The swell starts to show itself

The reality that the ice of my living arrangement has grown thin and is growing thinner with each passing day has begun to sink in. The acceptance of this inevitable eviction brings with it the activation of creative parts of my brain that had become dormant. It can also bring resentment and lead to feeling groundless. The antidote to these uncomfortable states of unconsciousness is breathwork and movement.

The first thing I did today was to drive up to the estate from my housesit/catsit. I enter the basement/office where Devin and Bill conduct the various administrations behind their desks and computers. Bill kind of snarls at me a bit about where I am going to be living in October. My response is raw and untempered - no yoga or tai chi yet. I end up mirroring his resentment a little too closely. Looking back now I can see how yoga and tai chi take me out of reactive consciousness. These activities give me license to pause and utilize my ability to respond creatively and constructively. When we have no time, we react without thinking and take on the victim role. When we are able to pause and be creative then we have accessed resources which allow us to perceive the oppotunity within the given situation.

I hop in Eliza's truck to snag some supplies. All we need are TP and salt. I end up getting 108 rolls of toilet paper at Vons and 160 lbs of salt at Star Market. The rest of the day consists of some minor preparations for the 9 day vacation rental: setting up a light for the Amarita bathroom, switching two window screens in the kitchen, charging lanterns, cleaning the pond filters, replacing candles etc.

The timing is perfect for me to throw my red and blue 8 footer into the back of Skip's mellow yellow Toyota pick up and head to Surfer's Point. When I arrive in the first parking lot, I am able to find a spot right away. Check the action: the swell is beginning to show itself. There are many surfers out there but not many who know what they are doing. I paddle out pretty easily and watch chest to head highs come rolling in. There are even the occassional overheads which show up. The conditions are fair, wind is blowing, moderate current and the sun is shining thru a blue sky. My first 5 attempts to catch a wave are unsuccessful but I am unbothered. Instead of bumming, I focus on the beauty and feel grattitude for being able to be out here. The water is cold but not cold enough for booties. Finally a wave comes for me. I paddle catch it, push up on to my feet, drop in and cut accross. This sucker is over my head, jaw drops and I am like: "Wow, this is a big wave." Another surfer watches me and then paddles over the wave before it can break on him. The wave travels over a 150 yards pretty quickly. Soon I am paddling back to the spot where I just left. The next wave is at least head high. I lazily carve it, up to the lip, drop back in, up to the lip, drop back in... The waves are all fun. My stoke level is very high. One of the biggest rushes came when a very big wave bucked like a bronco and sent me off the board just as I was popping up to stand. I ended up body surfing the bad boy for 10 seconds or so - sommersaulting and freefalling. I just smiled and enjoyed the washing machine, feeling much cleaner and refreshed at the conclusion. These are some of the biggest waves I have been on in years and they will only be getting bigger as the swell starts peaking this weekend.

Tonight, Dianna had her DVD release party for her project: Body Hoops. This DVD had been called Hip Happening Hoops back in March when I posted here on Bardo Surfer my musical contribution. The party was fun, nice to see so many of my friends together having a good time.