Surfers and Sports

I am privileged enough to live next to some of the most amazing surf in the world. No wonder every time I go to the beach I see 50-100 people sitting on the their boards, eagerly awaiting for their next ride. I find it quite comical that most of these people are fearless and willing to go head first into a 9 foot monster, yet they wear winter wet suits and the water is 75. SOFT!

Well last night I refereed a few games. It was men's league. I had a team of rugby players vs a team of surfers. The rugby players wore short shorts, had no necks and were about 6' and above. The surfers, on average, had blonde hair, dark tans (which I can't figure out because they wear winter wet suits) and 80% had some sort of ponytail.

Now the rugby players were tough and didn't complain once about a call (I didn't blow my whistle much, so there REALLY wasn't much to complain about. No blood no foul right?!)

Well these surfer dudes, they were such wingers! Cry, complain, and gripe. For dudes who look God in the face and say, "Bring in on, Bro." They hate when a guy can jump higher than them.  I have the utmost respect for surfers. It is really a tough sport. The core strength is something I wish one day to have, but know I will never have anything on Big Wave destroyer Laird Hamilton.

It is an interesting concept, however. I have friends and family members who never played a contact sport in their lives, but are killer surfers. They run like a Yogi Bear, chest forward, butt backwards, and have the hand eye coordination of a drunk orangutan. What's with that? Make a surfer chase a ball and the "Hot Factor" goes right out the window.

Yet the rugby players, played well together. They were tough. Never complained about a call (because I'm an awesome referee... :D) and were scrappy. They could catch, pass, shoot and run.  I'm sure each of them could eventually pick up a board and teach themselves to surf. They could probably pick up a mitt and learn baseball, too. But why is it that surfers who start out as surfers, can't pick up any other sports? The hard work, and determination are there, no doubt. What is it. What keeps surfers from being well rounded athletes?

I'm not really sure, but I'm going for a swim in the ocean, no wetsuit needed!

No Worries, Mate

I have had a few different views from some of my many places of employment. I've spent many years in a marina, and as much as I love to scrape a few barnacles, vacuuming bilges and musty cabins didn't always make for the best work environment. Then there was waitressing on the inlet. Great view, but I was always serving the people who were about to get on the boat I probably cleaned the day before and enjoy themselves in the hot sun, while I wore black pants on 98 degree days and ran in and out of a greasy kitchen all day. I also got to spend a summer in AC which wasn't too bad, especially during the crazy heat waves. 

There were also three summers I worked at the Spring Lake B&T as a lifeguard and server. Not a bad view, and I got to work out for a living.  That was a cool job. This is pretty much the same thing. This morning I woke up, ate some breakfast, threw on some workout clothes and headed to the 70 degree beach with my lap top. The commute wasn't tough. I walked out my front door, across the street, around the golf course and up over the dune to the sand. It was a little tough going at one point because with my feet so far in the sand, I was laughing at a few seagulls fighting over a chicken bone when a wave came and soaked my spandex. On my 10 minute walk, I saw several guys being towed in half a mile or so off the beach into 12' waves....NBD (No Big Deal). 

I then came upon the lookout and walked up the sidewalk to grab a skinny capp and found myself a nice picnic table, facing the golf course, watching surfers jump off the rocks into the surf and nailing these incredible double overheads close to the beach. I sent off a few emails, organized some paperwork, and here I am writing this and cannot believe it is noon already. (Also, I'm pretty sure Kelly Slater just walked by, but I didn't want to bother him! ) Speaking of Kelly Slater, his best friend and one of my favorite musicians, Jack Johnson, once said, 

''The ocean has taught me to have respect for everything non-human, not man-made, and to be able to feel the power of it. It makes you feel how insignificant you really are. It's not a negative thing. It's a very humbling thing, and it's a good thing to feel like that.''

I think I know what Jack was talking about. This is it. 

No worries, mate.

U S A

I woke up this morning to an email, from a good friend of mine.

"I am not sure if you heard or not, but Osama Bin Laden was killed by the Navy Seals yesterday.  Today is a great day to be an American.  I was driving on 495 with my windows down blasting  

"And I am proud to be an American, Where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me... so I proudly stand up next to you and defend her still today... cause there aint no doubt I love this land... GOD BLESS THE USA!"  

People were driving past me dying laughing but you know they wanted to join in too!  I was practically in tears thinking about how much I love being an American"

After watching the news last night, sitting in the living room with my my host family I was so ecstatic we finally "got 'im". They showed Americans cheering in the streets of DC in front of The White House and in the streets of NYC. When they panned to NYC, I starting to tear up. I was proud to be an American, for sure.

Today, I walked down the street to a local coffee shop to read the Sydney Telegraph newspaper. As I was in line to order my coffee, a man talking to his mate and a barista said, "Can you believe those Americans? Celebrating like idiots in the streets?"

I then ordered my coffee, very loudly, in my best New Jersey accent, looked at the guy dead in the eyes and said, "Yes, sir, I can. I am proud to be an American more so today than ever before."

There was no way that man was going to take this great day away from us, the USA.

To my family, friends and all those overseas, who have or are fighting the past ten years, thank you.  The world is a safer place.

I'm a Catholic girl and I realize I shouldn't be celebrating the death of anyone and probably should be taking more of an Martin Luther King, Jr approach, especially being over seas, but lets face it, I'm my father's daughter...

DING DONG!!!

Wedding Hats

If you didn't watch the Royal Wedding, please stop reading this now. 

Those of you still reading, good form and kudos!

I don't care too much for weddings, I'm more or less of a wedding Scrooge. I'm eloping (you're welcome Bob & Wanda.) But the Royal Wedding was different. It had some Disney magic involved. My favorite part about the wedding, was when I first turned the coverage on, and the apple of every girl growing up in the 90's eye, (before the bald spot of course) Prince William and Harry  (he wasn't good looking until two years ago, though) were in their Rolls Royce's, driving (well being chauffeured) to the Abbey. Wills was so handsome and he had his Red uniform on. To the fellows reading this, yes, he IS our prince charming and this IS the wedding we all dream about having as little girls! I started tearing up a tad bit. 

Now I know this is titled Wedding Hats, so that's where we're going. 

Then they panned to some celebs in the Abbey. I had NOO idea the extent of these hats worn at Royal events. There was Elton John, and whats his name? -Not wearing hats. Becks and Posh-awesome hat, and  Mama Midds- GO CAROLE!  Any other day I would have thought Princess Bea and Princess Eug's flying flamingo and preposterous peacock ensembles were Royal gaffes, and way OTT (over the top). But they were AMAZING! There was one woman, I believe the Prime Minister of Great Britain's wife, who didn't have a hat on and she was the one who really looked like an idiot! Now I'm not too much into fashion, mainly because they don't make clothes my size, but I have a small dome. I'm all about the hat crazy. I HEART WEDDING HATS!

We all know, that the rate I'm going, I won't be getting married any time soon. I am, however, proposing a few wedding hat wearing ideas I can partake in.

1) I propose (with a sapphire diamond?!!) every girl should wear wedding hats to weddings. I love this tradition and I am all about carrying on my grandaunt Alice's old style of wearing crazy hats to weddings. 

2) You've heard of ugly Christmas sweater parties. I want hat parties. If I ever buy a house (or rent one for that matter!) I will have a hat party house warming. When I get married, I will have a hat themed bachelorette. Imagine  friends, half of mine being over 6 foot, in heels and with these hats! Scene? YES PLEASE! My birthday is in a few weeks, totally thinking about a hat party.

3)  Lets make it awkward events as well! Imagine showing up to a first date or meeting your future in-laws in an OTT hat. Wedding hat: $50. Look on blind date's face when you show up for with a saucer on your noggen: Priceless. 

4) While we're at it, lets spice up baby and bridal showers! Seriously, we all know what she's getting because WE SAW THE REGISTRY! Let's get sauced and talk hats sisters!

5) Funerals could be ok, too. You could wear a hat that reminded you of the person who died. If something were to happen to me, I'd want you all to wear hats (jus' saying'). I'm Irish, so funerals are a celebration and we all tell really funny stories about the person who passed. But hats would be the icing on the cake (are there cakes at funerals? I want an ice cream one at mine!) No tributes needed, just a hat on every woman, lock me up and throw dirt on me! Oh yea, lets not forget to then go have a cold one, with a hat on, in my honor, and on my dollar!