frequent and

Tee Shirts

2010-08-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Thinking about doing some tee shirts

Black Shirt

White Shirt

I'm not sure but I think the road to hell is paved with tee shirt sales...

Another board from the rafters post

2010-03-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

Honoring Dick Brewer

This board was my favorite for years!

The "Brewer Fins" were designed to be thicker so a layer of wood was laminated on each side.

I also think it was faster to build up the panel, it floated (somewhat) and it looked cool!

Cut laps, tints and pin lines, from back in the good old days!

I always liked the pin tail with wings!

The tight corners made the wings tough to shape, glass and sand.

The surf leash demolished what material was left and this board

needs fill work on both sides to repair the damage.

Classic beak nose with plenty of foam.

Rocker?
You want rocker?
You can't handle no stinking rocker!
(wow two old movie references in one sentence!)

Bad photo angle makes the board look nine feet long.

And I should have cleaned it up first

And my lawn looks like crap!

That little decal up from the leash plug says "Shaped by Joe Blair"

6'7" - 14 nose - 19 wide - 13 tail with the wide point one inch up from the center 3.25 thick

These were classic dimensions at the time, and since Brewer shaped a lot of the Clark blank plugs everyone shaped similar dimensions.

A friend brought this T-shirt back from the islands for me.

"The finest hand crafted precision surfboards in the world"

Brewer's list of innovations is too numerous to mention and the list of shapers who followed in his footsteps is longer still.

In the sixties and seventies, Brewer was "THE MAN" to get a board from when you hit the islands.

For a lot of people he still is.

Check out this shot I poached from the Nebulous Continuum blog

When it's big in the islands, people are still going for their Brewer's.

Boards from the rafters

2010-03-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

Since this site is getting more hits lately I thought I should but up some relatively new content up

See my other blog 23Breaths too.

Todays post is about one of my favorite tri-fins.

I brought it used after I got tired of going over the falls on a too thin, too short slipper.

(or maybe I needed to paddle more)

AC Blue 6-7 11.35 19.25 13.75 2.55 4.75 2.15 11.25 3.25
(Rusty is good about giving you the dims)

My 80's trifin - a really fun board

Love the 80's day glow lam!
Not quite as narrow as it looks in the picture above.

Thick enough to catch waves, made before the glass sliver mentality took over.

The bottom has seen some action.

One fin was busted off and reattached

The tail bump was the rage,

look for it where the wood below the board intersects the rail line

Day glow nose guard to match the lam

Bought this one used (like most of my boards) so I can't claim credit

It was a time of BIG lams

This replaced my Brewer as the "go to" board when it was good.
As soon as I win the Lotto I'm going to ask Mr. Rusty to please shape me several more!
These boards have gotten popular again because
"they are fun to ride"
I know not everyone is going to ride a mat but
eventually the mega surfboard suppliers should consider
producing boards that average surfer can ride in average
conditions and have fun.
I know I'm a marketing GENIUS!
(since I posted this the first time the pendulum does seem to be swinging that way)
On the other hand, a lot of back yard shapers and
small volume custom shapers probably make their livings
making boards a little longer, wider and thicker
than the slippers I see at Jack's and the other
big box, surf superstores stores.
And that's a good thing.
Support your local shaper / glasser!

23 Breaths!

2010-02-23T08:53:00.001-08:00

Check out my other surf site

23 Breaths

What for dinner?

2010-01-25T07:59:00.001-08:00

Not too many surf dinner posts lately

Here is my wifes latest creation

Kind of a variation on the lasagna theme.

Goes well with a glass of the red!

After dinner how about a little Greenough?

Raisin bran muffins

2009-11-17T05:33:00.000-08:00

... seated at the table in the laboratory of the utility muffin
Research kitchen... reaching for an over sized chrome spoon he gathers an
Intimate quantity of dried muffin remnants and brushing his scapular aside
Proceeds to dump these inside of his shirt...
He turns to us and speaks:

This weekend I made a batch of muffins.

God I miss Frank Zappa!

This version is from October 28, 1977

Following are the complete lyrics, but you need to hear Mr. Zappa do it!

Of course, the guitar solo is unreal!

The muffin man is seated at the table in the laboratory of the utility muffin
Research kitchen... reaching for an over sized chrome spoon he gathers an
Intimate quantity of dried muffin remnants and brushing his scapular aside
Proceeds to dump these inside of his shirt...
He turns to us and speaks:

Some people like cupcakes better. I for one care less for them!

Arrogantly twisting the sterile canvas snoot of a fully charged icing
Anointment utensil he poots forths a quarter-ounce green rosette (oh ah yuk
Yuk... lets try that again...!) he poots forth a quarter-ounce green rosette
Near the summit of a dense but radiant muffin of his own design.
Later he says:

Some people... some people like cupcakes exclusively, while myself, I say
There is naught nor ought there be nothing so exalted on the face of gods grey
Earth as that prince of foods... the muffin!

Girl you thought he was a man
But he was a muffin
He hung around till you found
That he didn't know nuthin

Girl you thought he was a man
But he only was a-puffin
No cries is heard in the night
As a result of him stuffin

Mushroom Spinich Quiche

2009-10-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

So I'm thinking of changing the name of the blog to

"What Bruce had for dinner"

Pizza Night

2009-10-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

The dough mixture is just slightly different than the bread from the post above.

Besides I like throwing the dough in the air!

The local produce market had fresh mushrooms and bell peppers.

So that was what we had.

Alas the olives were from a can.

Ring - of - Scones

Thanks to Head High & Glassy for the best Lew Welsh story ever!

You may wonder why

But this is the price you pay

to get up early to check the surf

Daily Bread

2009-09-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

3 cups of water - no not salt water, salt does come later

7 tsps of yeast - yeh, I got nothin for this one

some sugar / honey - "some" is a highly regarded baking measurement ask grandma

7 cups of flower - no 7 cups with wild flowers in them doesn't work

4 tsps of salt - yes use sea salt

OK lets begin,

In a large bowl combine the water sugar and yeast.

(Just like Julia!)

I like to let the yeast and sugar get to know each other before

I add the first half of the flower

add the flower

a hundred stirs should do it

If you have a nice thick mud consistency you're good

(This is my magical stirring spoon that does the work

for me)

I have moved the mixture to a bigger bowl.

(Not really, I have photo shopped a new skin on the bowl to match the magical bamboo stirring spoon)

This mixture is going to double in size so you need room to grow.

Dumped the mixture on a flowered bread

board and getting ready to kneed.

Mid knead, kind of looks like that thing that attacks

Mr. Spock in one of the early Star Trek episodes.

Kneaded and ready to rise.

(If I did this daily, I would shave my hands up to my elbows. The dough sticks to the hairs and is hard to get off. Actually, I only surf to get the dough off my hands)

The kneaded ball of dough resting in a bowl and getting

ready to rise.

(I'm told you could wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator over night for an extra thrill)

Let the rising begin!

The dough has risen and needs to be punched down.

After the punching the dough has risen again!

Is there no stopping it???

(No, not until the yeast has consumed all the sugars)

Dough divided, shaped into protozoans and ready for the oven.

(But sadly not the house)

You cut gills in the top of the bread to let it breath under water or to let steam escape during the baking.

Out of the oven!

Where is the butter?

Peanut butter and Jelly?

Just give me some

Made garlic bread out of half the batch to go with tonight's pasta.

I have two hands I get two wine glasses.

Dems the rules!

This makes perfect sense to me.

Why are you staring?

BTW, That's not a knife it's a rasp thingy to grate the Parmesan.

(If you use it to finish the rails on your new board with it, your spouse

WILL NOT be understanding even though it looks exactly like

a surfoam and I cleaned off most of the foam dust)

So why have a blog post on bread making on a surf related site?

Good question.

I have no idea.

But Kaser's got nothin on this at Daily Bread

Almond Surfboards and Designs

2009-03-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

A quick shout out to the new surf shop in town.

Almond Surfboards and Designs

367 Old Newport Blvd

Newport Beach, CA

They have a really nice blend of long and short boards.

Check out the woodwork on the fins, it's outstanding.

So stop by and help support some local craftsmen.

Click here to visit their website.

Enjoy the links

2009-03-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

but most of my writing is over at 23Breaths

Azzing the Lass

2009-02-25T06:13:00.000-08:00

A new film by those master minds who brought you Invation from Planet C

Looks like the opening shot shows stoke miners

Arrr Blast it matey

Displacement

2009-02-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

If you liked the Displacement article in the latest Surfers Journal

You may like this as well

It has been one of those years

2009-02-06T06:18:00.000-08:00

In my neck of the woods winter's come in two general varieties

A regulation winter with rain wind and swell,

usually at the same time

and what we are having this year

Great conditions

lite off shore winds

and no swell to speak of.

Photo from surfresearch

It happens.

It has been a nice summer and fall

So I shouldn't complain

but I do.

It's the price we pay for living in the OC.

The truth be know for winter fun one needs to travel a bit

either north or south

either one works*

This place looks like it has potential.

Photo by Woody Woodworth

*Not that I would know as I never travel more than 5 miles from the house.

PS quick weather report for the OC

After a brief break for the morning the rain should return for the rest of the day and on into parts of Saturday

yea!

A rare clip

2009-01-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

An early Greenough movie for your enjoyment

Malibu part deux

2009-01-27T06:02:00.000-08:00

During the last flat spell...

The surf was limping in then hitting a sandbar just off shore.

So desperate I took a board!
If it was your turn, the takeoff was uneventful and preceded a dribbey little section.
This is the “outside” part of the wave about 15 feet off the beach.

The wave slowly got bigger as you went.

Mind surfing when you are really surfing
If you were 7 inches tall and had a fish this was the first interesting section.

A little bit farther down the line trying to achieve perfect trim and maintain speed

Hit by a lazer blast from the beach and stayed frozen in this position for the rest of the day
(kids beware this is what happens when you get old)

Coming into “Outside-in-the-Middles”

The 7 inch guy could be doing a nice roll-a-coaster right here.
Pretty water here since it's so shallow.
On a lot of these waves I would get distracted watching shadows on the bottom.

So close to shore that backwash hits the wave and ruins it for a while.

This part was the “Dangerous Part”.
Hands coming up into a defensive position to deflect oranges thrown by the point troll (standing on the beach 10 feet away)

Inside In-the-Middles and heading for the next section inside

Made it to safety and celebrating the end of aerial attacks by bending the knees

Inside and close to the end

A fun, interesting, and challenging wave.
Using only glide and no turns you had to maximize your trim (o'school) through the flatter sections to be able to surf the whole wave.
It looks like I am carrying a tray.

I got hurt that day.
It's always the small days that get you!
I had to take the fin out of this board to get it in and out of the car.
I was trying to move the fin up and heard something pop in my chest.

The next day I thought the mat would be ideal to glide through the flats on the way to steeper sections to see if I could still ride the mat.

Those are my Ugg prints on the left. Returning with Duck Feet on the right

The wind was more offshore and the mix of little threads of swell had changed again.

I would try to move way up on the mat and lift my legs to minimize any drag and zip through to the next section

Right after the cutback, reengaging my inside fin to cutback before sliding Lala style through outside In-the-Middles

If you blow this up I look like Kenny

A windier day
I wore my hood
but this one was glassy

(Ok, no more Haiku this post)

Not as good (or as long) this day but a least it was overhead.

Dragging my inside arm to try to stall in case the inside section pitches (I'm delusional, I know)

The wind came up and made it a little hollower (very little), still dragging my arm

Still delusional

All photos courtesy of http://dalybread.blogspot.com

Velo

2009-01-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

I found this on the Grass is Greener Project and it's incredible

The narration alone is classic

49 seconds in, the quote "lets sort of move it now with Georgey" just swings man.

Too groovy for words really

Not "Intermost Limits of Pure Fun", maybe out takes from "Childred in the Sun"?

Anyone have a guess?

Great shots comparing and contrasting what Greenough was doing on Velo with the surfers of the period.

This is what really started the short board revolution.

Surfers saw Greenough and said "I want to do that!!"

The rest is history.

If you want to make a flex spoon the first 15 seconds are priceless!

Hopeful Hearts Club

2009-01-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

Inaugural Address

By President Barack Hussein Obama

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you've bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation -- (applause) -- as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents.

So it has been; so it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many -- and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met. (Applause.)

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation. But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. (Applause.)

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those that prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops, and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip, and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions, greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week, or last month, or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. (Applause.)

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift. And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We'll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched. But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity, on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. (Applause.)

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers -- (applause) -- our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man -- a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake. (Applause.)

And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation, and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity. And we are ready to lead once more. (Applause.)

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense. And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken -- you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. (Applause.)

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. (Applause.)

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. (Applause.)

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the role that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who at this very hour patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service -- a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

And yet at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded, then, is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. (Applause.)

So let us mark this day with remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At the moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words to be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America: In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

We have a president that goes to town and body surfs a few!

I have hope.

Bible of the Sport

2009-01-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

I was at my local bookstore over the weekend and browsed a copy of one of the major Surf magazines.

I should say Action Sports Retailer catalogs.

That would be a more appropriate description.

To be fair I am no longer in the demographic they target.

I don't need anymore tee shirts, my quiver is full, I have a phone and I definately don't want to join the Army.

But it is more than that

I am a reader

From soup cans to encyclopedias

When my older brother brought home the early bi-monthly issues of Surfer I was all over it.

So even though I didn't surf I have been reading the mags for a while.

When John Severson started The Surfer it was a collection of still shots printed up and sold at his movies.

By the time the magazine hit the shelves a few years later it contained an interesting combination of text and black and white photos.

Back in the early days you could send in your parents shot of you surfing blown out Tin Can beach and if there was room that issue it might get published!

John surfed came in and wrote, edited and published Surfer.

Along with the movies, for a while.

New people came in to help with the work load but it seemed they stayed true to the "surf and then write about what it meant to them as individuals" approach.

In short it had soul.

Fast forward to today.

There have been some changes.

er and ing are just two properties in a stable of action sport publications.

It's all about revenue baby, revenue.

But hey it's a business, it's run like one and I wish them all the best in these difficult economic times of decreasing ad revenues.

And I am certainly not saying there aren't a bunch of stoked surfers working at Primedia.

It is, after all a dream job for a surfer,

right after shaping and glassing.

But things have changed,

as they always do.

Now the "new testament of the sport" is being written by bloggers world wide.

With a click of a mouse I can visit the websites of literally hundreds of stoked surfers who still have water draining out of their noses. Typing up musings on todays session and including pictures too!

So if you haven't already, drink the Kool Aid, start a blog and let's see what you have to contribute.

It's a great time to be alive!

PS

John Severson is still surfing and producing beautiful art work.

See it at surfer art

PPS

I have enormous respect for the Surfer's Journal and Surfer's Path publications along with all the others that have keep the stoke alive!

Ether Daily

2009-01-13T06:27:00.001-08:00

Photo poached from Ether Daily

Andrew Kidman has started a blog and it is nothing short of fantastic!

The pictures and text are what you would expect from Mr Kidman

"PHOTOGRAPHS, STORIES, INTERVIEWS AND INSPIRED MATERIAL FROM THE MAKING OF ETHER"

Check it out here!

The Cold

2009-01-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

"Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snows in the fields and wood, if you would keep your spirits up. Deal with brute nature. Be cold and hungry and weary."

Henry David Thoreau

It's winter time in the northern hemisphere.

Even though I live in sunny SoCal winter sea temps are in the mid 50's and when you add the wind chill factor for me its a tad chilly.

You when you look at the conditions Ras and Eric deal with on a regular basis I am the first to admit I have it easy and warm.

But the point is we all have a relationship with the cold.

What's yours?

Do you ignore it? Hide from it? Complain? Joke about it?

It doesn't seem to matter how cold. It's relative cold. If it was 20 degrees out I wouldn't leave the house. But in the same temperature Ras and Eric would be skipping to the beach in shorts.

(OK maybe skipping is an over dramatization but you get the idea)

The point being that it is all in your head.

One of very few things you actually have some control of (exercising that control is another thing).

Think about that the next time you are in the parking lot putting on a damp full suit and wet smelly booties.

But I am still looking into a Patagonia wetsuit for next year.

PS I never go anywhere without my hood

Davy Graham - Cry Me A River

2008-12-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

Davey Graham passed away recently.

If you haven't heard of him or his music, take a listen.

Waiting for more rain here in SoCal

This track seemed appropriate

Seasoned Greetings

2008-12-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

I spent some thyme (see title) changing over the blog links I had to the kind that shows you a little of the last post.

The list also is set to sort by last post date/time,
so the new stuff is on top.

I had to do all this manually so I am sure I left off something.

Let me know if I did and I will add it.

I am not doing a ton of posting here but I wanted to have a place to just check links and I am too lazy to subscribe to the RSS feed. (really, this is what is happening with the page)

SurftheBlogs does the same thing but this is a smaller (although ever growing)list.

Wolfgang Bloch at Surf Gallery in Laguna Beach

2008-12-17T07:09:00.000-08:00

I saw over at Ryan Tatar blog

That Wolfgang Bloch is doing a book signing on Friday

Works of other artist's will be available.

It's the holiday season after all.

Standard Laguna art gallery stuff really.

But I want to talk about Bloch's work more than the event

It's different

I have glanced at a couple of his paintings

never LOOKED at them so I still don't know anything

I think looking at his work (and most others) over the internet

you really don't get enough input.

If I tried to describe his work

I would have to say that two fields come together

very dramatically

and there is a surprise

a wave.

So I may go.

Friday on the last Friday before Xmas is no time to go anywhere

so maybe not.

the show runs 6-10 or something like that so maybe I'll go around 3

If they are open, the show should be hung

and I could really take a look and see.

No online pics but the surf gallery has some

Surf-Knot Art Show at Shelter Surf Shoppe

2008-12-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

This Saturday December 13th at Shelter Surf Shoppe:

- A New Art Exhibition By Tyler Warren

- The Premier of the Tyler Warren Expiriments (a J Smart Film)

- Live Music by the Mattson 2

- Skateboard Demo by Pickle featuring his ant Tyler Moma’s new sidewalk sleds (TnT Skateboaords)

- 6 in the PM.. Always Free…Always Fun…

Shelter is located at 2148 E 4th Street in Long Beach 90814