I retract my statement about Four Loko…

This weekend, the second to last in the summer, was a blur to say the least. Four Lokos are out for the rest of the summer and most likely forever for this guy. Too crazy, too much, just excess in a can. A can of Four Loko is like going out with your usual group of friends for a good night and then someone throwing in a schizophrenic wildcard homeboy from your friend’s college days. The night starts out normal enough. Everyone is having a good time, but at some point, things turn weird. The night gets blurry and then fades to black. Wake up with a jolt/headache to “schizo-college-homie” blowing lines off a strippers ass in your apartment (where’d she come from?), your pants are missing and your bank account is overdrawn. That’s how I feel when ingesting a Four Loko and I dont like it. Not to mention that fact that no one knows what’s in those joints. The fact that Mass, CT, and New York are trying to ban this drink is a testament to its invasive and inebriating affects. At $2.59 a tallboy, this is the most bang for your bucks and is an easy way to ruin a perfectly good night.

Saturday I put down a lemonade Loko and the rest was history. To the Osprey, a Squan staple for decades, to pull down a little too many shots, dance a little too crazily, and act a little too inappropriately. So the decent person in me decided it was time to remove myself from the situation as it was best to get home and not rage any further. A waste of a night for me, fun for about a solid hour, but all in all too much of a good thing. Im not sure what cocaine feels like, but I assume that I could NEVER handle it because I cant handle these.

Take part in these at your own risk. If you’re looking for a normal night, stay away. If that full moon has already got you amped and you need a something “legal” to take you to the next level, grab a can of these Four Loko joints or two, and get lifted. But dont say I didnt warn you about that “schizo-college-homie” in your place the next day. He’s hard to get rid of, drink lots of water.

my first official surf day of the year

'squan parking lot

After a heavy night of fun showing Brian how crazy Jersey shore can be, I woke up to a rainy overcast day BUT we finally had waves. Chris rolled out earlier than I did to get in as many as possible but I had to stay behind to finish up some homework. Being responsible sucks sometimes but I have to keep up this GPA.

Finished rocking out some management and grabbed the al merrick longboard from atop the fridge. Cruised up to the beach and I was feeling like this day was going to shape up to be a good one. I did some pretty heavy stretching, watched a couple sets roll in, timed my entry and paddled this bad boy out. Everyone else was in wet suits, but Chris, Brent and I were just braving the elements without protection.

We conducted the first official “board” meeting of the day and each paddled into the coming wave. As luck would have it, both Chris and I caught it. I greeted him with a “hi Chris”, he let loose a “Heyo!” and we laughed all the way down the wave. My feeling was right. This was going to be

its grainy, but that is for sure me. look at the broad shoulders, ha I kid

a good day, but I didnt know this was shaping up to be something I would remember for a lifetime. One for one on waves. Nice.

Sitting on the board Just past the break and talking with your boys has got to be one of the best things in the world. Its relaxing to just hang in the water, cut up with some jokes, drop in when the time is right and repeat. To make it even better, it started to rain. I mean we are already wet so it really didnt matter but it turned the scene into something truly memorable. Rain sprinkling down in large drops causing the ocean to bubble and ripple all while watching the local shredders drop into some of the most consistant waves of the summer thus far.

It was something I will def remember for a long time. Overcast days can be amazing as long as you’re sitting on your board and paddling in when the time’s right. This day reminded me what it was like to actually surf. Something I hadnt experienced since Oahu 2006 with my DLI crew. To paddle into a wave, the feel the of the ocean pull you into its swell, to push up on the board, center your feet and turn into this amazing force of nature is utterly captivating. I am by no means a good surfer, but I paddled into 9 waves and stood up on 6, that’s 66.7% or two thirds of my time spent standing up on waves. Im proud of me on this day. Today was definitely a highlight of the summer and I’m hoping there are many more days like this before winter creeps in.

I called it quits only after my shoulders were burning and when I could not feel my purple, shaking hands anymore. I was once again, proud. I dragged the board back to 227 2nd ave, rinsed it off and then proceeded with my own rinsing. Another true highlight of the day. One of the msot simple of pleasures and I revel in this every day that I am here in ‘Squan, the outdoor shower. Its still overcast, its still raining large, cold drops on my head, but this is all intermixed with the heat of a steamy shower outdoors. No fogged up mirrors. Steamy, muggy, rainforest like shower. No, this is the cool breeze blowing through the wooden planks of the shower installment. A view of the cloudy skies as it drips air cooled drops on my face. Some soap and a sigh of relaxation. This is a tiny slice of heaven on earth. No matter where I decide to finally lay the foundation of my life, I feel that one necessity, one simple pleasure that I must have, is an outdoor shower.

The only phrase that keeps coming to mind is “today was a good day.” I think Ice Cube might be the rapper for the summer if only for the fact that he penned the gangsta anthem, “today was a good day”. I’m bringing that back as the official summer jam of 2010 for me. Official. Thanks Mr. Cube for your lyrical prowace and for scribing a song that still holds true two decades later.

Sent from the streets…