Front Porch = Staging Area

There's usually a surfboard on the porch throughout the summer months. Having it there enables a quick getaway when the waves beckon. The surf mat is now on the porch because the heatwave necessitates that it not live in the car for a bit. The skateboard is just for tooling around when the mood strikes. (Note the skateboard's old school outline, wheels and trucks.)

I've got mat fever. I've got it bad . . . and that ain't good. I'm going to become one of those ninja L.A. County mat riders who make it happen wherever and whenever possible. My favorite winter spot once seemed too difficult for a mat. I used to think I couldn't make the long paddle out to the waves. But after surviving the waves at the mat meet on Sunday and actually getting waves on the mat yesterday, my view of myself on my mat has changed. I will not be denied. Be prepared, L.A. County, for sneak attacks and surreptitious assaults on your beaches. It's on!