I Don't Suck At Fantasy Football Any Longer!

Not only did I win one but BOTH fantasy football leagues that I played in this year! WOO HOO OH YEAH! I just took the above screen shot from one to show off (and posted it on Facebook too).

Stoked!

Go! Go! Sports Girls! Review

When Jodi from the Dream Big Toy Company contacted me and asked me to review one of the Go! Go! Sports Girls! I was definitely intrigued by the idea. The information I had at first was:

The dolls are designed to be a fun and educational way to promote self-appreciation and the benefits of daily exercise, healthy eating and sleeping habits, self-esteem and overall healthy life-skills for girls ages 3-12. The dolls are age appropriate and do not encourage an older or overly mature image. Since the launch of the dolls, a little over a year ago, they have received numerous awards and articles in Parenting and Shape Magazines, Self.com as well a feature on the TODAY Show.

A few days after corresponding with Jodi I received Brooke, the golfer, in the mail to check out for myself. She was just as cool as I had hoped. A good size and soft material (good for snuggling with), Brooke also has a little backpack with a golf club, ball, and towel. She even has her own story on the Go! Go! Sports Girls! web page:

Brooke loves to drive it off the tee! Before playing, she always puts on sunscreen and stretches. During the round she drinks plenty of water and has a healthy snack, like an apple. When she’s not on the golf course, Brooke enjoys volunteering at the local animal shelter and hiking.

Brooke likes to Dream Big and Go For It!

In addition to Brooke the golfer, there are girls that dance, do gymnastics, play soccer, play basketball, swim, go running, and play softball. Each girl has their own story and carry a positive message for girls. The idea is to encourage a healthy mental and physical lifestyle.

I would have absolutely loved to have a doll like this as a girl instead of simply the fashion or domestically oriented offerings in my youth. I wasn't much on dolls really but this would have more suited to my taste. Although I was encouraged to be athletic by my parents, the reinforcement of a product like this would have been quite welcome.

After I checked Brooke out and took a few pics of her I really put her to the test: I gave her to my 7-year-old niece. Her parents, especially her father, play golf so she's familiar with the game and quite athletic (she's the one I was teaching how to surf over the summer). Brooke definitely passed the "test". She really liked her and her mother was especially impressed. By especially impressed I mean she kept raving about the doll.

I really like the idea of these dolls and hope they find their way into more girls' care. I'm especially a fan of their "Dream Big and Go For It!" mantra. For more information, including tips for parents, click here.

Rally for Girls’ Sports Day 2010

All around the web today there are many blogs participating in the Rally for Girls’ Sports Day 2010. The topic for most all is:

What do you win by playing sports?

I have a very recent example of what I win by participating in sports, although I am not a young girl.

Before I get to that, I will tell you that when I was in the 5th grade I played football with the boys. Not only did I win a spot on that team, but confidence. My parents never told me that I wasn't supposed to do that. In fact, they allowed me to do whatever sport I wanted.

I played sports, organized and otherwise, for my entire childhood and now as an adult. As a result, I am much healthier and more fit than many of my peers.

So back to that recent example: as you know if you've read this blog before, I surf. I surf as much as possible. Recently I won a 2nd place award in a surf competition. This was the first time someone had really acknowledged that they thought I was good at something I love so much as an adult. It really became a pivotal moment in my surfing of late. I am much more confident and I've let go a lot of little fears that were holding me back (like getting older, nagging injuries slowing me down, blah, blah, blah). My ability has taken off quite well - almost as if I was in my early 20s again (well, close).

What have you won by playing sports?

Surf Video

To watch this video you need to type in the following password if it does not play: sms.

Two Saturdays ago I went to one of my favorite surf spots with a group of friends. One of them rigged up a video cam that he wanted to try out and he thought my board would be good for it.

Sure, one ride looks like I'm doing something odd since I lost my balance a bit but overall it's pretty fun!

One of the other guys had an HD cam on the shore and got quite a bit of footage. I haven't seen it yet but I will bring it to you as soon as it's available.

The water is definitely getting colder here. I find that my hands get super cold - so much that I can't move them after a while. I found some gloves online and got them today. I bet the company in New Jersey that sent them was probably laughing about sending cold water gloves to someone in California. Yes, I know I'm a baby.

Golf Instruction Book Review & Giveaway!

Okay, so I'm using the word "instruction" here quite loosely. I find that having a sense of humor helps my golf game out for sure. I mean really, when I make a lame shot because I topped the ball or made some other graceful move I really just need to laugh it off.

The instruction books I am referring to today are just what you need if you want to laugh off a bad round. If you take yourself too seriously you may just want to stop reading here and go back to polishing your clubs or whatever it is that serious, uptight people do.

How To Line Up Your Fourth Putt and When To Regrip Your Ball Retriever are great references for those of us who enjoy golf for what it is and want to laugh it off. With chapter titles like "How To Get More Distance Off The Shank" and "Hyphenated Insults To Use In Tense Situations", how can you go wrong? The latter has serious gems like Bunker-Breath, Bunker-Butt, Divot-Heat, and Shank-Face...I'm trying to figure out how to implement these into my language now. How epic is Bunker-Breath!

These "instruction manuals" by Bobby Rusher make great gifts for the golfer in your life. I've had a great time reading wisdom such as "why you should always leave the course after four hours no matter what hole you're on". The advice for this is as follows:

Why prolong the agony? Leave, go home, chop wood, drink beer. Don't stay on the course. Doing so is bad, very bad, changes your relationship with friends and colleagues, and causes minor memory loss. So just quietly stroll away, no matter what hole you're on, after four hours, max! You'll be glad you did it.

You can pick up these gems from the 4putt.com site or win a copy of both books here. One lucky reader will win a copy of How To Line Up Your Fourth Putt and When To Regrip Your Driver. This giveaway is open to all continental US residents. Simply leave a comment below and give me your best piece of advice for having fun on the course. I will choose the best answer next weekend (November 13-14).

**Comment by Friday, November 12th with your best piece of advice for having fun while golfing to be entered to win. Enter as many times as you like. Winner must be in the continental US with an address that is not a PO box.

GOOD LUCK!

I was given a set of these to review and a set to give away and will be supplying the postage to send to the winner.

2010 Haunted Heats - I Got 2nd!

Yesterday the second annual Haunted Heats from ZJ Boarding House took place and it was epic! Sure, it rained the night before and the waves weren't exactly the best but we all had a blast! I really have to give a great big shout out of gratitude for the guys at ZJ Boarding House. They did an awesome job!

The first part of the contest was the costume judging. I was Carrie, complete with a "bloody" face and dress. I got a good laugh out of the crowd when it was my turn to parade myself in front of the crowd and I just let out a big scream. After the judging came the first heat. I was in the first heat! This was good for me, I was in the first heat last year. It's nice to get in and get your heat over with. The water was a bit choppier than I like but I made due. I was the only woman in my heat and some of the guys really, really shred. Really shred. For me, it wasn't my best effort but I gave it a good shot.

As I was coming out of the water walking back to where my hubby was sitting a group of people I didn't know was clapping and cheering for me! It was awesome! A few others came up to me and told me how much they liked my getup/makeup/etc. It felt really cool. It's not often that I come out of the water and have applause. Hmm...make that, I'd never had that happen before.

After my heat there were three more. I got out of my costume and wetsuit so I could just chill and watch the rest of the surfers. After I was all cozy and warm I was told by the organizers that I was chosen for the final heat, the "Expression Session"! Oops, put the wetsuit back on! The other guys picked for this heat were really great surfers, and all guys. I was quite stoked to be chosen. The only down side was that we had to pick boards at random through a drawing. I kept my fingers crossed for a good one but ended up with a 6'4" quad fish. That doesn't sound so bad except for the very mushy and choppy conditions made this a less than ideal choice. I gave it my best shot and had a great time trying. The best part - again, I was the only woman in this heat. Well, that wasn't the best part...what rocked was that the guys were cheering me on in the water. It was a great session in spite of not really getting a good wave. To have everyone in the water rooting for you is an awesome feeling.

Surprise, there was food this year! A bunch of boxes of Chipotle showed up and none too soon. I was happy to have a 1/2 veggie burrito since my stomach was definitely growling now. Trying to paddle that short board in that last heat really wore me out!

Next...the winners are announced. First they announced 1st-3rd of the groms. The groms this year were AWESOME. It's amazing how much these little kids shred. Next was the women's division. Third place went to Carolyn (a former co-worker of mine that I've surfed with many times) and her pirate's booty. Dressed as a sexy pirate, Carolyn was showing the booty on her surf. Second place...ME! WOO! Yes, me! I was so freaking stoked that I ran up and hugged the emcee! I got a cool bag full of awesome surf swag and an award poster that says "BEST SURFING":



I went in with the attitude that I was going to win the event and I nearly did! Watch out for next year, first place or bust!

Thanks again to ZJ Boarding House and all of my awesome friends and family that have given me kind words and support. Much love to you all!

P.S. Here are a few pics of the event from other sources:

Santa Monica Close-Up

CNN iReport

Poor Little Neglected Blog With Overdue Shout-Outs

Yeah so I've been surfing my a$$ off instead of blogging. What can I say? I am incredibly happy about it and am getting in pretty amazing shape. I'm now one of those dorks that admires the cut of the muscle in my arms. It's pretty darn cool if you ask me...not that I'm trying to brag.

So for those of you that don't know, I've really lost quite a bit of weight/size. I was never "heavy" or in need of weigh loss. About 5 years ago I gained quite a bit of weight from a medication that I had to take. I no longer need those meds and the weight is coming off. From all of the surfing and whatnot that I do I have more muscle tone and the weight loss is making this more pronounced. I couldn't be happier! I really feel quite fabulous. Even better, my endurance is pretty great and my golf game has really improved! Woo!

Enough about me though...I have some overdue shout-outs that I promised:

Fresh Air Fund: I've talked about them before - go check them out on Facebook and give them a like. They're a great cause that gets inner city kids out to some fresh air and outdoors for the summer.

Forbes: I got a note about the Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women. The list is full of inspirational women; mostly CEOs, entertainers, and politicians. The only sports figure is at #93, Danica Patrick.

Shout-out to my buds: I have to give a shout-out to my pals at Photo Ball Marker. They hook me up when I need it and I really appreciate it. Click on their ad on the right side of this page and get hooked up yourself for $5 off of a set. It's so worth it.

Wish me luck on Saturday - the Halloween surf contest is on and I am ready to handle it!

Poulter Vision

I was sent this video the other day with this little tidbit:

So a wet, windy and predictably unpredictable Ryder Cup has come to a successful end for the Europeans after a spirited almost fightback from the US team. I really thought McDowell had blown it but after one of the most memorable tournaments in many a year, one of the biggest rocks for the Europeans was undoubtedly Poulter, and to celebrate his performance Oakley have released ‘Poulter Vision’, an awesome Point of View online video showing you some of his slick skills and shots used in the Cup...

It was indeed an amazing finish to the Ryder Cup this year. If you missed that last 30 minutes then you really missed it. Rickie Fowler's comeback to get that 1/2 point was absolutely amazing. I can only hope to be so cool under pressure. And yes, Ian Poulter on the European side played brilliantly.

However, in spite of the US efforts the Europeans came out on top. Congratulations to the European team and to Graeme McDowell for a truly spectacular performance.

It's Almost Time!

At the beginning of the year one of my goals was to be able to compete in a particular surf contest without becoming so winded I thought I was going to burst. Well, I don't really remember how I worded it...but, you get the point. Now, said contest is just a few weeks away. To say I'm excited is an understatement.

In addition, I have some really good news: I really think I will meet and exceed my goal. Heck, I even have a plan to win this year! Seriously! I've been surfing 4-6 times per week (well, except for this past week but that's another story) and many times near the break where the contest will be.

Overall, my fitness goals are really coming along quite nicely. After what I thought was a major setback at the beginning of the summer, I'm actually in pretty awesome shape. The setback being a brief hospitalization. I'm not really sure what happened and neither are my physicians. We do know it had something to do with the digestive issues that I've had for the last several years. Also, I was somehow anemic. That didn't make much sense but the tests confirmed it. Since then, I'm so much better. A medication that I had been taking for years turned out to be completely unnecessary and added weight that was really slowing me down. I'm now back to my "normal adult size" that I was up until about 5 years ago. It feels absolutely great. I was never considered "heavy" but I certainly wasn't tiny. Let's just say that I'm grateful to be 5'10". Colleagues, friends, and family are all telling me how awesome I look. Some are a bit puzzled since they never considered me in need of "losing weight".

I did make a few other adjustments to my diet. I've completely eliminated caffeine from my daily beverage intake. Amazingly I am more awake than before and don't miss it at all. I've also been able to re-introduce one of my major food loves - corn tortillas. I love me some corn tortillas. Yum. In addition, I get to eat black beans again. Double yum!

I still don't add salt or sugar to anything and remain a chocolate hater. Yes, I truly dislike chocolate. The thought of it makes me queasy.

With the newly lost pounds also comes a better outlook. It's exciting to fit into clothes that I thought I had to give away for good. It's even more exciting to spend 2+ hours surfing without being totally wiped out. My neck/shoulder aches and pains have even subsided.

Well, enough about how awesome I feel lately. I've got to work on my costume for the contest. It's almost time! Any suggestions?

No Longer A Novice! (Part 2)

Last Monday I posted the first part of a guest post by my buddy Becky. I got to hear a bit more during our surf session yesterday, which, by the way was incredibly awesome. Seriously. I told Becky that part two was going up on Monday but here we are a day early - enjoy!

At one point in the race our seat 3 notices that the forward iaku is starting to get loose. They tighten the strap down but only have about 1/8th of an inch to work with when we should have had a full inch. This is important in the event of a huli. There is no iaku tail to stand on to help right the canoe, and by not having the Ama straight, it’s like the alignment in your car being off.

On one water change, I ended up getting into seat 2. We’re now about 4 hours into the race. The next water change gets called for seats behind me and I’m thinking "great, on the next water change, I should get a break"… but that doesn’t happen. I was in for a total of 3 pieces which felt like an hour! The escort boat would keep coming up along side the canoe and giving us encouragement but never a word on a change. I’m calling out for a change – but it never happened. My awesome crew-mates talked me through it and kept me going. When my number was finally called, seats 1, 2, & 3 all got to rest. As I jumped out of the canoe and I’m floating in the ocean, I can’t help but think how tired I was. I had no energy to swim to the escort boat… but then I started to think… what if I’m so tired that I start to sink?! That’s when I found the energy to swim to the escort boat. I climb on the escort boat and just lay flat on my back…. So exhausted and my back is starting to hurt from all the twisting. I pop some Motrin, drink some Gatorade and much on some chocolate covered raisins. I was designated to be on a union break on the next water change, so I got to sit out for two pieces (Thank God!!). Our main steerswoman gets her rest during my 2nd piece rest. Our coach decides to do just a seat 6 change (which is very rare), because one of the back-up steerswoman had been there for about 2 hours. Our steerswoman jumps off the escort boat and the canoe get lined up for the change. We’re not really sure what happens, but the person in the water ended up on the starboard side of the canoe (very bad). We then see her start to climb in from the starboard side. All of us on the escort boat are yelling “ABORT, ABORT!!”. So the woman hanging on the canoe releases, but then the steerswoman jumps out of the canoe on the port side! Holy Cow! We have no streerswoman!!! Seat 5 grabs the steering blade and is just poking left and right to keep the canoe straight. Our coach calls out that she needs me. I jump-to, take off my jacket and am ready to go! We get the escort boat lined up, but we’re just too close. We have to re-position… keeping in mind that we still have two paddlers in the water with boats far away from them. We get the escort boat re-aligned, the props are in neutral. I’m told to ‘GO’ and ‘GO’ I do and I swam my tail off to the canoe. I was later told that I walked on water because I swam so fast. I get to, and in the canoe in no time, and we’re off and going. We can see the big island in front of us, and I’m lining up on the casino as my finish line. Our canoe is all novice paddlers, and it becomes emotionally overwhelming as we crossed the finish line and completed the journey together in 5 hours and 47 minutes. For something that we all started back in February was now at an end with this crossing.

We then paddled the canoe over to the beach and on our way we were presented with ice cold beers from our coach. I’m not a beer person, but that was the best beer that I’ve ever had. We all toasted each other for a job well done. We get our canoe to the very rocky beach and are welcome by some of the men from our men’s crew as well as from men from other crews. They take our canoe from the very rocky beach, carry it up and over a 2 ½ foot wall and line them up on a grassy area. Our guys grab our paddles and our male novice coach presented us with a lei. We didn’t come in first, we didn’t come in last, but we did finish.

On the ferry ride home on Saturday night, it was a great time for me to stop and reflect on the day. The journey, the excitement, the grueling 3 pieces where I though that I was going to die. Just sitting on the back of the ferry, The Torquays on the iPod, wind in my hair with the cool breeze on my face and gazing at the stars. As we left Catalina there was a lobster buoy just outside the harbor. It took 6 minutes to get to the buoy on the ferry, yet it took 30 minutes via canoe on our way in.

What an amazing journey and I can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Thank you Apryl for allowing me to but this experience on paper and for allowing me to share it with you.

No Longer A Novice! (Part 1)

It was Saturday night and I got a text message from one of my favorite surfing buds. She was obviously stoked beyond recognition and could not wait to get me this guest post about her experience. She's so stoked that this will be a two part story.

Becky first wrote about her outrigger experiences for us back in April. Following is the culmination of her rookie year in the sport:

Many months ago, I started on an amazing new adventure of outrigger paddling. Throughout the course of the season, we had races from San Diego to Avila Beach in the California Central Coast.

The first handful of races are called “Ironman”. As a novice, our races were only 4-5 miles which took us at least 45 minutes to complete. Next year when we’re in the Open Division, our races will be 10-12 miles and up to 2 hours long! We had some tough races, and for most races I steered. When steering, the main objective is to keep the canoe straight and to keep the canoe upright. There were one or two races where I was actually paddling and I thought that I was going to die! I just didn’t have the muscle conditioning to paddle for 45 minutes straight!! A lot of the races I didn’t get the crew that I wanted to be with, but I was with the crew that I needed to be with. We had a race in Marina Del Rey and I had a co-ed crew with a pick-up paddler (from another club). The swells coming up the channel were huge! Other clubs were huli’ing left and right! And to make matters worse, they were up against the jetty rocks. I stayed towards the middle of the channel where it wasn’t as dangerous. Still very rough, yes almost huli’d but we made it back to the beach safe in 1 hour and 13 minutes.

The next set of races are sprint races and are pretty intense. These require paddling as hard as you can for 250 yards. They are broken into heats and the top teams from each heat advance to the next round. Our crew missed moving on to the next heat by 1 second in our first sprint race of the season. Total bummer.

The best is saved for last… 9-man!! 6 people in a canoe, 3 jump out, and 3 others climb in the canoe from the water. The first 9man race was put on by our own club. I was in a co-ed crew with an awesome coach. It didn’t matter how we placed. We were just stoked to be in the water and to be racing. Our inaugural race was captured on video thanks to an injured teammate. We had races in Oceanside where the water was super warm, and a race in Oxnard where the water was super cold with reports of sharkies in the area.

The final race of the season was from Newport Dunes to Avalon Catalina. My alarm goes off at 4am to leave the house by 5am and meeting up with my crew by 6am… all but one are my fellow novice Kaikua'ana. The start line is in the open ocean which is 3 miles from the dunes where the canoes are located. I started the race on the escort boat was able to sit back and take it all in which was simply amazing. Seeing close to 80 canoes with 80 chase boats was an amazing site. The horn sounds at 8:35am and all the canoes are off and racing. We had a great start and were hanging pretty good with our other club boats. We get ready for our first water change, and me and my 2 other paddle-mates jump off the escort boat and start to line up. As the canoe gets closer, our coach notices that it’s the wrong boat. It’s our club, but not our canoe. We had to swim back to the escort boat and get back on board. It was only a couple of minutes later that we had a successful water change. I climb into seat 1 and we’re off and running. I know that it’s going to be a long race but I have so much adrenaline that we’re just flying! As time passes the pack of the canoes starts to thin out, which makes water changes a little safer. We had a fairly boring passage. No signs of marine life. No dolphins, no whales, no sea lions… thank God no sharkies!

Stay tuned for part two coming soon!

Ready? Break!

Dear Readers,

If you don't see a new post on here for a few weeks or so don't worry. Everything's fine with me, I'm just trying to simplify my life a bit. If you want to say hello you can always send me a note on Twitter or check out what I've been up to on my posterous blog.

See you soon,
Apryl

The Injury Report

Lately I've been getting out for dawn patrol at least 3-4 times during the work week. It's an awesome way to start the day for sure. Hubby gets a little concerned from time to time, he's one that's a bit afraid of the water to start with. I do my very best to stay safe though. I never surf alone and I always tell him where I'm going. In addition, I'm not totally nuts and get out of the water if I'm completely worn out or if it's too rough for me.

When I get back to the car the first thing I do is call hubby so he knows that everything is okay. I jokingly give him the "injury report" of the day. Most of the time there are no injuries but I do get bruised from time to time. I guess I just try to make light of it all so he doesn't worry.

Last week I had a couple of doozies. After one particularly un-graceful trip over the falls I somehow jammed the middle finger on my right hand. The knuckle immediately swelled up and turned a really nasty shade of green/blue. Ouch. I kept moving it to assure myself that if wasn't broken. The pain was pretty strong so I got out of the water. The following day the swelling had completely diminished and the area was red. Then it was fine. Pretty amazing. I'm not sure just exactly what happened.

The worst of the week came afterward when my board hit me. I wiped out, was under for a moment, and then came up. I felt the leash on my board tug toward the shore and had my hand up so it wouldn't hit me. However, as soon as I got to the surface and put my arm down the board somehow swung back around in the backwash and proceeded to hit me right in the face. The nose rammed just above my lip and really rang my bell. OUCH! The first thing I was worried about was if I knocked out a tooth. I didn't. Since I ended up right where the breaks were happening I proceeded to get back on and paddle out to calmer water so I could collect myself. I kept feeling the area and everything seemed okay so I resumed my session. As it turned out all that was visible was a thin red mark about 1.5 inches across. Whew!

Yeah, so you can get bruised up when you surf. It really doesn't happen all the time though. I'd say I do just fine more times than not.

Surfing Instead Of Blogging

Instead of blogging before I head to the office very morning I go surfing lately. No, not EVERY morning but an average of 3 out of the 5 days Monday through Friday. The mornings I don't go are usually due to an early morning meeting or giving myself a rest and sleeping in until 6:30-ish.

On my surf days I'm in the water no later than 6:45 am. I've been hitting the same, easygoing spot that's close to home. I see a lot of the same fellas out there and the occasional lady. Most of the time I'm the only surf chick out there. Not that it bothers me, I'm in the zone doing my own thing.

My new board that I picked up at my favorite surf shop is freaking AWESOME too. Now I'm the one out there catching everything while the others watch in envy. Love it!

Talk about great exercise...I can totally see the difference in my muscle tone. In fact, so does everyone else. I've been getting many complements/comments on how defined my arms are.

I can't wait for the Halloween surf contest. I have an idea for the costume and I'm so ready to take the event this year!

Fitness Check In

Some of you may recall that at the beginning of the year I decided to join some of my Twitter peeps in the TTUC (Twitter Trim Up Challenge). My goals boiled down to strength and endurance.

I'm delighted to report that my endurance is really remarkable. My recovery time is way, way down also. For example, I had a surf session yesterday that had a bit of a current so I was nearly paddling non-stop. A year ago I would be incredibly sore today. Now I'm only a tad creaky! In addition, I can totally stay out for 2 and 3 hour sessions with no problem. Hopefully they have the Haunted Heats competition this year because I am ready to take that first place trophy!

Also during this year I've had illness both help and hinder my progress. I mean help as it's taken off extra flabby spots and now my arms and shoulders look incredibly cut (hooray!). The hindrance comes when I get worn out easily. The latter is pretty much over for now and I hope it stays that way.

Now to work on that golf game. I'm not that bad these days. A proud "socially acceptable" golfer. I'm not far away from the driving distance I want.

Tell me how your fitness routine is going...if you're still following it!

Getting Sick Of The NFL?

It seems like we just watched the Super Bowl not that long ago and here we are again knocking on the door of football season. I've really missed a bunch of news and info in this pre-season. For example, I just realized that LT was now on the Jets. Yeah, I really haven't been paying much attention at all - much to hubby's dismay.

Football has always been "our thing". We met at an NFL game. Our first dates were watching NFL games. I met all of his childhood chums over NFL games.

I'm not sure what's happening lately. Am I growing tired of the NFL? This sport that I've loved my entire life that I've watched with my father, brothers, friends, etc.; is the luster gone for me?

I'm not sure. What I do know is I have a very low tolerance for sitting and watching other people do things. Of course, as I am sitting here writing this I am watching the PGA Championship. I'd still rather watch sports than anything else on television. Today happens to be an atypical Sunday for me. I'm staying in and doing laundry while catching up on a few projects. This doesn't happen very often.

Which brings me back to my point. I just don't have much tolerance for being idle these days. I've always been full of energy and out doing things but I'm really on it lately.

At any rate, I'm not sure if I really am sick of the NFL or I just can't sit still long enough to watch it anymore. I'm sure if we do get a team closer to Los Angeles that it could change things for me...

They're Closer Than You Think

Me my Shark and I from Chuck Patterson on Vimeo.

I first saw this video on Facebook a few days ago. Now just about everyone that has anything to do with surfing has posted the video in one place or another. I just read the Killer Dana post about it and it inspired me to share it with all of you.

This video was taken at San Onofre, a rather popular surf spot in Southern California. I haven't been there in a very, very long time but several of my surf pals have been in recent weeks. When I first saw this video I was wondering if it was some hoax but have been told that it is confirmed as real. Take a look and decide for yourself.

Blogspotting - Other Than Sports Edition

I've been asked a few times about what else I like to follow other than sports. There are many, many things that interest me. In addition to "sports ADD" I really have "hobby ADD" as well. So many things interest me it would be hard to capture them all at once. I file away many things that interest me on my posterous blog. It's really my virtual filing cabinet for things I want to refer back to or share later. In addition, some of my other faves in my reader are:

That Mutt is one I've always got to check in with. Lindsay is a regular commenter here and has contributed more than once. Her blog is full of valuable information for living with your dog including food, behavior, exercise, and so much more.

Bluebird Vintage Official Blog is a must read for vintage clothing fans, which I most definitely am.

Mashable is where I get my fix for info in social media and related technologies.

Le Fashion is another great spot for fashion inspiration as is The Sartotialist.

green LA girl chronicles urban eco living by the beach and has great tips and giveaways.

Senor Gif is always funny as is Bluntcard.

The statistician/data geek in me is a big fan of Flowing Data.

Lastly, but surely not the least, I always check in at Timothy Types TMI. He's an aspiring author, professional smarty pants, and one of the coolest little brothers a gal could have.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means and I'll probably do another post like this sometime with more good ones.

What other blogs do you sports nuts check in on that aren't related to sports?

Surfing With Dad

Over the weekend I was finally able to do something I had wanted to do for some time. I got my dad out in the water on a surfboard. He's a SoCal native and grew up on the beach. For the last several years he's been on dry land and doesn't live in SoCal any longer. He's east a bit in a landlocked area.

My dad was a teen back in the Beach Blanket Bingo days and rode the giant longboards of that day. Saturday would be the first time he tried to surf since the late 1960's.

I've got a very nice 8' board that has a lot of stability and volume that I put him on. It's super light compared to what he used to ride. He was stoked to be back in the water for sure. It was quite different than what he remembered. Unfortunately, my brother and his wife forgot the camera so we didn't get any good vids of anything funny for my other brothers to check out. We've only got a few still pics from cell phones.

I also had my two nephews out in the water. They were trying to get the hang of surfing by using my shorter board (6'8"). After I was done helping everyone else I hopped on the 8' and had some really great rides. We were at a spot that I hadn't been to since I was in high school. I forgot how great it was and plan to hit it again very soon.

P.S. I talked to dad the next day and he felt great and couldn't wait to try it again! My nephews are pretty stoked too.

Stopping To Smell The Roses

I've been stopping to smell the roses quite a bit lately. Although we are having a very cold summer by SoCal standards there is still plenty to do...albeit while bundled up. I'm still wearing my thicker wetsuit that is generally reserved for the winter months but enjoying the surf nonetheless!

I've even finally pulled the trigger on a new surfboard. So far it's incredibly awesome to use. A breeze to paddle and catches just about everything that I go for. What more could I want? I've only had it out three times and am taking it out late today for the 4th session. Hopefully the love affair continues so I can report back to my favorite surf shop that the choice was a good one.

Speaking of surfing, the US Open of Surfing is underway down in Huntington Beach. The events last through this coming weekend. So far, I've heard great things about the contest and surrounding atmosphere.

Also about surfing...I've just got to say how disappointed I am with some of my fellow watermen/waterwomen. I've noticed a big surge in those who believe they have a specific claim to certain parts of the ocean. Sure, these same surfers would likely freak out if the beaches were made private. However, if someone they don't know tries to surf there then they feel that's not allowed. I'm so tired of this attitude. Is it really worth it?

On the other hand, there are a lot of surfers out there passing on the Aloha spirit. I've been fortunate to encounter a lot of very nice people out at my local breaks. I do my best to spread good will. Heck, I even gave a summer transplant from Boston change for a 20 the other day. I even said, "welcome to my home town". I'm hoping that sort of thing will spread. I was born here and I don't have a hard time sharing the water. I think Shaun Tomson said it best in his book Surfer's Code: 12 Simple Rules for Riding Through Life:

I Will Watch Out For Other Surfers

There Will Always Be Another Wave

All Surfers Are Connected By One Ocean

Life's to short for stress. Chill out and remember to stop and smell the roses every so often.

50 Days Until The Homeless World Cup

Today the Rio 2010 Homeless World Cup launches the 60 second promo with 5 time Grammy award winner Carlinhos Brown, 50 days before it kicks off on Copacabana Beach to beat homelessness. It features 4 ex-Homeless World Cup players as the animated stars who have radically transformed their lives through football.

Find out more about the Homeless World Cup here.

How Influential Are You?

Have you jumped on the bandwagon for one of the latest in social media experiments? Fast Company recently announced their 2010's Most Influential Person Online Project and dare you to give it a try by saying that "you're more influential than you think". By clicking the link in the previous sentence you'll add to my influence. While you're there go ahead and register for your own personal URL to spread and measure your influence. You submit a picture, name, and email address and you're off.

Apparently, the more "influence" you have means that your picture will grow larger on the virtual wall and your rank will reach closer to the top. Fast Company plans on having a complete spread with everyone's picture that participated in the campaign for their magazine's November issue.

I'm interested to see the result. Since they'll undoubtedly not get every single person that should participate to do so it won't necessarily be a measure of THE most influential person online. Rather, the most influential person online that chose to participate and post their link everywhere. Still, we can always learn something from these social experiments.

The Right Board Makes A Big Difference

I finally got back into the water this weekend after nearly a month without and it felt great! I really needed that. I kept up okay and was generally pleased with my sessions.

Since the last time I was in I have thinned out the quiver significantly. Well, by 66%. I used to have three boards and I'm down to one. The intent was to sell the two I was tired of and buy a very nice one with the proceeds. The sale of the two is complete (Thanks Rider Shack!) and now I'm shopping around for another.

The board I'm down to is a 6'8" epoxy that is considered a "fun" shape. It's a bit thicker than a "normal" short board, a bit rounder, and floats very well. There are several spots around me where this is the perfect board to use but many more where the summer mush requires something more substantial.

Yesterday I went to one of those mushier spots. Yes, I knew what I was getting into. I opted to give it a go rather than waiting to get in. I really didn't catch much with my board and ended up switching up with a friend for a few sets. That was awesome and a great time was had by all. The spot we were surfing was especially wonderful yesterday.

During the week I'll probably hit one of the spots more suited to the board I have left and continue the search for my perfect replacement. I'm really looking for something that is in the 7'6" to 7'8" range, about 22" - 23" wide, and close to 3" thick. You know, something that will ride just about anything around here.

My Blog Is Boring Lately

Yesterday I took the day off and played nine holes with my little brother. I actually haven't seen him in a couple of years since he's moved out of SoCal. It was a blast. We're both lefties and it was quite a sight that gained the attention of the other golfers for sure. I guess you don't necessarily see two lefties playing together very often. We got the incredibly clever comment from one fella telling us we were playing on the wrong side of the ball. How original.

At any rate, little brother did really well. Well, both of us were stinking up the place overall but he's only recently taken up the game, had 3 lessons, and played 2 previous rounds. Neither of us were driving very well so we decided to drive a par 3 that was 184 yards. He had the most epic shot of the day and landed it right next to the pin. Seriously. He took pictures of it and it is now the background on his cell phone. On the next hole I decided that I had enough of crummy drives and really got a hold of it and got a bona fide 225 yard drive. Oh yeah, that made my day! We had a blast.

While we were hanging out he mentioned to me something I already know. My blog has been really boring lately. Yes, it has. I appreciate all of you readers sticking by me whilst I am out trying to get it together. It shall be boring no more from here on out. No more whining about being busy or needing to get things together.

Thanks for hanging in there!

P.S. No, I won't tell you the final scores. We really just stunk and had fun hanging out.

My Blog Is Boring Lately

I Hope JOB Is Good!

I saw this teaser for the Jamie O'Brien flick "Who Is J.O.B." the other day for the first time. I dig it as much as the last trailer I saw for sure. That leads me to ask how good the whole thing is going to be though. The teasers are two of my faves for sure so I hope I'm not disappointed when I finally do get to see the whole thing.

Happy Friday all and have a great weekend! I'll get to my mountain of email over the weekend and start answering some of the questions, posts, etc. you all have been so kind to send.

Gotta Love "Up Next In Sports"

If you haven't checked out Up Next In Sports then you're definitely missing out in my opinion. This is another one of those goofy sites from the Cheezburger Network folks (you know, the people that brought you lolcats).

Enjoy!

Busy With Doo Dah & Rider Shack

Wow, what a day!

I actually had an easy time getting the hound to wake up and eat his breakfast at 4:00 am this morning. We got our act together and headed over to Sunset/PCH for the 8th Annual Doo Dah Surf. We manned (well, manned and dogged?) the raffle ticket table and had a great time. Gus even had a volunteer name badge. He was a big hit, not many people see a 130lb bloodhound every day. The photographer that put together the video above didn't get any of Gus but you can see me in my silly straw hat in the background in at least one pic.

Afterward, we stopped in to my favorite surf shop Rider Shack. They had their grand opening party today and the place was hopping. Yes, I even took the hound with me there. They were really, really good sports about Gus making a huge mess with the water bowl and even cooler when he decided to nap in the middle of the floor. They're great like that and that's part of the reason they're one of my favorite places to shop. The owners and staff are incredibly laid back and treat you very well.

We were beat at 2:00 pm, naturally, and came home to take a nap. Now we've ordered some Asian delivery and we'll probably be back to sleep early for the evening. Tomorrow morning I'll be returning to the surf myself. I've been out of the water for nearly three weeks since I had a pretty bad illness. I feel like I've dried out and can't wait to get back in.

Have a great rest of your weekend!

Doo Dah Surf This Weekend!

Come one, come all to the 8th Annual Doo Dah Surf tomorrow at PCH/Sunset. Put on a costume and get your surf on. Be sure to bring some extra cash for raffle tickets to win some sweet swag. All proceeds go to the Surfrider Foundation and this year's proceeds will go to one of the chapters affected most by the Gulf Oil Spill.

If you show up, come say hello to me and my giant bloodhound, we'll be working the table in the Surfrider tent.

In The Meantime, Watch This...

I'm still in the process of getting my act together. There are some guest posts and other interesting information coming very soon. In the meantime, check out this video of surfer Clay Marzo. This young man is a pretty amazing athlete and has a story that is definitely worth a watch. If you don't believe that anything is possible, you should.

I'll Miss The World Cup

Yes, I know I am behind on posting, changes, etc. I can't help it. Things haven't been going as planned for me at all the last few weeks. It happens. Things will turn around soon enough. We all have peaks and valleys.

In spite of illness, setbacks, and the like I have been keeping up with the World Cup. How can I not? Heck, the sound of the vuvuzelas doesn't even bother me one bit. I'm too enthralled with watching the games. Sure, some say it's boring and there isn't enough scoring but I find the Beautiful Game just that, beautiful.

As I sit an write this post the second half of the final game between Spain and Netherlands is just starting. No score so far although Spain seemed to threaten quite a bit. Although I've no particular loyalty to either team I am still quite excited to watch.

I can't wait for the next one and wish another was starting up next week.

Just Had To Share This

I was watching my Twitter feed and clicked a link from a tweet that Wend Magazine had thrown up. It linked to their page with three surf videos, including the one I have posted above. I just had to share it since it is something that I see pretty frequently at the crowded breaks around here. It's amusing since the guy that originally caught the wave escaped essentially unscathed and the dude that drops in on him wipes out. Karma at work.

P.S. As I was writing this I thought I was getting a bit dizzy but it turns out we just had another earthquake. It lasted for quite a while it seems. I feel like the earthquakes that we've had in the last few years last longer than those I remember when I was a kid. Maybe it's just me.

Things Don't Always Happen As Planned

Hello world!

It felt great to take a break from the blog and engage in a bit of a tech detox. I had planned to spend time surfing, golfing, and generally relaxing over the last few weeks and had several days off from the day job. Unfortunately, things don't always happen the way that we plan them.

So not to bore you with every detail, my vacation ended up being one that I spent mostly bedridden and quite ill. It started on a Sunday night and was really bad. Last Tuesday, I attempted to go surfing but was too wobbly and weak. I did get in one really great vacation day in the midst of the horrible ones. Last Wednesday hubby and I walked 9 (a longer with many par 4s) and then played 5 games of bowling right after. Loved it! Other than that I've been in bed trying to get better. Fortunately there was good stuff to watch on TV over the holiday and I caught Jaws more than once (I never tire of that movie). I'm definitely on the mend now and taking it easy until I am completely recovered. To assure that there isn't a relapse I'm working in my jammies from my bed for the next two days.

Even though I was sick I didn't throw away all the work I have done with my TTUC fitness goals. No junk food or cheating from this girl. I definitely feel good about that.

The plan for the rest of the week is to recover completely and then concentrate on my blog revamping ideas. I've toyed with a few different formats but honestly may not make many changes. I'm torn.

Stay tuned.

On Hiatus - Back The Week Of July 5

As I mentioned earlier this week, I will be on hiatus from writing the blog for a bit. I plan to return the week of July 5th but am not sure if I will return that day or the next but it will be that week.

I'll be working the day job all next week but fitting in quite a bit of activity. The following week I will be completely unplugged from the day job. If you know me on Twitter or Facebook I am not sure how much of those I will be using either. I'm really trying to do somewhat of a technology detox.

It all started when I finally dropped my BlackBerry Storm too many times. I had dropped the poor thing twice last summer in one night on the concrete floor of the Staples Center. When I dropped it from about 5 feet onto concrete a few weeks ago that was the final straw. The screen was finally toast and I could barely make a phone call. For now, I've transferred back to my HTC Touch Pro. Using this phone is a true exercise in patience and I really, really hate it very much. However, having to go to Verizon and get a new phone sounds about as delightful as being stuck in the dentist's waiting room. I might actually get a new phone over the next two weeks. I might not.

At any rate, not having a phone that was great with social media capabilities has really caused me to relax. I thought I would feel lost but I actually have quite the opposite feeling. It's quite freeing.

What I will be doing on my break is as many outdoor activities that I can possibly fit in. I'll be going to at least two surfboard demo days, one each from my favorite surf shops; Rider Shack and ZJ Boarding House. There's also International Surfing Day and Hands Across The Sand that I will be attending. On top of that I am going to check out a 6:00 am workout meetup group that meets on the beach. I'll also be hitting my two favorite 9 hole courses to work on my short game (Penmar and The Lakes).

Of course, I'll be fitting in time to sleep in late, be lazy here and there, and have some tasty Belgian beer.

Have a great remainder of June everyone! See you soon!

Love That World Cup Advertising

I'm an absolute nut about the World Cup every time it comes around. Seriously, I really am a huge fan. The games have me so enthralled that the vuvuzelas don't even bother me.

Team USA is my choice, of course, and I can't stop ribbing my English friends about their goalie and The Hand of Clod that allowed the US to have a draw in the first match. My favorite trash talk is that Green can always move here to Los Angeles and become a model since he's not a bad looking fellow. (I know, pretty rude for me to say!)

The advertising for the event has been almost as exciting as watching the action on the field. My ultimate favorite is full version of Nike's Write The Future. Brilliant advertising from them as always. If you haven't seen it and you know your international soccer/football stars then prepare to be blown away. Pay special attention to the bits with Wayne Rooney - love it!

Not to be totally outdone by the competition is the Star Wars Cantina from adidas. Even David Beckham's appearance at the end doesn't ruin the fun.

Advertising Age just covered this topic in the last few days and listed five of the most watched of the World Cup advertisements so far. If you aren't totally pumped up to watch the games after these then you just aren't a fan.

That said - I still just don't understand why the sport isn't more popular in the US. I mean really, the WHOLE WORLD is enamored so clearly we must be missing something here.

De-Stressing For The Summer

When I started this blog over two years ago I posted every day of the week - including weekends. At about 1.5 years in I decided to give myself a break and take the weekends off. Now I'm thinking of de-stressing my life a bit more.

First, I'm doing away with the regular features on a particular day. I used to do 5 questions every Monday where I would interview an interesting athlete, blogger, or other sports-related guest. That evolved a bit to the Monday 5 where I would have these interviews, lists, and anything else in bits of five. Now I'm just going to write whatever moves me on Mondays. I might have something to do with the number 5 and I might not.

That doesn't mean I'm doing away with interviews. I will just post them on whichever day makes the most sense. (Yes, that means I will get some more interviews up eventually.)

Likewise for the other "regular" or "quasi-regular" features I have had.

In addition, I might not post every single weekday and I am going to take some time off at the end of this month.

I want to concentrate on more quality as opposed to quantity. There will still be posts about "my own fandom" as on person described my writing as. There will also be my reflections of golf rounds, surf sessions, yoga classes, and other activities I am engaged in.

At this point I feel that I really need to relax, remove stress, and enjoy the outdoors. I want to spend more of my summer mornings surfing, golfing, or hiking and less behind the computer writing.

Let's see how this goes! Have a great week!

One More Break

I know, I've had a lot of breaks lately and haven't put out as many thoughtful posts in the recent weeks. I'm thinking of a reinvention. Seriously - a really big reinvention. I have a lot of things I am considering so stay tuned for all of that. I promise that I'll make some decisions here this month. No more cheap, quick posts that have no substance. I really don't want to post every day of the week simply for the sake of posting.

In the meanwhile, it's World Cup time! Enjoy it!

I'm Late, I'm Late, I'm Really Quite Late

I walked nine this morning with a great group of new friends and had a blast. I'll fill you in on the course and my game tomorrow. Right now I must catch up with this mountain of email.

I must say, nine holes before coming to the office is fabulous. A surf session is also great. Let's put it this way - enjoying the outdoors before you have to sit inside for 9-10 hours is a great way to start the day.

It was especially fun to be silly with the girls. We weren't quite as silly as my bud Heather, but you can only be so conscious at 6:00 am.

Have a great one all!

Wild World Of Wednesday - June 9, 2010

I'm crazy busy and just have golf on my mind. I'm meeting up with some friends for a really early round tomorrow so I've got to get out and get an early start today. In the meantime, enjoy that golf swing that we can't get enough of from Charles Barkley. Hopefully my swing doesn't look that bad. I certainly have a better trajectory most of the time.

It's June, How Is Your Fitness Plan?

At the beginning of this year I decided to commit to making a real change to my diet and exercise routine. I stopped adding salt to my food and started making sure that I had freshly made juice (with my own juicer) every morning, for example. I have also changed up my exercise routine a number of ways by trying new activities and different combinations of activities. I have also made the effort to stick to physical therapy, acupuncture, and all prescribed treatments to heal an old injury.

Here in my sixth month of this new lifestyle I am amazed at the results so far. Really!

For starters, my endurance is amazing. Yes, I've bragged about this before but I am incredibly amazed. I really credit what I eat and my health practitioners tend to agree. The way I eat is very simple, I make my meals with fresh ingredients that I can see and never add salt, sugar, or other processed flavors. Nothing that I eat comes from a box or a bag or is pre-made if I can help it.

I have so much energy that I barely drink caffeine any more. I used to drink 2-4 cups of coffee every morning. Now, I finish maybe 1/2 a cup and I'm good.

My hard work was evident when I spent 3 hours in the water on Saturday. We paddled up and down a particular spot trying to get a good spot and I never really got winded. Back in January I would have been incredibly short of breath and feel like I was going to pass out after just a short time.

Not anymore!

How's your fitness plan coming along?

* As always, I'm not paid to be a "fitness expert" or anything like that. You should really research and do what is right for you!

5 Things I Love About The Weekends

1. The Surf: One of my favorite spots was more crowded than I had ever seen but nothing compared to the video above. I moved on to another spot and was in the water for 3 hours hanging with a new surf bud. Even though we didn't catch many waves we had a blast. We were at the same spot that I had two pretty bad wipeouts at in the last year so I spent some time just getting my nerve back up. Sometimes I'm a big baby but I still manage to have fun.

2. The Sun/The Weather: It seems as though our El Nino winter is finally letting us go and it's warming up more consistently. I know, we're incredibly spoiled here in SoCal. It makes it that much harder when the sun doesn't come out or the wind really picks up.

3. The Produce: I went to a BBQ over the weekend at a longtime friend's place that so happens to be on the same land as this wonderful produce farm. The property owners crashed the party long enough to tell us that they have an overabundance of apricots and to please go raid a specific area in particular. Well, they didn't have to tell us twice. Not only did we get apricots; but oranges, avocados, and lemons. I had all but the latter with my breakfast this morning. Yum! It's so awesome to be able to eat something that you picked from the tree yourself. Talk about fresh!

4. So Much To Choose From: Surfing one day and out on a farm the next. That's pretty awesome in my book. This week I'm letting the weekend creep into my work week a little. I'm going for nine holes one morning before I hit the office and going surfing after work another day.

5. What's not to love? I can't think of anything. Even if it rains on the weekend (which it doesn't do too much this time of year) there are still plenty of things to do.

Yes, this is another "I love SoCal post".

Geeking Out On Purple Today

Yep, I'm wearing my Magic Johnson 1987 MVP t-shirt, funky purple ring, and funky purple necklace.

I'm holding my breath that the rest of the series goes like it did last night. The Lakers played incredibly well and stayed away from that dangerous 3 that they always seem to miss. Keep jamming it in for 2 fellas - that really seemed to work!

On a more somber note, John Wooden is in grave condition this morning. Apparently he's been hospitalized for a few days. At 99 years old there is certainly reason for concern. My best wishes go with Coach and his family.

Have a great weekend everyone!

I Can Only Think About The Lakers

It's finally here - that finals match up that so many wanted to see. Yep, it's a Lakers vs. Celtics Finals.

I really don't have much to say. I'll just be holding my breath and watching intently. So yeah, anyone that wants to trash talk is welcome to do so. I'm one of those that likes to stay quiet and root for my team. If it makes you feel better to bash the Lakers then go ahead and get it out of your system. I'm incredibly appreciative that my hometown has such a consistently awesome NBA team.

I also love to find fun, retro gems like today's video. How fun is that?

GO LAKERS!

Wild World of Wednesday - June 2, 2010

Cover HWC: Are you media and will be in Rio during September 19-26? The Homeless World Cup has sent out the notice to apply for accreditation today. Check the details here.

Sadly, I won't be able to make it to the event this year but I hope to make it one year very soon. If you are lucky enough to attend make sure you take a plethora of pictures and send me the link to where you have them.

Surfrider Spring Cleaning: For a limited time when you join, renew your membership, or make an extra donation the Surfrider Foundation you can get an extra gift. Click here for details.

Do Surfers Use Social Media (and Other Musings)? There are more surf meet-up groups and social networks popping up all the time. I just wonder how many surfers really use social media and how effective they are? Sure, more and more are and I can tell. I've been a part of 5 groups so far over the past three years but 2 have shut down for lack of activity. What would it take to engage this crowd? From what I know there hasn't been any one source that has done so with any huge success. Facebook groups seem to be leading the way but even these have limited effectiveness, depending on the concept.

I was pondering this because I've just joined a new women's surfing group in my area. I'm hoping to make new friends to join me during sessions. I've never really been a solitary surfer ever since I've started. For me, it's always more fun if you've got a friend or two with you to cheer you on and laugh at you when you have a spectacular wipeout!

Oh, and yes golfing friends - I'm joining a women's golfing group also to work on my game. Everything is more fun when you have more friends to share with. I feel that playing with my former minor league pitcher hubby and 6'5" cousin aren't helping to advance my game lately. I've met a wonderful group of ladies recently and hope to get some fun and encouraging rounds going. Wish me luck with that and with finding some surf sisters.

Aren't Surfers Laid Back?

I like these fellas in the video - they are booing a rude person at their break.

I won't pretend that localism doesn't exist nor will I deny being a part of it when I was younger.

Today, I just don't care who is out there surfing. I don't want to be one of those elitists that think I'm the only one entitled to be in the water. I mind my own business and stay away from the main lineup unless there are a few of my buds in there.

There really is enough for all of us.

I had two very different experiences over the weekend. On Saturday I put my 6 year old niece on a surfboard for the first time. There are still tiny bruises on my arm from where she was holding on for the first few that hit us! She did get to the point where she trusted that the board would keep her floating. We came in because she was a bit too cold but she can't wait to get back out and try to stand up.

Yesterday I went to a break that I knew would be crowded but has a lot of space. I figured I could carve out a spot where I would be out of the main lineup. That didn't happen.

Before I could even get unpacked there was a yelling match in the parking lot. Ouch. It's a beautiful, sunny day and you don't have to go to work. One of the fellas that was yelling had his family with him. He didn't start it though, a guy waiting to park in the spot next to him did. He wanted him to hurry up and get his "sh*t" out of the way so that he could park. If Mr. Impatient had only looked down a few spots he would have noticed that there were 5 other spots.

It wasn't much better in the water. I saw people intentionally running over and cutting off others. Needless to say, I didn't go in. I like this break too - it has a close parking lot where hubby and the hound can watch me catch waves.

It's getting warmer and more people will be in the water. As far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to come in no matter how good you are. Heck, I'm not very good at all. It would be nice if we could all extend a little courtesy to everyone. Why wait until someone gets hurt? How would you feel if you made it so that someone got a concussion or even drowned? If we're all courteous we can all have fun.

Sure, some folks will disagree and tell me I'm a kook.

So be it.

I don't even care if you judge me because I turtle instead of duck diving my long board.

5 Sports I Must Try This Summer

1. Lawn Bowling: I've talked about wanting to try this out before. There are many groups in the Los Angeles area. I saw several folks out yesterday enjoying this activity and it definitely renewed my interest.

2. Roller skating: Not in-line, but old-fashioned roller skating like I used to do when I was a kid. I miss it!

3. Stand-Up Paddle Board: Some days there is absolutely NO surf and these are the perfect days to SUP. It's a really great way to see the ocean's inhabitants as well.

4. Windsurfing or Kitesurfing: I'm not sure what sort of havoc this will cause on the shoulder/neck issues that I've had but I'm going to at least try. It seems as though you'd get a great upper body/core workout!

5. Sailing: I actually know someone that gives lessons. Everyone that I know that does this is completely hooked!

What do you want to try this summer?