Melancholy surfer

Melancholy is the best word to describe the way I often feel in December...especially during the holidays. This year has found me even more reflective and, possibly, remorseful for things I either have or haven't done. On a positive note, I've managed to learn how to surf, and even discovered that I love it. I've also kept a promise to myself to keep writing on this blog. It's been quite cathartic for me actually. I'm not sure who, if anyone, actually reads it, but it doesn't matter. I enjoy writing it. I've made new and wonderful friends this year, including my surfing guru Brian, world-class surfer and lady Ashley, my surfing instructors Melissa and Maite and several other surfers from all over the world. Unfortunately, I've also met people who have disappointed me, who have pretended to be nice and kind, but aren't who they have been in my mind. I have a tendency to create lives for people I meet and to make those lives fit into the people I want them to be. And, when that doesn't happen, I am very disappointed. Perhaps, they never really were the people I needed them to be so the fault is not theirs, but rather mine. Nevertheless, the pain one feels when that happens is very real. I'm blabbing on and on about something that has nothing to do with surfing, and this is a blog about surfing, so perhaps I should at least try to make a comparison to a wave. Sometimes, paddling out can be difficult, but then I think that if it's that rough to get out, the payoff will be good. But, that's not always the case. I'll paddle out past the pier and then I get in position to wait for my wave. I look over my shoulder and wait, until what seems to be the perfect wave heads my way. But, because I'm such a beginner, what may seem to be the perfect wave might actually close out quickly tossing me off my board. It wasn't the wave I thought it would be or needed it to be. Of course, there are times that it turns out to be the perfect wave and I get a great ride. So, I never know really until it's on me. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it's crystal clear that the waves are good. They are what they seem to be. It's just those other "uncertain" times that can be disillusioning. Here's hoping that I get a little better at telling the difference between the good and the bad in both waves and "friends."

SUNDAY SURF UPDATE: While things looked quite flat earlier this morning, by mid-morning the waves were returning. So I loaded up my Daisy and took her for a twirl. Although the sets were few and far between, good waves were abundant for the patient surfer. Many of the local surfers were willing to wait for the right wave, so I definitely had a lot of company. We all had on our 5-4 wetsuits and booties 'cause the water was quite chilly. It's amazing though how quickly I warm up when I get in the water! It was definitely worth it.

No waves, Dude

Well, I've got the board and I've got the thicker wetsuit, but I don't have any waves!! According to my surfing friend, Brian, the flat waters are usually more likely to happen in the summer, not the winter. He's teasing me that the surf Gods are plotting against me since I have a new board. I laugh at this. After all, it's a very busy time, so having to ride my bike or go to the gym is not such a bad thing. Don't get me wrong, I wish I could surf, but if I can't, I'm sure I can find something fun to do. I probably won't be cycling either, since winter riding is actually more difficult than winter surfing. On my bike, I'm miserable for the first 45 minutes, unlike surfing, where I'm only miserable for the first few seconds after getting in the water. Rumor has it that it will be even colder next weekend. Will that mean that the waves are gone again? I hope not, but if that's the case, I'll just try to have a Merry Christmas!

I'm dying to get out on my new board again though! Not sure when that will happen, but if it doesn't happen this week, I hope I get plenty of surfing opportunities during my week off between Christmas and New Year's.

New board

Yippee! I picked up my new board Friday. It was worth the wait! What a beautiful board. James Fulbright did an outstanding job creating my new board. He is definitely an artist when it comes to surfboard construction. The other artists involved, including the waxer and artist that drew my flowers also did an outstanding job. I didn't get to surf on Friday because of the weather, but my mentor Brian insisted I come over to his house to prepare the board for surfing. So, that's what I did. I went to Brian's and heated the base coat wax, then painted it on the board. James Fulbright seemed perplexed when I asked for the base coat wax and explained that I was going to melt it. Apparently hot waxing a board is a thing of the past. I questioned James about it an he said most people just rub the cold weather wax on their board this time of year. However, Brian had other plans, but it might have been for the best. Using a paint brush to swish on hot wax is a lot easier than rubbing that stuff. I was grateful to Brian for showing me how it was done. I didn't surf that first day 'cause it was too cold, and I didn't have my 5-4-3 wetsuit yet. However, this must have been my lucky weekend because it came in the next day. I had my new surfboard on Friday and my new thick wetsuit on Saturday. On Sunday, I was ready to go.

That morning was foggy, but it didn't stop me from loading my new board and my new suit, and heading down to the island. It was a spectacular morning. Riding my new board was like floating on a cloud. The sets were well-spaced, and the rides in were long. Andrea came down with me and, she, too, had a good morning. We both caught waves including one side-by-side wave, which made us look like a Charlie's Angels episode. Not many surfers had come out that morning, which was surprising since the waves seemed pretty good in the morning. We surfed for two-to-three hours. It was eery at first because of the fog. It almost seemed like we echoed. However, once things lightened up, so did the waves. My new 5-4-3 wetsuit kept me fairly warm. The only place I was cold was my hands. However, that wasn't too bad. I could definitely surf with some cold hands. All in all, the morning was fabulous! Not only did I have a new ride, I also had a new outfit to boot.

Another surf-less weekend

Looks like I'm definitely not going to be surfing this weekend. The elements may keep me from it...except for tomorrow (Sunday), when just plain old-fashioned scheduling conflicts keep me from doing it. On the one hand, I'm bummed about it. I hate missing surfing one more time. However, I hate being cold too; and since the latest cold snap, I think the water has probably cooled considerably. My "new" Quiksilver 5-4-3 wetsuit hasn't come in yet. I've been involved in this wetsuit goat rope for the past few months, and I can't get the sizing just right. Hope this one (it's a different brand) will work. Not only have I not been able to surf, but I haven't been able to cycle either. Cold weather and biking, no matter what gear I have on, never work well together. The upper 40s is definitely my cutoff. I've been trying to keep fit aerobically and weight-wise by going to the gym. I went to spin class this morning when I realized it was too cold to go out and and ride. I also went last night. Kelly, the spin instructor, gave us a great workout. She had us truly spinning the whole hour, with lots of fast pedaling and climbing exercises. She claimed we burned over 1,000 calories, but I'm not convinced about that. It would be wonderful, but sounds too good to be true.

During Sunday's rainy weather, I took a quick break between my scheduled events, to run over to Soundwaves to buy my booties. Brian keeps telling me I need them. And, after last weekend, I thought I might too. Shoe shopping has never been one of my favorite past-times. Don't get me wrong, I'm always eager to buy adorable shoes, but the experience of finding the right fit just hasn't ever been fun for me. I have a long, narrow foot that seems to always be between sizes. Buying these booties were no different. The Soundwaves surf salesman, Dan (I know him from Soundwaves and from surfing at the 43rd street pier), showed me the various styles and, thankfully, recommended the cheapest brand, which cost only $49. However, again, I seem to be between sizes. None of the styles fit correctly, so I had to buy the pair that is just a smidgeon small. Hopefully, once they are wet, they will give a little. Brian says they won't, but the other water shoes I have definitely did. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I hope to give them a try this coming weekend...quite possibly with my new board!

Bike rides and surfing

Another flat Friday and Saturday has kept me out of the waves. Not sure what to think other than I probably need a break anyway. Saturday, though, I was able to get in a 61-mile bike ride. I believe that strengthening my aerobic capacity would surely help me in any endeavor, including surfing. Because my surfing buddy Robin is still out of commission, it will be just my other surfing buddy Andrea and me heading down to catch the waves tomorrow. I noticed on the Web cam that the waves are returning so tomorrow morning should be good...at least better than it has been. Other than arm weights which strengthen my shoulders and my swimming slightly, I'm not sure what exercises I should be doing to make me a better surfer. So, I just continue with my cycling and spinning.

I really think it's mostly about timing. Today (Sunday) I went out. The surf was rough, but the waves were big. Because of the rough surf, getting out was a workout, but once past the end of the pier, swimming was a little easier. I say easier, but I should say slightly easier. The occasional big breaking wave made it hard to maintain composure on the board. But, I was able to get out past the bubbles on the outside. Of course, because of the wind, it was very easy to suddenly find yourself almost to the 43rd street pier. It's not fun being carried all the way down because that means that I have to either swim or walk along shore all the way back to the 45th street pier where I started. Super surfer Brian was giving a lesson, but stopped to point out some things to me and Andrea. Again, it's easy to hear and understand what he is telling us, rather than being in the water and actually doing it. Once we get out there, we know we should be swimming back toward the pier, but we get caught up just looking for a wave to catch. I didn't stay up long, but I was on my 9' board for the first time in a long time so I had to re-acquaint myself with it. I do love my board, but it is short (I know...9'...short, really?) for me. After all, I'm 5'9" and I have to be in perfect trim each time. There's no room for error. I still managed to get three short rides in, before being tossed about. I was working on my standing form and moving my feet around, so it's no wonder I lost my balance. l had one really fast ride along the edge of the wave, which was incredible. No one saw it, because it only lasted a few seconds, but it was still incredible. Can't wait to try it again...hopefully, for a little longer next time.

BOARD UPDATE: I went by Surf Specialties to check on my new board. James and Debbie said it was still at the glassers. He was a little backed up, but assured me it would be coming any day now. There's no rush, but I'm dying to see it. And surf on it!

Those temperamental waves...

Friday again surfed by without me in the ocean. When the latest front moved through, it brought stormy weather with it. The waves looked rough on g-townsurf.com and, to be quite honest, I don't enjoy surfing in stormy weather. Although I was all set to ride a good, long 60-mile ride today, the weather was still rather messy this morning. So, I went to spin class at L.A. Fitness. The 9:15 a.m. class was led by Crystal who took us through racing and climbing routines. I prefer riding outside, but will settle for spinning if that's not possible. The class was good and definitely got my heart-rate up, which sure beats not doing anything. I'm hoping for some waves tomorrow, since I plan to head down in the morning. I'm not sure if I will ride before surfing or after. I might also skip cycling and wait for a short ride during my lunch hour sometime during this upcoming short work week. Again, I guess that depends on the weather.

While playing around on my Twitter account, I noticed that I was now being followed by someone named YellowCapMike. I'm not sure if I quite understand Twitter, but I've had a Twitter account longer than I've had a Facebook account. I'm still very curious about it. Well, since many of the "people" following me actually seem to be trying to sell something, I decided to go to YellowCapMike's tweetpage to find out what he might be selling. Instead I found surfing info. His tweets actually seemed informative and I found no sales pitch. His bio states he is a surf instructor. One of this most recent tweets took me to his blog, which linked to a very informative explanation of waves. On my own, I've noticed that the waves during my most recent surfing excursions have been different from the waves this summer. For instance, last Sunday the pop-up had to happen quick because if it didn't, it would close out and cause a wipe out. That's what happened to me. I took too long popping up a couple of times and, before you knew it, I was under the water with a board on top of me. Aargh! YellowCapMike's blog story link didn't address that particular seasonal issue, but it did explain the five different types of waves as well as the parts of a wave. (http://yellowcapmike.wordpress.com) My surf life is dependent on waves, so I'll definitely keep studying them.

Flat Friday and surfing films

Friday surfed by without a single wave, so for the first Friday afternoon in awhile, I didn't make my weekly trek to the 43rd Street pier. It looked flat on g-townsurf.com, but I thought there was a chance that some waves might be kicking up on the other side of the pier away from the g-townsurf.com wavecam. My surfing buddy, Brian, called and confirmed what I was already seeing. NO WAVES! Earlier in the week on Tuesday, Galveston had experienced great waves because of a norther. However, that had already settled and without very much wind, seas had flattened. This morning (Saturday), Brian called to say that while they weren't very big, waves were back. So, after a quick 42-mile ride (I decided to not take the 60-mile route), I loaded my board and headed to Galveston. While there were indeed waves, they were mushy at best, sometimes dying out and reforming once or twice before making it all the way to shore. I caught one right away after swimming out past the end of the jetty, but I soon realized that moving in was the only way I was going to get any consistent surf and even that was questionable. I caught a few waves, but I also crashed into the water several times when the waves folded over on me. Although I was feeling discouraged, Brian, who let me use his dream board, said that I was surfing like someone "who had been surfing a year." I laughed. I've actually been surfing seven months, so a year isn't quite the compliment that I wanted it to be. But, oh well, I'm still enjoying myself. I'm going back tomorrow morning with my surfing friend Andrea. My other surfing friend, Robin, won't be surfing for awhile since her toe will need six weeks recovery before the pin is removed. OUCH!

While looking for waves on g-townsurf.com yesterday, I did manage to find out about a surfing movie premiere at a Galveston bar called the Melrose Pub. Rob and I looked like "parents" in the place even though there were some old surfers there. We looked rather conservative with our combed hair, blue jeans and shirts compared to the other surfers who showed up for this movie. Although the Web post I saw clearly stated "Jazz the Glass" started at 8 p.m., we quickly found out that surfer time was different than regular time. The filmmaker and surfing writer Jon Steele, who made the one-hour flick, announced that he had decided not to charge for the film but that he wished everyone would make a goodwill offering to help him and his comrades pay for the gas it cost them to drive to Galveston. The movie was...well...interesting and fun. Steele had taken an old pirate film and dubbed his own script over the film, so it was like watching a film that was out of sync with the sound; words didn't match the mouth movements. However, every 10 or so minutes, the movie jumped to the beach scenes and I saw some great surfing taking place with several of the guys walking to the front of the board and "Hangin' Ten." Wow! It was amazing what some of those surfers could do, and they made it look so effortless.To drink while watching the film, I ordered a diet coke and Rob ordered a beer. I had decided not to order alcohol simply because I had a big ride Saturday morning and didn't want to be dehydrated from the alcohol. However, since I was obviously the first person who had bought a diet coke in about six years, I decided only after a few swallows that I probably wanted something with alcohol in it so I ordered a glass of Cabernet. The young girl looked puzzled and pulled out the only two bottles of opened wine from the refrigerator. Purple or yellow? Merlot or Chardonnay? I took a glass of Chardonnay, again believing that I must have been the first person in years to order it. The crowd was a motley crew with a group of very blonde surfing kids up in the front with their blonde girlfriends, older more seasoned looking surfers in the middle of the room and some college kid-surfing types in the back of the room. I had a ball watching, while Rob wished he was anywhere but there. (He was a good sport though!)The highlight of the night for me was when local boardmaker and surf shop owner James Fulbright and his wife Debbie walked in with their two children. It became very obvious they were surfing royalty on the island. I think they were friends with Steele, who was also a contributing writer in a recent issue of The Surfer's Journal. Steele had copies that could be purchased and autographed by him. (Although we made a goodwill offering for the film, I chose not to buy the magazine and to save my $15 for the wax I owe Brian after using his board so long, as well as the wax I will need for mine.) I spoke briefly with both James and Debbie! They were very nice and also said that my new board should be back from the glasser any day now. (I can't wait!)

UPDATE: Sunday's surfing wasn't as good as I thought it would be. The waves were "mushy," and timing was very important and getting back out passed the breaks was tiring and rough. I met Brian at the 43rd Street pier, as well as my surfing bud Andrea, but my heart/mind just wasn't in the game today. I had one or two good runs, and Brian definitely wanted me to keep working on my board stance, but after about an hour-and-a-half, I decided that while physically I was still ready, mentally I was not. I threw in the towel, but at least I had two decent runs.

Great sets and Saturday surfing

Another weekend skids halfway by. It's been a busy one so far, and I'm sure that Sunday will wear me out too. Friday's waves were wonderful. The sets were well-defined and kept that definition all the way to shore. Needless to say, by the time I made it down to the 43rd street pier, many other surfers had decided to surf their afternoon away. Surfing buddy Brian had a lesson, and although I had brought my Softop (still waiting to hear on my new board) because I hadn't had much time on it lately, he insisted I use his 10' Robert August board with the beautiful blue paint job. He had actually brought it for my surfing pal Robin who has been away for a month visiting lands far away. (She did manage to work in a surf lesson in Cornwall, England.) However, a lingering toe injury from before her trip is forcing her to keep her foot up. So, she decided not to go to Galveston with me, which left me as the person Brian wanted to use the board. I used mine for a short while and found that I really noticed the missing six inches from the board I have been using (who says size doesn't matter?). I got pretty beat up on my 9' and struggled the whole time. I must have been having an off day 'cause I also struggled with the 10' Robert August, which seemed way too long to me. I couldn't catch a wave even if it had been handed to me on a platter -- they practically were. I was a little nervous being out with so many other surfers and constantly felt like we were in each other's way. And the time change made it seem like 6 p.m. when I finished rather than only 4 p.m. even if the time change was only one hour! I guess some days are like that. I definitely have "off" days with cycling so why should surfing be different?

Today (Saturday) was a little better, but I still struggled. So, it must just be an "off" weekend for me. I chose to surf instead of cycle, hoping for some redemption from Friday. Because there was a short board surf contest taking place at the 43rd street pier, Brian suggested that we go to the 21st street pier across from The Galvez. The waves were still pretty good, but not as well-defined as Friday's waves. I swam out and Bryan (different from Brian and another surfing pal) said I definitely looked more confident than Friday. I was using Brian's special fiberglass Hurricane board and caught the first wave coming my way. It was a great ride. I had a few other pretty good rides, but nothing to brag about. I still have a timing issue. I really have to work on catching those waves at just the right moment.

I didn't give up on cycling all together. I took my mountain bike and rode around the island a bit. But, I will have to get a good road ride in either tomorrow or one day this week during lunch!

Even colder weather, but very nice waves

Well, southeast Texas is experiencing its fall cycle. Every year, the weather changes at a moment's notice. Just as we all start grumbling about 85-degree weather in October, the next cold front pushes through and drops the temps to more seasonable degree expectations. While I admit to liking the first cold snap, by the time the second or third front makes an appearance, I'm ready for summer again. I've always been a fan of hot, sticky weather (I think I've written that before) so it's probably a good thing I live where I live. However, I must admit that if a strong "norther" blows through like it did on Thursday evening, the north wind creates phenomenal waves. So, Friday afternoon I definitely made my weekly afternoon jaunt to Galveston. This time, instead of a spring suit, I had to wear my 3-2 wetsuit. I met Super Brian at the 43rd Street pier and we surfed. I probably caught three or four waves and this week, Brian wanted to surf himself so he didn't offer to push me at all, which is good 'cause I had told him I needed the practice. I had to time the waves myself. I missed several of the waves because I stopped paddling before they made it to me (this timing thing is hard for me), but I also caught a few. I had two or three phenomenal rides that I took all the way down the shore by turning and riding in the wave. We were eventually joined by four or five other surfers and it was good to see that they also had timing issues. Brian is the only one who knew when the wave was right. It made me feel better to know that timing must be an issue for everyone. In fact, other than Brian, I probably caught more waves than the others. I wiped out a few times too. I have no idea why; well, I do know why I wiped out a couple of times. Even though I was on Brian's phenomenal fiberglass board, I didn't get in trim. I was way too far forward and the wave just pushed me over. We outlasted most of the surfers. They usually only stay 30 minutes to an hour, but Brian and I were out a little over two hours. I got a little tired once or twice paddling back out. The strong waves, even while in the rip current, can make the paddle out past the breaks tiring. I seem to still get pushed around alot, and I try to be extra careful because I'm on Brian's board and I don't want it to get pushed into the jetty.(I had a jetty encounter last week and while protecting Brian's board, I shredded the top of my foot on the barnacles.) All in all, it was a fantastic afternoon! I hope tomorrow's surfing experience will be just as good, but I fear that it will be like last Sunday when the waves were inconsistent and hard to read and get through.

As part of my usual weekend workout, today (Saturday) I rode my bike and had an outstanding 60-mile ride with the 21+ mph group. It was quite cool at the start. In fact, I was colder at the start of the ride despite having on leggings, a vest, arm warmers and a jacket, than I was in the water yesterday. The only bad thing so far about surfing in the winter isn't the water, but the walk from the water back to the car with wet hair and then having to take the wetsuit off to put on sweats, while cycling in the winter requires me to get through the first 20 miles of freezing and sucking in cold air. Brrrr!

(P.S. This morning -- Sunday -- was a bust. NO WAVES. So, I had to ride again. Beautiful day for a ride, but I sure wish I could have surfed.)

Colder weather and a quiet beach

A cool front moved through this week, and the residents of southeast Texas experienced some of the coolest weather so far this year. Although I heard that the waves were the best on Thursday just as the front moved through, I didn't make it down until Friday afternoon. I met Brian at the beach who I've decided is such a good surfer he could take a door off its hinges and surf it in a swimming pool without any problem. He can surf anything! When I got there on Friday around 1:30, I noticed that the waves weren't huge, but they were well-defined and a little bigger than what I'd seen in a few weeks. The air temperature was pretty cool, but I put on a rashguard and then my springsuit before traipsing down to the water. Brian let me use his amazing board again, and I was thrilled. No one else was out; I'm guessing most of the diehard surfers had been out in the rough, big waves the day before. Brian talked to me about turning and positioning myself on the board to get the most effective ride possible. I had a blast. I caught approximately eight or nine really good waves right off. They were spectacular! I moved around on the board and practiced turning. I caught one going left and right. Brian pushed me several times, something I probably should ask him to stop since timing is so important and still an issue for me. Nevertheless it was a great day. I went down twice--I kept referring to them as crashes; Brian says the surfing term is wipeout. Of course, it just so happened that it was when my husband, Rob, happened to ride his bike up to the pier to watch. (It was the only two times he watched me, and I didn't get up either time. oh well!) Overall, I felt great about the day! I had many fabulous rides, with Brian telling me that he thought I was getting better every time I went out. (Compliments don't come often from him, so I felt good about that remark.) I just need to keep practicing. I'll be going out again Sunday! Hope I have as good a day as I did on Friday.

(I didn't surf today. The waves were flat, so I rode my bike. It felt good. I rode 55 miles with a great group of cyclists. Hope my cycling friends have a good ride tomorrow. I'll be looking for waves.)

Early morning waves

Sometimes, I just don't have long enough weekends! I'm sure everyone probably has a similar complaint. It's not because I dislike my week days, because I certainly don't. I enjoy the work I do and the people I work with daily. However, I sure would like more free time to hone my surfing skills. I had a weekend commitment this past weekend; one that was going to keep me from going to Galveston. It wasn't a bad commitment. I was going to have fun visiting family, but I still wanted to surf. So I decided to take Friday morning off since I was going to be leaving town on Friday afternoon. That way, I could surf for a few hours before I left town. I made it down to the beach by 7:15ish. It was one of the coolest mornings we had so far this season. I had my springsuit though, which kept me toasty while I was in the water. In fact, the only time I was chilled was walking from the water back to my car and that wasn't a long walk. Although it looked like there would be no waves on the Web cam I watch, there were, in fact, several small, long waves on the west side of the 43rd street pier. They were perfect for me. My surfing mentor, Brian, met me down there (with his lovely wife Karen and Tex the wonder dog), and we surfed together. He let me use his 9'6" "cloud" board, which I love! I practiced swimming out, turning quickly and, although Brian helped me several times by pushing me, my timing for catching the wave still needs improvement. (Timing seems to be my biggest issue right now...something that has to be right in so many life decisions.) I also practiced riding the wave parallel to the beach, which gave me a much longer ride; practiced dancing or moving up and down the board; and practiced stopping and dismounting the board without looking like a spastic first-timer. I still need a lot of practice on bringing my center of gravity down the board, bending at the knees instead of at the waist. These small waves, though, gave me a chance to work on improving my skills. I heard waves were pretty good on Saturday, but today they weren't. I had an opportunity to drive past the beach on my way home from my trip and stopped to watch several surfers making do on small, inconsistent waves. We -- weekend surf warriors -- sometimes just have to make do with what time we have!

P.S. I'm a little late posting this weekend because of my trip, but at least I was able to snap the photo above today when I was crossing on the Bolivar ferry back to Galveston.

Rainy days and cool, north winds

I was ready to surf today! For the first time since June, it has been more than a week since I had been out in the waves, and I definitely wanted to get out in the water. However, I've also been fighting a cold this week...one that kept me out of work on Wednesday, which is something I never do. My congested, feverish body needed some rest. Meds had helped me make a speedy recovery, but I thought it best for me to pass for today. I went to the beach, though, and watched the cool front come through. The winds shifted less than an hour before I arrived. The waves were bigger than usual, although not huge. Surfers had flocked to the 43rd and 46th street pier, although most of them looked miserable. Only two or three went out past the breaks and managed to catch a couple of decent rides, while the rest seemed to be just fighting with the water. My surfing buddy Brian showed me where the waves were getting sheared off by the wind. He said he wasn't going out today because it would be a lot of work for little payoff, although he was willing to get his board and take me if I wanted to go. Personally, I, too, thought it looked like most of the guys out were struggling quite a bit for very little payoff. Brian thought tomorrow might be better, but it just depends on how forceful this front moved through. It could be rough and choppy just like today. One cool thing I saw was a young woman who took her board out and seemed to outsurf several of the guys around her. She wasn't quite as good as the two guys who went out past the breaks, but she managed to get some decent rides. I saw a couple of waves fold on her though through no fault of her own. Brian says that's one of the problems with surfing in waves like today's. I can't wait to see what tomorrow or Sunday might bring in the form of waves. Sunday, though, I won't get out until a little later since I have to work a rest stop for the big Bike around the Bay two-day bicycle ride that starts in Anahuac and finishes in Baytown. The cyclists spend the night in Galveston. I decided not to ride it since I might be surfing. I am working the Sunday morning rest stop in Texas City though. It should be fun and I'll either ride or surf afterward. I've been spinning regularly, but I do miss saddle time on MY bike.

In other BIG news, I ordered a new surf board today. It is a custom-made fiberglass board by James Fulbright. That's right, I will have my very own Senator surfboard. James built the Hurricane board (an old moniker) that Brian owns and that I borrowed. Even though it's longer than my Softop -- it's 9'6", it didn't feel like it and was like surfing on a cloud. I got the same length and added a 1/2 inch in width to give me a little more stability (I'm tall for a surfer chick, and I'm a beginner). James says it usually takes six to eight weeks, but thought he could get mine to me in four! I can't wait, so keep your eyes posted for photos of me and my new board.

Choppy wave Thursday

Since I was leaving town for a couple days and was going to miss my weekend surf time, I decided to surf early on Thursday before I caught my flight. I made it to Galveston at 7:15 a.m. to find what looked like decent waves. However, once I made my way to the water, I realized that "decent" was definitely the wrong word. Choppy would have been a better description. Although it was quite a fight to get out, I managed to do it a couple of times. Eventually, I decided I would just practice my pop ups in the white water. Even that proved troublesome because I would jump on my board when a wave was coming my way, only to find that the waves were coming from two different directions, making it impossible to keep straight on the board. I was able to ride waves in three or four times, but another three or four times, I was knocked off balance on the board face first into the water because of the inconsistency of the wave. Although my surfing mentor Brian came out to watch me, he said the waves were too inconsistent for him to try to get out in the water and, besides, he was going to be surfing really "fine" waves tomorrow. Yes, at least three other times during the week, Brian had either called or e-mailed to let me know that because of the cold front coming in on Friday, the waves were going to be 4- to 6-ft and that it might be the best waves we've seen since last winter. I, of course, was going to miss it because I was going out town. My surfing buddy Robin broke her toe during our last outing and was probably going to miss it too, although she said she was definitely going to the beach to watch. Fortunately, this is just the beginning of the fall season and we should have many more 4- to 6-ft waves in weekends to come. Hooray! Although, I might have surfed those size waves a few times in Nicaragua last March (not sure if they were even that big, but I think they might have been), I haven't surfed them since and I am dying to know what it's like. Since it is only the beginning of fall, I'm sure I have many more weekends like this in my future. Ummm...can't wait!

P.S. While I might be missing the waves this weekend, I'm still having fun. I'm in Jonesborough, Tennessee at the National Storytelling Festival. Maybe I'll hear a story or two about surfing! Probably not, but who knows? Several great storytellers are in the lineup this year.

Waves have returned...at least for now

It's about time. After a couple of weeks of absolutely flat surf, today the waves were back. They weren't huge (after all, it's still Galveston), but they were a little bigger than they had been during August. The sets were different too. Although there was a quite a bit of time between the sets, when the waves finally made it to me, they seemed different somehow. I started out on my own 9' Softop, but, eventually, traded it for Brian's 9'6" fiberglass board, on which I love surfing. I'm not really complaining about my Softop. It's a fabulous board (and it's pretty too), but that fiberglass board is like surfing on a cloud. It's incredibly light and easy to manipulate in the water because it is also a little more narrow than mine. I'm dying to get a board just like it, but I know this one was custom-made and would probably cost me $1,000 or more. I'm not sure I could describe the differences adequately. I just know that it seems easy to maneuver.

I'm still having trouble "catching" the waves. I'm trying to catch them out past the break(s), but I only really catch about one in ever four or five. The others I seem to misjudge. I end up face first in the water alot too, without any real explanation as to why. I guess it's just part of the learning process. Today's waves tired me out too. For the first time, I can honestly say that my arms were a little tired today after surfing only about three-and-a-half hours.

I bought my springsuit just in time. I needed it today. The water temp was only about 78 degrees, but stepping into it was shocking. I eventually warmed up, and I'm sure the springsuit had something to do with that. I think I'll probably need it for about another month or so until I have to drag out the ol' 3-2 wetsuit. But, I hear that when that happens, the waves will definitely be good.

In closing today's blog post, I'll drop in the opening quatrain/stanza from Katherine Anne Porter's "Texas: By the Gulf of Mexico":

Ye shivering ones of the frozen North, list [sic] to my happy song
Of the seventh heaven nestled here below,
In our rich, fertile valleys, midst sunkissed fruits and flowers
In Texas, by the Gulf of Mexico

Friday floating

Light north winds have flattened the Gulf again making my Friday surfing day a bust. Well...I should say it was almost a bust. Robin and I still went down to Galveston with our surfboards to have some fun. Although I'm sure we looked quite foolish, we took them out and swam out past the end of the pier. We floated and swam. We practiced our knee paddling, which will help us a little. However, how we swim out when we have real waves will be a different matter. I'm sure we will be a little less certain of ourselves the first time we confront a 4- to 6-foot wave as we're swimming out past the breaks. We got a pretty good workout today though, swimming from pier to pier. Because the wind was out of the north, we also got pushed out quite a way from the shore line. Brian joined us eventually and talked to us about catching waves, which seems to be a problem these days for both of us. Once we catch the wave, we know what we are supposed to do, but actually timing everything just right and catching the wave is the hard part. That's something that will just have to come with practice I think.

Tonight, I went shopping for a springsuit, which Brian says we will need probably by October. I had been given a $50 gift certificate by my fabulous office mates for my birthday in August. Although I went by Sun & Ski last week and couldn't find a springsuit or wetsuit, I decided to give it another try. This time I found a very small selection. I'm guessing the store drug them out of their storage area hoping that they would sell them during their bike sale. I questioned their small selection of springsuits only to be met with a very rude, "We're not a surf store," to which I wished I would have answered, "No, you're a SPORTING GOODS store," hoping that the sarcasm would tell him that as a sporting goods store they should be able to cover a variety of sports. But, alas, I said nothing. I just picked up a couple of springsuits and took them to the dressing room. A young female clerk from Germany came to help me. She was delightful. Of the two springsuits, one was a little loose, but comfortable, while the second was like...well...a second skin. I was assured that the second one was how it should fit. With it being on sale for $75 and me having a $50 gift card, I was able to buy it for $25. The price was right. I decided I could make it work. It was a men's small. ummm...Hope I can get it on when I need it! It certainly fits like a glove; a little tighter than my 3-2 wetsuit. Note to self: DON'T GAIN ANY WEIGHT BETWEEN NOW AND OCTOBER!

Dancing on the board

I extended my Labor Day weekend during the past week by taking Tuesday off. I made it to the beach early and met my surfing mentor Brian. He and I were the only ones at the beach that day. Waves were not big, but at least there were some. Also, because no one else was on the beach, I had plenty of room to play on my board. I had been learning about taking off at a slight angle so I could ride the wave farther down the beach. Brian told me that I needed more of a Mae West wiggle with my back leg because it looked so stiff when I was standing on the board. I certainly didn't argue since I felt like I was stiff, and because when I saw photos of myself on the board, I looked stiff. Tuesday was a good day to practice. I successfully caught the small waves at an angle, popped up and wiggled. I was able to walk on the board and turn it successfully. Brian thought I improved quite a bit on Tuesday. I won't really know though until I'm out on a real wave and successfully riding it in. I also practiced my knee paddling, which has turned out to be a very effective way of getting out quickly.

I usually surf on Friday too, but, today (9-11), the seas were flat! It was also quite rainy with showers popping up quickly and offering much-needed downpours to the area. However, where there are rainstorms in southeast Texas, there is also lightning. Lightning and surfing don't go together at all.

In my last blog post, I mentioned that I was looking for a poem to share. I'm close to finding one. I believe I located the title and the author, but I haven't read the actual poem yet. Maybe next time...

(The photo posted with this blog was taken Sunday, Sept. 6, before I caught some waves.)

Flat seas, again

No waves dude! That's the first thing my surfing mentor and friend, Brian, said to me when he called me with the surf report last night and again today. No waves! I had actually seen the flatness myself by logging on to several of the webcams. However, I didn't want to believe it was happening again. Ordinarily I would have gone down alone, but Brian reminded me of it being Labor Day weekend and the crowds I would experience on the Friday afternoon before a long weekend. I had other things to keep me busy today anyway, but still, I missed going to the beach. So, I went shopping at the surf shop. I didn't buy anything, but I eyed a couple of really pretty fiberglass and epoxy boards. I also went to Sun & Ski to check on wetsuits. I knew they carried 3-2s, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to find a 5-4-3. To my surprise, they didn't have ANY wetsuits. Apparently it's a seasonal item and when I asked when they would get some in, the clerk said January. January? I might need it before then, so I'll definitely have to order it on the Internet. I know I'm going to need it and, more than likely, before January. I hate being cold.

The weather this weekend has been forecasted as rainy. I hate to hear that too, since I want to be able to surf at least one day during this long weekend. This will also require a wind-shift so that waves can be created. Brian is calling me on Saturday night to let me know about Sunday's forecast. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I was planning to close today's blog with a poem about the ocean, but, after my rather bold Facebook statement about southern writers being the best, I decided the poem definitely had to be written by a Southerner. However, I couldn't find one in any of my anthologies. I also couldn't find one on the Web. I know there are plenty out there, but I guess since I needed it right away, I would not be able to locate one. All I could think of was Kate Chopin's novel, "The Awakening." But, then I realized I didn't really want to include a suicide beach scene in my surfing blog. Death by drowning is never a good way to think about surfing. So now I'm on a quest to find a good southern beach poem. Oh, and I definitely need some waves.

p.s. The photo posted with this blog is not from Friday, Sept. 4. It's just an example of what Galveston surfers experience at the end of summer when we want to surf.

Summer doldrums and passing afternoon thunderstorms

I believe I've talked about them before...the summer doldrums...that time during the summer where the waves flatten out. Brian, my surf coach, called me this morning before I headed to Galveston to tell me the waves were fading fast. He was in the middle of a private lesson and, although there had been some small surf for his lesson, the waves were flattening out. I told him I wanted to go anyway. I spoke with Andrea and she desperately wanted to be out on her board also. So we met at our 43rd street pier. Once I arrived I saw just how flat the surf could be. It was definitely going to be a day to practice swimming out and turning the board. And that's exactly what we did. We hauled everything down to the beach and paddled out. A couple of small waves came through for us to practice the pop-up and one or two decent rides. And then, the sky turned black. It started to rain, but there wasn't any thunder and lightening; at least not at first. The wind started to shift and Brian suggested we swim out and over to the other side of the jetty. Just as we made the swim over (I still need to work on arching my back more), we heard the first clap of thunder, which of course means that lightening wasn't far away. Brian thought we should swim in and that's what we did. When we made it to shore, the skies opened and the rain came down hard and fast. The native surfer, Brian, said we should go stand close to the wall for some protection, which we did, but we still got soaked as did our towels and coolers, etc. A beach rat came out to play during the storm and not being a fan of any kind of rodent, I got a little miffed at the creature who thought it might run over to play around our feet. A loud "shoo" kept him away. The rain was the result of a norther heading our way that wasn't going to quite make it all the way through. It would switch the winds a little, cause some rain and, basically, flatten out the seas. Too bad! I'm hoping that the wind shifts enough to give us better waves on Sunday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Surfing vs. Cycling: Should I allow two sports to compete for my time?

Surfing is finally becoming second nature to me. That's not to say that it's easy. I still have a lot of work to do and, after all, I am surfing in only two-foot waves (on a good day). However, I really felt comfortable in the water today. I understand what I'm supposed to do; I just can't always do it all at the right time. I had a couple of bad starts when I first got into the water. I might have been a little nervous. My friend (and, as of today, my new surfing buddy), Andrea, was watching after her lesson with Brian. She said she was too tired to get back in with us, but she wanted to watch. I guess I wanted to impress her, but I'm not sure what kind of impression I might have given her. Eventually, though, I got back in my groove and popped up and road some waves all the way in. I had a ball. Brian, my friend and surfing mentor, surfed with Robin and me, but couldn't help but critique us too, which is good 'cause I need all the tips I can get. For instance, although he complimented me on my form, he would then say not to worry about the other surfers near the pier 'cause they were just as pathetic as I was. He also told me that I looked like I had a death grip on the board when I was sitting out in the water. I do need to work on it, that's for sure. Then came the talk about tomorrow. Weather rumor had it that a cold front was going to pass through to change the wind from the SSW to the North. When this shift occurs, waves in Galveston will be running at 4- to 6-ft., which is quite big for Galveston. Brian says that I definitely wouldn't want to miss it. However, the latest weather forecast predicts that the front won't make it all the way through Galveston. Ummm...we really won't know until tomorrow. I don't want to miss the good waves, but Saturday is usually my cycling day. I cycle during the week too, but on Saturday, I usually do a long, hard ride. So my dilemma is should I go surfing first thing in the morning or should I go cycling? Right now, I'm leaning toward surfing, but I don't think I will know for sure until early tomorrow morning. I'll just have to keep my eyes on the g-townsurf.com Web cam to check out the wave action to find out if I will hang ten or assert my pedal power.

a surfing legend

Even though my surfing instructor and friend Brian called last night and said he thought the waves would be good today, by this morning he was calling to say that they hadn't picked up. The waves were flat just as they had been for most of the week. I questioned him about this and found out that every summer at some point, the waves in Galveston are nonexistent (not that they're ever real big). I asked him how long it could last, and he said that this flat "session" has been known to last two months. TWO MONTHS????? He said he didn't think it would last that long this year. I told him that I was planning to come down anyway because I need the practice swimming on my board (in particular, arching my back) and spinning the board for when a wave was coming. Before I went down, I went to my favorite surfcam page and saw just how flat it really was. While on the page -- my favorite surfcam page (www.g-townsurf.com) --, I texted my friend Robin. She wrote back and asked if I had noticed that Robert August (the '60s surfing star from "The Endless Summer") was going to be in Galveston today. I hadn't read that far down. Once I read the portion of the page that talked about how flat the waves were, I stopped reading. But, sure enough, when I revisited the page I noticed the posting. So, Robin and I made Ohana Surf and Skate our first stop. When we arrived, we found him standing in the middle of the store signing autographs. We immediately made our way to him and introduced ourselves. He graciously agreed to a photo with us. He even asked if we minded if he groped us a little. "Absolutely not...he could grab us all he wanted." He laughed and grabbed our butts all in good fun! We met his young daughter (she was nine) who had been out surfing with one of the Ohana employees. She was adorable. Robin explained we were really old surfers and the little one just smiled. When we left the store, we went to the 43rd street pier and swam around on the boards. Every little bit will help, I'm sure. We may not ever be as good as Robert August, but we're determined to have just as much fun!

Three steps forward, two steps back?

I checked today's waves online first thing this morning. The Gulf was flat. The only waves visible were those breaking really close to shore. I was going surfing when I got off of work at noon no matter what. Brian called last night to see if Robin and I were coming down, and I answered with a "definitely." He offered to call this morning to let me know how the waves were, but I said it really didn't matter because I basically needed the practice of swimming out on the board anyway. He seemed to like that answer and said that he would meet us at our usual spot at the 43rd street pier. He also mentioned he had a board he wanted to show me. (He keeps insisting my board is too narrow for a tall girl like me surfing on the small surf in Galveston. I believe it's an optical illusion. Because the trim is purple, I think it makes the board look narrower than it actually is.) He said this board had been made especially for him. He wanted me to see it because it was 24 inches wide, therefore making it easier to use in Galveston because it had hips. Mine is actually 23 1/2 inches, and I can't believe an extra half inch would give me that much support. But, who knows? His board was a great looking board. And he has surfed a lot longer than me.

Once we made it down to the waves, Brian started lecturing us. He insisted the only reason he cares about how we are doing is because he likes us "dudes." It's actually kind of nice to know that he wants us to succeed. He initially claimed that I had slipped into some bad habits and was not doing the pop up correctly. He said I was dragging my left foot forward before I was putting my right foot forward. As a goofy-footer, I should definitely be moving the right foot first. He suggested I practice on the shore, and I did it perfectly. However, the next time I went out, I noticed that I was doing exactly as he said I was. My left foot was sliding up part way first. I apologized for telling him that I wasn't doing what he said I was doing. He said, "I know what I'm talking about." And he does. I just need to keep practicing. I decided that I would also rehearse the pop up some more in my living room just as I had done several months ago. I can't slip back into sloppy habits! No way, "dude."

Swimming out past the break

Yesterday's surfing was phenomenal! Brian decided that he wanted to come surf with Robin and me. When he called on Thursday night to see if we were coming down, I was unsure whether he meant he wanted to give us a lesson or if he just wanted to surf with us. It turns out it was the latter. He always tells us, "I like you gals." He brought his friend Bryan (same name, different spelling) too. He told me he wanted to take me out past the breaks, and the other Bryan would work with Robin on swimming out. So, we swam out in the rip of the rock piling pier, which can be hard work when reaching the end because of the rushing waves breaking. We had to swim through it. The important thing about swimming through it is not getting caught in the wave 'cause it will push you and the board back toward the shore and you'll have to swim back out to the rip and make it back out. I swam through the breaks though and looked for the bubbles...the bubbles can tell a surfer when the wave is about to break. We swam for what seemed like forever, but made it out. The cool thing about the waves out past the break is that they will carry you a long way, and they will get much bigger. This isn't always the case, but it was yesterday. Waves were 3-5 feet, which doesn't sound like much, but by summer Galveston standards, these waves are fantastic! I rode several all the way in, but never mastered the sharp curve back to the rock pilings so that I wouldn't have to walk along the beach. I maneuvered a little, but haven't quite gotten the hang of the big turn. It was phenomenal and, unlike the small waves closer to shore that I have been catching, these bigger waves gave me time to play with "foot" placement. It's hard to get these waves in the summer, but not impossible. I look forward to doing it again, possibly tomorrow. Robin had a good day too catching the waves past the break.

Today, I went on my usual Space City Cycling Club ride. I also had a great ride on the bike. The group went to Wee-Mart in Liverpool, which is our typical summer 60-mile ride. I rode with my 21 mph+ group. I managed to stay with the breakaways on the way back, not willing to let any of them get away no matter how fast they were going (26 mph+ in some areas). Cycling uses completely different muscles, but requires the same mental toughness that surfing does. The only difference is that surfing is a singular sport, while cycling can definitely be a "team" sport/competition. What a blast!

One is the loneliest number...

So goes the Three Dog Night song I remember from the '70s and '80s. I have always hated doing things alone, but have forced myself in recent years to do so. I sometimes go to the mall alone or go out to eat alone. Eating at home alone isn't the same since mail, TVs, phone calls and even computers can help distract a person from being alone. I read in a surfing book that no one should ever surf alone for safety reasons. However, today, that's what I decided to do. My surfing buddy, Robin, couldn't go with me today to surf. After a discussion with my surfing instructor and friend Brian, I also found out that he wasn't going to be able to surf today either. Ummm...I really wanted to surf, so I decided to go alone. I had asked Brian his opinion about it and he said that he loved surfing alone. The only time a person shouldn't surf alone is if he/she is on a deserted beach or in water known for having sharks. He told me to drive up and down the Seawall to see where the waves were. And, that's what I did. Although surfers can be territorial, I decided to surf near the 25th street pier, an area I wasn't familiar with because I usually surf at the 43rd street pier. I made the right decision. The other surfers were nice, as was the lifeguard who came out to chat me up. He gave me some pointers and pushed me into a wave. The waves were shallow but, for the first time in awhile, the sets were well-defined. I had 10-12 successful runs. I was quite proud that I didn't even get the top of my head wet. I never fell. It was amazing! And, I did it alone. Maybe this "alone" stuff isn't so bad.

channel surfing and 6-ft blondes

Channel surfing? Yeah, there are those who will do just that behind big ships and surfing in their wakes. However, I'm really referring to channel surfing, as in television channels. I visit a nursing home once, sometimes twice, a week. I visit several of the residents regularly, but, occasionally, I meet someone new. This past week, though, was a little different. Although I arrived during what should have been dinner, most in the main dining room had finished. I was greeted by my three favorite guys. Mr. R. approached me quickly. He was obviously upset. A victim of a stroke, Mr. R. can't speak. Neither can his tablemate (another Mr. R.). The third at the table, Ray, can talk. They are all sitting in the circle around the nurses' station. Mr. R. tries to tell me something, but I'm not sure what he is saying. At one point, he raises his index finger to his cheek. Although he's never asked for a kiss on the cheek, I think that is what he wants and, so, I bend down and kiss his cheek. He disgustedly shakes his head no. This is not what he wants. He grabs his newspaper and points down at something. Oh, I think, he wants to watch the homerun derby on ESPN. I ask him why he isn't watching it. An avid baseball fan, Mr. R. always has a game on the big screen TV he has in his rather small, shared room. He shakes his head and points at the newspaper listing again. I can't figure out what he wants. Finally, I think he wants me to go to his room; so we do. Once inside, he draws something in the air with his index finger. It's the number "37." So, I turn the channel to 37. It's a Spanish channel, which makes him very upset. I realize he is looking for ESPN. He's trying to tell me it should be channel 37. I scroll through the other channels and find ESPN News and ESPN2. He points out the difference in the bottom, right-hand corner of the screen. He can't figure out what happened to his ESPN. He tries to tell me two guys had come into his room earlier. Ray, who has rolled in behind us, tries to translate and says two guys took some chips out of the TV. I'm not sure what to believe at this point. Eventually, Mr. R. gets frustrated and rolls down the hall where he bursts into tears. I walk out and put my hand on his shoulder, but there's nothing I can do. I can't fix it. I asked the nurse for the maintenance man, Paul, so that I could figure out what happened, but, as luck would have it, Paul is gone for the day. I lean down and gently kiss his forehead and walk away. I put my hand on Ray's shoulder and tell him thanks for his help. Ray just shrugs. He hates to see his friend so upset. I don't want to believe that they would do something to his TV. When I eventually get a hold of Paul the next day, he tells me that the channels changed more than six months ago and that they got rid of ESPN so that they could add Fox sports, which offers more Astros games. I want to believe him, but I am perplexed that Mr. R. knew what channel ESPN would be. If, in fact, it had been six months, he wouldn't have remembered ESPN's channel number. I wish there was something I could do. I'm using my surfing blog to speak out about this because I fear it will remain on my mind and, possibly, slow down my own surfing this weekend. But, sadly, I can watch ESPN if I want. Getting old can suck sometimes. Hang in there Mr. R.

In other surfing news, I met a 6-ft. blonde female surfer last Sunday. She definitely caught everyone's eye. I walked over and introduced myself. I asked her if she had trouble popping up; since several people have told me that being tall is detrimental for the pop up. It's definitely something I need work on because of my height. She said no, it just takes practice. She told me she had been surfing for three years. I told her I wanted to watch her surf as she smiled, put on her rash guard and paddled out. She had beautiful form. It all looked so easy for her. Practice...that's all I need. I hope to be as good as her in three years!

on our own?

Robin and I thought we might try to surf on our own today. We decided a few days ago that we might have graduated from lessons with Brian. When my cellphone rang last night, though, imagine my surprise when I heard Brian's voice on the other end. He was calling to find out if we were coming down today. We hadn't contacted him for lessons like we had in the past. "Yeah, Karen, are you dudes coming down tomorrow?" he asked. I answered that we were planning to be there at about 1:30. He said, "Cool, I'll see you dudes then." At first, I was puzzled. But, then, I thought perhaps Robin had arranged the lessons. She had been surfing on her own in Galveston on Wednesday. (She texted me at work to let me know how great the waves were, a rather cruel text since I was sitting in front of a computer attempting to write a story about a state designation for some online education classes.) She had seen Brian that day while surfing. He helped her buy a cover for her board. Today, when she met me at my house, I told her about Brian's call. She had no idea why he had called. When we got to our place on the beach, Brian waved and said he wanted to surf with us. He wasn't trying to give us lessons, he was just out there to catch waves with us. It was alot of fun and, even though he yelled at me a few times for something I was doing wrong, I enjoyed his company. He says we're his favorite dudes and calls us Barbie 1 and Barbie 2 because of our blonde hair. He makes us laugh. He's not charging us, just surfing with us and giving us helpful hints. He can ride any wave, no matter how small. It's good to have a competent, experienced surfer to surf with and to watch. The two Barbies definitely appreciate it.

board rash, freshly shaved legs and cycling

Ouch! My legs hurt. For the first time since I started surfing I have a nasty board rash. Although it could have come from me swimming out, sitting up, rotating my direction before getting in trim, I think now it's because I shaved my legs this morning before I went surfing. I usually don't shave right before I go out, but I did this morning for some bizarre reason. Ouch! The waves were flat and Brian tried several times to reach me and/or Robin, but we never got the messages or heard the calls. We were determined to go surfing no matter what. So, we took our boards down even if it meant we would be just floating around on the water. We were glad for the practice. I was particularly glad because I got to practice swimming out and sitting up and then trying to quickly rotate when a wave is coming in. This last part is particularly hard for me. I can't get turned fast enough and often end up being knocked off my board by the wave 'cause I'm not in trim. Brian came out, but really just offered a few tips and waited for his private lesson clients to show up. Robin and I have decided to not take as many lessons from now on and just keep practicing. We think that is what we need...practice and, maybe, a few more waves.

I'm hoping the board rash doesn't hinder my cycling. I plan to ride a long ride tomorrow and I definitely don't need the added problems of sore legs from board rash. (Oh, and the Tour de France starts this weekend!) Viva le Tour

Ode to a Surfing Blog

My favorite magazine, Oxford American, publishes a special summer issue every year inviting writers to submit their Best of the South stories for publication. The pieces are witty, charming and usually titled "Ode to a ..." (fill in the blank: this year's issue had such titles as "Ode to a Soda Fountain" and "Ode to Screaming." I decided to write my own. I've titled it:

Ode to a Surfing Blog

Words and waves. Waves by words crashing into the computer screen, each word meaning something more than just its original intent. Soaring, sailing words give action to the surf, the rip-tide, the cross current. Riding a curl brings the words back full circle to the origin of the wave ... the idea ... back to when it was just water washing away the sand, lapping up against the shore where kids play in waist-deep water with bright-colored floaties around each arm while being watched by nervous mothers nearby discussing their sons' behaviors in school and listening to seagulls cry, beg for pieces of pb&j sandwiches that could be compared to words in a blog that may or may have meaning to the sunglassed reader who is sitting on the striped Banana Tropic, yellow and orange beach towel. Words, waves remain important to the surfing reader and writer who shares the intensity of loading a bright, yellow and purple surfboard on top of her car, driving to the beach, unloading the board to place it in the wave's ending and swimming, stroke by stroke, out to where waves begin so that, later, she can, stroke by stroke, pull words together to express the exhilaration of riding the wave into the shore where it will start again.

a leaf wave?

This week, I'm on my annual hiking trip. Because of my training for surfing and my continued cycling, I'm probably in better shape for my hikes than I've ever been. I took a little bit of an excursion this year. Instead of only hiking in the Smokies, this year, I visited some friends who are avid hikers and know everything about hiking in the East. My friend and guide, Charles, took me to hike a very, very small portion (six miles total -- three out and back) of the Appalachian Trail. We didn't have a lot of time, so I knew it would be a short hike. That was fine. We went to Roan Mountain trailhead, which is only about 45 minutes from Charles's office. The air temperature was probably about 65 degrees, but with the wind, it felt more like the 50s. The wind is strong in this particular area, similar to the strong winds we often have in Texas. Many parts of the trails are in open field-type/bald areas. Charles explained that it wasn't naturally this way; the Cherokee Indians cleared the area. Many of the fields are filled with Rhododendron and Flaming Azaleas. They were beautiful. We also stumbled upon a rare and endangered flower called Gray's Lily, which is only found in the Appalachians. Charles mentioned that he had never seen one in bloom up close, only pictures even though he had been hiking around there most of his life. It was beautiful; especially blowing in the wind. The entire area was beautiful, and when we stopped on the trail and looked behind us, the grass across the trail was blowing, and I couldn't help but think they looked like waves...tiny green waves. So, although I won't be surfing this week in the water, I'll still be playing in the waves.

'Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold'

Fields of Gold - Sting

p.s. My fields were green, but I still thought of this song. This one's for you, Rob.

global outage

I often volunteer to be the gift-getter for the office parties. I don't buy them every time, but many times I'm the one closest to the store with the registry, or the one that happens to be going to a particular store, or the only one with a spare few minutes to stop. So, since I knew we had a shower coming up and I was going by Target, I volunteered to pick up the gift. After all, I had a wedding gift to buy also. After going into Target, I make my way to the computers near customer service where gift registries can be accessed. But after entering the name of the mother-to-be from the office, nothing happened. At the time, I think I must have typed it wrong and enter it again. Still nothing. I go to the next computer and enter it again, with the same results as before. I turn around and speak to one of the two women being the counter. (There is nothing and no one between me and the counters. Yet, they preferred to watch me move from machine to machine without saying anything.) The young woman looks up and just says, "Global outage." I laugh. "What do you mean?" "Global outage." "Do you mean the Internet is down around the world?" I ask thinking that the word global definitely meant something more than the store. "No, at Target." "I'm going to need to talk to the manager," I say. "He's over there," she points toward the registers. I find Guy, the manager, and tell him I need to print a shower registry. "You can't. there's a global outage," he says. GLOBAL OUTAGE???? GLOBAL OUTAGE??? I'm laughing by this time 'cause I find their description hilarious. What they really mean is that the Target Web site is down. Why couldn't they just say that?

What does this have to do with surfing? Nothing really. But, it does make me realize that maybe surfers have the right focus. My surf instructor, Brian, says it's all about the next wave and that nothing else really matters. I doubt a "global outage" at Target has ever put a crimp in his plans. Maybe it shouldn't put a crimp in anyone's plans. While mildly annoyed, I did manage to get a good laugh out of it. When the manager offered to call the corporate office to see if they could print out the registries I needed and fax them to the store, I asked "if the outage was global, how would they be able to get to it?" He looked puzzled and then, with a very serious expression, answered, "That's true, you're probably right." I decided that this global problem really wasn't that global for me, and, well, I could just stop by Target another time.


"One of the greatest things about the sport of surfing is that you need only three things: your body, a surf-board, and a wave."

surfer NAIMA GREEN, "Surfing: Rules, Tips, Strategy, and Safety"

P.S. After the grocery shopping was done, the "global outage" had been corrected. I was able to get the gift.

Surfing with words

Today, my co-worker and friend, Summer, sent me a link to her blog. She and I are writers, as are a couple of others in the office. After all, I work in the Office of Communications so the fact that we are all writers make sense. Summer and I have discussed writing on several occasions. We do it all the time. We write at work, we write at home, we write in our minds as we go to sleep at night and we write while we do all of the other activities that we’ve chosen to make a part of our lives. We’re both aspiring novelists, but we end up writing poetry, short stories, work stuff, post-it notes, etc....everything but the novel we’ve aspired to write. I can’t speak for Summer, but I also write e-mails to people just like I wrote letters as a kid to various pen pals and family members. We were both talking about blogs a while back and she shared her blog with me: www.summercampfire.blogspot.com. Although her blog is about yoga and mine is about a surfing, they are surprisingly similar in ideas. We have completely different writing styles, but the message in her latest piece was similar to past messages in my own blog. Her blog was about persevering. I don’t want to ruin the surprise if you should decide to read it (which you should), but basically, Summer talked about concentration, commitment and suffering. All three of these abstractions definitely relate to many things in life, including surfing. Just as Summer had to decide about her yoga pose, as a surfer I have to concentrate on my actions in the water, commit to a wave and, sometimes, endure suffering (okay, this last part, more times than I care to admit).

“There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permits. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”
Art Turock* (motivational speaker)

* Not really sure about Art Turock, but I read this quote a while ago and really liked it.

my own board and first surf

Well, just as with every new hobby, eventually you have to make the commitment to get the equipment or get out of the game. I decided last weekend to get my own equipment -- a surf board. Since I had already gone window shopping the week before, I knew exactly what board I wanted to buy. A 9' Softops board at Soundwaves on Montrose waited for me to come buy it. Bright orange with a purple flower made this board stand out over all of the others. Blue flowers pepper the epoxy underside of the board. A momentary fear of sharks finding me because of the flowers on the bottom of the board (they look for bright things) almost caused me to put it back on the rack. But, it was just so darn pretty, I couldn't resist it. I know it seems odd to refer to a surf board as pretty, but I can't help it.

I went out today on my new board. Waves were pretty flat, but there were enough little ones close to shore to practice popping up, sitting on the board, turning it, etc. I had some good pop-ups and could stand and turn the board. I also got a chance to practice loading and unloading it from the rack on top of my car. The sun was bright and the air was warm. It doesn't get much better than that!

back to Galveston

Although Brian -- the Galveston surfer DUDE -- called Thursday evening to say that the water was flat and he didn't think it would be possible to give a lesson on Friday, on Friday morning he called back to say that things had changed during the night and the waves were perfect for lessons. The sets were real this time he said, not nearly as sloppy as it had been during our past Friday afternoon sessions. The waves calmed considerably by the time Robin and I arrived for our 1:30 session. However, Brian felt like they were good for us to learn and practice some important lessons. For instance, we actually practiced the turnaround in the water. Brian explained that the whole process of surfing was a big circle. Because we weren't getting beat up by the waves, we practiced our jump onto the board, our turns, our look-back for waves, our swim forward and, finally, our pop-up on the waves. We also tried different boards including an 8' soft top (nearly impossible to stand on), an 8'6" hard top (a cool, marvelous ride; but different to maneuver), and a 9'4" soft top (my favorite). We both got approximately 6 to 8 good rides on small, but manageable waves.

What a great afternoon!

surfing in the Atlantic

A long holiday weekend trip to Amelia Island, Florida, gave me the opportunity to take my surfing to a new set of waves. The Atlantic Ocean proved to be a great place to surf and offered a different set of surfing circumstances. After calling a local surf shop and setting up lessons with local surfer Vince, my friend Robin and I were all set to learn from someone new. Although Sunday proved too rough according to Vince, Monday looked better and, by Monday evening at 7ish, we were meeting Vince at the beach access #6. He immediately launched into the pop-up portion of instruction. He was the third person to teach us the pop-up, with each one offering slightly different techniques. Robin could still do the pop-up perfect on the beach, but would she return to her old habits of going to her knees out in the ocean (yes, she did...but it works for her). I had my usual balance issues, but my form wasn't too bad. Vince didn't try to get us to stand the first night; he had us practice getting comfortable on the board in the water. On Tuesday morning at 8 a.m., we were at it again. He told us to give him five good pop-ups on the beach before going out on the water, which we did. Then he took us both out. Robin was first and, although she went to her knees first, she rode a wave in. I was second. He had me get comfortable on the board again, insisting that I use my feet to turn myself around. He also showed me a second way to turn, which turned out to be much more comfortable for me. Then came my moment of truth. I caught my wave and managed to pop-up and stand. I lost my balance eventually, but I surfed for a short while and it was magnificent. We surfed a little longer before Vince had to call it quits for the morning. (His day job was calling!) I had a blast though, and I can't wait to surf again. I'll definitely need my own board soon, probably this week.

"Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact."
philosopher William James (1842-1910)

soft top vs. fiberglass?

I'm finally serious about buying my own board. However, although I feel fairly certain I'm going to buy a soft top, when I go into the shops I end up leaving uncertain about it. Usually, I go in and the kid working starts talking to me about boards and when I ask about the soft tops, he makes a face and says something about them not being "real" boards. I then smile and explain that I'm rather new to the sport. When I say I've only surfed about a dozen times, they say I'm no longer a beginner. (I know I'm still a beginner, but it sounds good to hear that they don't think so!!) They suggest that I'll regret buying a soft top and will wish later that I bought a different board. Tonight I visited my third shop with the same result. However, the young man helping me showed me some epoxy boards. These boards aren't as expensive or fancy as the fiberglass ones, but are considered "real." As the young man pointed out, the epoxy boards are a great way to start, are very light and are priced well. He almost has me convinced until I remember an e-mail exchange I had with my surfing instructor Bryan. He says that soft tops are the best way to go when buying a first board. Bryan has been surfing for many years, but prefers to use soft tops in Galveston. He claims that they handle well in the small waves in Galveston and survive falls from the rack on the back of his truck. ummm...another good point. I'll definitely need to practice loading and unloading the board from the rack on the top of my Element, and I'm sure I may drop it a few times. And, on top of everything else, the soft top I saw tonight was pretty. While "pretty" shouldn't be a factor when buying a board, I can't help it! This particular board is bright purple and has flowers on both sides. It's 9' -- the perfect size. I think I need that board!

Joy of Surfing

Surfing and cycling! I had a complete weekend and it's not even Sunday yet. Friday's surf lessons proved to be very challenging. The surf was rough and unpredictable because of the spring winds. But, the weather was warm and the sun was shining and made the whole thing worthwhile. My surf instructor said he almost called off the lesson. However, he thought the rough surf might give me some good practice. And it did. I didn't stand as long as I had been standing the last time I surfed, but I thought more about my form. I will be continuing to practice my pop-up at home. I even went board shopping on Friday night and found one that might work. I haven't bought it yet, but I'm seriously considering it. I can't wait to have my own board. The guy at the surf shop (everyone in the shop was at least 25 years younger than me) tried to dissuade me from buying a soft top board. He thinks I should buy a hard board. He kept saying soft tops were for beginners. I said I was a beginner. He said, yeah, but you've surfed before. According to him, that means I'm not a beginner. hmmmm... The hard boards are definitely prettier! After all, if you can't hit the ball, at least look good at the plate, right?

My training on Saturday included a 62-mile bike ride to Manvel. Although it was a little windy, the ride was still fabulous. Friday's surfing had dehydrated me a bit though, and I got dropped at mile 38. I stayed ahead of the 18 mph group though and, eventually, caught up with some racers who were "taking it easy." At least, I didn't have to finish alone. That's always a good thing.

All in all, it's been a great weekend!

"The joy of surfing is so many things combined, from the physical exertion of it, to the challenge of it, to the mental side of the sport."
pro surfer Kelly Slater

Riding the wave

I finally had my surf lesson. Brian (aka surfer dude) was a cool 60-year-old surfer who has surfed around the world. He gave me and my friend a 30-minute talk about the waves, sets, currents and possible animal encounters before saying he was ready for us to hit the waves. The Gulf was cool (not as cool as the Pacific), which was just one reason why he had suggested that we wear a rash guard. However, it was much warmer than last week. As usual, the most tiring part of the afternoon is trying to get the board from the car down to the water and then fighting the waves to get out into waist-deep water (the currents seemed even harder to fight than when I was in Nicaragua). At waist-deep, Brian was suggesting that we get on the board. He coached us on how to get on the board, our body positioning and, of course, the pop-up. Although I almost got up on the first try, it wasn't until the second or third try that I did the pop up correctly and positioned myself good enough to ride the wave all the way in. I was victorious!!! Okay, so I fell off every time after that; I had at least one good ride, which even garnered me praise from Brian.

I hope I can take another lesson next week. I definitely need some more wave time!

The wind is my friend?

My surf dreams were temporarily dashed on Friday because of strong winds. Brian, surfer dude instructor, called early on Friday to say that the wind was much too strong. He said that the winds would make the waves unpredictable and that after driving the length of the beach, he didn't even see the regular surfers taking a chance in the water. He set us up for next Friday. I definitely was disappointed. Brian also said that just transporting the boards from the car down to the beach would have been troublesome because of the wind. I definitely understood that would be the case since we had some windy days in Nicaragua and carrying those boards can get difficult. I am hoping/wishing for calmer winds next Friday.

The wind played a part in my life on Saturday during my usual weekend bicycle ride. Blowing out of the southwest at about 25 mph, the bicycling group decided to ride one of our summertime rides -- Wee-Mart. So, we had a 30-mile ride into the wind in one direction, and we had a 30-mile ride with the wind behind us or crossing us on the way back. Unfortunately, the crosswinds were too much for me during the return and I was dropped at about mile 48. I mentally destroyed myself on Cemetery Road when I decided that once we made the turn on to FM 517, I wouldn't be able to stay with the group. So, of course, when we turned on to FM 517, I couldn't stay with the group. Fortunately, a couple of other riders were dropped before me and, eventually, caught me so I didn't have to ride by myself the rest of the way in. Thank goodness!

"The answer my friend is blowing in the wind; the answer is blowing in the wind."
Bob Dylan

Surfing in the Gulf (part 1)

Will I get to surf or not tomorrow? I spoke with Brian my Galveston surfer "dude." He warned me that the wind was awfully strong and that tomorrow's lesson might need to be cancelled. However, he would call me in the morning to let me know. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, getting my wetsuit, wetsuit top, rash guard and board shorts ready. Brian also told me that the water was unusually cold, but he was sure he had a suit for me. I told him I was prepared for anything.

We'll see. My lesson begins at 1:30! Surfing in the Gulf (part 2) will be posted tomorrow.

TGIF???

Rain, rain go away?

Every year, it seems as though it rains during the MS 150 bike ride that takes cyclists from Houston to Austin to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. I didn't sign up this year, but I have friends who have. I just heard on TV that ride organizers decided to cancel the first day of the two-day ride. This is the first time in the ride's 20+-year history that a cancellation has ever taken place, even if it is only one day. Hopefully, though, they can have a wonderful second day, despite weather forecasts that state while the weather will be clear, the wind will be strong out of the north -- straight into the cyclists' face. Of course, it's still better than messy rain. I was hoping to get a ride in myself on Saturday, but it doesn't look like that will be happening. I'll have to go to spin class instead. I have to keep training to stay in shape for surfing, which I hope to start again soon.

After a few calls today, I got a hold of a "certified" surfing instructor. One of the first shops I called said their instructor couldn't give lessons now and they recommended someone else. I called and left a message and when he called back, I set up my first lesson with him for next Friday. After a brief discussion with Brian and his reference to me as "dude" a few times, I felt quite excited about meeting with him. He said he would call me on Thursday to confirm our session, which is dependent of course on the weather and tide. He suggested I wear a spring suit or bikini bottoms and a spring suit top. Brian said people were always surprised by how cold the Gulf is this time of year. I'm definitely looking forward to finding out! And, he can call me dude as many times as he wants.

surfing in Australia?

Now that I've posted info about my surfing experiences, I have quite a few friends sending me e-mails about their surfing experiences, including great places to surf. I'm also noticing photos of surfers, wave reports and vacation hotspots perfect for surfers of all experience levels. For instance, my friend Diane just sent me photos that she recently took of Manly Beach in Australia. She was there on an extended flight attendant layover. The photos included several of the waves and surfers in all stages of the surf finding the right wave. I've never heard of Manly Beach (although the name is certainly intriguing).

I also received an eLetter that I recently joined that includes surf products. I don't really remember how I signed up for it, but I am enjoying it. The eNote usually includes photos of boards and surfers and waves. It also includes links to products. Although I don't always click on the links or read the posts, I do like the pictures; it gives me insight into the surfing world.

The waves are definitely calling my name.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

Spinning can be great exercise and certainly helps me keep in shape during the cold and rainy times. Tuesday night's class was a good one. Our instructor, Kelly, took us through a number of climbing routines with the appropriate music and then the song began. Yes, she had chosen a contemporary version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Everyone remembers the first time they saw The Wizard of Oz and heard Judy Garland sing the song the way only she could. While the song may seem sad, one can't help but feel hopeful about things when they hear it. I'm not sure who was singing the contemporary version of the song Kelly had on her spin track, but it took me over the next climb Kelly had chosen for us.

I've been thinking about taking another surfing trip. However, I probably just need to take some lessons in Galveston and renew my "oneness" with the board before taking a trip to some exotic locale. I've been doing some research and have a few names to call. In addition to an instructor, like most things worth accomplishing, a little hard work, some water "time," and diehard determination go a long way.

"...and the dreams that you dare to dream really can come true."

Gorgeous spring days

Ahhh...it's spring and the weather for the last couple of days have reminded all of us in southeast Texas how wonderful this season is! Henry David Thoreau dedicated a section of his "Walden: or, Life in the Woods" to Spring. "One attraction to coming to the woods to live," he writes, "was that I should have leisure and opportunity to see the Spring come in." While I know that Thoreau is writing more about life than just a season in the chapter, I must comment that I don't need to go to the woods or even to an open field to experience spring as much as Thoreau. I get to see it in the morning on the way to work or to a ride as the sun comes up on Galveston Bay. I also get to hear it when I walk through trees at work and hear a bevy of birds singing above me. I experience it every Saturday and Sunday during my early morning bike rides as I smell freshly mown grass. And, soon, I hope to experience it while taking surfing lessons in Galveston and feeling the sun on my skin and waves splashing through my hair. I've done a little Internet research and found numbers to call for info on different surf instructors. I need to take the metaphoric plunge and arrange for lessons and board rentals. I realize we're only two weeks into the "official" beginning of spring, but I don't want it to soar past so quickly that I miss my opportunity to appreciate this fabulous season while in the surf.

Recuperating muscles -- not for long

Although some of the bruises are still visible and the aching in some of the muscles continue, I still look forward to trying to surf in Galveston. I've researched several surf sites through Google, and I have a few names to call. Until then, I'm continuing my pre-trip training except for the 5 a.m. swim. I put it off another week because of a cold I seem to be fighting. My workout routine will include cycling, yoga, spinning and weights. I got back on the bike for the first time in two weeks today. The air temperature was very nice... in the 70s. The wind was low, and the sky was very clear. It felt like spring. I'm glad I waited until the afternoon. The morning was quite cool and a ride then wouldn't have been as pleasant. Hopefully, I'll get to ride sometime during the week; maybe even with the bike group on the Tuesday night 20-mile loop.

I am also continuing my pop-up practice, as well as push-ups several nights a week. But most of all, I'm continuing my "study" of the art of surfing by reading and watching others in the sport.

Post-surfing yoga

So I'm home now, but my surfing adventure is really only just beginning. I must stay fit to continue my surfing practice. Although I'm still very sore and bruised, I'm continuing most of my pre-surfing activities. Today, I had my first post-surfing yoga class. Amy, my wonderful instructor, asked us to tell her about any aches or pains we had. I spoke up and explained that I was sore from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. Many of my bruises are exposed so several in the class could express their concern. Amy took me through the session gently, offering me options for many of the moves. I realize that I have to keep moving to work out the kinks from last week. I also have to stay in shape, which includes not only yoga, but spin class, weights and swimming. I've decided to take this week off from swimming, but I plan to get restarted next Monday.

I've been scouting out Galveston surfing information since my Chica Brava crew isn't here to help me become a better surfer. I've not decided on anything yet, but hope to do so during the next few weeks.

"One of the greatest things about the sport of surfing is that you need only three things: your body, a surf-board, and a wave."

NAIMA GREEN, Surfing: Rules, Tips, Strategy, and Safety

I might have agreed with this a couple of weeks ago, but I know better now. It also takes a lot of strength and willpower.

Bruised, battered...spectacular

One of the things I keep remembering about San Juan del Sur is that it doesn’t have a hospital. It’s something I definitely haven’t had to think about though. Our Chica Brava surf guides always watch after us, cheer us on, warn us about possible hazards and help us learn about the waves. I’m staying positive. Thursday was another great day on the waves as was today. However, today was the first day I was so worn out that I had to go stand on shore for a break. Although I’m very fit and have been preparing for this surf trip for months, I obviously have some more work to do. My cardiovascular system is great; it’s my muscles under my arms and at my hips that are screaming. These muscles are part of the pop up. Some of the others in the group and I are promising to keep practicing our surfing when we get home. We’ll have to use the small waves in Galveston, but that should be perfect for us. This will require work, but all good/fun things require work. I also need to retrain my muscles, which have strengthened in a particular fashion to support my cycling habit. For surfing, my muscles have to be retrained. Yoga will definitely help. I’m a certifiable surfer girl!