got some change, bro?

change is in the midst - romantically, friends, work, surf, music, art, society at large - and I'm open to it. change should be embraced 'cause fighting it is like pissing against the tide... if you fight it the only one who loses is you.

So I'm bummed that my friend Kev is leaving to follow his passions in Seattle. Bummed? Nah. That's selfish. I'm excited for him - bummed for myself. Every once is long while I meet someone who I really connect with, see eye to eye with, and admire as an equal. Not often. Kev is one of those people. His musical taste is exquisite. Knowledge of waves, ocean, computers, bicycles, techy geekdom, and VW's is bar none. Kev can tell you anything you want to know about technology, film trends, and European cars. More importantly, he only deals with people he respects or people he is forced to deal with out of necessity - roommates, neighbors, bosses, etc. I fall into the former category since I have no bearing on his paycheck, living situation, or the condition of his lawn.

Kev is always up for an adventure. Now that he's leaving I regret not doing more trips. Dammit. Although Catalina for the paddleboard race weekend was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Hiking several miles to surf Shark Harbor with no water bottles. Snagging a ride back (after hiking for over an hour) with some biologists working on the island while Kev is squeezed into the back between 5 surfboards and as many wetsuits. Then heading to Laguna Beach and checking out the Moonshine Festival. Meeting the Patagonia crew and seeing Monumental. Who knew that would lead to so many more things? Who knew it would spur so many ideas?

I guess what I have to take from this is: treasure every moment with friends; always look for opportunities to do something interesting; stay engaged in my ever increasing world.

Kev leaving makes me reconsider my options, too. This happens a lot - I start thinking about the myriad options open to me and feel it's never enough. Life is too frigg'n short to accomplish everything.

So that's one thing. romance is another. that's another blog, methinks. until then, the surf is good - though not always faithful. This week is starting slow but will inevitably change...

whether the weather will clear

It's been a long time since getting in the water. My bro Kevin has been forecasting some swell for Thursday and now the models (wave models, not slinky doe-eyed beauties) seem to agree. As usual, he's ahead of the curve. As good friends should be.

The deluge of the past two weeks is enough to make a surfer and biologist cry. For one, I haven't been able to surf much - and I threw my back out on Jan. 2nd trying to pop to my feet anyways. Dammit. Recovery has been decent, though it's never fast enough. On the flip side, I'm going to have plenty of work this spring, which will help me stash some cash for the trip to the southern hemisphere in June/July.

Spoke with the boys in Tahoe - Darren and Jonny. Both are stoked with conditions, and hey, who wouldn't be? 12+ feet in two weeks? Or more? Retarded. Awesome. Wish I was there.

Getting the back healed, working out, eating my veggies. The new year always involves a renewed vigor for me. As it should.