A Pretty Fine Day

Warning: This will be boring. I am recording the day's events, and they will seem mundane to anyone but me. I like to remember things, record them here, and sometimes they are just the smallest of things. Why did I do this today? Because I realized, as it unfolded, that it was a pretty fine day.

The red-nosed coon hound woke me at around 6:30am. I was okay with that. I have never been able to sleep in, never in my entire life. I don't want to miss a moment. Even though nothing may be on tap, I feel cheated if I sleep in. I want to get going as soon as the sun is up.

I walked Beau, and the first thing that happened was I met up with the crazy guy who lives a few houses away, in the back alley. He is a collector, that is all I know for sure. Behind his house, in the alley where I let Beau off his leash, resides all manner of things. There are barricades, an old foam paddle board, rolls of carpet, plastic sheeting, old signs. A path exists just beyond the "Beware of the Dog" sign, a path created by pushing tons of junk to the side. The path leads to a shed where more crap is stored. The house itself is in need of much repair. Yesterday, a big black dog jumped out at us as we passed it all, nearly gave me a heart attack, but luckily it was restrained by a short, heavy chain around its neck. The guy was getting on his bicycle as we passed. He looks to be about my age, bearded, tall, and has the appearance of an old hippie. I smiled, wary, and he said, as he passed on his old rusty bike, "Careful, there's an unleashed dog up there." I said thanks, but I never saw a dog. That was nice, anyway.

Andy called, and I told him I was going to check the surf after I walked the dog and ate some cream of wheat. It was frickin' cold, and the skies were purplish grey and ominous looking. The buoys were four feet at fourteen seconds, so that had my attention. Especially with the wind so light out of the NW. I was waiting for the tide to bottom out. I was thinking about Crossovers, I said. I would check the pier, after I fed the lion poodle cat, Stimpy, and I'd report back to him. He was going to check his ramp, and we would compare notes.

I stood in the cold, looking out at a grey ocean at the pier, and punched in Andy's number. This is your on the spot surf report, I said. CRAP! Okay, here comes a wave. Wait. It almost breaks, but no, it backs off and then unloads in five sections in a ruffled close out. Grey water to match your grey sky is never in style. I hate winter. Let's go to Puerto Rico, we whine. I am going to check Crossovers, I told him. And, off I went.

Once there, I felt like I just wanted to go home. The cold wind was coming up more and more, it seemed. There was only one car in the parking lot. A young couple was huddled together, on the beach under a big blanket, staring out to sea. The water was green here, that was a plus. The waves looked more like real waves, too. I told Andy, as I stood atop the overlook, that I was going out. I saw a right that just broke like a real wave, I said. No one was out. No one would want to.

I paddled out and actually caught a few. It was a long wait in between sets. The cold air hit my left ear like an ice pick. There was the first ice cream headache of the year as I duck dove a set. My feet were cramping up after only ten minutes. Looks like booties for me from here on out. Last year the water never got below what it is right now. That does not bode well for this winter, guys. Get me out of here! Bloom where you are planted? Hogwash! I need warm air, warm waves, and sunshine to be a happy plant.

I rode a few more, and then the wind began to come up even more sideshore. Ugh. I raced to the cold shower, and back to the mansion for a warm one.

Despite the cold start, it was a pretty fine day. I went shopping and had lunch on Joe, who gave me a Visa gift card for Christmas. I made myself do something nice for me. When I went to Target today and bought essentials with the gift card my brother got me, the girl who rang me up noticed I didn't get anything for me. That was really nice, and we talked awhile. So I decided to be selfish with Joe's card. I treated myself to lunch, and then found a really cool coat rack for my apartment and some reed infusers that I liked. Thanks, Joe! I called him up to thank him for the gifts.

While I was shopping, I met a fellow teacher from work, and she seemed so happy as she introduced me to her little son, Benjamin. They were on a search for a new snow globe. It seemed he broke his favorite one that morning. He reached inside his jacket pocket to show me the remnant of a miniature Mickey Mouse. I told him I would keep an eye out for him, and if I saw one, I would tell his mom. He smiled so sweetly, and then his mom told him that I surfed, and her eyes sparkled.

This day it seemed that everywhere I went everyone was so nice. It seemed like there was a certain positive energy in the air. Some days just feel all wrong. Today things felt right.

After that, I set off for downtown on foot, to deliver a gift to the owner of the bakery/cafe. Karen, Brie, and Lucille were all working away, customers everywhere. We talked in between, and it felt so good there too. Brie had just made chocolate eclairs from scratch, and gave me sample, still warm. That girl is simply amazing. I told her that if she were a man, I would be all over her. She laughed. We talked about the B&B idea again. It is such fun to dream about what could happen if you decide to take a chance.

Then Andy called and said that maybe Tuesday we could all ride down to New Smyrna Beach together for a surf session in slightly warmer water and in waves that might really break like waves.

As I was almost finished recording the days small events, the phone rang. It was Pat and Marianne from across the street. They wanted me to come have some pizza they had just picked up!

Yep, a pretty fine day...