I'd rather be surfing...

..but I am here at work configuring a system (well thats what I am supposed to be doing). Looks like a winter day at Cowells with a soft offshore windchop.

The Quadruped Clause

This morning I saw an ugly, nasty spider climbing the wall. In the Leigh Miller household there states the unwritten Quadruped Clause: Anything that has more than 4 legs and in my environment must be destroyed! Needless to say the spider was executed by bio-toxic spray. Sorry to all the spider lovers of world, but I just can't have something with 8 legs and 8 eyes wandering about my dwelling.

In the picture is my dog, Ace. He is a full breed American Pitbull Terrier and is one of the most intelligent creatures I have had the pleasure of owning (although he is so stubborn sometimes!). Best friend to me, my family, and is such a gentleman with other dogs, cats, and little kids. He has been raised around my 7 yr old niece, Analyn the Animal Oppressor (she's great with animals, but man is she bossy), so he is used to being told what to do. I love this breed and shame on those who give it a bad a reputation!

It's No Wonder!

It's about time! I loved Wonder Woman as a kid and even had a lunchbox sporting the feisty Amazonian. A few years back, I was cleaning out my new desk at work and was stoked to find a Wonder Woman Pez dispenser, which I still proudly own today.

The details about the 2007 Movie Release are pretty vague and the casting is still to be decided. That's most likely why the promo poster is so mysterious. I heard the names Sandra Bullock and Mischa Barton (The O.C.) as possibilities. You absolutely need someone who looks like they can seriously kick your ass.

I wonder if anyone considered Eva Mendez for that role. She's incredibly gorgeous and sexy, yet serious and tough. However, we have yet to see her carry a movie as the star. Also, people tend to think of Wonder Woman as the all American, Caucasian, black hair, blue eyed woman. God forbid she be a latina (even though Eva was born in Houston, TX). Perhaps we should reconsider what an American is?

Movin' On Up

Moving blows! Going back and forth, carrying heavy items to and fro...its exhausting. Here's lowdown: I was going to move into a house this past month but I had backed out due to the fact I didn't think I was making a good investment. Also the way the situation was being handled was very poor, so that's that. I decided to hold off for one more year and we will see whats going on when the time comes.

Now, I have upgraded my 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom apartment and am totally pimpin' my digs! However, it still does not change the fact that I have to move all my stuff from one place to another even though I am still in the same complex. I have included a picture of my surfboards...my quiver consists of 5 boards as you can see and it was quite a workout moving those pieces alone (did I mention I was moving from a bottom floor to the 2nd floor?). I'll be glad Tuesday when the movers come and get the big, heavy stuff - I just don't trust anyone with the boards.

My quiver(L-R): Local Motion 6'6" Shortboard 1980's, 7'4" Dave Collier Thruster 1986, 9'2" Mystic Longboard 2004, 9'0" Bob Miller Winged Swallow Tail 2004, 8'9" Steve Colletta Natural Curves Stinger 1979(?)

And the two snowboards: 42cm Simms w/ K2 Klicker Bindings, 42cm Burton

Saturday's Surf Session

I didn't hit my face this time and managed to get some fun waves. The picture shown is of Cowell's Beach where I like to surf on a very low tide and a good swell - it doesn't look like that often, but I have had a lot of fun sessions there. Sometimes in the winter it can get downright scary!

When I am sitting on my board looking onshore at the landscape, I can't help but feel like I am living the California dream. The Boardwalk is to the right, dressed in palm trees and sunshine. You can hear the people shrieking with delight on the rollercoasters. If you go in the morning, you are sitting in the water with fog surrounding you like blanket, and the sound of the foghorn from the lighthouse making it be known land is near.

People complain that Cowell's is crowded and full of "kooks"and beginners. Well... it is. We all started somewhere and you cannot condemn people for wanting to learn how to surf. Let's face it, surfing is fucking fun. But back to Cowell's...every time I paddle out there I see the locals and the regulars. I have met a few new friends from that break and love the sense of community. Even for the people I don't know but see all the time, they are also part of that atmosphere. I can easily see my surf buddy Alison coming down the stairs with her big blue surfboard we lovingly call "The Tank". There are days when its such a long ride - all the way from the end of the Indicators to the beach. When I was surfing in Florida I found myself missing that environment and just those little things. I wonder if every surfer experiences the same sentiments about their home break. I am sure they do.

Friday Surf Session

So I got hit in the face by my 9'2" longboard. I was attempting to noseride and felt I was in the right position, but to the contrary. How humbling an experience this has been, obssessively learning to cross-step to the nose. I had negelected my learned skills in turning and dropping into steeper waves to catching smaller, more consistant and frequent waves so I can get more tip time. I have gotten as far as hanging 5, but 10 is the magic number for the magic carpet ride.

Alison and I went to 38th today to catch a few and as she paddled out to the bigger sets I stayed in the insides to re-learn my turns (I did paddle farther out, but got surprised as I took a wave that was steeper than what I had been used to in the last 3 months). The session ended pretty much after I took a hit to my brow and when Alison paddled back in after seeing a "shark-like" fish. The picture above is very flat, mellow day at 38th.

I think all the noseriding practice is worth it, especially if you can look like Alex Knost in the top picture. How bad-ass would I be if I could do that? I would be a damn rockstar!!! I swear here and now that by next summer I will hang all 10 of my toes of my surfboard!

The Questions

Ever wonder why things are they way they are? Well I do! So, for the sake of all, I have created this open forum to house the mad ideas that run rampant in my head, begging for released. I also welcome new ideas and insight.