random Sunday observations

I just bought a surfboard for $80 from a guy who needed to fly back to Brazil and couldn't take it. I get offers for so many boards I don't know what to do with all of them. I lost count at 200 surfboards in our inventory. I have so many I have to put them up on the ceiling as I've ran out of space. I make sure to ride every single board at least once believe it or not.
My neighbor Polly woke up this morning to a 6 foot boa in the rafters of her bedroom. One of her renters helped pull the snake out to in front of Economy Renta Car and we all got a good look. It was pretty big, my camera bugged out and erased my pics so I'm waiting for one to post on the blog. I showed Otis, he seems to like snakes, probably because we have so many down here. One time we found a boa under the hood of our truck that had been parked next to the hotel for a couple weeks. Then there was that one that lived in the floor of our house that ate the skunks. Its amazing how close we are to nature here, I dig it.

Here is Otis. I figured I hadn't taken a photo of him in a while, it was time for you all to see how big he is. Crazy! It has been awesome to raise the boys at the surf camp. I'm really happy living in Costa Rica, but I'm sure if we moved to Panama or Micronesia or anywhere with waves out in front, I'd be just as happy. I drove the family to Avellanas this morning and surfed the incoming tide. I can't believe how few people there are in Costa Rica right now. Normally Avellanas on a Sunday would have meant no parking and barely enough room to drive my truck by Lola's. There were maybe 20 people surfing a half mile of beach.
I was sifting through some old pics yesterday and found this great photo of my parents on their wedding day in 1972. I love the 70s blue tux my dad is sporting with the single button. The old car in the background is pretty tight. My dad has got a mustache and that 70s hair thing going. I laugh when I think about the fact that my father was in a jail in Tijuana the morning of his wedding day and was released in time to cross the border and go straight (without even a shower) to the church. What in the hell ever happened to proper bachelor parties like that?

Mom and dad, I love you two very much. This photo really makes me smile. I do have a question though, who is that picking his nose in the background?
I also found this photo of me with my first VW camper van. I learned how to drive stick in this thing and drove it multiple times into Baja, to Lake Tahoe, as far east as Park City, Utah and as far north as Grand Targhee, Wyoming.

I think we were at Punta Cabras or Punta San Jose in this photo. I can recognize a Tecati beer can even from here.
Besides old school photos and some chill time with the family (stoked they are all taking siestas at 4pm on a Sunday), I've just been surfing, waiting for the Chargers/Patriots game tonight, catching up on emails to friends I never get to talk to, and try to figure out where I'm going to be when over the next few months. I can't believe that in four weeks I'll have gone to California, back to Costa Rica, and then be in Peru. I can't wait for Peru...
I am talking to Frank Lemes about going to Micronesia this next July. It might or might not be a trip with available space, I'll keep everyone posted. It will be 17-21 days long and journey to the edge of the earth. Frank spent two years there in college in the Peace Corps. There is a pretty sick wave over there that is still under the radar. I am thinking that I will be doing at least 8 trips in 2009, with another one to Panama in January or February. We will be surfing Bocas del Toro on this trip too.
Regarding the Tamarindo concert, we are still in talks with SOJA for the dates that will work best. I am not going to allow something that will be totally kick ass fun to stress me out at all, so if it doesn't happen January 10th or 24th, or if the CNS Tamarindo surf contest happens on one date and the concert happens on another, this doesn't really matter. The point is that we're going to have some solid music and a really good time. I love surf + music + good friends and good times. I can't wait. If you didn't read last week's post about the show, or just to hear some good tunes, www.myspace.com/soja and www.myspace.com/pinback