Magic

Sunset at Sunset Beach in the OC.. Make a Wish!

Mixed Feelings

So I mentioned earlier on in a previous post... about my husband and that one day he was gonna learn to surf. Well today was that day. He went out on the water on a 2-3 nice day at Blackies with our friend Natalie. She is the amazing friend, who took me out the first time. I also had friends out there looking for him for me, as I had to be at work and he really didn't want me around the first time out. He was not there my first time out. So that is only fair.

Now he is a bit cocky..but I guess most guys are. LOL. So he makes his snide remarks about surfing to me. How when he starts, he will surf circles around me. How 4' waves really don't look all that big, and I am wuss. I got the comments when I first started.. why don't I look like my other friends my age who surf?(not physically, but surf ability) because I do have to say after 5 kids and being a grandma.. I look pretty DAMN GOOD FOR MY MIDDLE AGED SELF!

BUT on the positive side He really has been very supportive. He is just a smart A$$. Honestly I have heard him brag to people about my surfing. So He is proud of me. He really is happy about it.
I don't know if he started surfing, for competition with me, Or if he was getting a bit jealous, Or if he thought it is something we can do together. Usually if he goes with me when I surf. He either stands on shore and watches, or shore fishes.

So.. I was wondering how he would do. Part of me wanted him to fail. Just so I could go ..HA HA!.. I also want him to know how hard it is. This was a challenge for me..and I wanted it to be for him..but I also wanted him to love it as much as I do. Can you tell we have been together a while? Almost 16 years, but married for over 10!

Now I knew going in, he had a few things on his side. 1) he is a guy and lets face it guys are physically stronger, More upper body strength and all. 2) HE works on the ocean every day, He is a captain and a deckhand on sport-fishing boats and has been for years. So I know he not only has the sea in his blood, and loves the Ocean, He also has sea legs and good balance. SOMETHING I AM STILL WORKING ON. 3) He is also 6 years younger than I. (No I am not a cougar, he stalked me LOL, and as I said I am damn good looking ;-)..) SO he has age on his side as well.

So my friend messages me and says
"Saw Brian surfing.... He's good. I think there are 2 surfers in the family now"

Well Great!!

I talked to him afterward. He has the stoke.. I can hear it in his voice. He said he is sore and his arms are numb and he is tired. He wanted to go in and Natalie would not let him. I heard he popped up in the white wash, but did have a little difficulty getting outside. He did get outside eventually..BUT I heard he did take to it pretty well. They surfed from 8:20 till 9:00 and took a break and then went back out at 9:15. I heard after 45 minutes he was exhausted. I think they surfed a total of about an hour.

Now Blackies is a short paddle out. So I am happy it was a bit hard for him. It was only 2'-3' Which is fun to me. BUT he said were big. I remember when 2-3 was big to me. But in all honosty...4 and up gets my heart pumping.I really do not like to go out any bigger than 4.

Well..the good and bad. I am happy he is surfing.. Don't know if he will like it as much as I. If he does and surfing takes hold of him as it did me, it could change him for the better. He is a bit "high-strung" and this could mellow him. HOWEVER.. I am a bit jealous, because Surfing was my thing. My SPECIAL THING.. and FISHING was his. I do see another positive. If he loves it as much as I do.. that could be good. HOWEVER EXPENSIVE. YIKES.. more wet-suits and boards in our future..Our garage is already packed with Fishing poles and equipment. I am having space issues with my 2 boards, Foamy and Tallulah, and was wondering where I was gonna put my third,(oh did I mention I am having a custom board made by Mere Made Surfboards, Um yep at the glasser as we speak) It is my Christmas/Birthday gift..and I am due for another board.

Since my daughter surfs as well, she uses the foamy for now.(BUT she does not need to, and we need to get her another board) We now have 3 SURFERS in the family. SO I guess the family that "surfs" together stays together......


BUT you know what this means now.. don't you? If he out surfs me... I will just have to learn how to out fish him. So I guess I may have to get one of our "fishing" friends to take me out and teach me how! LOL

A SHOUT OUT TO THE SURFING COMMUNITY.. ONE OF OUR OWN CAN USE A LITTLE HELP =)

THIS GIRL SO ROCKS AND HAS A HEART OF GOLD! SHE HAS HELPED ME OUT WITH A FEW THINGS,FROM SURFING,(ONE OF MY FIRST SURFING FRIENDS AND FELLOW BLOGGER WHO REACHED OUT TO ME AND GAVE ME ADVICE AND ENCOURAGEMENT), SENDING CARE PACKAGES TO MY SON IN THE ARMY WHEN HE WAS DEPLOYED, TO GETTING MY BUTT IN THE WATER BY GIVING ME A WETSUIT WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE ONE..SHE WAS GENUINELY CONCERNED WHEN MY SISTER had knee surgery and offered support, because she had been there done that... SHE ALSO IS ALWAYS THERE WHEN I NEED TO VENT OR JUST BS!..She just randomly checks up on me from time to time just because.. IF ANYONE DESERVES THIS ACT OF KINDNESS IT IS HER. SURF SISTA YOU ARE GONNA BE ALRIGHT! AND UP AND SURFING, SKATING AND DANCING TO THE COWBELL BEFORE YOU KNOW IT! ♥ Ya!


Can you Please do me a favor.. it is my Birthday in a few days and if you can in anyway as a gift to me.. I don't want any physical gifts. PLEASE contribute to my friend Mary's Operations.. ANYTHING WOULD HELP! I have posted information regarding this. If you have any questions I will gladly answer them.. AND if you can spread the word.. That will help too! Thanks.. Michelle

http://www.gofundme.com/d8ab4 If you copy this link and paste it in your browser it will take you to a site to donate. =) I don't know how else to post it on blogger..

Better Than Not Surfing

It is Thursday and of course my day off. I have to pick surf either Thursday or Friday..because I was not sure IF I would be able to surf both days. I decided on Thursday after I received a few text messages that surf was not too bad. SMALL but doable. At first I headed to Blackies..by the time I got there the only surf able spot was just North of the Pier... the rest was just mush!..BUT of course everyone was right where the waves were and crowded in like sardines. SO I get another text.. Cliffs look good. SO I make a phone call to my friend who was headed to Blackies to meet me, nix Blackies meet at Cliffs. We meet up right at where the dog beach ends.

Waves looked good, saw some guys on rides no bigger than waist high..and even though they were not the best conditions. People were out.. so we suited up. The tide was low and we had a bit of a paddle out to get outside. But the paddle out was not too hard. Just long.

The Husband tagged along and did some fishing from shore. He is suppose to attempt surfing soon. BUT I am not sure how I feel about that yet. THAT I will save for another post. HA!

Any way the waves are soft like marshmallows. THEY looked big and were breaking far out. BUT they were hard to catch. I got one from the outside a nice long left.. It started to peter out a bit..but I can feel there was still something, SO I pumped my board ..the best you can a 9'0..and a little wave reformed inside... So I got a little longer ride.. Not all the way to shore. I didn't want to tire myself out paddling.

OK that felt good.

I try for more and nothing. They looked like they were gonna be BIG and I paddled and paddled and paddled nothing. Most of the waves outside had big drops and were closing out.. I decided to try inside. Inside the waves had a little more shape..BUT SOFT AS HELL. I just could not get any. SO back out I went.. I caught one more ride. It was short and slow right..but it was a ride. I jumped off my board when my board just stopped.. Still not too far inside..but again. It was a ride.. AND really that was it. I was out a little over an hour and had two rides. Nothing amazing..but better than nothing.

My friend got a few rides.. she also had a bit of a wipe out. Here are her words on that day.
"goldenwest wasn't bad it was soft but if u caught outside had some fun fast pitchy drops not long rides though fast close outs i was on one looked back at face and it dropped out so fast i got hurled under did a nice back somersault came up with board behind me. waves definitely not dribblers! nice sunny day and am glad we surfed"

So All in all it was a good day.

I ended up not surfing Friday. Heard conditions were not so great any way. I had to do some errands in the morning and was hoping maybe some afternoon surf would appear. BUT I just stayed home and did grown up responsible things. Maybe the universe way of saying next week you have vacay and surf and weather will be great.. lets take today to get caught up on things. LOL

THEN we get out and get dressed.
My husband is a Captain and works the fishing boats and whale watch boats.. So he has this keen eye.. and on his day off .. still watches the sea.
We see a pod of dolphins show up right where we were surfing..If we stayed a few minutes more we would have been playing with them.

BUT also My husband shouts whale!! There is a whale, right outside the surf break. He said it jumped and then we saw his spout. THEN AS IRMA AND I WATCHED IT JUMPED AGAIN! I almost started crying it was so beautiful. Irma loved it too... But she said she would paddle in if she saw that so close. Don't want to be jumped on by a whale. HAHA!.. It was amazing though.. and made the surf day end with a bit of magic.

I was trying to take a picture of the whale..but of coarse he or she didn't perform again. IF you have a keen eye you can see the slick of where it is in this picture and the dolphins are right out past the surfer there. The whale is to the right kind of left of the lifeguard tower in between the oil rigs, right past the surf break.

Sorry best picture I could get with my Blackberry. But at least it is something.

San O Baby!!

Well it started out as a trek with a few of my fav peeps to Churches! The idea was a few of us piled in a Motor home. While others we would meet down South.. So the Trek begins..
We even got on base and found a few of our friends in the water. As we stood there watching.. I was getting a bit nausea in the belly.. I saw beautiful waves. Some waist, some chest..but nothing smaller.. THEN there were the head and overhead waves. I was in my mind going.. please say we are not staying...please say we are not saying.. OF course I don't want to be the one to say it out loud. Since I didn't drive. BUT after seeing our friend out there taking a head high wave. We looked to the South at San O and saw nice fun waves. The decision was made to head south.. THANK YOU JESUS! See I went to Church and my prayers were answered. =)

So we head over to San O. It is high tide. Where we parked there was no Beach just water. Park and put your board in the water how convenient!
The waves looked to me about 2-4 easy rollers. Most were breaking way outside so the paddle was a bit of a bitch.

We were out for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The waves were big and rolly and very very soft and hard to catch.. do to the high tide. I paddled so much for nothing and with that long paddle out. My arms and paddle stamina were failing fast.
I did catch a few fun lefts and a real nice long right. The good thing is since you had to get way out there, that when you got a ride it was long and fun.

I also was working on trying to catch shoulders.. I think I caught one. I hear the wave break as I popped up but saw I was gliding to the left on a nice clean glassy pallet.. so I was on the shoulder. YAY ME! Took that baby all the way to shore. Even though I had to paddle way out again. It is hard to jump off a fun ride. I never want it to end.

However with the good comes some bad. One wave which was one of the bigger ones I paddled for lifted me up and I started my pop up and then it was over. I got tossed like a salad. I was a bit worried. I was spinning around for quite some time.. then when I was able to start swimming I could not figure out where I was. I felt I may not be able to hold my breath much longer. So I opened my eyes to figure which way was up and I saw light and headed that way. Reached the top and took the biggest breath of my life. I wear contacts.. so I usually do not open my eyes under water. BUT I had to this time .. I felt like I was running out of time. Yikes.

As soon as I caught my breath. I looked behind me and a swell was headed my way I was at the perfect place. So I jumped on my board and paddled and that is when I caught one of my fun little lefts. =)

Then while I was paddling back out at one point. A big wall of white wash was heading at me. SO I did my usual push up on my board and let the water go between me and the board. BUT did it... NO.. it pushed my a$$ right off my board. Then 2 seconds later my board was flying at me so I put up my arm and took a nice fin to the arm.. Well it could have been my head or face. So I am lucky I put my arm.. Up...Just Mother Oceans way of letting you know who is in charge, and when you are out there.. You are HER Bitch and don't you forget it!! I headed to shore... To see if my wet suit tore... or if I was bleeding. NOPE :-).. Just knew it was gonna be a nasty bruise. I can feel it already. So I went back out to play for a bit more. But started to get tired.. lots of paddling.. paddling to get so far out...and paddling for the never breaking wave. So I needed a break.


Surfboards also make good snack tables.

We all got out and had some snacks and other refreshments and chatted. Relaxed a bit. Then it was time for round 2!

I never took my wetsuit off. So I just grabbed my board and went. The sun in the later afternoon was a bit blinding. The tide dropped, so the shape was a bit better. The rocks were more exposed, so now we had to deal with them. The Seaweed.. uggh, seemed like every time I got off my board I landed right in a pile of seaweed.

But a caught 2 more nice rides. When I was trying to paddle for a wave and realized I had no more umph..and my stamina was null and void. I knew I was done.

I was not tired and really wish I could stay out longer like 2 of my other friends..but I didn't feel like too much of a wuss..my partner in crime Tracy came in right before me! I mean we had a double session and a LOT of paddling. Maybe a total of 3 to 3 1/2 hours of surfing..

So I left my house at 7 AM.. did the mom carpool routine... with surfboard in tow. Funny seeing the kids pile in and have to work around a 9-0 board...then headed right out to HB area and hitch a ride with some friends to head down south and I got home at 7:15 PM.. Now that is what I call a day of Surfing!....and I can't wait for the next time!

Some of these really lovely pictures are from my friend Tracy..Such a lovely way to end the post!

The "SWELL"..I may be the only one not excited by it..

This Break is crowded when a Swell is not forecast..but look at it when there is??? As my friend Stephanie quoted " ZOOPORT".. yeah, I have no desire to fight those crowds. Even though it has been a while since I last surfed.

So everyone all week.. surfers, non surfers, beach dwellers and even the news has been non stop talking up this swell! But the first couple days it was not all that. I heard it was also a big close out mess at most of the local surf breaks I frequent. If not closed out and big.. then crowded. I have even heard of 2 boards being broken this week! I am sure a lot more were too. I just don't find that fun.

So I decided to avoid it all together. NOT that I would be able to get outside. This swell is definitely too big for me. I know my limits and do not have a death wish... BUT I really didn't want to mess with the crowds of people, even the ones on shore just watching...I really did not want to be part of the circus.

I have been reading and watching the news and looking at blogs and videos of the craziness all week. It has been making me anxious and nervous and jumpy. I don't know why???...considering I would never be able to be out in conditions like that. It really is not for me.. HA.. fun to watch but I wouldn't do it.

However,I am totally stoked for my friends and fellow surfers who got their stoke. I have so many friends who LIVE for this..This is their surfing.. this is what surfing is all about..THEY ditch work and school for this.

But this is not my kind of surfing. I want my nice 1-4 glass clean easy riding cruiser (grandma) waves back.

I am not disrespecting this swell or those who love this..I do think it is fun to watch, for a short time. There are definitely different types of surfers. Surfers who like different,style, size and shapes of waves. What some get stoked on others do not and vice a versa. I think I am happy that my fav days seem to be the days where some surfers would not think twice about having their board touch the water.

I am ready for "Normal" Again! What I am comfortable and use to =)..

..besides I need to get in the water soon.. or I'm gonna dry out..and NO one around me likes it when that happens.. HA!

Happy New Year!

New Years Eve was suppose to be a surf day. BUT the fog was terrible...and so was the surf. A few girls from my surf club decided to go Stand Up Paddle Boarding in HB Harbor, So we did.

One of the girls showed up, after trying to paddle out to surf. She is a die-hard and very good at surfing. She said it was a nightmare and she was caught inside and just made it out once. It was not worth anything she said. So I know, even though I brought my board praying for some sort of surf session to end the year, I would not be as lucky as her. HA.. So I am glad I decided for SUP, & she decided to join us.

My Friend Clair just posted pictures from our day so I decided to post a shot of me on the SUP.

The sun came out for our little event. It was a nice relaxing paddle with a few friends. Very enjoyable. Although I am always the one bringing up the rear. I need to work on my paddling technique. Oh well I still liked it and it was a work out. Since I have been a bit stressed for more reasons than one, It was much needed after the Christmas Holiday! Afterwards a few of us went to check out the surf across PCH to see if it got any better. Just BIG Walls. That came crashing down all at once. One girl pointed out after a huge thunderous clump..she said, "well that sounded Bone Crushing"...we decided to carry on with our New Years Eve, and most went on their way.

3 of us Artie, Tracy and I , decided to go and get lunch at "The Secret Spot" was pretty good I had a Vegetarian Italian sandwich with pesto and provolone. Yum. We chatted and had a bit of bonding time. Just when I think I cant love these girls any more than I do. I needed to talk and just have girl time. I got much needed insight and support from them. I am so Lucky to have them in my life.

Then we went to go look at some used boards at the Frog House and Bruce Jones.(Tracy is looking for a used 8-0.) Artie said good-bye at the Frog House. Tracy and I carried on to Bruce Jones. We, Met Bruce, he is very much a sweetheart. Talked to us about boards and I learned a bit. I always love getting free knowledge.

Well after that Tracy had to go, so she could get ready for her New Years Festivities.. I was not ready for my trek inland, so I decided to just hang out and sit on the beach.
ALL of a sudden the fog came back and it got cold.

So I sat there. With not much of a view, but listening to the Ocean and Waves Crash,Fog Horns off in the distance...It was very nourishing and Soul Soothing. I loved and needed that. I also decided to take a walk and walked down the shore of Sunset Beach to Bolsa, then walked a bit more and turned around and came back.

Decided to sit and listen again, meditate a bit. I was getting cold, I could barely feel my fingers. THEN the Fog parted and the sun started peeking through. It was weird as the sun started shining I was right in its path. Didn't shine to the left or right of me..but RIGHT directly in front of me, IT was like the sun shone for me. Very bizarre, but very beautiful.

I kinda needed that whole day and all I experienced. WHAT an amazing way to end the very last day of the Year. I finally left at 4:45 to head home and get ready for my New Years Eve with my Grandson and my son and his fiance and her family. We had an amazing dinner.

Honestly.. even though I had not one drop of alcohol and could not surf, and didn't even make it to midnight, (fell asleep around 11). I think there was something very Special about this New Years Eve...and can't wait to see what 2012 is gonna Bring! HAPPY NEW YEARS I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST FOR 2012!