the bridge

How many of you are from long island? If you are you have probably driven over the bridge on the way to the beach hundreds of times. This summer I plan to skate down it with my friend Den. This is something we have been talking about for a long time and a few days ago we decided its something we need to do. It’s a right of passage that separates the boys form the men. He is in Germany now and will be for until half way through the summer but when he gets back its game time

hangin out

Thanksgiving break is my least favorite break of the school year. On a regular weekend break you go home and know its going to be quick and a week is plenty of time but the 5 day break is just enough time to get back into a regular routine and then have to leave the next day. This break really got me pumped for the Christmas break though I love being at school but I could really use the month off. I have a feeling finals are going to be rough this semester. I think this semester I have had more work then the first to I feel like I have been going nonstop since day one and I really can not wait to relax for a month esp. since I had suck a heatic summer this month break is going to be great no school work and I don’t think im going to work at all I have a decent amount of money saved from over the summer and I think it would b awesome to have a month off. I figure im running out of chances like this. If been thinking about growing up a lot lately and have come to the conclusion that being grown up isnet half as fun as growing up. So im going to take this break to just hang out and enjoy it

football with the friends

For the past few years a bunch of my friends and I have been playing a different group in tackle football a few times a year. This battle has become just as classic as it could be. Its almost like watching the movie sandlot. The tradition actually started 4 years ago. Since then everyone has gone off to college some farther then others one of us has become engaged, one even has a baby, one of us is in Germany studying a year abroad and was unable to play in the legendry thanksgiving football game. It is easy to see that these football games are very important to everyone that plays its something to look fowad to while away at school. of cores during the game everyone’s completive side comes out that what happens when 22 18-23 year old guys play sports. but looking back it’s almost not about winning its about keeping the tradition alive. Going away to school I have come to realize that I have some of the best friends in the world we could have fun doing anything and this football game is just an example of that so the next time its 2 in the morning and you best friend asks you for a favor just do it and think how luckey you are to have that friends …. I don’t know how this got so sentimental I swear I was just gunna write about the game o well maybe next time.

drink for thought

Do you drink bottled water? I think that it is safe to say that most people do. Do you ever think about where that water comes form? When I drink polan spring I just think “what it means to be from Maine” and feel better about myself. It is pretty much the same feeling with any other bottle water I drink. However it shouldn’t be. Recently Pepsi released a statement that explained that there bottled water aqufina is not from a tap some where up north rather it is tap water just like anyone could get out of their sink provided they had a good filter. This boggled my mind. I could not believe it. I found this out in my cultural geography class today we watched a movie on it. One of the stats that I remembered is almost as amazing was the initial point. Think for a second how much more expensive bottle water is then tap. I am sure your guess is not even close because if you knew the right answer you’d probably never drink bottled water again. Bottled water costs seven thousand times more then tap water and some times for the same product. Lt me just put this in perspective for you my car is worth about 2500 pretty crappy I know but that not the point lets call my car tap water if I were to pay the bottled water price my car would have cost 17,500,000 for the same product - wild i know

thanksgiving

Thanksgiving at my house is one of the best days of the year. We have been hosting this holiday for several years now, and they are just getting better. The day starts off with kids vs. adults football game which includes a lot of my cousins and neighbors. Over the years the game has turned form the adults letting us win to it being even to the adults getting old and the kids growing up and now it’s just not fair. Think about it’s a bunch of college kids playing there 50 year old days in football. After the game all of my family comes back to my house. At this point you have to wait a long time for a shower because everyone wants to take one. The house also smells amazing because while we were playing football the moms have started working on the dinner. We pretty much just hang out until about 3 when the feast begins. We usually have anywhere for 15 – 20 people so there are a lot of food. We eat until we are full then clear the table and watch football. At this point people start to nap I guess they ant handle the triptaphane. A while later when everyone is still sure they cant eat anymore dissert is served. On average there is one dessert plate for everyone sitting at the table. This is where things get messy because all of the cakes and pies have to be cut and my family is very particular about how the cake and pie is cut. If for some reason a slice is not cut to some ones liking they will let you know and the rest of the family will be sure to let you know how badly you messed up. After dissert and the table is cleared almost everyone falls asleep esp if you are a male over the age of 40. its very funny to watch 4 or 5 of my uncles and grandpa sleep in a row sitting up on the couch. O well cant wait for this year is goi

the night i should have gone out

Today was pretty low key woke up at 10 15 like ever other Thursday took a quick shower, grabbed my books and went to up hill top for an early lunch. After lunch it was time for three classes in a row first management, then English and geography after that. All three were good, well as good as Thursday classes can be. In management we reviewed for our up coming test, it went well. You all know what happened in English so I don’t think I need to explain that and in geography we watched a movie so classes today were a breeze. After my last class I walked back to glass with my friend Kev. Imp sure some of you knows him from around campus. As we were waling we noticed that the girls club soccer team were having a fund raiser. It was a smash the car kind of thing. Anyone could pay one dollar and get three smashes with a sledge hammer. Kev really wanted to try and break off the door so I gave him a dollar, he couldn’t do it no biggie we just went on with our day. we went back to the room and just hung out. Alittle later we got dinner followed by the ranger game on of my friends on my floor is a huge ranger fan it was 4 -1 in the third pierid so I kinda walked away I decied that since im going to be a slob this weekend I should probely run alittle instead of going out so I did. Sorry this blog isnet very kool just a boring blog for a boring Thursday

NBA is Back

For several years the NBA has been a joke the east has been a considered the JV league and looking to watch anyone play team offence or any kind of defense had been a lost cause but that is not quite true this year there are actually games worth watching. The east is looking great for the first time in years. There is even a lot talk about the Boston Celtics having a chance at wining the championship. Along with the heat and the Bulls and pistons now the regular season games will actually matter. I have watched two NBA games so far this season about the same about as all of the last season and both were actually worth watching. A lot of the teams this year have something unique that make them worth wile. Even team Kobe …o I mean the Lakers has an amazing start to the season. They dominated the suns and Kobe only had 16 points. I can’t believe I am saying this but I actually can’t wait to see how this season is going to turn out. For the first time in a few years pro basket ball is just that professional basketball it’s a faster and smarter. For what I have seen so far it looks like teams will not be depending on an all star to play one on one and maybe pass some times. Teams will be passing around and trying to score as a team. Then running back on defense and once again playing as a team. As you can see I am very excited to see how this season turns out. I have boston going all the way, let me know what you think.

let it snow

Ski season is close. Last week I joined the ski club so that I could get my season lift ticket for only 169 dollars. If you don’t know this is very cheep. Many mountains charge around 40 dollars for just one day of skiing so the entire season for 169 is a truly great deal. I can’t wait for the season to start. I got new boots last year and there awesome. I plan me spending a lot of Greek peak this winter I hoping that there will be some good storms that will cover the mountain with power. Skiing on the east coast can be a lot like ice skating but I am hoping this winter will be different. I feel like if can time my trips right I will always get so ski the soft snow which I find much more fun. Tonight I actually have to meet with the chair person of the ski club tonight to pay for my ticket I really just cant wait this season is going to be awesome. This year I have my car up at school and will able to go ski when ever I want. I think am also getting new skis for Christmas. I have been shopping around for a while and I think I have my mind made up K2 makes a ski called the ranger which are good for both packed groomed snow and the lose powder. The shape and fatness of the ski helps ski on different surfaces and this ski is a good mix of both powder and hard snow. It is perfect for me… cant want to try them out.

halloween

This weekend I decided not to go to RI as I had said I might in an earlier blog. I stuck around Cortland for some Halloween festivities. It was sat night before I had decided what I was going to be and time was running out. I was disappointed in my self I love Halloween, I actually love all the holidays. I pretty much like any time I am given a reason to celebrate, not even in a drinking sence of the word, but in an every one is having a good time. Any way at about 9 pm only an hour before I was going ot head out when my idea came upon me. I was going to dress gangsta for Halloween. This was truly a great idea. I quickly found the necessary dress required. First I barrowed my friends jeans he weighs about 300 pounds so they were a little baggy considering I weight 160. I was then able for find a 5xl “tall tee” I looked at what I had found and was fairly pleased, but my assemble was not quite finished. I was next was on hot pursuit of a “fitted” this is the type of hat with a flat brim hat that is not adjustable. I was able to find a black and white Mets fitted I put on what I had so far and I’m not gunna lie at this point I looked gangsta but I wasn’t finished. Finically I found a bandana which I tied under my fitted with my entire costume on I looked in the mirror and realized my costume was set. I headed out with my friends and started Halloween weekend.

to drive or not to drive

I love road trips. There is nothing better then filling a car with some close friends and just hading out. I have done a lot of road trips with my family but in recent years many with my friends as well. I have gone to the jersey shore after graduation VA beach for spring break and visited many other college campuses. When I was a first semester freshmen I went to a community college with little to do on the weekends so I would often hop in my car and drive to a college that would be more fun. With Lauren going to providence and Den at URI Rhode island was a usual weekend destination. I also came to visit Cortland for cortica although I diddent quite make it to the game last year. I even made it all the way out to Indiana although I cheated on that one – I flew. I am writing this blog because I think I will be going on another road trip on Saturday although Im not really sure yet. I haven’t made up my mind. I might go to rhode island and see laur … I also may night on one had id love to see laur on the other hand it is a very far drive and I have asked around no one really wants to go which means I would pay for all of the gas money which gets expencive im really not sure what im going to do …ill let you know when I make up my mind

community college

Have any of you ever had to take a ridiculous class. I’m not talking about a class with a weird teacher or a class that was just outa this world. My first semester of my fresh men year I too ceramics and naussu community college. Everything about this class was weird
Here was a group of fully grow adults playing with clay the class that sticks out in my mind the most was the first day we used “the wheel” up until this point was able to keep up with the teachers expectations my “art” was never good I managed bs and cs all until I had to use the wheel. I had seen the wheel on tv before and it looked easy and the teacher explained it perfect so I wasent worried until I sat down. I turned on the wheel and plaes my clay on it the next step is to put a little water on the clay so it slides through your hands and spins so you can shape it. I did not put enough water. It is also recomanded that you start at a slow speed. Unfortunately I am a huge fan of the phrase live life in the fast lane I slammed on speed control and stared watch the clay spin I grabbed on and started to try and shape my clay the next thing I know I launch the clay a good 20 ft into the wall it was bad news… I never quite learned to master the wheel

in trouble for drinking

Suny Cortland needs to change its drinking violation policy. The policy tat stands now is if you get caught you get a strike if you get three strikes your out. If it is clear that you were not guilty you are allowed to protest the strike in hopes of getting t take away. This policy sounds very good on paper but doesn’t really work when put into use. In college a large percent of the population drinks and it seems like the students that have a few beers with their friends are the ones that get caught multipliable times where as the students that get ridiculous and cause problems some how manage to slip through the cracks. This weekend my friend bill is visiting he was a student here last year but was given two strikes one because he was caught drinking one beer and one because he was caught throwing out beer cans. Because he is responsible he transfused so that his transcript would not show he got kicked out. Bill drank often but never caused problems it is people like him that make me think the system is unfair I think that before a student is asked to leave or even given a strike they should take other things into mind. Like the students grades and extra curricular actives and even their situation at home. I know of may students on campus that do what ever they want and break a lot of rules and some how do not get caught it just doesn’t seem fair to get rid of some good kids that were in the wrong place at the wrong time and let the ass holes run free

hungry

I don’t know about every body else but after being at school for about this long I start to get sick of the food. I know that compared to other schools we have a lot of options but it still happens. All of the subway subs start to taste the same, it seems like there are less sides at dragon every time I go there and the hang over cure all bacon egg and cheese from dunkin donuts just starts to taste worse and worse. I don’t know if this is just me or if there is even anything that can be done about it. As ive said before we have much more choices then other schools but everything is starting to be bland of corse I always have the option of ordering food but this costs real money something I don’t have a lot of i don’t know if there is anything that an be done to fix this problem for myself. I am trying to mix it up as much as I can even if it means walking all the way to the top of the hill from my dorm at the bottom the food at hill top is by far the best on campus its just such a far walk. In my opinion the flat iron steak is the best mean choice on the entire campus I really wish they would serve it at dragon. I know all of you agree o well maybe when im finished with this blog ill go talk to some of the lunch ladies to see what I can do to get the beloved flat iron at dragon well that’s all I have for now see you in class

fall

The seasons have really just started to change. Summer lasted a little longer then it normally dose which was great for me. I like summer way more then the other seasons. The coming of fall to me represents being cold when sailing and surfing and the end the care free summer. Even though I was at school it still didn’t feel like fall until recently. I guess the coming of fall brings a few good things with it. Halloween is coming soon and that it sure to be fun. I think that my friend Kev and I are going to be Robin Hood and little john due to the fact that we have similar body structures to the legend. Fall also brings foot ball season and thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. We usually have it at my house and not only do I get to enjoy the main meal I also get the leftovers. Fall also brings around winter. I know you may be thinking that if I don’t like fall I must hate winter but that’s not quite true. Although I don’t really like the cold I do like the snow and skiing and being up here for school I get the chance to ski a lot. I also really love Christmas. I actually love almost all the holidays in case you couldn’t tell. Last weekend when I was home my family as well as some of my neighbors started to decorate their house for the fall. I though it was early but I managed to see a few houses with Halloween directions and pumpkins. Im sure this fall wont be so bad and ill be sure to let you know how its going for me.

weekend home

As I told you all last time I was home last weekend I left Cortland at about 7 on Thursday night. The drive took longer then I would have liked because we stopped at two rest stops, I got pulled over and talked my way out of a speeding ticket. I also dropped my friends off at their house. Although longer then I was hoping for all and all the drive was good. I arrived at my house at about 12 30 to find myself locked out because some one locked the storm door which I do not have a key too and then everyone went to bed. After waking my entire family to get in the house I tried to convince them to stay up and hang out. They all had work or school in the morning so I was on my own; I watched a little TV and then went to bed. Friday morning was fairly uneventful I did some running around and went to the beach. After the beach I went home and had dinner with my family and Lauren. After Dinner Laur and I went out and met up with some of our friends. I got home late Friday night so I slept pretty late on Saturday. I slept right through lunchtime but met up with some friends for an early dinner at a pizza place. Later that night Lauren and I went out to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. I was quite an experience. All the waters were dressed in traditional Mexican clothes Neither of us had ever been there before so we figured why not? After dinner we went out with more friends and I got home late once again. Unfortunally Sunday morning my dad decided to wake me up at 9 30 I was not very happy about this and made it very clear. My weekend ended when my drive back to cortland started and now here I am

going home

I have been planning a trip home to long island for about a week now. I am going to leave school after my three classes. I know that every minuet of all my classes is going to seem like forever but it will all be worth it. I am going to drive home in my car with four friends, Kev, Kenny, Matt and Heather. I drive a small neision Sentara which is amazing on gas so the trip will not be expensive, probely less then ten dollars a person for both ways. I have not bee home yet so I can not wait to see my family. With any luck my grandma will cook at least one meal for me. She might be the best cook in the world. Everything she makes is delicious. Along with Looking forward to grandmas cooking I am also looking forward to spending time with the rest of my family and Lauren who will also be home for the weekend. I don’t get to see her a lot during semesters so I really do value the little time we get to spend together a few weekends during the semester is really all we get. To add to the fun my mom still does not know that I am coming home. My dad and I though it would be great surprise. Of cores she will be happy to see me but that feeling might soon leave when she sees all the laundry that I am surprising her with. I can only imagine what she is going to say to me. O well im sure its going to be a good visit and ill fill you in on it next week.

no music for me

This weekend my I pod head phones broke. This is extremely bad because I find it very hard to run and not listen to music and I run fairly often. I have fairly bad asthma the doctor said I should use a nebulieser every day and stay active. I usually use my nebulieser 3 times a week and run two or three miles three times a week. This keeps me in decent shape and helps my breathing a lot. I went to the gym today and started running like I normally do however today seemed to be the most painfully boring run of my life. Instead of being able to disappear into my own world I was forced suffer through the run with out my own music. The gym is kind enough to provide so awful pop from one of the local stations which may have made the experience even worse. I am going home this weekend and will be sure to get a new pair of head phones. I can not picture going though those twenty five minuets again. For the most part I don’t mind running normally an the time goes quick. I just crank up my music and let my mind wonder. Trust me if you normally listen to music when working out and for some reason you cant , do your self a favor and just take the day off.

OI

Do you have a place where you can go to get away from the world. I do, for me there is one place where I can just go to clear my head. After reading my other blogs it should be easy to guess it has something to do with water. It is a beach house that has been in my family for years. My grand parents bought about 45 years ago and left it to my family when they past away. Since then my dad and I have been taking care of the house which is really more like a hut. This house can not be reached by car and dose not even have what most people call real electricity. We do however have solar panels and a generator for when electricity is needed . When ever I go to this house on Oak island I can always count of having a good time. I have spent countless hours there perfecting the art of claming, crabbing, fishing, swimming, water skiing, and sailing . It is the best place to go for any reason. Ever since I was little I would always look forward to going to oak island on the weekends with my family and some friends and now that I am older it is great place for me to hang out with my friends and some family. When looking for a place to barbeque it can not be beat. This summer we even had a day where my friends and I called in sick to work so that we could go to Oak island and enjoy a perfect summers day This house has impacted my life in many ways. I don’t know what I would do with out it and could not imagine not spending my summer on oak island

ughhhhhhh

There is something about girl friends and the past that just never seem to mix. This weekend I got in a fight with my girl friend Lauren about my past. She brought up a girl that I hooked up with right before we started going out and said that I almost ruined our relationship. This is just a ridiculous statement and made me very mad for several reasons first of all I was not even close to ruining any relationship. I kissed this other girl at a party once and that was is. It did not have any lasting relationship I did not even get her phone number screen or name. I really did not have much interest in this other girl at all. It was clearly a one time thing and we weren’t going out. I really don’t understand what the problem is. I was also mad at Lauren because we have made a deal not to bring up past relationships. Those convos always end badly; I don’t know why they just do. We like each other a lot. Neither of us could ever cheat and there is really no threat to our relationship at all, we just always fight when we bring up past relationships. It really doesn’t make any since we are both fairly mature and understanding. It would also be hard to do to make it through 19 years and not have a past relationship so it’s something that just has to be dealt with. I just don’t understand why Lauren felt that is was necessary to bring up this other girl. We were talking on the phone about nothing the way most of our weekend night conversations go. We were joking around and having fun, and of cores she brought this up for no reason. Like most of out fights it lasted about an hour and then we just made up but that’s not the point. I just don’t it

to much work

This has been one of the worst weeks I can remember. I have been nonstop since Sunday night. For some reason all of my teachers decided to make something due in there class. I had a management test and paper due today, a geology test tomorrow, a quiz Monday, a test and paper due on Tuesday and then a test Wednesday and then a project due Thursday. It’s just out of control. I don’t know how I am going to keep up with all of this work. Last year the work load was not nearly as heavy. I have only had little time to my self every day because I have been so busy studying to doing homework. The one thing I have had to look forward to is the Yankees. I have tried very hard to make time to watch the games and I am so happy I have because they are doing amazing. Right now there are only a game and a half behind the red sox, closer then they have been in months. The season is coming to a close so all of the remaining games are important. The Yankees are also a very clutch team. SO watching the games will be fun. They also will spend the rest of there season playing teams with a losing record. These games have been great lately and taking my mind off school is even better. For the entire week it did not bother how much money any major league athlete was paid, not even A rod.

Rhode Island road trip

On Friday I left Suny Cortland on a road trip to Rhode Island. I was taking this trip for three reasons, to see one of my favorite bands Zox play a show, hang out with my friend Dennis and most importantly see Laur. We left at about 11:30, the drive took about five and a half hours and we reached a max speed of 103 mph. That was a little faster then any of us wanted to go, but on those country roads I could not help but speed. The drive was about average as far as road trips go. Good music comfortable tempter good conversation. It seemed like forever before we got to Providence College- Laur’s school where we hung out for a little then off to the show. It was sweet. After the show the rest of the night was low key. We had a few drinks and went to bed. On Saturday we got up and decided to go visit den. He goes to URI and as im sure I have mentioned will be leavening for Germany. He is actually on a plane right now as I am writing. After hanging with den for a while we made our way to the beach. Laur and I both love the beach so it was a good time. It started getting dark so we decided that it was time for dinner in New Port. We walked around the town for a little. It had a lot of those shops that girls love to go into and look around but never buy anything while guys just kind of follow them and hope they get board soon. After walking around for a while we decided to head back to providence. We started driving and of cores got lost. There I was driving aimlessly around Rhode Island. After a while we found our way back to the highway and made our way back. It did not take that long being as how it only takes about an hour to drive from one side of Rhode island to the other. Back at the dorm we just hung out till we passed out. Sunday morning came to quick. I woke up we said our good bye and I was on my way back to suny Cortland

skate board drama

The other day I let my friend borrow my skate board and he broke it. He wanted to use it to skate down newbig hill to his car. Right away I said “of cores you can use it.” We always use long boards to get to our cars. It is just easier. When he returns he informs me that the wheel fell off, he lost the nut and a huge chunk of the nose is missing. To make matters worse he can’t even buy me a new long board because I made this one. That’s right my friend crashed my home made skateboard. I started making boards a few years ago because I though the prices that were being charged were ridiculous, and since then I have gotten fairly good at the process. Instead of paying seventy dollars for the deck, I go to home depot and pay five dollars. I draw the shape I wish to have, used a jig saw to cut it out, and then use a bet sander to sand any mistakes. That process takes a few hours but is not even the hard part. After I am happy with my wood work I bring the unfinished skate board to my girl friend Lauren. She then paints on the bottom; this one was a picture of a sun set and waves. It is AWESOME! After she paints, I put a few coats of polyurethane and then grip tape on the top. The entire process takes about a week sometimes more. I don’t really like to make boards that often because I like them to be perfect and sometimes become very angry when I cant shape them the way I want. I will probably just keep this one, fix the wheel and ride it the way It is. I would make my life a lot easier. The moral of this story is a friend who breaks your home made long board is not a friend at all

the lindy croud

When you hear the phrase best friend what comes to mind? Is it one or two people? Do you have trouble picking out that one person? I know I could never pick just one. I have about ten best friends. We all hang out in one big group and are always there for each other. I have known these kids in my elementary school days. I went to a small catholic school in Lindenhurst, the town I live in. That’s where I met Matt, Kyle, Dennis, Ryan, Laur, Megan, Christine, Mitchelle, Jessica and Lauren. Threw the years we have become very close, closer then most families these days. One of the hardest things we have had to do is a group is go away to different schools. For the most part we scattered through the north east. Most of us staying in New York with the expectation of Laur and Dennis In Rhode Island, Kyle and Megan in Indiana and Ryan in Virginia. Just for the record the people in places had nothing to do with dating. Kyle and Megan are brother and sister and Laur and I date. Also some may wonder if we are so close why go to school so far apart. Most of it had to do with how different our GPAs are For example Kyle goes to Notre Dame and Laur is Going to Providence on a full academic scholar ship where as I am barley a B Student. When we are at school we try to stay in touch as much as possible and visit each other. Last year I went to Rhode Island a few times and even made the Trip to Indiana and Virginia. Hanging out with this group is always a blast and I can not wait till thanksgiving when we will all get to hang out again.

den at c state

So here I am writing again. It’s Thursday and I really can’t get the weekend out of my mind. I have very high hopes for this weekend for a few reasons. First of all my friend Dennis from home came up to visit he will be spending the next two semesters abroad and this is the last chance I will have to hang out with him before he leaves. I have known Dennis for many years and we have had many good times. We would spend out summers at the beach and our winters wishing it was summer. He is two years older and I have a lot good memories form visiting him at his college, but now it is my turn. He came up yesterday after I got out of class. As soon as he got here we decided to go long board some of the hills. Because Long island dose not have as many or as steep hills this was especially fun. The rest of the night was pretty low key we got diner and then just hung out. Today must have been boring for him because I had three classes. Tonight we will probably go out so I can show Den what Cortland is really like. I don’t have any real plans for the rest of the weekend but I am sure we will think of something.

just an other rainy day

A lot of people wake up and cheek the weather channel to give them self an idea of what the day will have in store for them. When most of these people see stormy conditions with wind gusting to 25 mph and scattered showers they think there day is over. This is not the case with me. When I see heavy wind in the forecast I immediately start thinking about who I can convince to go sailing with me. I make a few phone calls then grab my gear and head to the bay. I sail a few different kinds of boats but on windy days my favorite would have to be a vanguard 420. This fourteen foot boat is sailed with two people, two sails and a trapeze. Ill start to rig the 420 and its right about then that my friend Dennis will show up. He will usually be even more excited about the weather then I am. We rig the boat as quickly as we can make sure all the lines are as tight as we can make them; on windy days having all the lines as tight as they can go helps prevent capsizing. Finally were off, we get the boat in the water, hop in and immediately start to feel the wind push us. On stormy days these boats can reach speeds of close to twenty mph which on the water seems like forty. As Dennis and I cruse around the bay we notice some waves forming from the wind and decide to try and catch some. Because the boat is so small and light they can catch waves and use the wave to accelerate. When we come up to a wave we would like to catch we throw our body weight forward, this is called oching and pull our sails is really fast which is called pumping this gives us the small boost we need to drop in on the wave the wave shoots us across the bay. At this speed we couldn’t help but scream at the top of out lungs, were flying now with wind coming from behind catching wave after wave. After a while we decide to try our luck up wind and decide to gibe around. Gibing is the process of turning the boat around and letting the sails swing over your head. A lot of boats flip when trying to gibe on windy days we go it quickly and make it look easy. Now with us sailing into the wind the boat is even more likely to flip because the wind and the sail make an angle where the wind just wants t push the sail over. We decide to even increase the chances of flipping by pulling the sails all the way in. Although this increases the chances of flipping it also makes us go much faster. The boat is now right on the brink of flipping. We are doing everything we can to keep it flat and keep it moving so we can enjoy this wild roller coaster ride before we know it were are back to the beach were the boat is kept. We sail in derig and head home. Thinking yep just another rainy day

My Long Island

What would you get out of bed before sunrise for? I’m willing to guess not much. I would have to agree being an eighteen year old who loves my sleep. However there is one thing I have no problem getting up early for. A super clean, crisp, four foot early morning breaker. That’s right a wave, for the past few years my friends and I have made it a top priory to dawn patrol a few times a month. There is nothing better then dropping in on a wave as the sun creeps up out of the ocean. There truly is something magical about it.
This tradition was started a few years ago. One day as the summer was coming to a close we were trying to squeeze every minute we could out of the fleeting summer surf. We decided to spend as much time at the beach as we could. The night before when we were hanging out we were talking about how early we would depart for the beach. Half joking someone said “let’s get there before the sun does.” This was the start of something amazing.
It was about five o’clock when the alarm I had not heard since the last day of school started ringing. This may have been the first time I was excited to be getting out of bed at such an early hour. Before I know it I could hear the roar of my friend Denis’s pick up truck racing down my block. We soon filled his truck with surfboards, skate boards snacks and a collection of beach tunes. We were finally on our way. When we arrived at the beach we parked the truck and grabbed our home made skate boards. We let the music blast and started cruising around the parking lot weaving in and out of parking spots and getting excited for the waves that waited for us. Finally we grabbed our surfboards and paddled out. I can’t remember how the waves were that day, but to tell you the truth it doesn’t matter.