How Do You Turn a Frown Upside Down?

Oh, it is so on! My mat arrived this afternoon long after our normal mail delivery. I was heading out of the house when a postal truck pulled up and stopped in the middle of the street. Could it be? Certain that the delivery wasn't for me, I kept walking across our front yard. (Soul Brother #1, being the respectful homeowner that he is, always goes across the walkway. Not me! I tromp straight across the grass to my car. It's our half-dead grass. Why can't we walk on it?) Then the woman got out of the truck with a box and came toward me. "My mat is here!" Soul Brothers #1 and #2 stood there wondering why I was so deliriously happy. It's a mat thing! You wouldn't understand.

The quiver is coming together rather nicely now. I've wanted a mat for months. I think Pranaglider's blog is what first introduced me to surf mats. Even though I had no idea what he was talking about, I knew I wanted a surf mat. I'd never seen one in the flesh before I got mine in the mail today. I've also never seen anyone ride one. Who cares? I can learn. There are mat blogs, mat forums and mat riding videos on YouTube. I also have the man himself, Paul Gross, willing to give me tips from afar. I can do this! It might be ugly while I learn, but I bet I'll be laughing harder than the people on the beach (and in the lineup) watching me crash and burn.

Let the steep learning curve begin!