a few posts...

This is a blog I wrote the other day, but we didn't have the computer in town:
My mom is in Costa Rica. We arrived back at Bill's after a few hours of phenomenal surf, and there was mom...walking out of John and Mary's house next door. I had no idea. None. I almost fell over. BAH. Apparently she is here for 10 days..which is great, because now I can't get in trouble for not updating my blog enough or for not sending her enough emails. Ha. Because now she will be HERE, in COSTA RICA. WTF?! Ha. It's awesome. Poor shawnie. Wish he was here with us, but he will be here soon enough. March 13th my dear!

Anyways...been surfing a TON lately. The waves have gotten much better, and dominical has been firing. So much fun.

Just finished a world-domination Gin-Rummy game with Franklin. I only spoke in spanish, all night, and I actually make sense. I'm gettin good!! WoohooO!! Anyways, he beat me by 15 points....15 damn points. 600 to 615. Motherfucker. After a big reunion dinner (which was after a super-long surf session) with John, Mary, Kris, Jeff, Callen, Franklin, Paulie, Dad, and Me (mom was asleep), we've all just been hanging around. I'm a bit depressed about my loss to franklin, so I'm typing my blog up on dad's computer. We are listening to Jose Gonzalez. Paul is finishing a book a lent him, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, which is one of my TOP ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS. Callen is beside him reading Tucker Max's autobiography, which is the most appalling, disgusting, and disturbing bits of "writing" that I have EVER encountered, and Franklin just ran out the door to join the tico construction workers who live next door for coverage of the futbol game. They all started whooting and hollering, and franklin was out the door in a flash. Ha.Gotta go now, we are waking up at 5am for surf. Woohooo.



Here's one that I started in my head yesterday in the surf: It was croweded beyond belief, with 80% of the people not knowing what they are doing. The few who kindof had a grasp had ZERO wave etiquette. I was dropped-in on more times than I'd care to recall, and was almost seriously hurt twice. So here it is....

Cailin's SmartAss (but ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SERIOUS) Guide To Surfing:

1. Paddling for a wave is like crossing the street, you need to LOOK...BOTH WAYS, before paddling for the wave.

2. Surfing is like a sport (more of a lifestyle than a sport, but this is a whole other blog in itself). If you played basketball, and you weren't very good, they wouldn't put you out on the court at game time. Practice makes perfect, and until you practice practice practice you need to stay on the sidelines (or in the case of surfing, surf down the beach or at a whole other beach completely).

3. If you don't know what you are doing, you are dangerous. You are dangerous to yourself, to every other person out in the water, as well as for to the person who is going to have to swim out and save your ass when you're hurt or drowning. Just repeat this mantra: If you don't know what you are doing, you are dangerous.

4. There are all sorts of breaks. Beach break, reef breaks, point breaks, "girly-breaks", etc. There is nothing wrong with riding a small, mushy wave when you are beginning. It's the best thing to learn in. Do not move on to bigger, stronger, heavier waves until you really, I mean really know what you are doing. Again, an unexperienced surfer in an advanced surfing spot is dangerous. Dangerous. DANGEROUS.

5. It's not okay to get off your board, with it dangling from the leash 10 feet behind you, and swim out to the break. Unacceptable.

6. If you forget rule #1 and you didn't look both ways, the person already riding the wave will either whistle, shout, or do something to indiciate to you "Hey fucker, you didn't look both ways, this is MY wave, you are about to drop in, so don't even think about it". SO, if you hear someone whistle, they aren't trying to encourage you into the wave. Most people in the water are softies, goddamnit I know I am, so usually if you drop in on them they will smile and be like "well....its okay". But some day you will get somebody who does mind, who isn't all roses and teddy bears, and you will get a board up your ass or worse. So...I'm further reinforcing rule number one.

7. Last is the best bit of advice I can give to ANY surfer...beginner or advanced. Matt Vecere told me when I was 14 and making my first trip out to the surf capital of the US, San Clemente, for a surf trip. I cannot stress this enough...

EVERYONE IS WATCHING YOU.

Yes, everyone in the water is watching you. Your FIRST WAVE is the most important wave of the session...because everyone is watching you, and judging your skill level. If you have a shitty first wave, guess what -- surfers will have taken note, and your chances of getting another one are slim to none. If you have a good wave, you earn respect and your spot in the lineup. So on your first wave, before you paddle, a) make sure that you are in position, b) make sure that you are definitely going to catch the wave, and c) dont mess it up.

With all that said...surfing is supposed to be FUN. So have fun. The "guidelines" above are only so that everyone in the water can have fun, and not get hurt or burned. Pura Vida.




Valentine's Day:

Today is VDAY. It's been a while since my last blog, and an even longer time since I posted the blogs I've typed above. We are only in town for a short while, and usually I would get out of the water early to have some internet time - but the waves have been good good good, and I usually have to be drug out of the water for dinner. Damn. I've been on. Surfing has never felt so good, so natural, and so effortless. So enjoyable. The water is amazing. Refreshing. Beautiful. I'm so thankful for the ocean. MmMm, I just want to eat it all up. Me Gusta Costa Rica. It's been really great having Mom here too...we've been having a quality time. We have been doing dawn-patrol sessions, and when we get back I head down to have a cup of coffee and some fruit with John, Mary and Mom (john and mary own the big big house next door, where mom and dad are renting their little cabina). When I'm not surfing, out fishing, doing yoga or hanging with Mom I have been reading Ken Follett's THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH. And GODDAMN...its PHENOMENAL. I can't put it down, and I dream about it at night. My naps have been replaced with this 10 pound book. YOGA has been treating me really well lately also. I had a few 'sessions' with Callen, and its really crazy how teaching a 'class' can really change the overall effect. It's been really awesome. I'm so glad to share something I'm so passionate about with someone who is really into it. Franklin couldn't get into it, and when I ask Paul he just gives me a funny look. The past two days I've been yoga-ing solo (callen and franklin are getting ready for school, and we have two new guests staying at bills house). These past two days I have had the BEST two yoga sessions that ive EVER HAD. My whole body and mind, down to the core, just feel....sublime. I fell like I owe a big thanks to BONOBO for that. And really, I guess I owe Ozzie a big thanks. He turned me onto the band Bonobo. It really helps me relax into yoga and clear my mind, which was something I had been struggling with.

Had a refreshing surf session at 6am today. After that the boys went spearfishing. I was in charge of the bug bags (these are the bags with buoys that they put the pesca/langostas/ostras in). I wasn't a very good bugbag girl though because there were some waves rolling through our secret spot so I was busy surfing. Ha. We didn't come up with our usual catch because the water was really cloudy but thanks to Callen and Franklin we got a bag full of oysters, 2 lobsters and a parrotfish. Dad is in the kitchen right now cooking up some Seafood Soup (of course!). He is boiling the two lobsters and then is going to use the meat from them and the fish in the soup. The oysters will be an appetizer. What can I say....the man can do soup. That's for sure. We aren't going to have the soup until tomorrow I believe....it tastes better the day after.

Just had one (of the two) mindblowing, humbling, feel-good-all-over yoga sessions. Sipping some green tea, and typing away. I was so peaceful I fell asleep for a few minutes in the corpse position. Ha. Anyways, resting up for a bit and then heading in for an evening surf session. My friend Lara Pappas, whom I met LAST year in Costa Rica, will be arriving in Dominical around 6 tonight. I think we may meet up for a few drinks, but nothing too late because guess what...surf tomorrow morning!! HA. I love the routine. It's a keeper.

Pura Vida.