Last Few Days

I don't have any photos because I was too busy doing things. I'll get photos from Josh for Friday and Saturday. Before I forget though, Monday and Tuesday were cool.

Monday was the holiday day off. I declared it a bodyboarding day even though the crowds would be crazy. Josh was nice enough to drive up with me, using our new route that avoids the evil 101 highway. Its even shorter, in addition to quicker, so I'm not sure what I was thinking driving on the 101 the last 3 years. Anyway, as predicted it was very crowded. We had to park in 24 minute parking and we were lucky to get even that. The regular parking lots were all very full. By luck, a car left the regular parking lot so we ran back to my car and drove to the gate where the ticket lady let us in. When this spot is crowded people are annoying. Exceptionally so. The current washed me too close to some guy apparently because he glared at me so I paddled back the way I came from and he felt the need to say, "Thank you" in a mean jerk voice. Well, sorry dude, but as I paddled away the set wave of my session came right to me, which I caught and surfed past him. I was so tired from holding an edge in the wave that I got out of the water on the next wave (the very next wave in the set, yay point breaks). That's about a half mile of riding waves in only a few minutes. I walked back and found Josh who was reading a book. I sat around for awhile thinking I was done but then realized I was kind of unfulfilled from not get barreled or doing an air. Eventually I paddled back out a little farther up the point. My first real wave (my actual first wave involved a wipeout as some guy tried to kill me with the nose of his surfboard once he realized he was dropping in on me), just lined up perfectly, like Chilean wave perfectly. I still can't believe that wave. When I paddled back out, I didn't actually think I was going to get barreled. But oh wow it was REAL barreling, top to bottom awesome perfect waves. Over and over again. And the barrels were not crowded. It was unbelievable. Eventually I got out because I couldn't stop laughing I was so stoked. Laughing from pure joy + duckdiving = drowning ha ha. I think the first thing I said to Josh as I got out of the water was, "see, there is a God."
Then yesterday was a work day. Its hard to go from 4 days off in such a dynamic, colorful, committed world to sitting in a cubicle. Its 2d, black and white in some ways compared to being outdoors all day. There are whole parts of my brain that don't get used, the ones that connect with all the nerves in your body to make impossible seeming things happen. That focus is just gone. I mean yeah we do awesome stuff at work, but those primitive instincts that interact with the wilderness aren't used. So that part of my brain was panicking by the time I got out of work. I drove to the Rose Bowl to meet Josh and do the 3 mile loop. On the way, I noticed the crystal clear sky and the full moon. While I was still in oh-no-I've-been-inside-for-too-long panic mode, I decided the rose bowl with its streetlights and pavement was not the way to go. I found Josh parked at the extremely crowded rose bowl and we took off to drive to Mt. Wilson. Once again, the unbelievable happened. There is something about full moonlight on mountain trails, ones that aren't shaded by trees but are exposed to the moonlight, that makes for absolutely beautiful runs. We shut off our headlamps and just flew along night mountain trails. Up and down steep, steep rock and sandy dirt, an average 24.5% grade. The moonlight brings out the contrast between rocks and trail and trees and ravines. Somehow, we could see perfectly, except for a few patches where the trees shaded the trail. Wow.

A photo of my all time favorite surfer had this quote written over it:
"Do you believe in God, Malik?"
"Yes...especially a whole lot more since yesterday."

I think it takes is a little faith and the determination to go back out, or revise your plan, to try again for something more. Plus maybe a little imagination to walk away from whatever most people are doing when you think there might be something else out there. And someone to go with who can share it all. :)

I love weekends when I come in work and look back and smile and laugh at my computer screen. Whooooooo! (I know there are other people out there who do this too.)