Blog Hiatus

I'm taking the month of July off from blogging. Page hits are at an all time low and there's just not much going on here; many of my posts seem to be of the "phoning it in" variety. Thus I'm going to take some time off and hopefully come back in August with something to write about.

Decisions, decisions...

There's a high-surf advisory for the South Shore. I have tomorrow off. The girls are going to the Aloha swap meet in the morning, which, short of another colon resection, is the last thing I want to do. Now I've got to make some decisions:

1. What to ride? I've got my brand new, never been wet summer board:














I've also got a new 'alaia waiting for a ride:



















Of course it would be an epic day for the stand-up paddle board:




















Then there is the question of where to go. The entire south shore will be pumping, so it's a no-lose situation there. Finally, I need to figure out how to document it. Neither of the new boards has a camera mount, and the footage from the nose mount on my standup board is a bit tired, so I need to figure that out.


In the words of my father, "these are all good problems to have".

Stay tuned.

Music Monday

Warning: Your head may explode while watching this.

I was just waiting for the lightning bolts to come out of Yngwie's guitar and flay everyone in the hall like in Raiders of the Lost Ark...

Summer days

I heard from my surgeon this week. He had a chance to look at my PET scan from a few weeks ago and called it "not good, but PERFECT". I'd say that's fairly positive. Honestly I feel as good as ever and if anything I feel a little guilty for not exercising more, as I really have zero excuses. I have been windsurfing quite a bit - the winds have been pumping - but that hardly counts.

Windsurfing is one of those sports that when one is learning, it is incredibly difficult both technically and physically. However, once you get that basics down (and with a solid baseline fitness level both aerobic and anaerobic) it is almost effortless. This week was a great example. The wind was solid, holding at 18-20 knots with occasional gusts at 25. Once up and planing, hooked in, with the sail properly balanced, one just has to sit back and enjoy the ride. Here's some video from Thursday on my big board.

Father's Day

I received a small package in the mail today from my brother Al and his wife. In it was a note saying "Happy Father's Day" along with a Red Sox jersey featuring John Lester's number. I've written about Lester several times as an example of someone who dealt with cancer and went on with life - in his case, being a world-series winning pitcher for the Sox. Receiving that jersey struck a deep chord with me.


I went back a year through my blog archives. Last father's day I was on an "off-week" (the week between rounds of chemo) and spending time with my family at the beach - a common theme with my family. I was also dealing with the harsh side effects related to chemo, and I was always fatigued. I never thought about what might happen - partially for my family's sake, but also as my own defense mechanism to maintain a positive outlook.


Maintaining a positive outlook wasn't difficult. My wife, an amazing woman who has the ability to handle adversity with this wonderfully easy-going manner, was always there taking care of the things that needed to be done. She made sure I didn't have to do anything during my treatment. She saw that I had all the foods that I could manage to keep down, ensured my meds were in order and that I was coping physically and mentally. She does all this without trying or ever giving the impression that it was "work" - she just does those things because, to her, it's the good thing to do.

My daughters also make it easy. I don't know what I did to deserve such wonderful little girls. My oldest, who understood what was happening, showed a strength well beyond her age and seemed to be able to gauge when I needed to get out and do something, and when I needed rest. My youngest was a ball of energy who kept a smile on my face every time I saw her.

Father's day is not for selling cards or buying presents for dad. It's a day when we as fathers should stop and look at our families, and be grateful for what they have done for us. Jon Lester has his team around him - and I have mine - giving us all we need to succeed.

To my own father, whom I watched undergo bypass surgery following a heart attack some 16 years ago, I also owe much. Of course, I learned much from him growing up. It was seeing how he handled his own adversity, in the hospital following his coronary, that really gave me the tools to get through cancer. Lessons such as: Keep your sense of humor - it is good for you, and just as important for your caregivers and others around you. Be grateful and take nothing for granted. Don't whine, and remember that there are folks who have it much worse than you. Be strong for your family and especially for yourself. Keep a smile on your face and take care of the things that matter. Don't waste time on things out of your control, and try hard not to dwell on negativity.Thanks Dad, for setting me up so well, and have a happy father's day.

Now, enjoy some windsurfing:

Why "Jaws" is one of my favorite movies

The trades finally kicked up the way they are supposed to in the summer here, and I got a windsurfing session in prior to work today. It was perfect, steady and strong at about 20 kts making for a nearly effortless session. I still wiped out on about half of my jibes, but that's much better than last summer. I didn't take any video, but if I can get in a session before work tomorrow I'll be sure to bring it.

For some reason I got to thinking about the movie "Jaws" and how it's really stood the test of time for me. I still find it as frightening on all levels as I did the first time I saw it. Here are a few reasons why:

- The intro. They didn't waste any time - the girl out partying, decides to take a nighttime swim. A few violent moments later she is gone, and only calm water remains. The viewer thinks "what have I gotten myself into"...but you can't stop watching.

- The score. The ominous "Jaws theme" has become almost a bad joke, but in the context of the film it works to tremendous effect.

- The characters. The dynamic between the police chief Brody (Roy Scheider), the marine biologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfus) and Quint the old salt (Robert Shaw) is outstanding. Quint's soliloquoy on the Indianapolis incident is chilling - even if one doesn't know the entire frightening real-life story.

- The monster. It's huge. It's frightening. It eats people. And...it exists in real life. The special effects are wonderful and still look realistic (for the most part). When the fish decides to reveal itself, and Brody proclaims "we're going to need a bigger boat", it's another of those "what have I gotten myself into" moments: you know that disaster is imminent, and it will be bad, but you can't stop watching.

Don't get me wrong-I still love a classic monster movie. I recently watched the original Japanese release of "Godzilla", which was quite a different film from the American release. However, "Jaws" is what I consider a damn-near perfect monster flick. I mean, I had sisters who didn't want to swim in the lake after seeing Jaws.

What do you think of "Jaws"?

Music Tuesday

Double shot of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

Anytime I get concerned over the speed of my flatpickin, I go back to Gate Brown. He played purely using his fingers, and not in the "classical" styly- he just used what worked. An amazing player who is leading the all-star big-band guitar jam in heaven.


And with a small combo, even more amazing fingerpicking (and great showcases by the sax and leslie sidemen):