Summer Reverie

When it gets excessively "wintery" like its been lately, my mental trick is to think of a warm time and place.  I was vacationless in 2010, so let me share a local story instead.  Last year, after Joel found out he was ill, we wanted to take the opportunity to hang out as much as possible and do a weekly NCKA triathlon involving kayaking, BS’ing, and chow.  Since the working stiffs needed to reserve precious weekends for family time, we settled on Wednesdays for our midweek rendezvous, with Mooch exercising diner’s choice.

We started at Jack’s Prime Burger & Steaks in San Mateo, where Papa Bill treated us to a some phat burgers.

Next, we wanted Santa Ramen, but it was closed.  We hit Hokkaido, where I destroyed a dress shirt by biting into a shrimp head and having its intestines squirt all over my chest, like a ketchup packet.  After dinner, Joel showed me the Redwood Shores Lagoon.  With moonbeams shimmering across the rippled surface, I knew I had to swim there sometime.  Joel swore up and down that it was clean (more on this later!!), that I wouldn’t get arrested for swimming there, and that there was a population of ornery starry flounder that could bloody a finger if they got a hold.

Since I was in a training cycle, the following week Mooch agreed to escort me on a swim at RWS Lagoon and we would grab chow afterward.  Agarcia joined us with his daughter, two yaks, and a SUP.  I was a little under the weather, but Arty wasn’t having it and cursed me for swimming like a beotch, which turned out to be good motivation to hurry and finish my mile and change so we could get our grub on.  Amici’s pasta to wash down all the bay water LOL.

RWS Lagoon after work.



Art starting tentatively



Joel warming up on his knees.



Humorous critique and pointers from Art’s daughter and Mooch



A disapproving glance and more snickering.   



Joining him and showing how its done



We next did a wild night of pizza for Pacifico’s bday.  That was fun, except Mooch hated the place, since he’s HAC.  So we next attempted Santa Ramen again.  Their line was out the door so we aborted that effort and carpooled to San Mateo for pho.  Numba waaan extra laaaaaaaaage.     Afterward, we went over the top asian with Boba drinks next door LOL. 

Boba.



Worthless calories LOL.



Night's highpoint was the return trip.  ChuckE was headed back to the East Bay, so I volunteered to drive Eric B, Pacifico, Mooch, and Agarcia back to Santa Ramen where their cars were parked at the initial rally point.  My little Audi burst at its joints, straining under the crushing weight of my four additional passengers.  Special condolences went out to Pacifico who, according to Art, was relegated to the “cupcake” position.   

The nights stayed warm, but the days shortened.  The end of summer was fast approaching.  Everyone felt the urge to partake of one last open air cookout.  After Pacifico challenged Art's "brown" pride, Art relented to my requests and agreed to throw down some carne asada at Marlin Park in RWS Lagoon.     It should have been my last swim at RWS for the season.  A little after 7 pm, I arrived at the park, greeted Mooch, Fuzz, spinal tap, Eric B, Alshobieoutback, and the rest of the boys.  They told me Art was already OTW.  I suited up, intent on catching up to him. 

As I adjusted my goggles and waded into the water, some lady repeatedly SCREAMED from across the lagoon, “GET OUTTA THE WATER GET OUTTA WATER.  THERES A SEWAGE SPILL!!!”  I thought she was kidding, and Mooch was like “screw her, she’s just hatin’ on you”.  I figured if there really WAS a spill, Public Health/Safety would have put some signs up or something.  Besides, I’ve swam in frog water before in some gnarly places.  Ultimately I chickened out b/c I was at least two hours from a shower and didn’t want to risk it.  I changed outta my swimgear just in time to see two dudes in County-issued coveralls install four “BEACH CLOSED” signs, warning of the sewage spill!!   Shortly thereafter, Art beached his paddleboard, to equal rounds of applause and disgust.        He then cooked up some tasty vittels, much to our delight.  After a thorough handwashing of course.  We chatted the night away and swore that, if Joel were to get sick in his immunosuppressed state, we would overthrow the government and make em pay for the tardy sewage warning.

 

The following weds, a single engine plane crashed into RWS Lagoon.  http://lsnlw.com/t/3947742534/   Two catastrophes on consecutive Wednesdays was enough indication for everyone to conclude that the universe was telling us to pull the plug on our midweek gigs.

In all, we only met a handful of times on those all too brief summer nights.  But boy, what crazy fun.  It had all the NCKA elements: friends, food, $hit-talking, and actual $hit.  As I look out on the snow-capped mountains, I am really looking forward to summer 2011 (minus the sewage spills and plane crashes of course).

miss those warm summer days / nights

Nice read Martin!  Glad you didn't swim amongst the floaters.

Thanks for bringing back some summer vibe, Martin! Great idea to do a mid-week gig, glad there weren't any ramifications from and you didn't get in the "log water" for a swim....

nice recap of a great summer for you guys

’"Afterward, we went over the top asian with Boba drinks next door LOL." 

Great write up. I had all but forgotten about the phenomenon we call "summer". Good job bringing the memory back! Sounds like great times and great people. Thank goodness you avoided a collision with a turd! Dude, going "over the top Asian" with boba literally made me laugh out loud! Too funny! Can't wait to meet you. Your one of the people who consistently keep me laughing here on NCKA.

Cool mini-memoir. Now go make some new memories! 
If u need help in that dept., my trial should be done by 3/11- i should be free after that.

Peace, y'all

Good stuff Martin, thanks for sharing it!

now I've seen it all......a clown on a stand up paddle board 

Martins account is fairly accurate but I'd like to add a few details:

*I'm thoroughly pissed about being photographed without my red wig on 

*Its nice to see all the thoughtful remarks adressed to Martin about not taking the swim in the poo lagoon....I actually swam in that   sh*t....literally . The best part is that before blocking off all the public access points the city trucks went door to door to warn the residents of the spill.   I paddled by several docks with people on them who didn't say anything about the spill Right as I'm reaching the midpoint of my trip a guy came out and told me about it.....but didn't offer to let me get out of the water on his dock, he directed me down the canal to the park where I originally launched 

Of possible interest to some of you....the baitfish were going crazy feeding, all the surface dimples, you woulda though it was raining.

*Mooch's doc informs him that the chemo has surpressed his immune system and disastrous effects may take place if exposed to germs....the first thing he does is run out and SUP the poo lagoon.  Safety Third baby.....safety third. 

*I did not wash my hands before barbecuing....if I'm going down I'm taking the ship with me 

*Someone invited a random chick they met on craigslist to our barbecue.  As we were eating with our hands straight off the grill and shoveling hot grilled steak and chicken into our mouths someone was thoughtful enough to offer her some but she declined.....vegan hippie chick....we continued to eat and talk with our mouths full.  As mooch was talking to her a small piece of meat flew from his mouth and landed on her leg, he reached down...grabbed the morsel from her thigh and proceeded to put it back in his mouth and chew......STUD MOVE fellas, that is exactly why his man van is always rockin. 

*The Santa Ramen blond japanese super hottie has eluded me again, I'm starting to think that she's a myth conjured up in the minds of regular patrons.   

*I like low key eateries, dim lighting, mis-matching decor, back alley entrances, using the same grease they've been frying food in for the past 20 years.....the peninsula boys however are a bit more refined so I was not surprised when Angle invited us out for pizza at a fine hand tossed pizzeria for his birthday....it sucked....but the highlight of the evening was meeting Angle's mid-east contact, who has contacts, that have contacts that can get you anything.... from anywhere in the world......anytime.  Brief background.  There was a point in time when I lusted after a very powerful, very expensive item that I could not afford.  I confided in Angle, telling him of my desire for said item.....he briefly checked over his shoulders to make sure nobdy was listening in and utters the words, "I know a guy.".....and I was promised delivery of the item within the month.  After a month had passed there was some difficulty in getting the item and in a brief moment of weakness I actually doubted the alleged power of Angle's contact and even questioned whether or not he too, much like santa ramen hottie, was a myth.  I was dead wrong in figuring so, a short time later Angle delivered the goods in an unmarked brown bag and collected my cash, a paltry quarter of the market rate.   In addition, he delivered a message......Don't ever f*****g doubt the power of .....ZUBIN   .....he does exist and has the hook-up.



*Fuzz held an impromptu spear band tying session from the trunk of his car at the pho-king noodle house parking lot when they kicked us.  I'm sure we looked a little suspect as mooch was running around with dark clothes, a beanie, and a big unmarked van......while pointing his speargun at people.     

*Bonus trivia question.....how many PM's does it take for half dozen of us to arrange a grub session at the same place and time as the week before?

*Bonus trivia question.....how many PM's does it take for half dozen of us to arrange a grub session at the same place and time as the week before?

About 40?


LMFAO, hilarious! Sorry about the poo paddle swim session tho . .

...in the good ol'summer time!!   classic! 

Stand Up Pooboarding champion

"Why I love NCKA"

There are so many freaks like me here, its f'n family

Swim in that Poo Lagoon!!

...as we parted ways that night, Art drove off on his monster truck while playing this on his new Alpine car stereo. (which he picked out from the bargain bin at the Good Guys - unfortunately only one speaker was in working order)