Finally!

Yep! Today's session was a good one. I knew that a bad day at work would probably mean I'd experience a good day in the water. I mean, my karma usually works that way. (Or should I say my Wheel of Fortune?) I left work yesterday pissed off at everyone . . . including myself. One day out of 16 isn't bad, especially for me, the woman who would quit a job at the drop of a hat before I had a child. Anyway, yesterday sucked. All I wanted today was to have fun in the water.

The call for the day was the Breakwater. CYT dislikes the homebreak and with good reason. The sandbars are a mess now; there isn't much to surf out there other than, yes, closeouts. Granted, there were closeouts today too, but I caught quite a few shoulders before I was knocked off the board. I was a little nervous today. I'd decided to finally get the funboard wet. Even though it's only six inches shorter than my Slick, it's a totally different animal. As soon as I started to paddle out, I panicked, thinking it too squirrely and too narrow. It just felt different than a single fin and I was not happy. Almost immediately, I asked CYT to switch boards with me. I wanted to at least get a couple of waves for the sake of my confidence before spending the rest of the session as a kook. I think my first wave (on her board) may have been my best wave of the day. It was a left. I carved up and down the face of it before making a backside turn. It was gooooooood! I felt like my old self, the one who used to surf four or five days a week. I got a second wave and then said I was ready to switch back. It took some time, but I eventually got the hang of the new board. You know, the new board I've had since June (or May) but hadn't ridden. Once I got my confidence up and got the hang of the board, I loved it. Truthfully, it was a relief. See, when Sensei Greg learned that Bruce Grant (now of Con Surfboards) was making me a board, he advised me to cancel the order. He said Bruce Grant's work was unpredictable, that I'd get either a great board or a piece of shit. His words stayed with me and I was hesistant to take the board out. I was expecting the worst. I'm happy to say, though, that this one is a keeper. The board is fast and seems to have a bit of snap to it. I've got to learn how to surf it. I still surf like a longboarder. I kept reminding myself to bend my knees more. And then, I'd catch a wave and go right back to my almost upright longboard stance. It'll take some time to make the mental and physical switch to a different type of board. I do believe, though, that this funboard is a good way to work my way down to my 7'0".

Hair update: Well, hmmmmm. These aren't quite locks. However, they aren't quite normal hair either. I'm reaching the in-between stage. My hair now wants to stay twisted. In fact, I do have a few bona fide locks in the back of my hair. I wish that part of my hair would hurry up and lead by example. Still, I know this is a process that can't be rushed. Here's a picture of my head a few hours after I got out of the water. It's obvious that changes are taking place. I'll just try to remain patient and stop obsessing about the locks.