Water: Warm
Winds: Offshore
Atmosphere: Sunny
I woke up super early, not by choice. Kitty was running laps around my room at 500 AM. I can hear his footsteps just sprinting continuously. I gave him food. He won't stop. I cuddle with him. He springs out of my grip and sprints more. I finally get up and open the front door for him. He gleefully leaves. So that's what you wanted? Why didn't you just say so??
I can hear our neighbors' dogs we are house sitting howling. They are howling continuously. It's still dark, but I know it's them. I can tell it's Benji's voice. I wish I could sleep more, but I cannot let the dogs just howl the whole time. They must be lonely. So, I get out of bed, stretch, and drink some hot water. I take my mug to the neighbors house, and the dogs are delighted to see me. Benji... is a troublesome dog. Tess on the other hand is an obedient and quiet dog. I try to take them both out for a morning walk as I have before, but Benji is not cooperating. He just won't sit on command. So, I lead him out on his leash to the backyard, shut the door, and take Tess out without him. We go for a long walk, and return to Benji, who is looking at me as if to say, "Wait, why did you do that? Am I going too?"
I ask him to sit. He obliges. I ask him to lay down. He does so. So, I put the muzzle and leash on, and we're off. Usually this takes only 45 minutes, but it takes over an hour and a half today... fuck, I'm late for surf.
I didn't plan to be early for surf, but I wanted to surf early enough. I had a game to coach in Long Beach at 1100 AM, so I had a truncated time schedule. I knew there were waves, but I wanted to be on it early!! Oh well. God damn Kitty, and god damn dogs. I was frustrated, a little bit angry, and bit tired from the lack of sleep.
I get to the beach, and it's crowded. There are a lot of people in the water already... I only have about an hour to surf. I hit the water, and spot Matt.
"It's just getting good," says Matt. "It was just dumpy and no shape earlier."
It was a classic Dump Rider day. It didn't matter if it was closing out. We had to go. Matt and I definitely push each other. Maybe we're competitive. Maybe we just bring that out in each other. Whatever it is, the feeling between us has been keeping us surfing together for years.
I remember that Matt was charging while I was there. He took this no-hope close out and still tried to pull in. I saw that, and wanted to match it, so I took a right. I tried to do a turn, but got hit by the lip and sent falling back to the flats.
I snake Matt on a right. He said he didn't see me until he popped up, and had to go straight. I punched through the back of the wave and apologized for him, smiling. Who needs enemies when you have friends?
I think we were the only ones having fun during this time. We were laughing and smiling at each other while everyone scrambled to get under the sets. We just were having fun getting blasted from the white water and duck diving under mounds of white wash. It was a fun time surfing together because we have surfed together in these conditions so many times before. If I was alone, I wouldn't be having as much fun as I was today.
I have to leave after, and take my last wave. Like Davey once said, "You can't catch barrels from the parking lot!!"
Our team gets destroyed in the first half of the game. One of our best players, Bryan, was in a sour mood since the beginning of warm-ups, and carried that energy through the game. This of course effected the whole team, and we started out 16-1. We eventually cut it close, but that deficit was too much to overcome.
Our assistant coach, Coach Monroe, gave a speech at the end of the game. "How were you guys feeling at the beginning of the game?"
"Frustrated."
"Angry."
"Not having fun."
"Okay, how do you guys feel now? All I see is laughing and joking, you guys got your trophies, you guys look relaxed." Monroe said. "If we took you guys now, turn the clock back and put you guys back in the game, would you win? I have NO DOUBT that we would win. Easily."
"We would have killed them," I add.
"Without a doubt. So that's the thing, guys," Monroe said. "You can't let your highs get too high, and your lows get too low. You can't let emotions dictate your game. You have to stay calm and play calm."
It was a great speech. I thanked him later for the speech. It was relevant for both the kids and myself. It's always great to surround yourself with good people. It helps to keep your eyes, ears, and heart open. I was frustrated in the morning, then super happy in the water. I was frustrated during the game, and happy afterwards.
Some of the kids, their respective families, and I had lunch afterwards. Since we were in Long Beach, there aren't a lot of eating options besides Mexican food. So, good ol' yelp came in and helped. I found a Hawaiian spot that was close by and right off the 405.
What a gem!! Island Eats Hale Aina. They are located in a business complex and look disguised. But everything is hand made, and they do not skimp out on portions. Highly recommended!! I had the Lau Lau and Uncle's Fried Chicken. Both were fucking good.The kicker was definitely the Ohana vibe they sent out. Not just in when taking your order, but this wasn't a fancy place and they still came out to see if the food was good. They genuinely cared if we were enjoying the food. On a side note, I loved the fact that they sell Kala ukuleles in the restaurant. I got to jam on a few!!
Mahalos Mother Ocean!!
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