Two Paddle Pomerance Strikes Again. Plus the Nomad Truck!

It happened again. I had a nice (at least I for me) surf session, and I was sitting in my car looking at emails and stuff, and this dude comes up to the car, and he says, "Hey, can I offer a piece of advice?"

"Okay, yeah, sure, but I know what you're gonna say," I answered.  "I get up too soon. It's kind of my Achilles Heel."

"Yep," he said.  "I was watching you. Two paddles more is all you need."

I thanked him for the pointer, even though I've heard it before. Two paddles more! It's become my mantra, and what you can call me if you see me out there (although here's another quick tip that I recently came across, also a new thing I repeat in my head -- when you're trying to catch a wave, it's all about speed and momentum. I should know this by now, of course, but I still have the tendency to not paddle hard enough to pick up enough speed as the wave comes. So I'm repeating these words a lot too: speed and momentum).

As always, two paddles or no, an after-session lunch was required. I had been hearing much lately about Daniel Humm, of New York's Nomad, coming to Los Angeles. Well, his new restaurant is coming and will be downtown. For now a Nomad Truck is cruising the streets of LA, and one of items I'd been hearing about from the menu is this hot dog you see here:

It's called the Humm Dog, and it's been available back east. For sure, it's not your ordinary hot dog. It's off the charts! Seriously. It's a bacon-wrapped dog -- sort of a tribute to those ones you pick up late at night after a concert or something -- topped with a celery relish, and on the bottom a truffle-flecked mayonnaise. The bun is one you usually associate with a lobster roll -- it's split on top, then each side is grilled, so it's browned, crisp and insanely delicious (clearly there is butter involved. Lots of butter). If you like hot dogs, go and get one ASAP.  Oh, the fries are excellent too.  Here, look--

So that's it. Two Paddle Pomerance will get back to the waves, and you should check out Daniel Humm's Nomad Truck. And stay tuned for the opening of the restaurant.

You can follow the Nomad truck on Twitter to find out where they are. Do it.

https://twitter.com/nomadtruckla?lang=en

My Very Own Surfer Girl. Plus Wings At Gus's on Crenshaw.

Not sure I'd ever say this, but I have a surfer girl. Not like a surfer girlfriend or anything like that, of course, but a girl who surfs who I sometimes hang out out with and chat with. Like the other day, I paddled out on a pretty mellow day, and there was my Surfer Girl friend already perched on her board in the line-up. I've been seeing her around for a couple of years, and we'd often get to talking. What defines her as a surfer girl, in my mind? Well, she seems to spend every minute she can in the water or at the beach. She's got sun-kissed bleachy hair and the vibe of somebody who maybe partakes of a little cannabis (although maybe not -- I know she's got a couple of kids).  She's a really great surfer, and I think she gives swimming lessons too.  Anyway, she was out there that day and we got to talking. She watched me paddle into a couple of waves, and actually catch some, and she said she was stoked at the amount of improvement she was seeing since the last time she saw me.

Then, of course, maybe I got overly confident but I totally nose-dived off a wave and ate foam.  Surfer Girl, watching me, pointed out exactly what I did wrong -- when I caught the wave and started to pop up, my hands were way too far forward on the board.  They have to be back at your side -- like those chicken wings I've talked about before.

The mention of chicken wings, of course, made me hungry, and since I'd been meaning to try Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken since it popped up at the corner of Pico and Crenshaw, I stopped on the way home and got the little lunch you see here:

This was the three wing plate (but for some reason they gave me four...not complaining!), with really nice creamy cole slaw, and I swapped out greens for beans because I love collards, and these were smoky and delicious too.

Gus's is a small chain that began many years ago in Tennessee and has slowly been expanding. I love wings -- if I make fried chicken I go for the wings. If I'm out somewhere and can order them, I do. These wings were really superb. Crispy but meaty, with a little spice but not too hot.  Definitely worth a return visit.  Get to Gus's if you like fried chicken (and even if you don't you could make a meal of the amazing sides!).

More info. on Gus's here:

http://gusfriedchicken.com

Look The Part. Plus Another Vegan Burger...This One With A French Laundry Connection!

For the second time in a matter of months, I've been mistaken for somebody who knows what he's doing on a surfboard. No joke. The first time I was headed to the water in my wetsuit, board under my arm. I was almost at the shoreline and a couple was seated there in the sand. The girl looked up at me and said, "Are you our surfing teacher?"
     "Huh?" I answered.
     "We're waiting for our surfing teacher," said the girl. "I thought you might be him."
     Well, needless to say, I set her straight. Later, I texted this incident to a real surfing teacher, the one who did his best with me for a really long time.  He got a good chuckle out of it, for sure

Then, just the other day, I was out again. It was a pretty mellow morning surf on some pretty small waves, so a good day for me. There was a long time between sets and so lots of downtime. At one point this girl on a board nearby said something that sort of made me laugh.  "I'm just going to watch you," she said.
     "Really?" I answered.  "Why?"
     "Well, because you kind of look like you know what you're doing."

So I set her straight too. I can sometimes look like I know what I'm doing, and sometimes, if everything comes together right, I can even impress myself, but most of the times I'm still in the Kook category.

Knowing what one is doing is good thing, both on a surfboard and in the kitchen. One chef who way  more than knows what he's doing is Timothy Hollingsworth, whose career I've been following for a while. Hollingsworth (who also surfs, btw!) was for many years Chef de Cuisine at the French Laundry in Yountville, and he may even have been there when we were lucky enough to be chosen as guests to attend a meal at the French Laundry by a dear friend. This was a multi-course menu, complete with different wines for each course.  It started around lunch time and we all rolled out of there several hours later. In short, that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and anybody interested in cooking or food should definitely make a journey to Yountville, if you ask me. But back to Chef Timothy. He's now in LA, with two restaurants under his belt -- the barbecue-oriented Barrel and Ashes in Studio City, and Otium, downtown next to the Broad Museum. I haven't gotten to Barrel and Ashes yet, and we're reserving Otium for a special occasion like an anniversary or a birthday, so I was happy to hear that Chef Timothy was doing a partnership with Burgerlords, which is a really awesome little burger spot in Chinatown. I've had both their regular cheeseburger, and the Vegan version.  Burgerlords has begun doing monthly partnerships with chefs around town, available I believe on Mondays only, and Chef Timothy was the first.  He created two burgers, one featuring eel, and a Vegan burger that included shaved carrots, carrot top pipian (kind of like a mole), avocado spread and habanero pickled onions, which you see here, along with that heaping mess of crisp, delicious fries. I chose it because I like to eat vegetarian or vegan when I can, and it was a great combination -- it totally satisfied, and I didn't miss the meat at all.

So keep an eye on these guys. I, for one, can't wait to see who they'll collaborate with next.  More on Burgerlords here--

http://www.burgerlords.com/#new-page-1

Jason V. Stingray! Stingray For The Win!

If you spend any time in the ocean -- either as a surfer or a swimmer -- you probably have heard of something called the Stingray Shuffle. My first surf teacher told me all about it, about how you need to shuffle your feet in order to convince stingrays to move out of your way. Otherwise you risk getting stung. And, I was assured, getting stung is no fun. So I pretty much always shuffle my feet when I'm heading into the water. Once you can jump on your board and paddle, you generally don't have to worry about Stingrays.

Except...

When ya do!

First, a little background on these little creatures: these little suckers are cartilaginous fish, more precisely from the suborder Myliobatoidei, which derives from the order Myliobatiformes. Got that? (and thanks Wikipedia!). They are flat fish (like the skate you might dine on at a good seafood restaurant), bottom feeders that like to hang out in the shallows just beneath the sand. The key thing you need to know is that they have one (or more than one) barbed stingers on their tails. These are put to use when you accidentally come in too close contact, and when you get stung venom is released.  Here's a typical Stingray, just for your information--

Sort of freaky to see what lurks in the sea, huh?

Anyway, back to the Stingray shuffle. The other day, I headed out for a surf because conditions were nice and mellow and in my sweet spot. Of course I shuffled my way out in the shallows, then hopped on my board to paddle out to the sparse line-up.  As is my custom, I just watched the waves for a bit, just to size up what was coming and what it looked like I could handle. Along came a wave I thought I could go for, but I was a little late and missed this first one.  Then came another, and this too looked like a good one, so I paddle-paddle-paddled, caught the wave, and got up on my board.  All good so far. But my balance was off, and I toppled over. My right foot went straight down and touched sand, and right at that moment, I felt it -- like something bit me, right between my pinkie toe and the toe next to it!

The first reaction was something like this: "Ouch! What was that?"  It didn't initially feel like much but a quick nip, but when I got back on my board and looked back, there was blood. And then came the pain!! This Freakin' hurt!!  (Oddly enough, another thought passed through my head just before I noticed the blood...."Can I stay out and keep going?"  Well, once blood was involved I figured it was time to head back to the sand, and with the pain and the bleeding it seemed like a good idea to consult with the lifeguard.

Lifeguard Alex was, I have to say, awesome.  He got on his radio and before I knew it along came another lifeguard truck and then before I knew it here was a yellow bag filled with super-hot water and I was told to stick my foot in it because the hot water would 'cook' the venom and help ease the pain. You have to soak the sting for a good half-hour to forty-five minutes and Alex sat with me the whole time, and then when my foot was done soaking he bandaged up my foot! This is a good reason to always swim and surf near an open lifeguard tower if you can. If you run into trouble, these guys and ladies are the best, and I wholeheartedly thank them for helping me. Look, here I am all fixed up, and I got to keep the soaking bag!

So, in a way, I feel like I've been initiated into some club. Although I'd have preferred to have been excluded from this club, to be honest.  I had planned to check out Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken for lunch and report on it after this session, but with my still achy, bandaged foot, I figured maybe next time.  But a bit about food. I was pretty hungry when I got home, and after something like this comfort food was in order, so I made an egg and cheese on a roll and pretty much devoured it.

Next time, Gus's!!

Old School Surf Spot. Old School Tacos -- El Porto and El Tarasco

While I love going down to El Porto because it has its rough edges and can still be kind of old school (although that's being threatened on a daily basis, unfortunately), I have yet to get a really good session in. A big reason for this, of course, is my Kook status getting in the way. For example, I look at surf reports and see that it seems like conditions may be in my sweet spot at Porto, but when I get there it's different. It's not just that the waves are bigger -- Porto is different in other ways, and I think I may have figured out one reason why on this past expedition. It's such a wide open beach break, and probably because of the shape of the ocean floor or something waves seem to form further out from shore than at, say, Santa Monica, Venice or even parts of Malibu. This may be the reason (in my head anyway) that the waves just seem to pack more power -- they have a longer distance to travel before they break and so they gather up strength. I could be wrong about the mechanics of these waves because I'm far from an expert, but that's just been my experience at Porto. Not that it's not fun to give it a go here -- it's always fun. And I'm determined to get it right at this spot on a day that works for me. So the lesson here? Persistence! And patience. They will, in the end, pay off.

I'm also big on old-school Mexican food -- Tex-Mex some might call it, or Cali-Mex. Anyway, I love crispy tacos, and platters that include refried beans and rice. If you're in the mid-city area, for example, I'd send you to El Cholo (although they have other locations but the one on Western near 11th Street is the original and dates back to the 1920's!). Tito's Tacos, of course, are always excellent, and I've also always been a fan of Lucy's El Adobe across the street from the Paramount Lot (although beware...the service at Lucy's can be spotty). But walk into Lucy's and you could be in the 1970's California, especially if you sit in the booth with pictures of the 1970's-era Governor Jerry Brown and his then girlfriend Linda Ronstadt. But if you're in El Porto you'd have hit up El Tarasco on Rosecrans just east of Highland (and hat-tip here to Osoporto Founder/Guru Jon Berry for the recommendation). After my session the other day at Porto, here was lunch--

This was the #7 dinner plate. It features two fully-loaded crispy beef tacos, along with rice and beans. If you like old-school Mexican you will love this place, which has been there since 1969. The guy next to me ordered a burrito, wet (drowning in sauce and topped with cheese) and the thing was gigantic! I'm not sure if he was going to be able to finish it, but I'll have to come back and try one of those too. And the Chile Relleno, because I'm nuts for those.

El Porto is really, I gather, the northern end of Manhattan Beach but it was once independent, and it still maintains a bit of scruffiness -- the little beach town of Carpinteria south of Santa Barbara has a similar vibe. I love these old-school beach towns. But these places may not be able to maintain their low-key scruffiness forever, so if you like places like it, don't delay. And while you're at it, hit up El Tarasco.

http://eltarasco.menu

As always, if you're looking for a great beach read, click my website, hit the Women Like Us icon and order a book!

Chicken Wing Elbows! Chicken Wings at Howlin' Rays!

Surfing looks simple. And for some people, who make it look really easy because they're so good, it is. But for a Kook like me, it's never simple. Like executing a good pop-up. It's just getting to your feet! But, for me anyway, there's so much going through my brain at the same second it's often hard to get it all right. But lately I've been really trying to always nail it. Especially when it comes to hand placement. When you're paddling into a wave, and you start to move down it, it can feel like you're nose-diving. What do you do when you start to fall forward? If you're like most people, you throw your arms out in front of you to break the fall. Well, with surfing that's exactly a recipe for disaster! Don't ask me how I know this. Your hands need to be down by your ribs on the board -- so it looks like you have chicken wing elbows is how I've heard it described and it's a good description. So lately, while also trying to focus on where my feet are landing when I get to my feet (another recurrent issue), I've also been really trying to focus on hand placement and thinking about those chicken wings.

Which of course made me hungry. I love chicken wings. In fact I think wings are probably my favorite part of the chicken. So when I heard that the food truck Howlin' Rays, which does riffs on Nashville Hot Chicken, had opened a bricks and mortar space down in Chinatown -- just across from Chego and next to Pok Pok Phat Thai, and downstairs from Ramen Champ and now also including Scoops Ice Cream and...what the Hell kind of food court is this? A shockingly good one. Anyway,  I wanted to try Howlin' Rays, and because I had chicken wings on the brain, that's what I ordered. Here's a look-see:

First of all, here's a secret: I ordered the 3-wings, not too spicy, and they gave me four!! I didn't even ask for the extra! Nor did I ask for extra pickles, or extra sauce for my super crunchy and delicious fries. Okay, so the bottom line is these guys at Howlin' Rays? They totally rock. Get yourself downtown and try anything here. It's all going to be amazing. Just be aware -- the line gets long really really fast. So plan on waiting a bit.  But...just go. Eat hot chicken. And if by chance you're trying to improve your surfing skills, think of your elbows like chicken wings!

Howlin' Rays:  http://www.howlinrays.com

Even Kooks Can Sound Knowledgeable. Then Republique's Kimchi Fried Rice!

Sometimes I have really good days in the water. I paddle somewhat fearlessly (for me) into waves (okay small ones) and even catch them. Often, I'm still pretty much a Kook, not paddling hard enough and missing the wave, or popping up too soon and stopping dead in my tracks. My last surf session was a combination of the two. I was going well on some tame little waves, but just as I was feeling good about myself, a fellow surfer came along and decided to give me some pointers. This happens a lot, and I don't really mind. Except by now, I pretty much can identify every mistake I make. So when he said, "One or two more paddles, and you'd have had that wave," I knew it already. Still, I told him thanks and we chatted a bit about this and that. Then, a short time later, as I was strapping the Greco back to the roof of the car and getting ready to leave, there was a car that had pulled up next to me, with two guys and a girl, maybe college age, and they were unloading boards and wetsuits. One of them asked me how it was out there. Without even missing a beat, I said "Oh, well, you know waves were kind of mushy, and a little hard to gauge but it was fun." And the girl said, "Looks like they're closing out," and I answered, "Yeah, yeah. Maybe better later on when the tide gets higher, though." As I was driving off it occurred to me that I sounded like I knew what I was talking about, even if I'm not quite sure what I said was perfectly correct. I've picked up some information over the last few years of my surf odyssey though, and it seems that I might be able to pass some information along.

Here's some more information to pass along, in case you haven't made it to Republique on La Brea, in the old Campanile space. My advice is go! I've been here for a couple of lunches. The first was to sample Chef Walter Manzke's version of the delicious, but ultra-simple sandwich, the Jambon Buerre, which is basically ham and butter on a baguette. Republique's version was excellent, and there's a picture on my Instagram if you want to see it so check that out. But this time I got the Kimchi Fried Rice, because it's another dish I just love (I've talked about my fondness for the Kimchi Spam Bowl at Chego too -- get that if you're downtown!). Instead of Spam, Republique's version has chunks of tender braised short rib, and a couple of very softly poached eggs on top. This makes for very good eating. I pretty much want to go back to Republique and sample just about every breakfast, lunch and dinner item on the menu. Here's the Fried rice:

But wait, there's more!! This was a business lunch, and consumed by my lunch partner was this bit of deliciousness you see here, a seriously good Belgian waffle with seasonal fruit (in this case cherries) and Vermont Maple Syrup. Take a look:

Can't go wrong there, can ya? So if you're looking for seriously good breakfast, lunch or dinner and you're anywhere near La Brea between Sixth and Wilshire, go to Republique. Only warning: it gets very, very crowded!

More info: http://republiquela.com

The Blob!!!! Plus Other Creatures From The Sea at Ohana Poke Company

This was a first -- after a nice little session in somewhat choppy seas the other day, and as I was heading in, I noticed a lady in a big straw hat. She was standing at the edge of the water waving and gesticulating somewhat frantically. When I reached the sand and unhooked my leash I got a better look at her -- She was maybe 70-something, with grey wind-blown hair under that big hat. She wore a very blue blouse, and she had an accent. I think it was Scottish, but maybe it was British. Anyway, turns out she was waving at me. Here was the conversation that unfolded:

Lady In Hat:  Did you see it?
Jason: See what?
Lady In Hat: There was a big thing out there.
Jason: A...what?
Lady In Hat: "It was swimming very close to you."
Jason:  It...whaaa...?
Lady In Hat: Kind of a big blob of a thing.
Jason:  Oh.  Um...Well, it was probably a dolphin.
Lady In Hat:  Oh...hmmmmm.
Jason:  Or a sea otter.  We see those a lot.
Lady In Hat: It could have been. Yes. Sea otter. Well, I just thought you should know. Big blob of a thing!

I thanked her for the heads-up and went to shower off. It's funny because there was a time when something like that would have totally flipped me out. But since I really hadn't even noticed anything swimming nearby it was all good. I've noted this before but we share the ocean with creatures of the sea. I've seen dolphins and I've seen sea otters, and I'm pretty sure that once I saw a baby tiger shark as it bumped off my leg. Pelicans soar overhead all the time, sometimes frighteningly close, like they might take off your head with those big sharp beaks. I've seen whales, but mostly when walking and mostly off of Malibu. Whatever The Blob was it decided to leave me alone so it's all good!

I was, of course, hungry after being in the water, and since I had creatures of the sea on the brain, some seafood seemed appropriate (okay in a weird sort of way!) I had been meaning to try the new Ohana Poke Company in Silver Lake so that's what I did. Here was lunch:

This bowl included heirloom brown rice, nicely spiced Tuna, kimchi cucumbers and a bunch of other delicious stuff. I like to spread some on a chip, like these from Rusty's. This was a really good light lunch to have after a surf, and if you want to go veggie or vegan you can do that too because you can get the bowl with tofu. Poke originally hails from Hawaii and is definitely surf-friendly food. And if you've had any blobs or creatures following you in the ocean, turnabout is fair play. Go eat some creatures from the sea!

Here's more info on Ohana Poke:

www.ohanapokeco.com

Swells Still Too Big Plus New Tattoo = No Surf. Consolation Prize: Malibu Seafood.

These big swells just keep coming, from winter into spring, which means us mellow-day surfers sit by the sidelines and watch the pros. It's kind of a bummer, I have to say. I wish I was braver about big waves. Still, I've said this before but you can learn a lot just by watching good surfers, and so a trip to the beach isn't a total loss even if you can't get in the water.  Meanwhile, I'd been waiting for heavy rains because of El Nino, but while Northern California got dumped on, we didn't get them here in LA. Why wait for rain? Well, if you've been following along on the Women Like Us voyage to publish (and click the link below if you haven't!), you'd have seen updates that had to do with my getting a tattoo honoring our dog Derric, who was rescued from life in a lab by the Beagle Freedom Project. When you get a new tattoo, you're supposed to stay out of the ocean for two weeks, which seems like an eternity if you love to be in the water.  But if we had the heavy rains, you'd most likely want to steer clear of the ocean anyway so I'd been waiting for a series of storms because that would have been a good time to get the tattoo done. Unfortunately I was out of luck on that front (plus we could have used the heavy rains). Still, we're getting these big swells, which for me means not a lot of surf time so I finally made the appointment and just got the new tat. But just because you can't get in the water, you can still have good eats with the ocean in view.  Like at one of our old favorites, Malibu Seafood.  Here was a recent lunch when the nephew was in town:

This is a combination platter. It includes really nicely fried fish, shrimp, scallops and squid.  Of course we also had clam chowder. You have to eat chowder at a place like this. And don't forget the oyster crackers. They're integral.  It's all extremely delicious. Why does food always taste better when you eat it by the sea? When we lived in Malibu, I'd often stop at Malibu Seafood to buy fish to cook, but we'd eat there too, sometimes in the car if it was too crowded! This place gets super-busy, especially on summer weekends, so it's best to try and time your visit so it's not at a prime lunch or dinner hour.

So if you can't get into the water, you can eat within sight of it.  Here's more info about Malibu Seafood:

www.malibuseafood.com

And if you want to read about the tattoo and Derric the beagle, and maybe even order a copy of my upcoming novel, here's that link too:

https://www.inkshares.com/books/women-like-us

El Nino Is Tough On Us Kooks. Plus A New Tuna Melt!

Wow! I just can't seem to get a break. And by a break, I mean one of those nice mellow wave days when I feel best on my board. Of course I must add that the real good surfers are having a blast. This is due to El Nino, which has been sort of a dud so far in Southern California in terms of rain, but it's still producing massive storm surges way out in the Pacific that are sending big, big swells into California, and that's what those guys and ladies live for. So I keep waiting for mellower days, but they've been rare these last few weeks. I'm sure they'll be back soon, though. Sorry big guys and ladies! Oh, but the good news for California with this El Nino is snow has returned in force, most especially up in the Sierra around Mammoth. Haven't made it to Mammoth yet, but I did make it up to Baldy to take some turns, and they had some pretty decent snow for a while. So there's your silver lining.

Meanwhile, I almost forgot  to post this sweet picture that Kate Funk took of a most delicious tuna melt -- because you can never have too many tuna melt pictures -- or ideas on where to get one, right?

Not bad looking, huh? This one came from the newly revamped Rose Cafe in Venice, where we had lunch after one of my little excursions in the water on a mellower day. I remember going to the Rose Cafe years ago. I recall it being sort of an earthy-crunchy kind of place, with lots of granola and alfalfa sprouts. Well, it's gotten sleeker, and more like the Venice of today, with upgrades all around on the food too. The bread was super delicious, the cheddar was aged, and I'm pretty sure those pickles are house-made. Fries couldn't be better too. So next time you're out by the beach, and you have a taste for a tuna melt, can't go wrong with the Rose Cafe! If you've had a good day in the water, it's a reward. And if you've had a bad day, it's consolation!

rosecafevenice.com

Big Winter Swells Mean A Lot Of Looking (And Learning) And Eating

Big winter swells hitting both Northern and Southern California are great news for most surfers, who live for this kind of stuff. For the more mellow-inclined like me, it's good surf-watching weather. You can actually learn a lot by watching surfers do their thing, and so my last few outings at the beach have mostly been about observation. Also, for the longest time I've been wanting to give Topanga a try. Often when you drive PCH and you pass Topanga the surf looks pretty mellow, with waves that don't seem too intimidating rolling around the point. But, as in many things about life, looks can be deceiving. In fact I think I once consulted with my former surf teacher about Topanga and I'm pretty sure he warned me that not all is as it seems, but I have a bad habit of not listening to good solid advice and and just forging ahead, which is something I am always trying to change. Anyway, not too long ago, with big stormy swells making conditions out of my comfort zone at Venice and Santa Monica, I noticed things might be a little quieter by Topanga, so I figured I would check it out. Well, the first couple of surf-checks revealed waves that I wasn't liking the looks of. Then came the day where things did look better. So I suited up, grabbed the Greco and headed for the water. Now, the tide was going out on this particular day, which revealed something I hadn't noticed before about Topanga -- rocks! Lots of them. Rocks everywhere. You have to negotiate these rocks into order to get into the water, and it's a little tricky. This was not entirely new to me -- Little Dume has rock issues too but it also has a rock-free area where you can wade in without worry. So I negotiated the rocks (not easy!) and started a paddle out -- and then, not sure what, but something spooked me. It was probably a combination of things -- the current much stronger than expected, plus how far it was to paddle out, plus another surfer coming close as he rode a wave in. Anyway, it was a total fail and I turned around and headed back to the beach (or...rocks!) as fast as my arms would take me. So chalk that up to some days the surfboard also works as a lunch caddy, like you see in this picture here!

That was, by the way, a very delicious sandwich, a BLT and C, or bacon, lettuce, tomato and cheese sandwich. It sort of was a consolation prize, I guess, for doing so badly. The good news is the big swell backed off, and yesterday I got in some nice water time. For the first time in what feels like forever I caught a couple of waves, got up and got my little ride. So whatever you're doing that frustrates you? Keep doing it. And if you have a bad day, eat a good sandwich. You'll feel better.