A PICTURE IS WORTH 1000 WORDS

I went to the US open today... Day 4...

I have so much to post about it...It was a crazy great day for me , for so many reasons!.....

.....but one if my fav parts would totally have to be that I met Rob Machado!!

I had just arrived and walking to the beach didn't even get to the village area yet... Was texting my friend Irma to see where she was, she scored me an official US Open umbrella too :-). So I was already pretty stoked on that.. And happy I would be able to see one of my all time fav surfers RM....
I was hoping I would be lucky enough to get a pix ... But was trying not to get my hopes up .. Then.....

I ran into him ... I mean I literally ran into him,I was not in HB but 5 minutes!! I had to step aside so he could get by .... He was wearing a hoodie.. I think he was trying to be discreet..Then I looked up to say excuse me and saw those amazing eyes and cute smile.. wait what??? Could it be??? No no I'm not that lucky then I said "Rob?" .... Yeah ...as If I know him , ha! Then this is basically how it went down from then on....
He smiled and said yes... i said it is you!! I came here today just to see you surf ,can I please have a picture with you? He said yes ,and took off his hoodie to expose that beautiful signature mane of his.. How cool of him right???...and of course star struck me babbled about my blog and that I just surfed Encinitas last week... Because that is where he is from.. Poor guy had to put up with that for a minute..lol...sorry it had to be the hair!!! It has a hypnotic power of its own ... I'm telling you!

A passerby offered to take our pix if he could have a pix with him as well..
I felt bad as if I just exposed Rob ... But he was so great about it all.. I even said sorry and he said no worries Or something like that.. I said good luck out there today and he flashed that sweet smile and said Thanks..

But seriously he is one of the nicest guys! I'm happy I ran into him!

I have more to report, like I got a few more pix , with A few other surfers too... But I will post more later ... I'm tired and just wanted to put this out there today ...:-) again I have no makeup on... And am still not completely awake ha! But don't look at me .. Look at the beautiful person we know as Rob Machado!

Day 3 the last day at San Elijo

Well day 3 I wake up before anyone in my site ... So I decided to walk the shore line... It was low tide ... Oh yeah and I was in my PJs!

So as I walk along in the very warm water barefoot at 6:30 am...looking in all the lil crevices of some of the exposed reefs I see full dead lobsters.. And crabs and remains of some kind of a jelly fish.

I later looked up to see what kind if Jellies they were and I found an article that the prior week up and down the coast if Encinitas over 100 stings wee reported.. I'm glad I read that article after I was home .. I prob would not have gone in the water if I knew about this jelly fish invasion before hand!

As I was walking I hear some one whistling from above the cliff and it's Artie and Laurie... They were headed to 7 eleven to get coffee. So I join them ... Still in my PJs we walk and get coffee and I get Tracy a cup too! As we walk by the Cardiff Kook I notice he has been changed again!!! Wow 3 time this weekend! When we got there he was dressed up for a congratulations it's a boy! Then it was celebrate Love... Pix on Pabs posts.. And now as a well wishes for Tiger Woods..

Get back to camp wake Tracy up with a fresh cup of coffee !! I am a good Lola roommate! A good way to ensure I get to camp in Lola again ;-)

We have to wait for tide to fill in to surf again. So Tracy goes and gets a breakfast burrito from Bull Taco we split it and then start to clean up and break down camp!

I took a pix of my sleeping quarters .

While we are doing all this one of the girls hubs said the spare we had on Lola looks cracked in the side and we may want to get a new tire before we head up North. .. Another husband confirmed we prob would not make it home .. Since we now did not have a spare ... It's Sunday we get a bit worried if we will make it home.

So Tracy started looking for places to get a tire for a 1986? Westfalia on a Sunday in Encinitas...

... I am meeting Pabs and Valerie for a surf sesh ... So I ask Tracy ifit's ok I still go and she says yes.. But now she was not wanting to go.. Surf was not so great and tire issue was bringing her down :-(

Pabs and Valerie show up while we were still getting organize ... I tell them I will suit up and meet them down there .. Pabs has already surfed Swami's and was not felling 100 %.. I later found out he somehow injured himself in the rib area...more on that later :-(
Kathleen also showed up for a last surf session with us ... So a bunch of the girls and I head down the 100 stairs to surf and catch up to Pabs and Val. I was a smart girl and brought my Rail Grabber invented by the one and only Linda Benson!!! Oh yeah that puppy saved my arms carrying my board up and down that killer hike of stairs!

Not much surf really... But Pabs and Valerie were taking off a lot... They are both much better surfers than I ..

Even though Pabs was in a lot of pain.. You would not know it by his style! He is poetry in motion on his board!

And quite the character. One time he was on a wave and I was paddling way indside trying to get the same wave and he came swooping by me and goes right in front of me and holds out his hand and asks If I need a tow!! He was here Michelle grab my hand!! It was hysterical and no I never caught the wave! But all the girls got a good laugh out of it! Laurie said it was one of her favorite parts of the day. Artie sort of got it on her gopro.. She posted it on our clubs page and I'm trying to figure out how to copy and post it here! I have not been able to yet .

Valerie gets out and takes a few pix.. She got one of me standing on Mo.. Not the best ride but a ride none the less.
It was cool surfing with Valerie and our 2 Mere Made surfboards! She is one above and beyond talented and artistic shaper.... I suggest you check out her Mere Made Blog... It's on the side here......>
It was a lot of paddling and a lot of Seagrass and a lot of small waves but not much catching for me:-(

I was sitting next to Pabs chit chatting and getting worried about how much pain he seems to be in.. When a wave starts to form so I go for it!
Then I finally paddle and get on one decent ride with a relatively smooth pop up and I rode that baby to shore!! It was my wave of the whole weekend! Yep sometimes it just takes that one wave... And all is well in the Universe .....but where was Valerie with her camera then?? Oh yeah back in the lineup with me and Pabs. Hahahaa

After that Pabs came in so we did too! He seem to be in A LOT more pain than when he got there. But he still managed to take some pix with us.
(Pabs is a stud...he surfed and smiled for pictures and the poor guy was dying with pain)
I see If anyone in my group can help diagnose him. We all felt he either dislocated a rib or pulled a muscle.

Jens hubs Alan carried Pabs board up the stairs and then he went to the lifeguards to see if they had any advice.

They suggest he go to get seen by a professional. I felt so bad it was just the beginning of his vacation.

He and Val leave and you can read his posts on his blog to see what he did from then on.... But as of the last time I personally spoke to him after we were all home for a few days he was still in pain :-(

As for me I get dressed and pack up and Tracy and I head off to get a new tire for Lola we have till noon according to the tire place so we have to hurry.

We get there all goes good. While waiting for the tire we have lunch and walk around TJ Max..... About 1 1/2 hours later we are on the road home.
Yes we made it safely!

Bean is Happy I am home and now won't leave my side!

Wow what a weekend! But Yes... I Can't wait for next year!

Day 2 at San Elijo & The Meeting of Pabs!

Next morning we wake up and its low tide.  I notice we had a visitor in our campsite the night before.. He or she left some evidence on our Table.

After I cleaned and sanitized our table. I make coffee which took FOREVER... next time 7 11 on the corner. HA! Then we eat a lite breakfast  nonfat yogurt and a hard boiled egg. We were deciding  if we are even are going to go in.

We are all extremely tired from yesterday. Plus not sleeping in our own beds and the train goes by and is loud at night. Although Tracy and I didn't hear it in Lola. =).

But a few others did and one of the girls doggy, Sabre, was throwing up in their tent and had diarrhea all night
Then some of the girls who parked off site got parking tickets. I guess you can only park on a certain side of the main street. There obviously were signs.. but no one seem to see them. Between that and the flat yesterday.. we were all thinking wow where is this trip taking us. But regardless we all stayed in great spirits.. we were all tired, But Happy!

Well as some of us were just chilling.. we decided we would save our energy to surf later. When Cynthia came running back and we thought something happen to someone. She said NO surf looks fun I am going in!!

So How are we too pass up an oppurtunity when it was so done in a SURFS UP GOTTA GO style.? She said everyone is catching waves...and it was just tooo fun sounding..
We all hurried to get our suits on. This time I surfed in my shorty..BUT I am 10 lbs heavier than last time I wore it.. I am so surprised I did not bust out at the seams. BUT it zipped I could move my arms.. so that is all that mattered. Again I put on my fancy booties..but so did a few other girls.. so I didnt look too goofy.. at least there was a group of us..maybe we started a new fashion trend..spring suits and bootys!

I like this shot ^

I am so glad we decided to surf, that was the only surf session that day. I had a ball!!  Also we found a place just a tad North of  where we surfed the day before that had less kelp and sea grass.. DON'T get me wrong it was still grassy and yucky and ewe... but better!!! I caught 2 rides on Mo. Then I took my friends 9'0 Walden, which had her go pro attached. She got a good shot of me. I love it and a video. BUT I am not sure how to post the video yet. Or if I even want to with my "Grandma Crawl style Pop Up"
But it was the first time I rode her board and it felt weird. I caught 2 rides on her. I think, I caught a few rides  on a few different boards that morning, I can't remember how many on what board?
Then I borrowed my friends 9'6 Harbor.. yeah I caught quite a few on that board. That was fun!! Although it was my first time on a single fin. It felt a bit weird. Not really wobbly but different.

Tracy rode Mo and said it was fun and understood what I meant when I said Mo catches waves and just glides with a floating experience! She also rode Artie's board..I didn't try that ..but next time I hope too.

Well after that fun session! We were all starving and went to Union in Encinitas to eat. We were gonna hit up Swamis, but it ..as usual was packed, and thought it would be nice to try something different. I had a bison burger, and a bacon bloody mary.! YUM And YUM!( I prob should not have eaten that..but I was soo hungry)

Then we walked around the Hansen Surf Shop, they were having a fund raiser outside so some of the us did the cake walk and Laurie scored a  lemon sponge cake for dessert later that night,.

Hot surf chicks.. Laurie, Tracy and I in Lola!

After we got back we just chilled In Lola, Tracy and I bought some San Elijo sweatshirts. Then before you knew it, it was time to get things ready for dinner and our bond fire.

(Oh my goodness.. my belly is so big in this pix... I joke I have a  food camping baby!) I ate & drank so much and gained 5lbs after this trip.. needless to say I am on after surf camp trip detox.. HA!

Valerie and Pabs showed up! It was my first meeting with Pabs..and I have to say a few of the girls were a lil  smitten by him.  ;-)..( YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!) He is quite handsome ..as you can see in the pix! Of course Valerie is quite a cutie too and her lil french accent is killer! Let me tell you.. their charm and sweetness is exactly as it is when you read their blogs! Us surf bloggers are pretty cool peeps.. if I do say so myself. I have not met one I didn't admire... so far I met 3. Surf Sista was the first, then Valerie and Now Pabs...KK and DD and I have had a few misses.. BUT soon we shall surf together!

They brought me my fav wine.. Rodney Strong.. (take note everyone ;-) )..but Valerie didn't even know it was my fav!

They stayed and helped with dinner.But had other dinner arrangements.

I played somewhere over the rainbow on the Uke for them.. although it really was not my best performance.. I am not that good to begin with. BUT when everyone is starring at you.. It really does put you on the spot!

We say goodbye and plan for a surf session in the morning around 9'sh.

After that it was dinner time, then we gathered and chit chat around the fire. After everyone went to bed.. some of the "Hot Flashes" our pseudo surf string group practiced a bit. Then when we were too tired to strum, we called it a night.(I cant believe we have no pictures of us playing?!?!?!!)


I wanted to go and see and listen to the ocean one more time before bed. So that is what we all did. It was relaxing and bit of zen moment. What a nice feeling before heading off to bed. 


Stay tune for part 3 and the final chapter of our surf camp experience....

3 Day Surf Trip to San Elijo.. Let the journey begin

Oh boy I have sooo much to blog about ... This is gonna be a bit of a mini series. Plus there should be parts of this story also posted on surf mama 101 blog and one man crowds blog. We all met up and had a surf session this past weekend as well!

So Friday woke up at 5 am so my hubs and I could surf before I left to head down south. He also had to go to work ...so we surfed Blackies. When we arrived it was low tide and flat. Water was nice but I used my full suit just the same. I was gonna run out in board shorts and rash guard... I did later that day down south.

Well I caught 0 that morning ... But did warm up my paddling muscles. Hubs caught a few white wash and played inside. His pop up is getting better at least when he is popping up the front of the board is not shooting straight up like before. And he did pass me up paddling out... As I knew soon he would. However it was a flat day and he is on a 9'6 and I an 8'0

Well we get out its 8:15 and its already getting warm at the beach.

Tracy pulled up in Lola and we pack up my camping and surf gear and get ready to head down south for our surf clubs annual San Elijo surf camp trip! This is my 3rd trip... It's one of my favorite event our club does! This year I traveled and camped with one of my fav peeps Tracy!

We stop in Doho along the way... No surf a few bumps here and there and it was a tad crowded and the surf school was getting ready to go in.. So we decided to proceed to San O and check things out.

San O looked fun! But again crowded. Tracy and I felt more secure if we had a few WK gals there to block for each other.. But it was a beautiful day so we stayed a bit to just watch and had a beer before we continued our journey!

We go to leave and 2 different guys came up to us and said we had a flat tire.!!!
We were both shocked! Get out to look and sure enough flat!

Some guys had portable pumps and we pumped up the tire it did not hold the air it was Shredded in one area... Pretty bad .. We must have ran over something. ??? So we find the spare but found out we didn't have a jack. We were not sure where the jack would be. So I go up and down San O knowing there had to be at least 1 other VW Westfalia (after all it's a "surf van")...well at the other end I find 2 owned by some middle aged guys. I tell them our dilemma and one guy said "I will show you where the jack is located but I'm not fixing anything "... I tell him we are down a ways but he said he is not walking down there and showed me where the stuff should be in his van! Seriously though his tone of voice and how he talked to me was a tad on the A$$ hole side. I just smiled and said thank you! Whatever!

Well we can't get reception on the cells to call AAA below the cliffs so we pray the air holds till we get to the guard shack at top of hill! It does and we get AAA to come and rescue us!

So we head on our way to Encinitas!!

We made it safe and sound! Whew!

We set up camp and have a beer and get some shrimp and fish tacos at the campsite's lil taco stand Bull Taco!
The stuff is yummy and reasonable!

I also bought a few decorations to lively up our camp area so I decorated too!

Girls start arriving and setting up and when we all get situated we head out for a surf session! It was so hot and we all could use a bath in the pacific Yes 2 in one day for me!

I go in a rash guard and board shorts!
Water was WARM!!! Really not a lot of surf.... But more than normal kelp and sea grass! That stuff was everywhere! It grabbed your legs leash and stopped you while trying to paddle ! Ugh I wore booties because of the rocks and other things under the waves (and yes that was quite a fashion sight to see for sure) but wished I had my full suit so I didn't have to feel that slimy stuff as much! I swear it felt like sigmund and the sea monsters were grabbing me!!!
Also a good size leopard shark was surfing with us apparently. A lot of the gals saw it... I didn't .. But I did sea a seal or lil sea lion and a few dolphin.

Well 2 surf sessions for me and no waves :-(..
Oh well time to head back to relax and have wine!

The sun was starting to set and we went and got a nice lobster salad and a bean and cheese burrito for dinner (Tracy and I shared) of course wine!

Day one was pretty eventful and we were exhausted!

We started a campfire ... Laurie appeared with her infamous jello shots! A WK event staple! Yes I had beer wine and jello shots ay ai ay!!

Instead of gathering around the campfire we all gathered around a lantern??? It was still pretty warm out.

Then around 10 we all headed to our tents.. Cars ..motor home and as for Tracy and I Lola!

Well stay tuned the saga continues!

2 surf sessions last week ... Nothing exciting

I still can't figure out how to upload photos to blogger from the almighty I phone ....anyone know how? If so please enlighten me.

I have only surfed 2 times last Friday and then this past Monday.

Friday hubs had day off so we hit Bolsa. Surfed with Laura and Irma. Not the best surf conditions... Did catch one nice left ... My first ride and best wave of the day!

Hubs caught 3 rides but I only saw one. His form is getting better. But he needs to get out of the white wash! But everyone goes at their own pace...

I can't remember much from Friday really just nice to get in the water.
After we went to Cappys for breakfast. I had an egg white omelette with avocado mushrooms and Munster cheese. It was prob the best omelette I ever had!

Monday met up with Laura Irma Jen and Eric...Again Bolsa.... Windy as heck! Air was cold ... We went to T17 walled and big and yucky. We did see dolphins surfing ... 2 times jumped out of the water! One dolphin was riding he wave in.. When my friend got her camera ready.. He never did it again! Of course!That was so cool!

We went to T24 a lot smaller still windy but the guys out there looked like they were having fun... As opposed to the surfers at T17 all you saw was boards flying in the air minus the surfers who belong to them.. That did NOT look fun to me at all.

So we were deciding to surf or not to surf..... My friends put the decision on my shoulders... Since I drove the furthest.. I said lets go for it!!

Laura left .... I think she got spoiled in Cabo so these conditions did not appeal to her! Eric whimped out as well. So Irma Jen and I headed out. The paddle out was not far ... But the wind comming at you worked against getting out and with the rough water...That was a work out in itself! Water was warm, which helped counter the windy cooler conditions and every now and then a ray of sunshine peaked through. I think the waves were 2' at most... When we first headed out they had a bit of shape, not much but there were a few. I caught one left. And 2 wipeouts... 1 I was paddling for a wave and I knew it was gonna close out right on me and it did! My last 2 rides were white wash.... Because that was all there was after 1 1/2 hours of surf! The drift was strong too! So one ride I took to shore and walked back to where we started ... As I did I was watching the ocean and my friends and it was looking really really crappy ! I also noticed we were the only ones out there... And standing on shore I saw why..
But I paddled out for one more ride..

After that my daughter Tabi and I went and did some beach combing and then headed to Mitsuwa Market place for lunch. She had beef curry and I had cold soba noodles and curry and rice!

Glad we decided to head out.. Ended up being a very enjoyable day!

Now packing and getting ready for our clubs annual WK San Elijo surf camp weekend!
Also meeting up with surf mama and Pabs!!

Stay tuned.. This trip always makes for great posts!

Me and My Ukulele

OK this is funny

I am so mad I just typed this whole blog out and i didn't save it and all my wittiness i wrote is now gone. I will try to recapture what I previously typed, but I know it wont be the same. anyway.....

Ok this is scary!  I had a bit of stage fright while recording this from my web cam..HA I don't even have makeup on and here I am putting this out for the world to see. I really am not trying to impress anyone, I am just having fun and want to share what I have been doing ,since I have not been working or surfing. I don't take my self too seriously, but I know the people who follow this blog already know that! Plus this really makes for good entertainment.

I thought I share my ongoing progress on the uke. I am not very good but I am trying. I have really come a long way and I remember when I could not even get 2 chords. I know a few chords not all, and really not a lot compared to how many there are.. BUT I HAVE PROGRESSED! I still need some work on my strumming.. I seem to have the same strum pattern for every song.

I also use to look at my hands to make sure my fingers were positioned right on the strings. I have a long way to go, I know I am a work in progress. BUT I am also so proud of me for doing this and trying something new. I love twanging along on my uke... even if my family does not.

Well if the first video didn't make you run for the hills, here is a second one. With my dog as my back up " barker"!

I would really like to see some video of our friend Surf Sista banging away on the drums! Maybe one day we can have a jam session! Although I am sure you are a lot better than I .

Lets pray for some surf shall we!