15Gs Later

The down payment for the casita got sent via wire yesterday. It's official. Ian is a homeowner! Construction begins next week. Rich has already reserved the laborer's time for the frame and the roof, and the quicker the house gets done, the sooner we can skip town. We celebrated at The Shack with lunch and a beer in the company of our roommate, Cully. Congratulations, my love ... I can't wait for the adventure.

I've broken my surf funk. Despite sparse sessions, I managed to score a couple good waves at Puaena Point last week and just yesterday, even though I didn't get any rides, I made it to the lineup after struggling inside for an eternity. Sometimes just making it out, is accomplishment enough. Yesterday was one of those days.

It's already been a big winter on the North Shore. Christmas Day saw Eddie-size wave heights again. At one point, the bay closed out washing five boards onto shore and sending in half the lineup. The paper said there were 25 rescues and a bunch of assists. Thousands of people drove to the country to watch what they probably missed on the 8th, thus creating the notorious North Shore wave traffic which incidentally, coincided with our Christmas dinner at Alligator Rock. Ian and his family drove up in the thick of it. The beachfront pad where his family and my family spent Christmas, is a mile from the bay. My parents are staying there for the next ten days thanks to our friend Theresa, who needed a cat sitter. It's so close to the water, there is sand on the inside of the windowsills. Dinner was awesome. Ian barbecued a turkey again. Thanksgiving was just the test for what was on Christmas, perfection. Mmmmmm.

And on the technological front, guess what Ian got Melly for Christmas??? An itouch. That's right. I'm back everyone. I have something Apple again. I love you iTouch. And you too, Ian.