weird day

I lost my USB bracelet on the way to work :'-( so i spent an hour wandering around (puffing) trying to find it, hence even later for work than the doc's made me (not asthma, but sorry don't know what it is). Fortunately it's 128 bit encrypted apart from the 'reward' file with my address on so I hope it'll find its way back. Only if the person who picked it up has any idea what it is!!

I now realise what a total techy little geek kid I am. I'm lost without my iPod, Razr (hateful thing), USB drive, iBook, digi camera…

The penalties of being creative and clever I suppose…(---)

Great start to the day. BUT there's surf, a free lunch, a free party tonight, a free tshirt and a new £180 Salomon wetty bought for £90 which fits perfectly. A girl always likes to squeeze into a size 6! Haha!

bike

'Spending money on encouraging cyclists could actually save the government money, as well as combating climate change, according to a new report. Getting more cyclists on the road could save the UK taxpayers £520 million, according to government-backed cycling group, Cycling England.' Via Treehugger

Love my old pink Raleigh; must oil it up and get on it, it's less time spent in the freezing cold (walk usually). Two bike posts this week!

look, no hands!

Pom

How fast can I learn to crochet?

Big blown out surf on the north coast, wish I'd chance to go the south! Ah well. At least it's not fucking flat, I suppose.

ddoe

It looked shite, but the alternative (staying dry and pissed off) wasn't all that attractive. Watched a couple of sets come in with Beechy and thought I might as well. Drove back down and Danny was there, Josh was already in. It was still rubbish but I hopped in as more people piled down. They're all well on it, even the inlanders. Middle peak was working so all on that, and like sheep follow Danny as he's the best surfer, but also he's goofy…so I stayed on the right over the sandbank, just waiting for the ones that hit it by the Bica. It was two foot max, but I had so so SO many waves, like at least 20, and only fucked up about 3 towards the end when cold (what to do about wetsuit??) so I was happy. Wave after wave while the boys sat and talked instead. I definitely can't surf unless I'm quiet and focused. Had a few where I got the board up out the back nicely (what I mean is, above the wave, as in re-entry with some vert)…don't care if anyone saw, I was just glad after last time. Well, small shitty boy-filled surf is what I learned on, after all.

Mate going to live in Ireland in a house with no leccy or running water, half derelict, for the next six months. Not far from some class left points. I'm so jealous of all the adventurers. Mine are only in my head until I have paid off my debts. Maybe the weekend after next I shall take my van and its new baby gas fire down south again. Porthtowan, or Penwith, I have places left on the OS to scout out.

meme

Because everyone else is doing it.

Another surf this afternoon, about 6-7 people in, here, on a weekday afternoon!! Was better waves, peakier and bit bigger, took the S4 out and caught SQUAT. Just a bad day I suppose. Also can't talk (or rather, listen) and surf - I have to focus. That's why people sit out there in their tens and hundreds and just have this look in their eyes which other people sometimes call unfriendly or even localism. Nah. Unless you're shit-hot, and even if you are, you have to focus, get in tune…time for tales of Goonie-ing down the road on the local kid's bikes are best told over a pint of our local flat lager!

But anyway, I was also knackered from farting about in the morning dribble, and my chest hurt, and my wetsuit has me shivering after half an hour - not good. Also I'm not fit enough. But mostly, it was just a bad day. Not that I'm unhappy, cos I got in the water!

messy

Had some toast this a.m. and headed on down for a surf, tide getting a bit high though and only got two awful waves…boo. On the old board as it was crumbly. Hard to catch and no power. About two feet. Oh well…it was nice to get out there, and to be out on my own. My four-year-old wetsuit is a joke though, and the board badly needs rewaxing and deck grip removal. I will be checking about 3 as the tide drops off, and if I can get a nap in in between I might surf again. Hope for better things at the weekend.

home at last

Yippee, finally a surf…a proper surf for the S4, it was just waiting to come here, where I learned to surf, and taste some crappy Welsh windwaves! Wasn't that bad…at least it was bigger than the 1ft that's alll I've surfed in the last weeks. Just a couple of feet but then I don't need a harsh paddle out. Chest was okay.

Nat was out tehre but not for long. Pete eagles, chris welch, danny oldfield, bobby and a few i've not really seen, not sure. Didn't talk a lot, just surfin'. Water's warm and the sun peeped out after paddling out in driving rain. Too many people at first, guess they'd been in maybe an hour already though as all out before me.

Dragonplayer felt good, caught whatever I wanted (not much power to the waves, had to find the peak proper) and I had lots of waves. Nothing long and flowing, but did do okay with what was on offer. Being in the sea with a surfer as good as Danny (360s on nearly every wave) does make you wonder what you're doing wrong…but it's home and I love surfing here.

Mum came down with the dogs and took some photos, nothing of me really on a wave! hard to catch that. I think my lefts were best, funny. Nothing really opened up for me though. Only fluffed once which is good, but ahh it migth have beena nice one.

Crannog's easy to surf as ever… I guess I just know it. Nice to get that feeling of connection with the new board…it flies, but it's not the small wave miracle i'd heard it is! But coimpared to my flat 6'4 it's not really going to be. But anyway, I can surf it, and surf it to the best of my ability.

Today I shall search for some shelter…

Mission Quattro

I'm glad to see other people are obsessed too haha. Let there be light!

RIP Anita Roddick who was a HTC if ever I heard of one.

books

Having been to London I had time on the flight and train to read, yippee!

Property, Valerie Martin
Slavery novel, from the point of view of a planter's wife who hates him and the life. Orange nominated which probably made my expectations unrealistic; after Toni Morrison and similar it doesn't really match up. Still a really good read, I read it in one sitting. Some incongruous scenes. Rather an anti-heroine too but intriguing and pacy. Ending was a total hang. Sounds like i didn't enjoy it at all, but the writing is really good. 7/10

The Single Girl's Guide, Imogen Lloyd Webber
Not fiction, but a great funny read to remind you of why it's great to be single and how to deal with those who don't share that view, as well as the rest of the hectic SG's life. An uplifting read, not self-help style but spot on, even for a country surf chick as opposed to a shoe-loving city gal. Great anecdotes, sound advice. Maybe not enough about men and sex? Or that might be her planned sequel…(or it might just be me…) 7/10

Still no surf, though there might be some windswell around tonight (I just couldn't be bothered last night, 1ft of slop). The last session was indeed the night after the windswell session, and Josh, Laura and I enjoyed it quite a lot. Nice to catch a decent wave in front of a pro! But where, where is the real, honest, groundswell?? I have bought a Speedo in duty free and will take out my frustrations at the pool. Dragonplayer thinks I don't love him, though I have bought him a posh boardbag and am contemplating more fins. Waves is what we both need.

Surfstock was amazing, fun, mad (and a little bit argh too); I went too hard and it took about a week (and caning the inhaler) to recover. Pics on MySpaz…it don't get much more random. (Hello? What are you trying to do?)

Camera LCD dead, so have to be careful how I use it now and won't be able to show as many pics. Boo.