Power to the Peaceful.. No new fees!

Enough Said.

The people have spoken... And someone was listening for a change. Word is in that the Santa Barbara Parks Commission is recommending "No" new fees to be imposed at County Parks. Awesome. Some thought it was a done deal, including Santa Barbara City Council Member, Frank Hotchkiss. "It's nice not to have to pay, I agree, but an old custom that may have to pass." Thanks for the support Frank. I myself was starting to worry about it a bit yesterday, but thanks to the hundreds of people who poured their heart and souls into testimonies that could leave you in tears. And the hundreds, or thousands more, who wrote letters directly to the Board of Supervisors. Wow, are we actually seeing democracy at work? It was standing room only at last Thursdays meeting as single moms, hard core surfers, lawyer types, the rich, the poor, and everyone in between all came together in force to oppose any and all fees at our beaches. Even more showed up today via remote testimony to the last meeting held up in Santa Maria. It's unanimous. Everyone from the Rincon to Guadalupe Dunes agrees. No Fees to go to the Beach!  Suzanne Perkins, a premier realtor from Santa Barbara, and member of Parks Commission Board since 1992 had this to say. "This is democracy at work." See, what did I tell you, it's democracy at work. She probably said more but, I'm sorry to say, and I feel a little guilty about it, I skipped this mornings meeting to surf. Umm. Bob was there too.

I'm also sorry to say... It wasn't good surf either. Still it was enough to get out there and make a few more test turns on my new 6'5" Jumbo Shrimp by master craftsman, John Perry. Yesterday was good, well contestable at least. That was my rational as I got off at Bates and headed south, instead heading north to SB for the meeting.  Had I known they were making a decision today I would have gone for sure. Sorry. But back to the Jumbo Shrimp. Todays surf wasn't what I had in mind when I threw out a few ideas to John after riding the 5'11" Shrimp earlier in the summer. "A little wider, a little thicker, it's a long wave, some fat sections, and oh yeah... I want to put in a single fin box so I can see what the hell Cheyne Horan was thinking when he finished in second place four consecutive times on the pro tour. Umm. Just in case better put in  a FCS Quad configuration too."

Following his own path to 2nd Place.

Yes I'm talking about the StarFin, WingedKeel, the Americas Cup, and Ben Lexan. Okay.. Well if you can do air reverses in your sleep, then you probably don't have the slightest idea of what I'm talking about, but ever since I got a look at JP's Lazor Zap inspired Shrimp, I knew I was going to need a StarFin. It started in May, at LC's annual garage sale. Rincon was looking pretty good from two miles away, but I was stuck here selling stuff I bought at last year at LC's annual garage sale, and talking fins with avid finster RB from Mussel Shoals. He had three StarFins in his collection, not with him, and not really wanting to part with any of them. I settled on a Cobb-o-Fin which reminded me a lot of a Dolphin named Peace, Fin Id #25 out of the Dolphins of the Rincon Catolog. I went out that afternoon and after two big roundhouse cutbacks on one wave, a couple of my best ever, I was satisfied with my purchase. But still the StarFin was intriguing to say the least. Cheyne still sells them direct from Australia though the shipping was a bit high. I finally found one for a fair price with free shipping way, way, way, way north of here, and it's been sitting idle on my desk up till yesterday. How's it work. Hmm. The jury is still out but the early indicators are promising, and Indicator will likely need to start working again before the jury comes in. The surf had a little push yesterday but still was only in the waist/belly high range. The 6'5" felt huge under my feet after riding the 5'11" all summer and I would have never taken it out except for the fact it was brand new. In fact it was burning a hole in the back of the van. There was some surf, not enough, but good enough for me, and you know how easily those VW vans burst into flames. I had no choice. The 6'5" caught waves effortlessly which is exactly what I was looking for. I have very high wave quotas to fill. Still for conditions like this, I've already begun to throw around some ideas of a thicker, wider, quite possibly with a single fin box, FCS Quad, 5'11" Shrimp. Yes, I'd like to get that on the barb-ie as soon as possible mate. For the first couple hours I surfed the Jumbo Shrimp as a quad to get a good baseline for comparison, and I was about to call it a day when everyone got out of the water. The waves while small were still pretty fun, and the high tide was helping with the kelp factor, so I went in and set up the StarFin. By the way, the StarFin is no match for the kelp, you think a big single fin is bad, this thing stops you dead in your track.

Nope It's not backwards.

This fin sat on my desk waiting patiently, as was John, till I had enough money to pay for the 6'5".  It was a few weeks, maybe three, plenty of time to think about it. So I had a certain perceptions. Actually they were dreams, perhaps visions of how it was going to ride. And.. So far..  Right in the pocket of the wave the dream comes true. It feels like I'm on a track, not a bad track, my own track. Kinda of like your own constantly evolving Hot Wheel Track. It also seems to have some drive right on take off which I have been missing ever since I left my beloved Andreini Hulls at home. That initial drive might be coming from the slight V in the nose John put in, the fin, the extra thickness, or a combination of the three, I don't know, but I know I'll be taking off deeper than any of the other shortboards I've been on lately. I'm stoked! I haven't had a chance to get out on the open face much, since there really hasn't been any, and I felt a few quirks here and there. I don't know if it was the fin, the thickness, the width, or the crappy waves, but either way I'm stoked on the ridiculous amount of fin options on this new board. Quad, Single, Thruster, Five, ThreeDom, Winged Keel, it's all there. Time will tell. I don't know about you, but I'm more than ready for this summer and it's damn SE Swells to be over. Now... Back to the parking.

Standing Room Only!

It's not over. This is politics in America. One meeting isn't enough, two meetings isn't enough, three, sorry not enough.  Next this Fee Proposal goes before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.  It will be up to them to decide go against the overwhelming disapproval of the people, or to accept the Parks Commission reccomendation of "No Fees" and put this case to bed. Politics. A steady intake of proposals, expensive studies on how to make more money from their constituents, and a shitload of meetings. As many as possible it seems, all the while crossing their fingers that the public might not show up to voice their opposition. Well I feel a little better about the system today, how about you?  My new Facebook Friend Supervisor Salud Carbajal, and Supervisor Janet Wolf have both indicated they will vote against the fee proposal, so we only need one more. I'd say we're looking pretty good but I wouldn't put it in the refrigerator yet. The eggs are not cooling and the jello is definitely not jigglin' See you again in October.

No Parking Ever Again!

Normally I might have been apathitic to the whole thing. I mean, I can ride my bike to Rincon anyway, and I wouldn't mind if they did put in a bike rack or two. But after seeing how easy it was for them to just simply get rid of 212 well used parking spaces along the highway here in La Conchita. Yep. Gone for good, along with the easy access to over two miles of sloping beach. Right here, right now, just happened in the blink of an eye, I don't even think anyone knew about it. How did that happen? Maybe no one showed up to the meetings. So I felt compelled to get involved this time, even if it was just showing up and holding a yellow protest sign. So thank you Tony for that first Facebook post that caught my attention, and thank your wife for printing up those yellow signs, and thanks especially for turning me on to those aforementioned Lazor Zap inspired Shrimps. And wow everyone else, mostly people I've never even met, David, Anne, Tyler, Ben Lexan, and the social media in general that made this easier maybe? Really way too many names to mention, but everyone really stepped up and got this thing done. If you haven't done so yet write the Board of Supervisors today. I don't care where you live. Free access to the beach, and wilderness, you already paid for it, it's a god given right. You can't just put up a fence, a sign,  a meter, and turn us into customers. Fuck that. Look, I voted for Nadar, but Ronald Reagan has some really good quotes, check it out...

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like at Rincon where we could park for free" 

Sorry Frank, the people have spoken. New customs for the next generation.

Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors Email Addresses

SupervisorCarbajal@sbcbos1.org
jwolf@sbcbos2.org
dfarr@countyofsb.org
jgray@co.santa-barbara.ca.us
steve.lavagnino@countyofsb.org

ASP Power Rankings after the US Open

Dane on his way to first place at the 2012 Rincon Classic

The Surfline Pow3r Rankings is one of the few features I look forward to these days as far as conventional surf media goes, not to mention, considerably more entertaining than their C-St Surf Report has been this summer. I like the way they switch around writers a bit for different perspectives. I thought JOB did a good one, and like Kelly said, "he's a credible surfer, but distant enough from the tour"  That was before blocking him on twitter of course. And I can't speak for everyone else, but Louis Samuels unfiltered approach works for me. I'd like to see him back. Anyway JOB probably surfs better than me, and I'll give Louis the nod at Ocean Beach. But hey, I'm unfiltered, I'm unsponsored, and I'm unemployed. So as the elite field of thirty-six surfers hit the water in Tahiti, and I make my final picks for my Fantasy Surfer Team, I thought I'd  throw in my two cents. Here's the power rankings after the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, La Conchita Style.

Number One: John John Florence.

He wins at Pipe. He wins in Brazil. He wins at Margaret River. And he's a threat to win anywhere and everywhere in between. Huge hacks, incredible barrel riding skills, the full air program, speed, style, and flow. The Judges love him, and so do I. JJF is sitting comfortably at number one in the world rankings, which in my opinion makes him number one in the world. It's time to end this two tired ranking system before we end up with two world champions.  The elite events are great, higher prize money, more points, limited field, maybe too limited. But as far as crowning your world champion based on just the WCT events. I disagree. I say take your top eight events regardless whether it's a prime, 6 Star, or the Rincon Classic. Basically, anywhere in the world. Ok, back to John. He's doesn't claim a lot, he's down to earth, skates all the time, is sitting high on top of the money leader board.  Plus, if that's not enough, he rides Pyzels, charges huge Cloudbreak, and has a super hot mom.

Current WCT Ranking: 5th
World Ranking: 1st

Number Two: Kelly Slater

Ke12y?

Yep.. He's still that good. A win in Fiji, a controversial second place at Bells, a fifth at Snapper, and a third just a couple weeks ago in Huntington. A few of the young Brazilians seem unfazed by his super human powers, but he can take out just about anyone else out with a simple handshake before a heat. Ask Yades. The best competitive surfer ever hands down, and despite the incredible amount of new talent coming up, it's unlikely anyone else will ever even come close. Eleven World Titles and a definite threat to win Twelve.

Current WCT Ranking: 2nd (Tied with Parko)
World Ranking: 3rd

Number Three: Dane Reynolds

Don't blink or you'll miss his entire wave.

Dane picked up an equal fifth at the US Open. That's the best I've seen him do since he won the Rincon Classic over Bobby Martinez in February. That makes him number three in my first power ranking. Dane is unmatched in explosiveness period. He surfs on the edge of disaster with the unpredictability of a shark attack at Leadbetter Beach. With Shark like speed too. I predict he will win the next dozen Rincon Classics in a row. If the Tour ever switches to a jam style skate format, Dane would probably do pretty well but, trying to get two good waves when you surf at the speed of Dane. Well that's really a matter of luck. Bummer for the tour, bummer for the fans, but I'm stoked he lives around here, where I can occasionally spot him in some blurry photos of mine.

Current WCT Ranking: N/A
World Ranking: 57th

Number Four: Mick Fanning

This was a tough one. Mick is currently sitting at number one on the World Championship Tour but fifth on the world rankings. You see where I'm going with this? Medina, Slater, ADS, and John are all ahead of him. Still in Mick's defense he has only been concentrating on the WCT. Good thing too because he, along with fellow WCT Surfers Taj, Taylor Knox, and Ace Buchan, were all blown out in the first round by so called."Lesser Quality Surfers"at the US Open. That's where Bobby's argument doesn't hold water. These guys in the WCT live in a protected bubble of two man heats, and the priority system. Fact: The QS is tough. Fact: They are coming to get you. Still Mick rips. He is fast and fluid, and in my opinion deserved that controversial win at Bells over Slater. Mick surfed Bells like it should be surfed. Kelly pulled out a huge hail mary air that could have won in New York. In Huntington. In San Francisco, or just about anywhere. But a one maneuver wave regardless of how incredible and timely that one was. It just doesn't cut it at places like Bells, Jeffery's Bay, and especially that spot just north of here.

Current WCT Ranking: 1st
World Ranking: 5th

Number Five: Adriano De Souza

This was a tough call too. But this guy is a fierce competitor, surfs solidly, and is sitting number two in the world rankings. So I gave him the edge over Number Six... On the other hand, while I haven't met him, he seems like a bit of a jerk in the water, and is clearly the most despised surfer on the Fantasy Surfer Forums. Kelly seems to have a problem with him more often than not, but I remember Kelly being a bit of a hassler back in the day too. Well, its different in Brazil. That's a good argument, I guess. Just like those kids down at Zippers who kept dropping in on me. At first I took it personally but then I realized they were dropping in on each other too. Anyway. Okay, so it's not the gentleman's hour at Indicator. It's pro surfing.

Current WCT Ranking: 4th
Current World Ranking: 2nd

Number Six: Taj Burrow

Wouldn't mind surfing like this guy either.

At this point your'e probably wondering where Parko is? After all he is tied for second with Slater in the WCT race. But.. He is way down at number 10 in the world rankings, and he'll be lucky to make it that high on my list. Especially after that crab-stance comment back at Lower's last year. Hmmm.. Taj... I would like to surf like Taj. He surfs like his board is part of his body. One of the best ever but not likely to win the world title.

Current WCT Ranking: 5th (Tied with John)
Current World Ranking: 7th

Number Seven: Josh Kerr

What's not to like about Josh. He has the best post heat interview hats in the business, impressive at Chope's last year, and killing it everywhere else around the world. Third at Snapper, Fifth at Bells, Third in Rio, another Fifth at Margaret's, he's definitely "in form". Nothing worse than a 13th on the CT. Australian transplant living in So Cal, I like him. Ok. Come and surf Rincon anytime. Just not during the Gentleman's Hour.

Current WCT Ranking: 7th
World Ranking: 6th

Number Eight: Julian Wilson

Sorry no Jules.. Here's Sally

Jules was my favorite surfer as things winded down last year. Ton's of tricks, solid turns, and a great competitive drive. At one point I thought he as good as Dane but actually mangaged to stay on. That was before Dane started showing up in the cove last winter. Still I'm stoked for him to win the US Open a couple weeks ago taking down a red hot Miguel Pupo. That drop at he made at pipe last year was unmake-able, and he was one of the only pros to tow-in at macking Chopes. Too bad it won't be like that this year. First heats in the water as I write this. John John, Miguel, Pat G. Miguel is in the lead with twelve minutes to go.

Current WCT Ranking: 10th
World Ranking: 8th


Number Nine: Gabriel Medina

Gabe, Miguel, Gabe, Miguel, Gabe, Miguel. Wow another tough call. I like Miguel's style a bit better and he rides his dads boards, but Medina is tough to beat when he doesn't fall. Two WCT wins right out of the gate and well, he doesn't fall.  Picked up a second in Fiji, a win at the Nike Lowers Pro and an equal third at the US Open. Personally he needs I think he needs to mix it up a little or the judges are going to get bored. I'm bored. Maybe he makes it look too easy.

Current WCT Ranking: 13th
World Ranking: 4th

Number Ten: Jordy Smith

This is my last official call, and a real tough choice.  Miguel could have got it, Owen maybe, Joel, sorry nope. Jordy is a big guy and throws a lot of spray. He's also pretty impressive on point breaks. Looks like John John has this heat wrapped up as the Billabong Pro is well underway. No surprise on that. Yeah. Jordy's cool. Come on up.

Current WCT Ranking: 8th
World Ranking: 9th

Parko still might have a chance depending on the Parko Push. Otherwise, I can't see anyone outside of my top ten with a chance at the world title. Don't get me wrong. I think Parko surfs well, good style, but I'd still rather surf like Taj. Some of the my top ten may already be eliminated if you did the math, but I didn't.Ok, So here's some quick thoughts on the bottom two thirds.

Pat G.. Or one of his brothers..

WCT#2... Parko: Congrats on that Molokai to Oahu paddle.
WCT#9... Owen Wright: Last year was your best chance. Avatar.. More like Robotron.
WCT#11.. JFlo: Crazy Chopes heat last year. Like!
WCT#12.. CJ: Legend
WCT#14.. Heitor: Future World Title.. No chance.
WCT#15.. Ace: Nice guy. First round exit at the US Open.
WCT#15.. Tiago Pires: Like
WCT#17.. The Spartan: World Ranking #37 Needs a result!
WCT#18.. Miguel Pupo: Better than Gabrial Medina?
WCT#18.. Simpo: Solidly in the middle of the pack.
WCT#20.. Alejo Muniz: Best CT Result. Equal Fifth in Brazil
WCT#20.. Kai Otton:  Suprised me how hard he killed it in 2 foot Huntington Beach. On my team for Chopes. Like!
WCT#22.. Bede Durbidge: Um..World Ranking 48. Desperately in need of my idea of a bigger field for the elite dream tour events.
WCT#23.. Damo: Legend
WCT#24.. Travis Logie: Needs some results.
WCT#24.. FreddyP: Coming back strong. Like!
WCT#26.. Raoni Monteiro: Charged it at huge cloudbreak. Like!
WCT#26.. Adam Melling: World Ranking #40.
WCT#26.. Brother: Over-hyped? Over- Coached?
WCT#26.. Wilko: A cross between Dane, Juien, and Jeff Spicoli. Like!

Yades. Near Home.

WCT#26.. Yadin: World Ranking #52. Rincon Transplant. Like!
WCT#31.. Kieran Perrow: World Ranking #73. Na Na Na Nah...Hey Hey... GoodBye,
WCT#31.. Jadson Andre: World Ranking #80. Nice knowing you..
WCT#31.. Pat G: Best drop ever at Cloudbreak. Unless it was one of his brothers.
WCT#34.. Dusty Payne: Just finished last heat heat one.
WCT#34.. Taylor Knox: Legend
WCT#36.. William Cardoso: On the bubble.

Kelly.. Testing equipment like Kelly does.

How much would you pay to surf here?

Rincon Point, April 1, 2012

A dollar an hour, two dollars an hour? Three dollars a day, five dollars a day? Ten dollars a day? I would stop visiting. What? These are some pretty bad choices to say the least but unfortunately, they are the only ones offered on the Santa Barbara County Parks Beach Parking Fee Survey.  I lied and told them I would stop visiting, but where was the option for "None of the above." Or the, "I am opposed to the idea of any fees on land previously set aside for public use, especially when it was originally misappropriated from the Chumash in the first place." Okay, how about, "You've got to be f@#king kidding me!"

One of seven parks under fire.

Parking fees at the Queen of the Coast are not the only threat. What about Lookout Park in Summerland, Loon's, Hendry's, Goleta, Ocean, and Guadalupe Dunes. How much would you be willing to pay to park there? How much are you willing to pay to take your dog for a walk, dip your toes in the water, or just relax with a good book? How much would you pay to fish, take a romantic stroll, a jog, or obsessively hunt seaglass? How much would you pay to just stare at the sea and clear your head during your lunch break. If I had to suggest something, it might go like this. First 90 minutes free, after that, $1.00 per hour, $5.00 max.

That might work for a lot of people and it is pretty similar to the downtown parking arrangement, the city might even go for it. That might be enough for Bob and his big old Rottweiler Sissy who I see there every single day. It might be enough for that older couple that enjoy a cup of coffee nearly every morning on the bluff, before heading down the ramp for short walk on the beach. It might be enough James and his German Short Hair, Finley, and the countless other dog walkers, and beachcombers I see every day. It might even be enough for a quick surf. Two hours would be even better, but that would still not be long enough for me. Rincon feeds my soul, and I know I am not alone on that one.

Surfing for free. January 22, 2012

The good news is this. I did confirm that the Lower Lot is unaffected by Santa Barbara's inability to run their city. First off it's in Ventura, but the deciding factor is that lot is run by the state park system. Hey, it's not my preferred spot to park, but it soon will be if this ridiculous plan goes through. Unfortunately the state is in far worse shape than Santa Barbara, so it probably wouldn't be long before someone up at the state park commission says, "Hey, why aren't we charging for parking at Rincon? We do it at San O, Malibu, El Cap.." Suddenly it's $10.00 a day to park in the Cove. And please don't give me some story about how the county or the state is in such bad shape. I'm in bad shape. Half the people I know are in bad shape, financially speaking, anyway. Santa Barbara County had close to $800,000,000.00 in revenue last year. Yes, 800 Million! Certainly they can figure out a way to keep our parks open and free to the public, or at least have the guts to take it to a public vote.

Free Parking... For now.

Some people, notably the Planning Commission themselves, are already writing this off as a done deal. Sure, what do the restaurants at Hendry's and Goleta care? It's a not a problem for them. They'll be able to validate those parking stubs just like they do at Stearns Wharf. What does the planning commission care? Hey paying for parking is a Southern California Tradition. Ventura, Hueneme, Malibu, LA, Huntington, it's endless. UCSB!!! It's a outright crime to not have free public access to Campus Point. Okay thanks, at least I don't have to carry around a bag of quarters anymore, they take debit cards now. All of this should be enough to make your stomach turn. I'm sure, well I would hope, they'll have a annual pass for locals but those aren't cheap either. The Port Hueneme Annual Pass is $100 Dollars a year! The California State Park Pass is $125.

That still doesn't sit right with me. What about you? Now normally I tend to head off on a few different tangents on these blogs, but today I want to get straight to the point. It's not too late for your voice to be heard. There is another meeting coming up later this month. And even if you are like me and would rather be hit by a truck than speak in public, maybe you can just bring a sign, or show up for moral support. Let's keep surfing free in SB! Mark your calendars.

August 16, 2012 5:30PM

Santa Barbara Planning Commission Hearing Room 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

*Remote testimony is available in the Santa Maria Board of Supervisors Hearing Room

Shane Orr.. The Bounce. No parking allowed.

All of this comes on the heels of the losing 212 parking spaces along the highway here in La Conchita. Yes you heard me correctly. If you didn't know already, beach access here will soon be restricted to Mussel Shoals to the south, the new pedestrian tunnel in La Conchita, and the existing parking lots at Rincon Point. Any way you slice it, it's gonna be a mile walk if you want to surf the Bounce. At present I'm lucky enough to be living in LC. So other than losing that left hand turn into town, and the fact I have to drive an additional six miles every time I leave home, I'm pretty happy with the Cal Trans US 101 Carpool Lane Improvement Project.  I'm not ecstatic about six lanes of traffic, but yeah overall, I'm pretty happy. There's the brand new eight foot tall pedestrian tunnel to the beach. Ramps leading to the beach and up to a shiny new beachside class one bikeway. Yep, no more back breaking, head scraping trips through the four foot drainage tunnel thats served LC since 1955. And a protected bike path taking me pretty much the only place I need to go. It's like a dream come true.. If you live here. 

CHP has already issuing warnings.

Unfortunately for everyone else who enjoyed the free and easy access to over two miles of sloping, usually uncrowded beach, and the occasional surfable wave... I would say it's a pretty big loss. Some of the best times of my life were spent down at the north end of LC teaching my daughters to surf. I guess it's no surprise that Cal Trans can mow down Surfrider, the Coastal Commission, and anyone else who gets in the way of their dream of a super highway extending from Ventura to Goleta. Gosh. Even the fine folks of Monticito couldn't stop them.  At the very least they might have considered a second tunnel along with some additional parking at Tank Farm to access to the northern end of La Conchita. Maybe it's not too late to do something about that but for now, according to Claudia Gomez spokeperson for Cal Trans, "There are NO plans to replace the 212 spots lost in the $162,000,000.00 project. Yes.. Millions." 

No Parking! Bobby.. Somewhere along two miles of sloping beach,

   

Bonus Concert Review... Jack White

Jack White and the Peacocks
Wiltern Theatre,
Los Angeles, California, May 31, 2012

I'm not a professional reviewer but I was super-stoked to get an invite from my favorite ex-wife to see Jack White last night. So professional journalism be damned, I'm going to share it with you anyway just in case you want to fly to the next show in Berlin on June 26th.  It was a last minute deal that involved the trade of one Ben Harper ticket for one Jack White Ticket that landed me on the very top row of the infamous Wiltern Theatre. I reckon that is equivalent to being just behind the soundboard at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Any efforts to get closer were thwarted by staff, and the fact that it was indeed sold out! We did mange to grab a seat on some stairs in the lower mezzanine for about ten minutes, then back to the top.  Delicate,  ferocious, intense, powerful, complex, insane, loud, too much, are words that come to mind when describing the show. Yeah too much. Sometimes there was so much music coming at you from every possible direction it was just too much making me think, yep, I'm too old for this shit.

Jack White and the Peacocks tore through a selection of songs from all three of his previous bands, The Dead Weathers, White Stripes, and the Raconteurs, and gave us a heavy dose of the new solo album, Blunderbus. My personal favorite being "Take me With You When You Go" A very Zeppelinesque styled tune. Coincidently since I had been living in a cave previously, I didn't even know about Jack White till I saw "It Might Get Loud"  Jack, Jimmy Page, along with the Edge discussing the electric guitar. I was immediately pleased with his style and comparisons to the aformentioned Jimmy Page are not unjustified. Check it out on Netflix if you haven't seen it. Not sure why "the edge" was there though.. Just kidding.

$14.00 IPA.. I'l take two please.

His first solo tour features not one, but two different backing bands.  Los Buzzardos... and the all girl band, the Peacocks. I didn't see the Buzzardos who played the night before, but I don't think anybody could rock harder than the Peacocks. Carla Azar from LA was hitting the drums impossibly hard, and could easliy fill in for the late John Bonham any day of the week. Lille Mae Rische on the Fiddle, Maggie Bjorklund on the steel guitar, a very pregnant Bryn Davies playing her last show on the Upright Bass, Brooke Waggoner on the Keyboards, and Ruby Amanfu joining Jack on vocals. All I can say is the Buzzardos better bring it if they follow these girls. They rock!

Set List

“Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” (The White Stripes)
“Missing Pieces”
“Freedom at 21″
“Love Interruption”
“Top Yourself” (The Raconteurs)
“Hotel Yorba” (The White Stripes)
“Weep Themselves to Sleep”
“Hypocritical Kiss”
“I’m Slowly Turning Into You” (The White Stripes)
“Two Against One” (ROME)
“On and On and On”
“Blue Blood Blues” (The Dead Weather)
“Ball and Biscuit” (The White Stripes)

Encore
“Sixteen Saltines”
“Black Math” (The White Stripes)
“Steady, As She Goes” (The Raconteurs)
“I Guess I Should Go To Sleep” (with Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three)
“Take Me With You When You Go”
“Seven Nation Army” (The White Stripes)
“Goodnight, Irene” (Huddie Ledbetter cover)

Hard to believe they want to ban cell phone camera with shots like this.

May Day... The Big Five-O.. Help..

CalTrans is coming to town

So June starts much the same as May left off. Small mostly unsurfable waves lapping the shores of La Conchita Town. June gloom has a arrived right on schedule after an unusually sunny May. Sun, clouds, fog, rain, whatever,  I don't care. My eyes are straining to see waves at the spot just two miles north of here. They play tricks on me most every morning this time of year till finally... I break down and drive over for a closer look. It was worth a closer look on Wednesday. Yesterday umm..  Well my eyes got the better of me.  Did you say drive? What about the the ebike bike Don? Well.. Two reasons really. Reason number one. CalTrans has made a mess of things directly in front of town making for an even more dangerous trip north to Rincon. Reason number two. With the left turn lane permanently shut down, at least a portion of your trip back to involves a harrowing ride against traffic. Granted, it is probably not going matter whether you get hit head on,  or taken out at 65mph from behind, it's probably your amplitude and landing skills that are going to save you. Reason number three. My hip has been killing me. Okay make it three reasons then, and everyone needs to quit texting while they drive. You are insane! I have a lot to say about CalTrans, texting while driving, and the Association of Surfing Professionals, however I'm still waiting on Claudia from CalTrans to get back to me. Suffice to say, I am not amused.

Post One Star Session... Victory at Sea

Despite the dangers of biking on the freeway I was without the Syncro for a week or so earlier in the month... Yep again, don't ask..  So I had no choice but to get on the bike and peddle my ass into town for beer, wine, and a couple of days of mediocre surf. As mentioned in a prior blog, even with electric assist I have to peddle some sections, and that is just no good for this freaking hip.  So if you broke your hip twelve years ago, just turned fifty, and it feels like your body is absolutely falling apart, but you can't give it a rest, I have one word for you. Compression.   I'm  keeping it all together now with a pair CW-X Compression Shorts, and they work! Two thumbs up! Back to the surf. There hasn't been any. In fact since I began logging surf sessions in September, I have never seen anything as bad as this May. Yes, I am well aware I'm living in the shadow of the Channel Islands but it has been particularly bad for at least three weeks north and south of here. The beginning of May started off promising with 5 days of at least average, to above average surf, including one standout afternoon of Four Star surf the weekend of La Conchita's annual garage sale, and then arrgg..

5'11" Shrimp by John Perry

May 8th.. One Star, Two Star,  One Star, Two Star, One Star, Two Star, One Star, One Star, Two Star, right up till yesterday... One Star.. That's only 15 days total for May, and most of them in the pretty dam terrible or worse category. Throw in a couple of dry runs and I can tell you, a psychiatric break is not far off in my future. For those of you not familiar with my star rating system. One Star is Terrible. Two Star is pretty damn terrible, and it has to be fucking horrible for me to not paddle out. Three stars is average, not to mention pretty damn good at my home break where 150+ yard rides are the norm. Don't get me wrong, I would rather be in the water than out, but it's starting to wear on me. I did secretly score some chest high surf a couple of days ago.  2.5 Stars... Chest high, bumpy,  but some zippy sections and an oppurtunity to cut loose on the 5'11" Lazor Zap inspired Shrimp by master shaper John Perry. But my eyes got the better of me yesterday as I groveled in slow inconsistent waist high peelers. Seriously I really should took the Sup out yesterday, and Kalie, bring me my Yater Spoon!!! Nope, one star, and two star days are not going to cut it much longer.

 Mark Twain stayed here... Grass Valley

Luckily there have been a few distractions this month, like a fun little road trip with my good friend Kim up to Chico to see her son graduate. Santa Cruz... no waves there either. Then on up and over to Grass Valley before hitting Chico, home of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Definitely one of my "Go To" beers so I was a little bummed they were booked solid for lunch with everyone in town for graduation. Luckily it's on tap everywhere. The good stuff too, with names I've never heard of before, like "Writers Block" or my choice for the after graduation celebration, the "Best Bitter" Which the brewer describes as an English-style pale ale that tends to be far more malty than its American counterparts. I can say this. Taste a bit like a good IPA but with less alcohol volume. I didn't know that when I ordered it, so I had three.


Unfortunately I couldn't get through May without turning 50. Yep the big five-o. Time to reflect perhaps.. Maybe not.  The good, the bad, the ugly, I have seen it all. Yep, two divorces, currently single, basically unemployed, kids out of the house, two dogs, lots of old injuries rearing their ugly heads, and now this mid-life board crisis. I have been making the transition back to short boards lately. Not your traditional potato chip fashioned thrusters, but not big floaty fish either, think Cheyne Horan. And don't think I won't go out and buy a StarFin even though this very same thinking may have cost Cheyne the World Championship many times over. Still the transition, it's been a lot of fun, it'a been a lot of work, and every time I kick out,  I'm thinking...  I'm too old for this shit. The amount of energy expended ripping the hell out of one of those aforementioned one hundred and fifty yard waves, vs the cruising, sweeping turns, and casual trim stylings of the Vaquero has been an eye opener for sure. Still I've been on the hulls for 8 years now, probably longer, so perhaps it's time for a change before I really am... Too old for this shit. Plenty of time to cruise and trim later and I do have that unobstructed view of the Santa Barbara Channel which is.. well pretty good.

The Motel 6 in Lodi.. Not as good as it looks.

"Hey, do you surf, man? Are you a surfer?"

Plastic is not healthy for children and other living things. Photo: Chris Jordan

"Oh, no... Not me, I'm just a garbage man."  Certainly one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies of all time, Big Wednesday. So I think about Bear every time I pick up a new piece of trash and it makes me smile. Bear and I have a lot in common actually. We both drink too much, lost our shops, ex wives, etc, etc, etc... Only real difference, I am a surfer, man.. And it's getting harder, and harder to keep my head in the sand regarding all this plastic and crap washing up on the beach.  So I adopted a one mile stretch of beach that runs about the middle of LC about a mile north to the now nearly infamous surf spot I call "the curve". It's called something else now. But then I still call Pipes, Stables,  Leo Carrillo, Secos,  Zeros, Nicholas Canyon, No way man.. that's Point Zero!!! Maybe it's just Zero. Fact checking is not a huge part of my writing arsenal, I often find a vague recollection will do.. None of those spots are on my route anyway. What's your point Don, you want a sign or something?

A garbage collectors best friends

Not really, I just thought it might inspire some other obsessive compulsive eco-kook like myself to go on a mission to clean up his beach, lake, park, or yard. I'm no saint, in fact for at least 25 years I was flicking lit cigarettes out the window of my Landcruiser. Hundreds of them, probably more. My van isn't exactly green, but I did recently buy a new electric bike that gets 1200 miles to the gallon, and I've been trying hard to keep that van in the driveway. So I have come up with a comprehensive list of criteria that needs to be met before I hop in van and blast five miles into town. Topping that list is the "you better have more than one thing to do in town or you're not going clause"  ie.. No running into to town just buy a carton of eggs when your neighbor would probably be happy to give you a couple. Now a twelve pack of Sierra Nevada on the other hand, is a lot to ask, not to mention carry on your back.  Note to self... Buy a case next time. I don't want too be to preachy here. Just sayin'.. I'm changing my world, and you can't stop me. Personally I'm about as optimistic as Yvon Chouinard on the matter of saving the earth, but I'm out there walking my dogs anyway so why not. It was that very point that I took to heart when KS11 put it out there on twitter.

Happy Birthday!

Anyway.. I think the cigarette butt usually tops the list during California's Annual Coastal Clean Up. But it's the plastic bottle cap, usually from a single use plastic beverage container that tops the list on my stretch of beach. Followed closely by tiny bits of broken up plastic. Yes, styrofoam sucks, as does discarded fishing line. Ok. Environmentally speaking, all foam sucks, including the pieces of rotted out surfboards lost years ago that occasionally break free from that seawall just north of here. Balloons are disgusting after they've been floating down the trash superhighway. Can you think of another way to say Happy Birthday, or I love you? No not doves! If you are not aware of this my friends, there is a place in the middle of the the ocean the size of Texas no, the size of France, where chemical sludge, fishing nets, tires, just about anything and everything that floats, even those seemingly harmless Rubber Ducks you have floating in your bath tub. To be sure there are more than a few broken surfboards in the mix, along with some of my other favorite petroleum based products like, wetsuits, sunglasses, wax, and my Mick Fanning signature Reef sandals with bottle opener on the bottom, and the plastic bags. Actually I think wax sinks. Yes, I have a vague recollection of watching my wax slowly disappear into the deep, and slipping all over my board the rest of the day, but the plastic bags, please...

Today's Haul

Fucking A.. Using two fucking plastic bags to carry a big bottle of laundry detergent that already has a built in handle is pure insanity, isn't it? Yhink about it. It's actually harder to carry that way. Ever have your wine drop out the bottom of one of those things. The bags are virtually useless, especially when you consider that almost everything thing we buy usually comes pre-packaged in plastic, or with a built in handle. I am proud to be part of a town that just adopted Ordinance No. 655. That being, Carpinteria's Plastic Ban Ordinance, passed only two weeks ago.  Now ask yourself, did we really have to make it a law to do the right thing?  I guess we did. The fines are $100, $200, $500, for consectutive offenses of passing a single plastic bag. But your town doesn't have to wait, Carpinteria Albertson's has been voluntarily bag-less for almost a year now and it works. Do you really want to wait for your city council to tell you what to do? SB? Ventura? California? World? 

I think we have a problem here.

There are scientists out there being paid good money to pick up trash, sort it out, and catalog it on beautiful remote south pacific islands. So maybe I'm an idiot to be doing it for free in LC, but I'm not the only one. The awesome ladies of La Conchita, which include the first woman to ever grace the cover of surfer magazine sweep through town every Monday, and have treats for your dog too!  Still, I realize that not all of you have dogs that wake you up at 6:45am sharp with their leash in their mouth ready to hit the beach. So being a garbage man is probably not an option for everyone. However, I just read about another idea called the "Save 10 Movement" Just try to save 10 pieces of trash from going in the water anytime your at the beach. I know what your thinking. You're going to put me out of a job. Don't even worry about it. I'm having no trouble filling a medium sized trash bag once a week, and sadly, I can't keep up with it. After the gale force winds we had over the weekend, a crap load of foam from a obviously destroyed boat came floating in. You know the kind of foam they inject into the bulkhead, and everywhere else to keep it afloat. Well it didn't work. I did a search to see if any small craft went missing that weekend, but really there's no telling where this came from. It could have come from anywhere, but it is very interesting how the trash flotilla basically stays together. The porta-potty,oil cans, krazy glue, pens, pencils, oven cleaner, gas cans, anything that didn't sink to the bottom washed up right here.  Pick 5, Pick 2, Pick 1, or just pick up after yourself.  At this point I'm probably preaching to the choir now anyway, but if even one person reads this and makes a change.. Then well, that's pretty cool, so thanks! 

Free Beer!

Yep... There is an unlimited amount of crap washing up on are shorelines every day, but believe it or not there are still people leaving their own trash behind on a daily basis. Fishermen top my list at the moment, followed closely by partiers who are simply unwilling, or afraid to pack up their empty beer cans. Sure they occasionally leave a full one for me, but where the hell have these people been living the past ten years. This is the new millennium, the environmental revolution, reduce, reuse, recycle,  elf, Jack Johnson. Remember the Indian with a tears running down his face. That was back in the seventies! You're telling me in the year two thousand and twelve, people actually think it's perfectly fine to leave their trash behind wherever they want? Whatever... Ok I'll pick it up for you, no worries. Sadly I'm sure the partiers and beach goers will eclipse anything the fishermen are doing as soon as we hit summer, but thats another story. "That's the lemon next to the pie"

Life in the Bike Lane.. Prodeco Technologies G Storm eBike Review...

 What you can't see.. wont hurt you....

The bike lane to which I'm referring, might be 6' wide in some places, but it feels like 4' at the best. Going northbound, semi-trucks pass within a couple feet trying to suck you into their lane, to the right a bumpy dirt shoulder and ravine. So it's pretty important to stay in the bike lane. Of course the bike lane disappears altogether in a few spots so watch out for that. Heading south, at least in front of La Conchita town, it almost feels safe due to that extra lane for parking* Going south I pretty much ride in the parking lane even though it's a little bumpy. Once you hit Mussel Shoals it's back to the narrow little path known as the Pacific Coast Bike Route. Here your only chance for survival would be a clean hit that might send you over the 20 foot rock embankment and into the deep blue pacific. I just hope it's not low tide. Seriously it's a beautiful ride, but frightening at the same time. I wouldn't gaze around too much unless you come to a complete stop. There's cracks, potholes, tire shards, drainage grates, glass, just be careful!

Syncro... Happier days..

The Pacific Coast Bike Route actually begins at the California/Oregon Boarder on Highway 101 and meanders peacefully along, down towards Humboldt County and the Redwoods. Sounds great and might make a good trip some day in the future but for now, the Pacific Coast Bike Route means a run from La Conchita to Rincon on a stretch of the 101 that most people consider to be the Ventura Freeway. Up till last summer my familiarity with the bike route was limited to watching the bikers ride by from the safety of my porch, and making sure I didn't hit any of them on the way into Carp. All that changed during last summers huge Teahpoo Swell... Caught without my van (New Rear CV Joints) I was forced onto the highway, board in my arm, heading north to a spot located down some stairs and to the left. It was a pretty huge swell making it into pretty much every nook and cranny of the coast. I probably hit it up a couple of times by bike before getting the Syncro back.

Fun and adventure in a box!

It was a pretty slow and somewhat brutal ride on the rusty single speed Schwinn cruiser, and I don't recommended trying to negotiate this stretch of highway one handed, while hanging onto a surfboard. But there were some pretty good waves, and it was nice to know I wasn't completely stranded here in LC. Still.. I was stoked to get the van back a couple days later, and I didn't give the Pacific Coast Bike Route another thought till the Syncro suffered a catastrophic engine failure at the end of last year. You can dig back a ways in this very blog to hear my praises for the Subaru 2.2 / EJ22 Engine conversion. Let's just say, I haven't been singing about it the last two months. In fact, I really don't discuss the engine failure, and subsequent search for a replacement, and two month long process at all.

But I will sing you the praises for my new Prodeco G Storm, 24 Volt, 250 Watt, Electric Bicycle. Not having your van for a couple days in the middle of summer is one thing, but losing it mid-winter when Rincon was about to light up is a whole different story. Problem number one. The rusty 'ol cruiser was out of commission due to chain rusting all the way though and breaking. That stuff happens here in a place where bananas grow like weeds, and long low tide beach rides through the salt water all the way to Linden Avenue are possible.  That left me with two choices, walking, or riding the classic late 80's Cannondale mountain bike I've owned for 25 years. Well  it's not rusty, but it is incredibly uncomfortable, in fact the last time I rode it gave me back spasms for days. The good news was that other right hand point, just south of La Conchita, was working quite nicely during a few of those January swells... Easy walking distance.

Prodeco G Storm

Eventually though I had to get back to my favorite spot, um, just north of here. Yep. So using the dangerous one arm carrying the board, the other hand on the bars approach I learned over the summer, I crossed the railroad tracks and bravely merged on to the Pacific Coast Bike Route, aka Highway 101. Even with gears the Cannondale proved to be far worse than the rusty beach cruiser. The uncomfortable seat, the low handle bars, high center of gravity was sketchy at best, but at least that working brake was on my right hand. Anyway through a combination of biking, walking, and getting a lot of rides from my favorite neighbors Dawn, and Kirk, I didn't miss a single day of surf due to being without a vehicle. I was starting to think hey this is pretty cool not having a car. Enviormentally sound, and saving money too. I would get an occasional ride to town from my kids, or my mom, stock up on food, beer, wine, charcoal, etc...  I even had my friend Kim bring me down a crapload of firewood from the Goodland so I was set. Where did I have to go anyway? Nowhere. Nowhere fast. Well I did have to surf, and that was about five mile round trip and my ass was killing me on the Cannondale. Not to mention the ride home after a three hour session. That's when I started thinking electric bike.

These days when I start thinking about buying something expensive, it's a painful, mentally exhausting trip through the web searching for honest reviews, best prices, and hopefully, eventually, coming to the right decision. Honestly I wish I had a car to get out there and test some of the bikes I had looked into, but I didn't.. Haha. Besides that the e-bike field is complex, and fast changing, and mostly very expensive. I would say 2k is more like the average for something decent. There was a Prodeco Dealer in Santa Barbara but he was out of stock so I didn't feel too bad when I pulled the trigger and bought it direct from Prodeco Technologies. Everyone seemed to be waiting on the new 2012 Phantom Model with 500 Watts of power but that would have end up running another $400-$500. Not to mention no one could accurately say when they would be able to get me one. So I opted for the 2011 G-Storm with 250 Watt Motor. Total cost. $900.00 delivered to my door with free shipping.

250 Watt Hub.. Is that enough?

First off, I did do a lot of research, and the main consensus on the Prodeco bikes was very high quality, assembled in the US, and not in stock! Here is a link if you want exact details on specs and components. For the purpose of my review I'll stick to why it works for me.  I haven't really been involved in bikes since the aforementioned late eighties Cannondale,  so I don't know much about the latest components anyway. However what I do know is I was immediatly pleased upon opening the box. This bike does not disappoint, sealed cartridge bearings (think rusty crusier), disc brakes (it needs them), quick disconnect motor (for changing flats), and a pretty damn comfy seat (a must) Still the most important considerations for me were, price, weight, and compatibility, with the Carver Surf Rack, a company out of Hawaii. The G Storm well, it also looks pretty sleek, folds in half, and is ready to ride almost immediately out of the box.

The weight was a big issue for me and while it is not really that light at 46lbs, it is light enough for me to wrangle down the rocks to the beach, enabling me to access the complex tunnel system here in La Conchita. This tunnel system is extremely important if there is too much traffic, and is in fact, the only way to access town if you can't cross the highway safely. I couldn't imagine trying to haul one of those sleek eBikes that look like scooters down those rocks. Compatibility with the Carver Surf Rack was huge, and by the way those racks are hands down the best available period. Freeway tested! The racks are lightweight, low profile, and easy to remove if you need to. Way better than the old upright style that stick up out the back and flop around in the wind. Believe me I was tired of boards flopping around on Highway 101. I didn't think much about the folding aspect but have already used it a few times. It rules. I also like the LI ION LifePo4 Battery which is good for about 2000 charges vs only 500 for the stander Lithium Type. The two year warranty is not bad either.

Maiden Voyage.. Butterfly Beach.

They say the range is 15 to 25 miles on a charge but that figure definitely varies depending on use. I'm not sure it would last 15 miles without peddle assist, but trust me, the peddling is a piece-o-cake. My first test ride was going to be La Conchita to Santa Barbara for a special showing of Minds in the Water at the Film Festival. I had no idea if the bike, or myself would make it, but my friend, aka ex-wife had promised me a ride back, a free ticket, and I really wanted to see this movie. So that was it. I filled the water bottle and took off at 9:15am arriving at Butterfly Beach in under forty-five minutes, averaging about 15 MPH. Pretty stoked. 15 MPH might not seem that fast, it might not even be an accurate figure sense I have nothing to track it, but I can assure you it goes way faster than I'm used to going, and fast enough to make some serious road bikers wonder what you're doing behind them. I continued on to Surf 'n Wear's Beach House to check availability on the Carver surf rack I wanted, and stoked.. They had it, with discount too. Thanks Jeremy. Overall I went about 20 miles that day, still had plenty of juice left in the battery, and hadn't even broken a sweat.

Shut up. Hows it ride? Well.. I would describe it being similar to a Prius. The electricity gets you going then the motor kicks in. You being the the motor. It takes off effortlessly and gets up to top speed quickly, you can't help but peddle along. In town, parking lots etc, I just sort of putt around in e-mode, or a combination of the two, but once you're moving at top speed it's easy to contribute your own power.  It's pretty much like coasting. No sweat. Literally. I even beat my ex-wife to the theater. When she did get there, I folded it up, and fit it nicely into her bio-diesel powered Jetta wagon. Yep, I have come along way since flicking cigarettes out of my Toyota Landcrusier environmentally speaking. Hows it working for surfing? Like I said the rack works perfectly and allows for fin first placement so I don't look like a kook. It's pretty funny to get behind these serious road bikers and actually keep up with them just cruising along in a comfortable upright position, surfboard, backpack, just flying down the rode, fin first, and getting 1200 miles to the gallon.

Keep it green. You'll go farther.

Other notes: The handlebar throttle gage is supposed to show how much charge is left on the battery. Actually what it does is more important. It shows  how much drain you are putting on the battery. i.e. Go full throttle with no peddling even on a full charge and you'll see it drop into the red. But if you put even the slightest effort into peddling you'll will save a lot of drain on the battery. I found the gearing to be just about perfect for the 250 Watt Motor, with the motor topping out and leaving some extra room for speed by peddling harder. Any hills I have hit have been a breeze as well by just shifting down accordingly.  Out of the box I found the Disc Brakes needing a minor adjustment which was easy to do myself. Also the derailer was out alignment by one gear, missing the lowest possible gear. I found this was easy to fuck up on my own and I am now out of alignment on two gears instead of just one, and planning to see bike mechanic soon. Still like I said. It rides like a Prius. Lots of torque off the line and I have never used those two gears even on the steepest of hills.

Warranty...  I went on a strictly pleasure ride south to Ventura a few days ago and hit an especially bumpy, potholed, stretch of the Pacific Coast Bike Route when sudden the battery broke loose at full speed. I thought, oh shit. (the bike is heavy, and while you could make it anywhere under human power, the motor make its easy) So shit, I heard the battery bouncing along the pavement behind me, and didn't know what to expect as far as damage. Turned out the male connection to the battery cracked. Thankfully it fit back into place and I rode home, and have continued to ride it while waiting on the replacement part. So all good.. I would say very satisfied.

Two year warranty.. Yeah!

What to expect... A comfortable bike, that with a little peddling, and no sweat, will have you and a surfboard, moving along at road bike speed in a hurry. Quality components, functional features, and two year warranty.  What not to expect.. Sitting back on the throttle and blazing along at 20MPH (eBike speed limit) without peddling. Blazing up hills at 20MPH even if you do peddle. What I think.. In my limited knowedge I think this is the best of both worlds. If you want a bit of a work out you can get it. If not, lazily peddling along with the electric assist will get you where you want to go without worry. What to watch out for when converting from a driver to a biker. Drivers!!! Plus, try not to forget everything like me.  So far I have forgotten my wallet twice in route to town, and yesterday, jeez. I was all the way to Rincon before I realized I didn't have my wetsuit. After riding back I thought briefly about hopping in the van. (Yes, after two full months without a vehicle I got it back last Thursday) Then thought the better of it. After a surf, I came home and realized I missed the postman and had to ride into town to get my mortgage in the mail on time. I put some serious consideration into driving the van,  but hit the El Camino Real for the third time that day. . ** I'm going to have to talk about the parking/bike path situation another day but let's just say I'm in favor of the new bike lane.

Don't let transportation get in the way of your destination.