I saw a bumper sticker today that said “comfortably bummed” which summarized the feeling from today’s surf. Hope the owner of that car doesn’t mind me stealing that phrase to describe that surf session.

I got there and it wasn’t half as good as the buoy said it would be but I did due diligence and got in anyway turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse- it’s not like I’m going to drive all that way and not get in. I went over here then over there looking for some wave that could carry me for more than fifteen feet. I found none but as we all know the ocean conditions never stay the same for long and it got a little bigger and a little more organized and I actually caught some worthwhile waves. Ok, not worthwhile but close. The three songs I posted over the last week merged into one for four hours forming a continual disorganized and nonsensical stream of good reggae in my head as I pondered the wisdom of being there today. Surfing won the day.

One wave I took scared a fish out of the water in front of my board- now that’s never happened to me before. The silver scales flashed in the strong afternoon sun with white splashes of foam and green water. I musta scared the living shit outta that fish! It was about a foot to the right of the tip of my board.

I know that when I’m surfing I’m happy. It’s nice to have good waves but it’s ok if they suck also. I see cool stuff, I enjoy the beauty of where I am, I love the ripping and tearing of my shoulder muscles and the total highs I have for days afterward. I absolutely love seeing beautiful women surf, especially the one today- so cool! I know that each surf session builds a stronger foundation for the next, so it’s always ok if conditions ain’t the best.

I learned that skiing on shitty icy conditions in the east prepares one for great snow in the West. If you can ski black diamonds on killington when it’s windblown icy hard packed conditions, then you can do any bowl at Jackson hole, Vail, Aspen when it’s deep powder. That’s the point I keep in mind when I found myself skiing on shitty snow, and that’s what I tell myself in shitty waves! Learn how to surf in shitty waves and surfing in good waves will be a breeze.

I got to the point in skiing where I was pretty damn good (as far as I was concerned), but one morning when I was in line I saw how many people were in front of me. I was wearing about $2500 (conservative) worth of clothing/equip and by the time I computed how much $ in clothing/equip was being worn by those in front of me I became totally disgusted with that sport. “Lift opens at nine, closes at four.” “Can’t go here, can’t go there.” What does a lift ticket cost now- I don’t even want the answer.

I skied all over Europe and in the west and had a lot of good times but after that quick math, I did a few more runs, packed my skiis etc. up into my truck and drove home, never to ever ski ever again. There has not been ONE winter day where I have yearned to ski, and I have surfing to thank for that. As much as I despise what skiing has become, I have skiing to thank for helping me get better at surfing.

I find the above “crappy condition analysis” an excellent coping mechanism, a great way to keep a positive attitude, as well as it being 100% the truth! So when I hear people griping about how crummy the waves are, I totally get it... yet there is my perspective also, one that I find helpful. Sometimes it’s the only thing you got going when things aren’t working out the way you had planned.

So yeah, today as I surfed in pretty sectiony shitty waves, I was BUMMED, but COMFORTABLY so.

I see some pretty awesome sunsets also coming home from surf (uncapturable on a dumb cellphone camera)... totally irresponsible taking pics like this but, eh, I’m a totally irresponsible person. The meteorologist in me figures that the high pushes the low out to sea (making conditions great for surf), and the clearing skies results in these burning sunsets- almost every time.

The scene after I got out. I timed it wrong and had to chill out in my truck 'till the light came up. I took videos but my camera did not show anything because it was so dark, only the sound of roaring explosions of waves bashing on the rocks... everyone's vehicles covered in salty water. People like me walking around on the sidewalk with nothing on but a towel, no shame! One storm destroyed sections of this wall at the far end a few years ago. 

Check our the growing waves and increasing period. Sunday surf increasingly including today this afternoon if you love huge insane storm conditions like I do. It’s cold so I gotta rummage through the piles to find the right stuff to wear, always not fun due to my “I’ll organize this stuff later” approach.

This song is great to have in your head whilst surfing, I’ve always liked it.

​He is way cooler than I am, what a life it looks like he has.

I like going to work, though. I love destroying landscapes with a powerful bobcat and reassembling. I like being productive. I love getting stuff done. If I smoked weed, drank, fooled around every day, I would feel like a total loser.

Accordingly, I will have his song in my head Sunday when I surf, but I’ll keep on keeping on with my uncool working lifestyle, knowing that it is what makes me feel happiest, but to each his own, I ain’t looking down on anybody.

I wonder what his goal in life is but as long as he keeps making music, that’s a goal in and of itself.

Forecast downgraded but still big.

Three going to six then to ten Saturday pm then 14’ after midnight making Sunday dawn a good possibility depending on the wind, tides and weekend warriors. I love dawn patrol. They just bumped it up to 16.’ Tuesday update- bumped up to 18’ for Sunday. Prob won’t be that big but who knows?

Trumbull sunrise shitty in comparison to ocean sunrises.This one has a beam of energy under it retrieving a wayward humanoid. Lack of salt water in my veins resulted in a flatline emotional state tonight, ‘till I heard this song as I was writing this.

I disinvited my son for surf Sunday because it’s way way too big for him. Just have to look out for myself now, much easier.

Imagine having a silly surf blog that does not amount to a hill of beans, that you write for yourself more than anyone else. Imagine having threatening communications from a law firm stating that you owe $1000 for using a picture that was copyrighted even though it didn’t look it? No copyright logo, nuthin'! What would you do?

The law firm wrote me that I am going to be responsible for court costs, attorney's fees, and up to $150,000-250,000 in fines unless I paid their ridiculous fee.

This is what I wrote back to them:

There’s a really great entrapment going on now by copyright firms. Innocent hobbyists using pictures from the internet to project one idea or another, mostly by completely unknowing writers making no money whatsoever on whatever they are talking about. 

​Our nation's copyright laws need to be changed to bring them up to date with today's internet realities.

Not sure which angle is best. I gotta think about it for a while. I actually was so stupid that I looked online for a funny bird flipping picture to post because I guess I did not learn my lesson from this experience. There is more to the story to follow.

As an excellent example of how twisted the laws are, anyone can put a YouTube (and other) video like these songs up on their blog and it’s “ok” because of the way it’s embedded, it’s not technically copied. There’s a HELL OF A LOT MORE creativity and work in these videos than the pictures like the one I posted that people are getting in trouble for. Go figure!

10/24/18 FINAL UPDATE:

I found a copyright lawyer who negotiated the $1000 fee down to $450. I paid him $500 for a total about the same as the original fee from the copyright scammers. I told him that I would rather pay HIM than THEM, and I meant it. It’s OVER but I’m writing this because our government is so far behind in almost every aspect of life as we know it today, that innocent people like you n me getting stuff off google and posting it anywhere will get caught by intelligent companies who have their act together (more than our government does)... and it costs hundreds and thousands of dollars. Spread the word- do not put ANYTHING UP on any site unless you created it yourself!!! Nobody will protect you if you get caught (doing something that you didn’t even know can get you into a bind).

Coming from someone who endured a long and horrible divorce, I can tell you that eventually standing up for yourself feels good even though sometimes it makes no financial sense.

To thoseAmericans who suck blood out of the poor innocent bloggers- what goes around comes back around.

On on that note, here is a good song:

So I’m gonna do just that.

I'm still feeling the endorphins coursing through my constricted arteries, feeding the high into my brain from surfing yesterday. Serotonin is pumping addictive exercise-related highs into my soul... so glad and happy that I have a source of these life giving drugs so I don't need the other illegal ones to get the same feeling... it’s Mother nature’s reward for using the human body for what it was designed to do: EXERT EFFORT.

I just gotta say to anyone who is reading this- grab a surfboard and start that sport, you will thank me for the rest of your life. You do not need to slide down the face of a twenty foot wave to get high, a two footer will do. You will meet all sorts of people, see all sorts of wildlife and natural scenes that land lubbers can't see from their man-made safe perspective.

You can surf until you slither into the coffin (it may be the reason you slither into the coffin), and I have thought of that often at times when I have found myself in sketchy scenarios. Yet, I keep going back, and I have always known that if the waves got to be enormously gigantic, I would still go out into them just because it’s fun and because of the feelings that last for up to a week afterwards. I know how to survive in big water (at least I THINK I know). I know how to swim better than most, and I know the one rule- breathe only ABOVE the water's surface. Follow that rule and you live to surf another day. Keep good music in your head, and bring it into the water with you.

Look around, and don't take mother nature for granted- appreciate it when you see a great sunset. Share your thoughts with the unknown dude next to you, you can never tell where your little outspoken observations will take a conversation.

Everything went as planned yesterday. I drove through what seemed like too-windy conditions for surf but when I got there, it all seemed fine. Huge swells towering over us. Perfect waves, no real crowd, warm water, clear skies with still strong sun. The too-short video... what'd you expect??? I drove a coupla hours, sun sets in a few hours, gotta get in a super quick video then get in!

Paddled out and saw the woman in question but found myself distracted not by her but what I went there for- really great waves. I told her a lame partial story about how she owed me $30 but I didn't finish, and probably never will, that tale is all but forgotten. I did see her in characteristically confident fashion slide down the face of a approx 12' wave and when she stood up on her board she whooped happily. BYE!

I surfed  as long as I could, looking to my right to see the orange afternoon sky outline the lighthouse, coast guard house and other structures. The lighthouse blocked the sun completely so the silhouette of the lighthouse was perfect. Brilliant burning orange sunset, completely black lighthouse- a sight I'll never forget, it's different every time I go there. I mentioned something to the guy next to me- something like "Holy shit! Check out the lighthouse- what a beautiful sport!!!" All I got in response was "Yeah." Easy to understand his non-appreciation because as I said, the waves were needing attention too.

Eight to ten feet at ten sec., south swell, northwest wind- can’t ask for more than that!

I am leaving the nursery attended by an unqualified sales person and leaving at noon for the two hour drive. I’m adopting the Hawaiian concept from now on.

In hawaii, if the swell is up, plumbers are a no show, construction halts, worksites are stalled. That’s just the way it is there! Got a tooth to be pulled? Pull it yourself because the dentist is hangin’ ten at pipeline, tough shit for you.

I tell the unqualified guy to write down whatever people want to buy, let them take it home, and I’ll collect the moolah Saturday.

I value these hurricane swells highly and do not take their arrival lightly. This fall hurricane season has SUCKED in comparison to last year, so I’m going tomorrow, and a bevy of nude frolicking beauties on the beach (quoting Twain from his “Journal of the Sandwich Islands” book written circa 1860) could not divert me from my quest.

Im also hoping to see my favorite woman surfer there (blog entry sept 14th) to tell her she made it into my surf blog. No prize money there for her but sure will make her feel good about herself plus I gotta get that story off my chest.

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT lawyers have been trying to extort a thousand dollars from me for loading a stupid pic of Hurricane Ophelia last year. As a result, I deleted 66% of this website and all pics not taken by me personally. If you peruse this site and come across idiotic blog posts with no supporting pics, that’s why. If anyone knows how to fight these “individuals,” sure would appreciate some advice. They have a well thought out SCAM going. The letter above is the best I could do for now. Lawyering up comes next.