Recent Thoughts from The West

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1. Ed Cornell still knows how to pick them.  This year I tried but just couldn't get into the twitter thing. I think my official count is up to three tweets.  Just didn't take.  Sorry Jack.

2. Aunt Ghonda knows sweaters!

3. Next to the new little Surfy Surfy is a new little coffee shop that I forget the name of.  Regardless, it is my new favorite coffee in the area.  And if you take your receipt over to the surf shop they'll give you ten percent off.

4.  Encinitas Surfboards have a fine selection of swim fins. Just remember to drop off a banana for the crew.

5. The happy hour at Fish 101 now joins Cessi's, El Nopalito, In 'n Out and Tip Top as a necessary North County meal stop off.

6. Life's Rad in Carlsbad.

7. Just when the dark, cold and lonely heart of beat-down Los Angeles was starting to crawl into my chest, I caught a whiff of something eerily familiar and my soul was duly saved.

8. The Ocean, my new favorite surf publication.

9. If you're in LA right now and you are looking for something to reconnect you to the recently anesthetized bit of your thinking brain,  walk, stop for a quick stretch, then run, then walk again at a brisk pace to LACMA to see the Kienholz installation.  It will give you nightmares but will remind you of many things perhaps you ought to be reminded of.  At least it did me.

10. "Papa, why do we always have to watch the sunset?"   "Because boy, just because."

11. You know technology is going in the right direction when the very first conversations on your brand new digital device center around hooking up a friend back in New York with another friend back in New York to buy/sell a Vaquero on the very quick.  Mission accomplished.