 - EL: (Slightly less) Epic

Session 39 - Sun April 12 - EL: (Slightly more less) Epic

Thanks Tobin, Marcin, Leszek for the local knowledge and hospitality.

Across the pond

2009-04-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Off to the pub for a few gargles bud, once I find a few sqidders in the back burner that is... maybe Selin can giz a lend of 20 snots will ya? Cheerio!

Painful.

2009-04-08T21:42:00.001-07:00

34-36

2009-04-07T00:54:00.000-07:00

Session 34 - Thurs Apr 2 - RV: Took the newest superquiver addition out for its inagural session (with me at least -- picked it up off the consignment rack at Elizabeth's)...just a quick little dip as I had to come back over the hill that night for some coworker wining & dining (good times, I'm fortunate to work with some genuinely nice people)...pedaled the cruiser, flat-tire and all, over to RV and jumped in. Not too many people out, and some surprisingly punchy waves. Saw one guy luck into what I'm guessing was the barrel of his life -- right spot right time, he was just standing there and it miraculously formed for him -- when's that gonna happen to me? :) Just getting a feel for the new board, picked off some insiders...loose. But I liked it. Very loose like I said, but seemed easy to surf. My best wave I got a few extra slow, extra uneasy cutbacks -- getting acclimated. I'm excited on it -- seems like it should be a lot of fun. Good purchase. And good timing too, I gotta add...foreshadowing I guess...OUT with the Old (Taylor, 6'8, El Salvador Special -- met its likely demise today); IN with the New (Taylor, 6'2, El Lizabeth's Special -- just getting started).

Session 35 - Sat Apr 4 - La Jolla, Scripps Pier: So we made a rash decision to drive all the way to San Diego this weekend. Visit S's new niece -- what a cutie. All cheeks! Lots of driving, but it was all worth it. I took a brief respite from babytime on Saturday afternoon and made the short drive down the hill to the beach...should have surfed it earlier when wind wasn't on it as by 2 it was blown out pretty good, but still managed to score a few fun ones in the warm socal water. If not for the wind, I'd have trunked it...3/2 as it was. Toasty. Surfed the KG fish as that is what I tossed in the car quickly on our hurried bay area exit.

Session 36 - Mon Apr 6 - OB: I just might have to write more on this at some point, later. For now, suffice it to say I got a darn good workout...swimming in to shore after my newly leash-plug-less 6'8. OB doing what OB does best, another victim claimed.

Economic stimuli

2009-04-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

April's rent just got a couple hundred more expensive...

6'2 x

20 3/4 x

2 5/8

Time to get wet!

Life

2009-03-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader(s),

More pressing situations have recently conspired to divert my attention away from Horace posts...pressing times we find ourselves in these days. So you may start to see less frequent, more intermittent postings for the near forseeable future...at least until I get things a bit more figured out. I'll still try to post the occasional tidbit here and there, and document stand-out surf sessions when I can fit them in...but I think I'll stop the detailed log of every session, highlights only from here on out...

And a bit of perspective...looking back, 2008 I definitely made my year of surf. I made a lot of progress that year. This year I've stepped back a notch, am not subjecting myself to quite as many early morning slogs to the beach...but I'm thankful and appreciative to have had the opportunity (and dedication!) to it last year. It'll always be an ingrained part of my routine but the single-mindedness I devoted in '08 can't quite be repeated this year. Probably that's a good thing, I was starting to morph a bit too much into this guy.

And oh yeah, make sure you root for Villanova this weekend. Thanks.

SURF LOG

Session 31 - Wed Mar 25 - 2nd peak

Session 32 - Fri Mar 27 - 2nd peak inside (with dad, surf school in session...he's showing great progress)

Session 33 - Sat Mar 28 - SC Beachy south (again dad, again, more progress, old man is a trooper)

Session 34 - Sun Mar 29 - 2nd peak/38th (with Joel, great offshores, fun waves, plus my favorite girls plus a couple beers waiting for me on our private 38th rock spot)

Session 30 - Mar 22 - JTY

2009-03-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

Wind. There was a lot of it. In spite of it Ramin and I made the quick drive down from SF. I surfed for maybe an hour or so, Ramin was sick so he stayed on land and took photos. I'll post some when/if he gets them up online. That is provided you want to see pictures of a big dude going slow bogging down a 6'4 in the trough of the wave. Because that's my specialty. I do it as well as anybody.

Madness

2009-03-20T15:25:00.001-07:00

My bracket:

My current ranking: Tied for 6th. Along with about 50 other people.

(It's too early to tell)

But dang you VCU and Utah St!! One point losses! I picked you both, upset city baby!!!! Letting me down.

Anyways this first round does not matter at all to me as I went upset crazy and picked Villanova to win it all. So either Villanova wins and I win or Villanova loses and...I lose. Go Nova!

Selin has a bracket too and she is doing quite well I might add -- she knows how to pick 'em!

Update: And if you can't click the picture to make it bigger and actually see my pics...too bad. Just know they're the best picks ever! Go Nova!

Best ever?

2009-03-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

I've seen a lot of themed Google logos over the years but this may be my favorite yet. Nice work!

Google celebrates Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar

Update: Ramin was upset about Hungry Caterpillar doodle on what also just happens to be Persian New Year. Here you go Ramin, to appease you I had Obama put together a personal message just for you. Happy New Year!

Session 29 - Mar 18 - 2nd Peak

2009-03-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

Dusted off the kingfish, afternoon/evening surf out front Wednesday. Nice sunny, relaxed day. Surf was clean and conditions were good, quite a few people out there and my preferred 2nd peak combo spot wasn't working so was pretty tight. Still got a few waves but was also doing a lot of watch and learning.

10

2009-03-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Schralp

2009-03-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah, Sunday surf was good. I didn't surf here, but a lot of people did. And a lot of them were really, really, good.

Yep, cell phone camera. Again. Fun day. Sorry you can barely see the surfers. Just know that they are schralping. (It is a cell phone camera, ya know)

Session 26, 27, 28

2009-03-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Sat Mar 14 - GWC

Sun Mar 15 - WC

Tues Mar 17 - KAVE

3-for-1! Sort of just a placeholder for now -- maybe you'll get more details later. But then again maybe you won't! Keep you on your toes, Reader(s).

Saturday was messy, Sunday was joyous, and this morning was...kinda scary. (I'll admit it). Foggy, just me and Ramin out there, heavy, building NW swell, dumping. Clean conditions but just a lot of power on those waves. Worst hold-down I've had in a loooong time. Hit the bottom and came up gasping for air, only to take another one on the head. All well worth it though, what point is being alive if you're not living?

Session 25 - Mar 11 - LM

2009-03-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Met Ramin at 7 at K Ave, but it didn't look that enticing. Freakin' freezing cold and low tide drainers dumping on about 1 foot of water. Unfortunately wasn't really getting hit with swell that much -- what was hitting was just closing out. Probably could've waited and gotten it pretty good for the second hour of the session but patience/pragmatism/forward-looking thinking has never been a strong suit of mine when it comes to finding waves. Anyways we left and drove up the coast and didn't find much better so I wound up at old faithful, making the most of it. As it usually turns out, it wasn't a total wash, it wasn't epic or anything that memorable but whatever it was fun. I caught a few waves that I surfed ok.

Another sunny morning, once got past putting on that cold wet wetsuit it was all well worth it.

Posterized

2009-03-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Cool photo sequence. Too bad Blazers lost...

Photos by Bruce Ely/The Oregonian, and taken by me from the Blazers Blog

Session 24 - Mar 9 - Lane

2009-03-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

Dropped in on Nat Young today. Well, ok, not really. I didn't drop in on him, he must've picked up the wave I was already on from further inside, somehow. Well, that's what I'm telling myself. (I actually really don't think I burned him) Anyways, nice kid. When my ride ended with the wave closing out on me, all of a sudden I see behind me this kid punting an air. Yep, nat. Don't know where he came from. But still, on the paddle back out I apologized if I was in his way, he was real nice, no problem at all. Good to see. Refreshing.

Surely beats the guy riding shotgun in the old beater truck that drove by the parking lot as I was putting on my wetsuit and saw it fit to yell "KOOOOOOOOOOK GO HOME" at me. What? Whatever, idiot.

In his defense I probably did look like a kook, using my board bag as a changing towel. I forgot I didn't have a towel in the car. It happens. What're ya gonna do?

Session 23 - Mar 7 - GWC

2009-03-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Still not a whole lot of cooperation from the surf gods, but at least the weather demons took a break and blessed us with some nice sunny beach weather on Saturday. Met up with Ramin at GWC which was the most protection we could find, and joined a few other guys out there on a semi consistent peak on the north end, off the rocks. All in all it actually turned out pretty fun, nothing spectacular but plenty of little waves and a lot of sun. After Ramin took off I caught a few more and then set up camp on the beach and read my book for the afternoon...not a bad way to spend the day. In case you were wondering, I set up camp in the middle of the beach. Away from the naked dudes on the north end.

Camera phone picture is from a little hike I took after the session enjoying the rest of the sun. Beautiful day.

Session 22 - Mar 4 - LM

2009-03-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Snuck out, Joel came and met me in MV, and we went to LM for an afternoon/evening sesh. Surf wasn't spectacular but it wasn't awful either. Worth the trip. Joel being the greedy fishmonger he is hogged the KG and I surfed the 6'8 Taylor. Oh well worked fine, still got plenty of waves. Closeout central up on the north end, true to Joel's prediction, but the south and middle beach were working pretty good. Boat Docks better longboard wave so kind of surfed in between after the closeout section the loggers weren't making. Fun afternoon and good to fit a surf in the week's generally uncooperative conditions.

Sergey Brin: Professional Bowler

2009-03-09T10:05:00.001-07:00

Somebody here at work sent this around this morning.

Takes me back to a much simpler time...not a worry in the world. Funny how life goes.

Economic Crisis News of the Day 2

2009-03-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

This was sent around by DFisch himself and, I agree, it's worth a read.

Berkshire Hathaway Annual Letter

"By yearend, investors of all stripes were bloodied and confused, much as if they were small birds that had strayed into a badminton game."

Session 21 - Mar 1 - Swrs

2009-03-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

Weather kinda blew all day Sunday, but in the afternoon rain calmed down a bit and I went for a walk outside. It's nice to put on a raincoat and go for a walk sometimes. It reminds me of home. Growing up in Oregon, I used to walk in the rain all the time. I was in the rain so much, that I didn't even own a raincoat. Now, I'm this full-blown Californian and I think I own like 3 raincoats. And it hardly even ever rains. How's that for sensical?

So on my walk I went to one of my favorite places to walk and stand, which is this rock that sticks out in the water a bit between Rockview and little Wind n Sea. I'm not going to tell you where that is exactly because both those spots are firmly entrenched on the 'not-to-be-mentioned-on-the-world-wide-webs' category of surf-spots, but if you know them, you knew them already, and you already know where they are, and you'll know where this spot I was standing is. Anyways I went and stood there in the rain and wind and watched a lot of good waves come through. There were 2 dudes on longboards catching lefts and a few out at RV catching rights. I watched the lefts with much more attention. They were better waves anyways.

I wound up standing there and watching for so long that by the time I went back home, changed into my wetsuit, and went back outside the wind was howling out of control and the ocean looked like a completely different place. The guys on longboards who had been catching lefts were gone. So I wound up going to the best looking spot I could find which only had a few guys on it and tried to catch some of those drainers best I could. I caught a couple and didn't catch a lot. Wave really jacks up and pitches over right at that spot, is a lot of fun if you can handle it right. It was also fun because making the drop was more or less blind as the wind was blowing the entire top off the wave face so all it was a massive blast of spray as you're trying to line up your drop. So, just point and shoot and hope for the best.

All in all I shouldn't have stood on that rock so long and should've got some of those hollow lefts I saw. But at least I got something which is more than can probably be said for most on this particular rainy stormy Sunday.

Yep, good to live on the beach. Bad to own 3 raincoats. My employer, in the good 'ol days, used to give them away quite often.

Hey, there's a rainbow right outside my window. Cool!

Economic Crisis news of the day

2009-03-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

(Well, actually a few days ago)

Start Up the Risk-Takers

I agree.

Session 19, 20 - Feb 28 - SC Beachy

2009-03-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

Surprisingly sunny day, surprisingly fun surf...nothing earth-shattering but nice to get out and have some fun in a very sparse crowd. Session one (the better of the two) was around noonish o'clock, session two around dark o'clock, both 6'2 KG.

Session #2 I dragged the GF along with me to sit on the beach and be oh-so-impressed by the surfing prowess of her man. Naturally, I proceeded to kook out on every makeable wave that came my way.

Hey, it was low tide. Waves were really fast, closing out real quick. I surfed 'em as good as anybody could've. Nevermind the young dude out there with me managing to catch some nice long rides and even an occasional cuttie every now and again. He must've been using some crazy new shape or something. I was on the wrong board. Should've taken the 6'6. Definitely the wrong board. Should probably have surfed down the beach a bit further anyways. Would've killed it over there. Definitely. Killed it. Skills.

(who am I kidding, Selin was reading US Weekly. She's never been one to be impressed by my amazing surf skills. Or lack thereof. Good thing)

Pretty sunsets this weekend.

boom goes the dynamite

2009-02-27T14:02:00.000-08:00