Change. Deal with It.

Crossing that thin red line in Venice on the tail-end of a great mid-October swell.

Look into Daniel’s eyes and you’ll see a kid that’s going to serve up a plate of amazing while the rest of us are eating sample dish of “I’m not sure.”

DST…fat city ready.

Tagged

DST: [Walking by a liquor store in Venice] “Hey dad, isn’t that you?”

Me: [Looking closely] “Holy s&%t shucks, it is your old man.  Ha!”

Tagging aside funny to see yourself in your local liquor store window…wait, maybe not.

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Face may have been cut off by a big ol’ tag, but I know that cold shirt and Herbie (53) anywhere.  2013 Catalina Classic Marathon Paddleboard Race.

[UPDATE: Found the original!]

Full

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60 or so %

I used to go to bed late.  One or two o’clock in the morning was the perfect time to get things done in a quiet house.  Now, if I go to bed too late, I wake up feeling like I drank too much scotch, half a bottle of NyQuil, and threw back a few Ambien to boot.  The real issue, however, is that I also get up much, much earlier in the morning.  By the time the clock says 5:00 a.m. (there is no clock; read: phone), I have one eye open, if only one.

Both my neighbor and my dog get up at 4:00 a.m.–the neighbor to work out and the dog, Winston (aka: The Weesenz), to engage in a serious bout of scratching, licking, and itching that frankly inspires jealousy.  Here’s the thing: the former, the neighbor, is giving it 100%–or, at least, that is what I’d like to think (who get’s up at 4:00 a.m. to workout besides world leaders and captains of industry?)–while Weesenz taps out at about 60%.

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“Just wait…”

In terms of power metrics, the neighbor probably wins, but, in respect to performance needed to carry the day, my dog has Mr. 0-dark-thirty guy covered.  Weesenz gets frothy about his scratching and it truly is an impressive display of anaerobic threshold exploration.  In five minutes, Weesenz is gasping, somewhat confused, and blissfully ready to go back to sleep.  He has accomplishes at 3/4-throttle what most people hope to accomplish all day.

The point is for some individuals 60% or so is totally, 100% acceptable.  They are just better than us (read: you).  These are the people at work that can utilize basic office technology to do their job; they communicate effectively, prioritize the tough ones, and manage their slice of the collective effort to ‘move the needle forward’ (option: insert newest business catch-phrase here).  We should recognize when to recognize them–it may inspire a bit of jealousy, but we will certainly learn from replicating their sprezzatura.

Today, I was fully awake 58 minutes after my neighbor went to the gym, two minutes before my alarm went off, and just after my dog went back to sleep signaled by a huge contented sigh, and I realized: but for a few opposable thumbs, Weesenz could do a great many jobs I encounter each day and make it look easy.  Squirrels…take note.

As Luck Would Have It

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As luck would have it we were blessed with a healthy, inquisitive child.  More importantly, the family, friends, and adults who propel him forward–to stay curious and active–have done so much to grow his world.  Vacation: Borrego Springs…with Gordon Reed and family.  Dust, art, nature, and machines.

 

Free + board

Crushed three hours of freeboarding with D today–the kid is a constant reminder that silly stuff is the best stuff. Smiles and singing the entire time, even after some 50 headers. Epic.

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