Are you “fully hanging loose”? No, no you are not; hence, it is not okay.
If you are nine, and no longer say “Dad, watch this!” every few seconds, but are out ripping up a bit of shore break — yes, you are fully approved to throw the shakka. Just don’t shake it.
A big thanks to Mark Urkov and Urkov Charter Services for agreeing to provide boat support aboard “The Rough House” for the 2013 Catalina Classic. Mark’s knowledge of the water and his experience as a skipper will be essential during all 32 miles of the event. Thanks Mark.
For more information about charters, dive trips, and paddler support, check out the Urkov Charter Services web site. Good times.
I should know…
Meet Winston — the newest member of the clan.
So ugly, he’s cute, Winston is a game changer for us. You see, we’ve never owned a dog, and E., who has long aligned herself with the cats-are-the-more-enlightened animals, never entertained the idea of owning a pet that required walks and baths, and, well, crap that he can destroy.
An 11-month-old, mutt we think is part terrier, part schnauzer, Winston came to us from Rover Rescue and… Wait, “came to us” is totally wrong. Jen, the next door neighbor, veterinarian, and expert conniver foisted the pooch on us during a moment of weakness. You see, Winston is quiet, soft, and friendly and when you see him it makes you vulnerable – weak. There was absolutely no point in apposing the dog coming on board, as I could see in Daniel’s face and hear in Erica’s laugh, that Winston was here to stay.
We’re all glad for it.
Woke up in SF with a soccer ball in the pit of my stomach from nerves. E. calls it my PTA (pre-trip anxiety). I couldn’t blame it on a hangover (the boys were easy on me), but I I moved slowly through everything: packing, loading the bike, making small talk. We went to breakfast but I didn’t put down any food. Instead we burned through two hours of the morning that I would sorely miss in the afternoon (more on that later…).
To their credit, The Commander and GR kept me moving forward and in good cheer. They even went above and beyond the call of duty and shuttled me out of town and down the road some 40 miles! Talk about pilot-boat service! This post, and thanks, goes out to EB and GR; you guys sure do know how to do a send off.
BT
In less than an hour, we were off for the border. By 11:00, we were having breakfast in La Salina watching overhead surf and enjoying a much needed Bloody Mary. The obligatory ice stop, two unplanned excursions through the back streets of TJ and Ensenada, and we were ready for the drive across the Valle de Trinidad.
We stopped only to celebrate friends that couldn’t be with us in the places that they like most. One thing that stands out from our drive across the peninsula, the military in Baja is out in force. We went through no fewer than four check points where the military inspection units were dug in deep. Efficient and kind, the soldiers that we encountered were clearly there to do a job and do it well. The ‘lawlessness’ that has everyone stateside in a panic was nowhere evident.
We got in to San Felipe just before dark and went straight to Don Jesus Hotel to check in. Don Jesus is the only place I know where you can wheel your motorcycle into the room and sleep next to it. Cool. Drinks and steaks made for a fitting end to a smooth trip across the desert. (Sorry, no pics of the food, but it wasn’t all that spectacular).
D-day (departure day) reminded my of just how supportive my friends and family are. E. was up at 0-dark-30 to get me rolling and send me off with a few kisses. She wanted nothing to do with the whole wave-and-say-goodbye scenario and, in hindsight, I’m glad because I would have been a wreck had she and D. come down to see me off. I kissed D. on the head, took a few photos, and pushed off for Huntington Beach to meet The Commander. He and GR would give me a ride into San Felipe.
I arrived early and sent a text to The Commander to make sure that he was up. Not only was he up, but my extended crew was there waiting to see me off. [Nice to see you guys, but you could have remembered the Bloody Marys]. In all seriousness, the friends that I have deserve special mention for their support and good-natured teasing. To the man, I heard them all say that they should be going on this trip too. You guys are all with me.
Seriously, without my Crew, nothing would happen.
When she learned of the opportunity for an overland adventure on the small bore 230 (hers), E. didn’t miss a beat. When I emailed her shortly after I learned the company was closing its doors, her reply was swift. “Well, it looks like you’ll have the time to do that overland trip after all. Seriously, you need to take this opportunity to make a ride happen. The gift is in your lap. Take it.” So…’Hall Pass’, accepted.
Daniel, typically, was much more sanguine about the whole affair. He wanted to know if I got as far as the mainland if there would be jungles, wild animals, and, most of all, natives that “shrunk heads”(?!). When I answered, ‘no,’ he, in his most cavalier tone replied, “Bummer, it would be cool to have a shrunken head.”
100% awesome, my crew.
E.: "If not now...when?"
"Shrunken-Head Indians...dead"
2farandaway 