It's Actually Hot Right Now!!

I mean right now. Right at this minute. Thank goodness for ceiling fans! I've been out virtually all day. First, I did a three hour session at RPB. (No, it wasn't firing and the crowd almost matched that at Malibu.) Then I ran home, got them men, and we dropped off the big one's bike for its first oil change. Next was little man's swim lesson, then food, then home to feed the dog and get the forgotten bike money, then back to the bike dealer, then to Ralphs, and finally to 7-11 (where the little man got a hug for stepping aside and allowing an older woman to pass—I've taught him well. That woman was the one who gave him the hug.)

Why? Why do I listen to these damn websites? Three to five it said. Well, I was there when it said the waves would be good and, well, they weren't . . . good, that is. I realized something today. Since I started surfing four years ago, this is the first summer I'll spend as a weekend warrior. In previous years, I'd surf all week and then stay out of the water on the weekends because of the crowds. What a luxury that was!!! CYT called me at work yesterday. She'd just surfed RPB, said it was good, and dictated that we get there this morning at 7 a.m. Fine. I'm normally up by 6 a.m. on the weekends anyway. I was there when she told me to be there. The waves looked pretty good. What floored me was the crowd. Where did all those people come from? Doesn't anyone sleep in on the weekends? When we finally paddled out, the crowd wasn't so bad. The waves, on the other hand, weren't so good. We were at The Point, trying desperately to catch something. When waves did roll through, I felt like was in Malibu. You'd have six people on a wave. Frankly, I can handle surfing in such close proximity with others, but I don't like it. So I pulled out of quite a few waves. I thought it was safer to do so. I saw one woman coming down the line on a beautiful wave. I paddled for it, saw the line she was taking, and pulled out. She was in perfect trim. I didn't want to spoil it. When she paddled back out, she thanked me effusively for not dropping in. That's cool. I treated her the way I'd like to be treated. Anyway, I got two or three long rides. The angle of the swell wasn't coming through to RPB well. Most of the waves lacked punch. I got those two or three to myself. The other rides were with other people. I think the place started to pick up as I was getting out. It figures.

I recently bought one of these:

I'm totally hooked. The thing is great fun. I still love it even after crashing and burning on it twice yesterday. Soul Brother #1 rides it like they show you on the DVD that comes in the packaging. I ride it more like a surfer, trying to do more pronounced carves and sliding the tail around. I've got a bit of road rash from riding it during my lunch hour yesterday. I realize now that once you start to feel fatigue, it's time to step off. If you don't, you'll fall off. I landed on my butt once. Thankfully, the junk in my trunk saved me from any serious pain. The second spill left me with a scrape on my elbow. Nevertheless, I still got back on it, doing figure eights around some tennis courts by my job. I love this thing. I'm hoping it will help me maintain some semblance of fitness. I realize now that a 40-hour a week gig is a disaster for me and my fitness. Remember when I was working out twice a day? I'll probably never live that life again. Now I do the best I can to do some kind of workout every day before I go to work.