Drought December

22, 23 November - I did not see the ocean on Saturday, but I heard the swell had dropped and there was a contest at JTH. Sunday, the swell was definitely gone, and what was left was a mix of the waning ground swell and west-northwest wind swell. It was small double-up contest surf complete with a contest. Tomorrow.

"A fool at 40 is a fool forever"

"This man represents the tragedy of aid," he said pointing to the older of the two. "While this man represents the potential of aid," he said indicating the younger man. Mr Mwenda explained that the sexagenarian was the chairman of the local parish council who had spent most of his life living off aid money, supervising projects meant to benefit the community. Today he is an alcoholic who still lives with his mother. Dysfunctional lifestyle. The younger man started selling potatoes in the village square at the age of 17. Less than 10 years later he owns the largest and busiest store in the village. He has not received one penny from aid, yet he has bought himself land and has built a house.

27 through 29 November – tripping to Irvine for a football match. Lots of people, smog-ridden air, I got sick, great football but sketchy tournament, and the fun of adventure. Two wins and a tie – we missed the championship game by goal difference. On the way back I got to see some of the swell the bros back home were telling me about. C Street was overhead and looking pretty good. Further north, the swell got smaller – Rincon was shoulder to head high, and El Capitan was pinner.

30 November – swell pushing while I was away – tonight 11.4 feet from 290 at 17 seconds. Back from LA and I’m sick.

Sustainable vs Throw Away – in every facet of human life – recalling the past because we throw the present away – all other life on this planet – this planet – lives through sustainable mechanisms - balance. The ancient foot path traveled by all creatures, from one point of living to another – broken by human progress – they throw a little away for each step of progress, but in the end all they’ve thrown away will be their end and the end for many others. Sustainable. Sustainability = Balance.

3 December – finally got back into the water today, even though sickness continued to set up house in by body. I surfed JTH with tide high and on the way out. Maybe chest high. Got a couple and reacquainted myself with the ocean. Ocean sounds bouncing into my window suggest the swell is picking up.

In reference to the auto industry, I was amused to hear that after some deep thought, CEOs are willing to work next year for a salary of $1. Wow, what a sacrifice. After receiving $23 million or so each year for the last few years: do you think they can make it? And the wise senator who asked this of the CEOs, why not have them do the hokey pokey or shimmy with a hula-hoop? These acts seem to be adequate qualifiers for a $23 billion dollar loan. I’m fuckin sure.
And Bush – “…I regret intelligence failures”. Sure, blame some esoteric process – nuclear weapons, super power, and intelligence failures? What a lethal cocktail. The buck stops at – intelligence failures. Why was I speeding? Well officer, there was an intelligence failure. I’m not responsible.

4 December – surfed the Steps, waist to head-high, but I was still feeing my illness - nothing else but coughing fits of sleep.

5 to 8 December – I went from sick to sicker and haven’t been to the ocean since. Went to the physician and found that my virus moved into a bacterial infection. The PA said my throat looked “nasty”. Antibiotics to the call – we shall see. Anyway, I am shut down.

9 to 16 December – One surf last week that lasted 5 waves, not because I was out of energy, but the surf just disappeared. The antibiotics got me back on my feet, and I feel like my health is back – but I haven’t seen a wave for days. We’ve had a strange mix of cold stormy weather with little swell. I’ve checked the buoys, and they show swell is in the water, but the direction indicates the swell is coming in from Oakland. Today was cloudy and sunny, and the ocean shimmered silver. Framing the Bay were snow-covered mountains. Today, I’ve been married 30 years, and for those that surf hardcore, you will recognize this as an accomplishment. Not on my part, but on the part of the person who stuck by me when all that mattered was surf. Today, I am very happy.

I heard about an interview done with Cheney. Unfuckingbelievable. The guy’s directly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands, torture conducted by Americans, and constitutional abuses, and he admits it with an arrogance unmatched by anyone I can remember – except Bush and the rest of his henchmen. And the shoe-chucking incident – you could literally feel the guys frustration. There are those in government that deserve the shoe treatment – and wouldn’t it be wonderful to oblige. Then the news that another official with a corporate agenda tried to undermine Endangered Species Act; editing reports and applying pressure on scientists in order to advance corporate over animals; resigns when she gets caught when ultimately she should be going to jail. In fact, now that this whole Bush clusterfuck is coming to an end, and they figure no one’s going to do anything about their total disregard for the rule of law, they are flaunting it in our collective faces. So fucking what – what are you gonna do about it?

17 to 24 December – FLAT – Just Flat. Except today it’s stormy victory at sea. Other than that, I’m still struggling to kick this cold/plague type condition. On the bright side, a five-year wait has ended. I have taken receipt of a 5’ 8” Pavel Speed Dialer. The craftsmanship is of the highest quality and the board looks like it will be really fun. The glass job is one of the best I have ever seen – down to the resin pin strips, glass rope cord cleat, and wedge stringer. It’s custom. But how do I ride it? You can envision the whole scene. Nice walls at Tiburones, light crowd, and the maiden voyage. Racing down the line, just kicking it into gear when some lame-ass LB drops in going straight. Evasive maneuvers are executed, but in the end a collision occurs. The inevitable “sorry” is uttered before I go ballistic. Ralph? Alternatively, I could hang it on the wall and daydream. Is this possibly one of the most difficult decisions of my life?

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurred on December 21, 2008 at 12:04 UT (Universal Time). The longest night of the year, and the next day, light triumphs over darkness. It is truly incredible how this day has been celebrated and honored by all cultures since the beginning of humanity. I look forward to this day because it means the battle between night and day is over and spring is to come – the beginning of my favorite surf season. Whatever the reasons, it all comes down to daylight; a time to groove on what was accomplished or not during the previous span of daylight, and a time to look forward to the next cycle. In the best of pagan traditions, Happy New Daylight and I hope the next cycle treats you and yours well.

Last Word-
War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (1917-1963)  ¶ 3:12 PM 3 comments