A few things.. Surfing, Surf Related, Feelings and also Japan.. not necssarily in that order!

SURF RELATED:.. I would like to start with a gift my daughter gave me. It is a beautiful surfboard necklace and matching earrings with Plumeria flowers. I have a lot of jewelry that represent the ocean, and Hawaii. But this is my first piece of "surf" jewelry. I love it and wanted to share! I am not a big person for diamonds, Tiffany or any other designer anything for that matter. I am more about the simple stuff, unique stuff and the meaning behind it. SO THANK YOU MIKALA.. I love it! I just had to share, I thought it was so beautiful..and she earned it helping out at a trade show that is related to fishing and other outdoorsy stuff with a good friend of ours. Instead of getting herself something she got me something. I think that is so sweet. OH but don't fret.. she also got paid monetary compensation as well.

SURFING: I surfed yesterday Sunday. My home break. Yep it was crowded of course because it was a decent surf day. I say it was 3'-4' but my friend who knows way more about surfing than I said it was a 3' set day. So lets go with her take, she is more the expert.
Any way... I did good, I think I did anyway. Caught a few good waves one yucky wave but did paddled for a lot more in between.
My first wave of the day, I caught rode it nicely and decided to turn..and I did..my first planned out and accomplished turn. I think that was my favorite part about yesterday. I have turned before. But this turn was completely 100% orchestrated.
My main goal this time out, was to work on my pop up. I am trying to POP UP.. not crawl up.
Another wave I caught and rode in..pop up could have used some work, not as fast as the other. But I will take it. It was still a fun ride, and I feel I had a bit of control.
Yet another wave, I totally wiped out head first. wwwwoooosh bash slam..Pearled!!! Yep. BUT as I was doing it. I knew what I was doing wrong. I caught the wave, was not looking forward but down,(you are gonna go where you are looking so never look down) I keep getting told this, but for some reason don't always obey it. Also I was positioned too forward on my board. Well as I started to pearl I thought I could fix it. As my nose headed down, I tried to scoot back on my board and look at the shoreline..but it was too late. Over I went, remembered to cover my head, and swam up and found my board. No injury's. YEAH! BUT at least I realize what I am doing wrong. I love learning and acknowledging I am learning. So maybe next time I will not do it. Yeah right!!.. We will see. LOL
I was starting to get tired and weak.. I wanted to get out and worked hard to get outside with all my friends. ONE time I was paddling and turtling and finally was hands length to my friends wave broke, I turtled. Came up. Saw another wave with my friend coming right at me on it. I said. F- - -!!!(fill in the blanks) I think she said the same word. I just plopped on my board turtled again and hoped for the best. Nothing happen. THANK GOD! Then before I could get to my friends, I was pushed back again So close to them, but yet so far. I was so exhausted I turned around and took a wave coming at me. Hit a kids board. WHO always seem to be in the way yesterday. I was over it. LOL
And my last wave, I caught on the inside. By now my arms were like limp spaghetti, I had no strength at this time. The paddle out seem longer and harder than normal that day. It was a lot of work for me. I did get out past the break a few times. Seem like the sets just kept coming,and were fast and had lots of power,and as I got one foot forward I would get pushed 2 feet back. I turtled a lot yesterday, getting over my fear. BUT I still cant swing back over. I can turtle, hold the board wave goes over and then pop back around. BUT I can never magically be right back on top of my board. I have no idea how that is even possible?? But I guess that is how it is suppose to be done??? I of course one time turtled come back up just to be hit with another wave. I hate that because you come up for air, take a deep breath, wave hits..and mouthful or more of salt water. Yuck yuck yuck! WHICH always makes me sick and nausea for the rest of the day. ANY way My last wave I was shaky my arms had no strength. Caught a nice lil wave, tried to push up .. NO strength in my arms...my body fell right to the board I had no choice but to ride it in like a boogie board. I so did not want to be done. The waves were fun. I wanted to stay..BUT my body said. YOU ARE DONE! I was feeling nauseated from the "Salt Water cocktail" I again consumed. Mind you also I had to wake up an hour earlier (first day of daylights savings time) so I was up at 5:30 which technically was 4:30AM. I had to paddle harder yesterday, and I think that, along with the combination of possibly being dehydrated..according to my friend in the medical field. I also cramped up in my right side of my ribs while taking off my wetsuit, which could also be a sign of dehydration. All played a roll in my weakness. So who knows??
I surfed an hour and a half. I had an overall great time and of course was in GREAT company. Had a few of my surf club girls out there with me. Even though I have to admit the rest of the day I was sore, sick from the salt water, and exhausted and at the point I really could not see straight and just flat out spent. I would not have had it any other way.

FEELINGS:I also wanted to comment on a few other feelings I have about surfing. Yesterday when I was done and finally able to soak in a hot bath. I think about my day,what I learned that day. GO over and over each wave I caught and what I did, what surfing has done to me in general, how it has changed me, Who I am now because of it. I thought a lot about what I wanted to put in my next blog post. But since this one is so long. I think I will save some of that for another post another day. Also I wish I wrote down some of my thoughts yesterday to share, because now I don't remember some of the good ones.

JAPAN: On my mind and in my heart ever since I heard the news. I have no real words to express my feelings. I am at awe regarding ALL the devastation they are going through. It seems so unreal to have that much destruction in such a short time.I feel like I am watching a movie when I see it all on TV...but it is real life and really happening. I still can't wrap my mind completley around it!

Biggest Earthquake we have ever seen!!
The most devastating Tsunami in our time!!
Nuclear Power plant on meltdown!!
No power and don't know when they will get any!!
People have lost lives!
Love ones have lost love ones!
Not just home but whole villages gone, erased away. People lost everything..
NOW they have the weather and below freezing temperatures to deal with.
Basic food, water, shelter and medical care.. scarce.
THE clean up. HOW do you clean it up? There are freight liners washed up so far inland.
The uncertainty of it all!

ALL I can do is offer positive energy, thoughts and prayers to all who have been touched by this tragedy.

I want to end this post with a quote I read,It was posted by BuddhaGroove, in regards to Japan..

"Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something." -Unknown