Rest: For the Dead and Wicked

Cracking a beer at work- a little after 10am this morning- the fizz of the PBR was a welcome pause in the non-stop whilwind that has become the norm. Life has been rather hectic as of late.

August took me from my first trip to OR in Salt Lake City, back to SF, to a generally tipsy vacation on Marthas Vineyard, to an quick stop in North Kingston, RI, followed by a wedding in mainland MA, to Leadville, CO. Then I started running.


The first day I shook off the cobwebs at somewhere around 10,000 feet, with a four mile jaunt. The next day I explored the finer points of creek run/moshing over 8 miles. The following morning I ran a good 11+ miles from Red Creek, up the back of Vail for some of the wildest Rocky Moutain views I've ever seen. Then finally I committed. Vail to Beaver Creek. 21+ miles, 4400 feet of climbing = No joke.

Check out my full recap from the GoreTex Trans-Rockies Run (the most fun you can have with spandex on) can be found on the All That's Fit blog.

Anyway- the fall is here and things haven't slowed down a bit. This past weekend double overhead surf arrived- demolishing my back in the process. This weekend we have Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (Yonder, Umphrey's, etc.), with nightly interludes at the Fillmore (Railroad Earth) and Fox (Flaming Lips). It's time to get back on the horse.

What's good out there people? What are you stoked about? Where is your session headed?

Vagrant Gypsy Life

A chilly, whipping wind battered the tress today as I tried to focus inside the walls of OutsidePR. The sun shone brightly through the window of our WWII era officers home- yet Dodger paced the floor restlessly and my mind churned like the wind-torn waters of the bay a half mile away.

When I don't surf, run, or get outdoors for at least a small portion of the day I operate at a much lower level. Today, while procrastinating, my mind pondered longevity and putting myself in the barrels of my dreams. Sometimes you have to reevaluate and decide where you want your current sessions to lead you in order to thrive.

Reaching goals therefore, requires conscious and unconsciously planning and positioning. You can't just keep saying- if only I quit this I'd be able to make it at that, or- maybe next year I'll sell all my stuff and leave. When the end goal is getting in/on the water every morning there really is no excuse if we put our minds to it. What is holding us back?

The freedom granted by controlling the overall structure of your schedule can be very rewarding- that is, until you become exhausted by trying to juggle too much, or struggling to make rent. I have reached another fork in the road that is both exciting and daunting. Do I continue to work multiple jobs, in order to maintain the status quo of minimal obligation, or conform to a certain degree in order to gain back some semblance of stability? And if I do commit to normalcy- is there no more opportunity to strike out on my own, both on the road and as a entrepreneur?

Matt bought a boat last week and his reality is starting to bloom. I am pondering importing goods from the orient, working with hops, landscape design, architecture, running tours, and running amuck. I miss the long, muggy evenings PPPing at the East Chop Beach. This poem, written by the Poet Laureate of England in the first half of last century, reminds me of those laid back times; let's go back to the seas again... the vagrant gypsy life.

I Must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

John Masefield

Good Ol' NESurf.com For Sale

Growing up surfing New England's inconsistent summers, I was constantly checking the regular rounds of websites with hopes that swell was on its way. One site where I would waste hour- upon-hour day dreaming and plotting was NESurf.com. Now and again I revisit that familiar friend to see what is happening in the NE surf scene- browsing photos, community topics, and maybe even checking a cam or two, for old times sake.

Now that summer is around just weeks away and friends and family are making their yearly migration to Martha's Vineyard, MA, that nostalgic twinge sets in to the back of my mind and I miss those warm(er) water sessions and lazy, humid evenings. When I checked the local MA/RI reports today I was surprised to find that NESurf.com is up for sale.

Gay Head, MV, MA. Copyright Surface 2010
NESurf has 4000 registered members, a cross-section of dedicated surfers from Maine to Rhode Island. While there are an abundance of surf tools out there on the interweb, NESurf has grown and flourished, entrenching itself as a premier source of surf information in the region. The owner of NESurf is looking for a business savvy buyer (most likely with an established shop in the region) with the dedication and ability to grow the site to its full potential.

The value of the site is minimal but with the right strategy and vision this could take NESurf to the next level- or the sale could spell out a short, unnoticed death of a site that has treated so many of us New Englanders well. Anyone interested in giving it a shot?