January 31, 2003

Last night was bowling night. We got pumped. We got crazy. We drank 6 pitchers, We got drunk. And on top of all of that, we won two out of three games against one of the best teams in the league. At one point we were not only wearing our bowling towels as "rally capes" (tucked into the backs of our shirt collars) but we had our T-shirts tucked in and our pants pegged 80's steelo.... it was great. My friends are soooo rad. Rally pants are awesome. Such a great time... I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.... watching my good friends bowl with pegged pants and rally capes was great. I even managed to throw down some pretty solid games: 214, 204, and a 167. In the first game I had to bowl a turkey for us to win... it was a tight spot... but I managed to focus and get a 4 bagger instead. That rocked. There is no better feeling then pulling your team to a close victory against opponents who are dickheads.... well, I really shouldn't blame the whole other team for their one dickhead partner... but still, beating that one dude was sooooo great. I am sorry, but anyone who walks away from a shot, arms raised claming a strike, before the ball is even half way down the lane should be shot. Plain and simple, that kind of behavior makes me want to puke. I made it my personal vendetta to take is ass out.... I beat his game 3 times in a row. The most satisfying moment of the night was when he did his �walk away claim to fame� and only picked up 9 of the pins... haha he must have felt soooo dumb... the moral is, don't celebrate before you get tha win... It was great to smoke his sorry ass... haha geeze listen to me... you would think I was all crazy intense or something� hahahahaha What really mattered was that we had a lot of fun, and beat people who were not having any fun at all... in fact, at one point I overheard the premature celebrator say, and I quote: "These guys are having too much fun." Hahaha Goddamn right we were having too much fun! That is how it should be. Word up to the Truckers, we rolled on em' last night. Keep on truckin.....
--Capn' Pegyour S.S. Pants
Newman's first law: It is useless to put on your brakes when you're upside down.
-- Paul Newman

January 30, 2003

I am really feeling yesterdays quote for some reason... maybe it is because my job is kinna lame, I am not taking any classes, and girls have fled from my life like bats out of hell... I dunno... maybe I feel like my road has been kinna hard lately... but then....not really hard exactly, because things are kinna going pretty well right now..... Maybe it is more like I feel as though the last couple of years have been trying, testing my strengths and weaknesses, and challenging me to my limit.... etc..... Maybe it is that now I feel that these trials are ending and that soon I will be getting near that "easy street" or something... Yea, I guess what I am feeling is that the good road is right around the corner or something... things have been looking up lately for no real reason... I mean, I am not in love, and work is grim... shoot, I may not even have a job tomorrow for all I know... but things feel like they are on the up and up.... I dunno... Maybe it is just because the Warriors are doing so well and the Lakers suck... haha Whatever it is, I am glad it is causing me to feel so good. Word up, it's good to be on the good foot.
--Tha Capitan, Slayin' tha Seven Seas
Fashions fade, style is eternal.
-- Yves Saint Laurent

January 29, 2003

The road to Easy Street goes through the sewer.
-- John Madden

January 28, 2003

I am tired... I worked hard yesterday... today is gonna be busy too... I don't really feel like working that hard today. ugh. I need to motivate and become an awesome killing machine.....
--Tha Captain Hook
So the weekend in review:
Friday Night: Well, what can I say about Friday... lots of friends... lots of drinking... karaoke.... drunken insanity... etc etc.... We started off the night at Puddlies, a really cool burger joint with a great jukebox near. I had a huge guacamole cheese burger there and an really huge beer as well, this thing must have been at least 22oz. The best part of dinner was the fact that Puddlies has those huge fat-fries... yes! I love those things.... reminds me of I.V.B.C..... man I miss that place... Anyway, dinner was great and I had a great time there. A bunch of my dogs came out from the Scurvy O.G. SB crews: Capn's Shap dog, Neb, LaLa, Amber, and Davis. It was really good to see all of them, I don't hang out with those fools enough. My homie Capn' Shorty of tha Michaels sea side was there too, which was a huge suprise, I didn't think she would make it out. Capn' Wayne "Rockstar" Yong was there too, that guy is rad, I am stoked that he came out, he is a brave man to endure my crazy pirate friends. The regular thugs were all out in style as well, including: Capn' Geoff "Inverted" Hanz, Capn' Quinn "Never met a beer I didn't like" Walker, Capn' John "I'll dump my beer on your head" Boniface, Audrey "the killer, Capn' Damian "The Destroyer", Mike "the Murderer", Trista "the Blood thirsty", Amanda and Jamie the terrible two-some, and a host of others. It was a huge night out. After dinner we went to The Carlos Club, a karaoke bar just off of El Camino in San Carlos. This is where a mellow night turned into an all star rock fest! I won't get into to much detail on the night but let's just say it was crazy. We drank a lot, and sang a lot, and had a great time. Mike and I started it off singing the Ramones "I wanna be Sedated", which totally rocked. Mike actually over heard someone telling his friend that more people should rock out like we did... haha it was rad. Mike had this blow-up pink guitar and he was wailing on it... hahaha we were punk rock... it was great. The next song on my set list was "Ghost Busters". I sang it with Quinn and Mike.... it was awesome. I was pretty drunk by that point in the night. The last song we did was "Sweet Home Alabama" which was a crowd favorite and which went over really well. I think everyone in the bar was singing the words by the end of the song... it was awesome. On stage it was Mike, JB, Wayne, Q-dog, and myself... most of us were singing into our beer bottles and half empty 7 and 7 glasses louder then the people who were singing into the microphone... it was rad. Some other all star performances included Audrey�s rendition of "5000 miles", Damian and Crew'z version of "Highway to the Danger Zone", Damian and Crew'z version of Def Leppard�s hit "Pour some sugar on me", and Damian and Jamie's incredible version of Young M.C.'s "Bust a Move". For the record, Capn' Damian rules. He went all out that night. Truly a good brotha. Anyway... lots of great songs where sung poorly, lots of beer was consumed, and a lot of fun was had by all. One of the highlights of the evening was when Mike asked people to poar beer on his head... great stuff.... hahaha Anyway, after a quick cab ride up to the house, the chaos continued for a few minutes while Capn' Walker Jumped into the bushes in the front yard and kicked a bolder off the planter that then rolled down the hill and hit Capn' Damian in the shin. Somewhere within the ten minutes we were outside, Captain Damian threw up twice, Capn' Walker threw up once and fell into a mud puddle, and I announced that we had better get inside before the badgers got us.... don't ask. So the motley crew crawled into the house and passed out. The Quote of the night actually doesn't go to me for my "badger" comment, but actually goes to Capn' Damian who replied to his girlfriend who asked if he was going to turn off the closet light by saying: "This isn't about you, this is about MY SURVIVAL!!! Deal!!!" and then passed out. hahahaha oh man.... what a crazy night.... good friends good times.... and a little older and wiser...

Body count:

1 shot Tequila
1 shot Southern Comfort
4 shots of Peppermint Schnapps
1 shot of Jagermeister
4 Seven and Sevens (3 of which were refilled with beer half way through consumption, don't ask)
3 bottles of bud
1 Anchor Steam
3 Karaoke songs
3 pukers (not me, yea!)

Saturday and Sunday: On Saturday I didn't do much besides play video games and watch basket ball on t.v. It wasn't because I was all that hung over, it just kinna worked out to be a lazy day... I needed one of those... I haven't had a lazy day in months.... At around 8ish I went to the Canyon Inn with some friends to eat yet another super good burger.... yum. Went home and played ping pong and more video games. It was a good day. Sunday was more of the same.... chillin, eating pizza, playing video games, relaxing, hanging out with Grace (tha dog, she rules). Not very eventfull, but still pretty fun. The weekend was awesome. I had a great one. Props to my homies for keepin' it real. Things just keep getting better.... life is good.

--Capn' Gettin S.S. Oldyo
I was born old and get younger every day. At present I am sixty years young.
-- Herbert Beerbohm Tree

January 27, 2003

The trees in Siberia are miles apart, that is why the dogs are so fast.
-- Bob Hope

January 24, 2003

So my birthday was yesterday.... and I must say I couldn't have asked for much more... well maybe there could have been a few minor things that could have made it better.... *evil snicker* but really it was just about perfect. We won 2 out of 3 games bowling against the best team in the league, I got a good buzz going but didn't get too drunk, Capn' Sammy shot his highest game ever: a huge 204 (his average is 130), everyone bowled really well, the Warriors beat the Nets and became the first team in 30 years to beat both championship teams in back to back games, I got to hang out with my step Dad and my Mom, ate great pizza at the boardwaltk
Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.
-- William Shakespeare

January 23, 2003

I am really amped right now... there is no way this day could get any longer.... Is it time to go yet? How bout now? How bout now??? Come on 5:30.... come on 5:30.... Man this sucks.... it feels like a friday... even tho I know it is just a Thursday.... on a better note: Bowling is gonna be super fun tonight. I am really looking forward to hanging out with all my homies tonight and on Friday.... this weekend is gonna rock....I can't wait to get out of here.... 5:30, 5:30, 5:30, 5:30.....
--Capn' Istheweekend S.S. Hereyet?
I just found out that Plant 51 in San Jose closed... man that sucks..... : (
that place ruled... it is a sad day for San Jose.......
an email I got today:

Dear Slayer,

Let us be among the first to extend to you our heartfelt wishes for a happy
birthday and a wonderful year. Certainly, the scourge of Father Time is
working its evil magic against you, but that doesn't mean you should curl up
into a ball and await the impending arrival of the Grim Reaper. No, instead,
enjoy this birthday and the year ahead. Eat cake while you still can chew.
Reflect on the long-past heydays of your youth while your memory still
serves you. Look at the world while your eyes still work. Listen to the
sounds around you, while you can still hear. Today, be young, not old. You
have the rest of your life for that.

Happy Birthday!

It is from some company with whom I signed up for something or other a while back...
pretty funny if you ask me, actually makes me want to check out what they are all about again... hahaha good sales work�.one of the better emails I have gotten today... tho it doesn't compete with the email that Capn' Geoff sent me that has a picture of a can of PBR on it... haha that dude rules... today is a good day. : )
--Capn' Seandog S.S. Funday
The first and greatest commandment is, "Don't let them scare you."
-- Elmer Davis

January 22, 2003

Growing older is not upsetting; being perceived as old is.
-- Kenny Rogers

I get old again tomorrow... wow... 26.... I still feel 12 tho... I liked being 21 because then the inverse of my age equaled the age I felt = 12. Now the inverse of my age is going to be 62, and while sometimes I do feel like a broken down 62 year old man, for the most part I find that age relationship disturbing. I was talking to my best friend Capn' Mike the other day and we realized that I have been skating since 1984.... damn. I have been riding the ole plank for almost 20 years.... that is crazy.... 1984... shit, seems like just yesterday I was cruzing down the street on my Nash Skate or Die board.... where has the time gone... well, I'll tell you, almost twenty years of good times and fun sessions that's where.... 20 years of hanging out at skate spots drinking sodas and Snapple, eating apple pies, and taking road trips. 20 years of destroying ledges, curbs, boards, and bodies. 20 years of rockin out and getting hesh. 20 years of laughter and smiles. So tomorrow I turn 26... Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing.
--El Capitan
Stand firm in your refusal to remain conscious during algebra. In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.
-- Fran Lebowitz

January 21, 2003

So my gross story for the day: I walk into the men's bathroom here at work and as I am walkin� to tha pisser I notice something really weird.... there is a guy in the crapper with no shoes on... yea you read right: NO F'n SHOES??? in the bathroom??? no, in the Men�s Bathroom, no, wait IN THE MEN's Bathroom: IN THE CRAPPER!!!!???? Wearing socks, yes socks.... not shoes, SOCKS!!!! Dude, the floor in this place is not that clean.... to say the least... yuck... and not only that, but by the sound of crinkling newspaper, I could tell he was in for the long haul. double yuck. one thing I have never understood is why people read the newspaper in the crapper.... that is just kinna gross right??? Pants down, check, crap in the toilet, check, Dear Abby and the sports page, check...... dude what???? That has always struck me as kinna twisted or something.... yuck yuck yuck. I don't really know why I am even writing about this except maybe because I need to vent my disgust somewhere.... wow... socks only in tha crapper. that is pretty gross.....
--Capn' Idon't S.S. Getitman
I need to go out and take some pictures soon... I haven't been doing that at all lately... that sucks. motivate, motivate, motivate, motivate.... gotta get my isht together.
When the day is over,
I like to ease my mind
By jucin' up my system,
With the beat of a heavy kind
I smack a bottle open,
I crank the hi-fi high
I'm in-a seventh heaven
Ooh I can touch the sky

I'm in love, so in love
And I can't stop talking 'bout my rock forever
--Judas Priest Rock Forever

I was reading my friend's web journal the other day and she was talking about finding the most rockin' band ever... I don't know who the most rockin� band ever is... but Judas Priest has got to be one of the top 5. Especially their music from the Pain Killer album. The Priest has so many in your face, crushing guitar, scream at the top of your lungs while running as fast as you can, kinna songs. I love that stuff..... When I hear their music I feel like growing my hair long, throwing on a tight jean jacket, jumping up out of my chair, and breaking stuff with my bare hands..... Their music gets me so pumped. I have been listening to the Pain Killer album a lot before I go skate, and when I do, I ride with reckless abandon and no regard for reality. Sliding out at insane speeds on the paint at Greer yet somehow maintaining my balance and line, hucking backside grabs over huge pyramids at the park, and throwing down the longest, loudest, wheel screeching tail slides on quarter pipes and mini-ramps everywhere..... Chaos, wild out of control riding, living while walking the fine line of disaster... that is what it what the Priest is all about...that is what life is all about.......... Rock and Roll forever man�. Rock and f�n Roll��

--Capn� Rocka S.S. Rolla

"I move as fast as I can
I like to get around
I'm crazy like a madman
My feet don't touch the ground
I move amongst the night life
And they just step aside
Cause when they see me coming
They know I'm running wild."
The handwriting on the wall may be a forgery.
-- Ralph Hodgson

January 20, 2003

I just joined the P.B. R. MY.... hahaha dude that rocks
I was gonna do a weekend in review today... but then I realized that I didn't do much worth talking about so I will just make a list:
1) packed and moved more stuff
2) spent a lot of money at home depot getting stuff to build storage space for my new room.
3) built a super dope cart for my clothes
4) went to a super rad show at Plant 51, saw Clay Wheels f' everything up, saw Agent Orange F' everything up too. The Clay Wheels rock!
5) drank some beers
6) played some music
7) worked
8) skated Greer and the Mt. View park, and wrecked myself.
9) slept a lot
10) moved more stuff
11) ate food

I just got done loading and pushing yet another 500+ pound cart across the Acuson campus....this one was prolly closer to 600+ pounds.... That's three 500+ pound carts in the last week and a half. At this rate I will be in shape for the worlds strongest man contest in another month. I felt like I was Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian when he was a slave pushing that crazy f'n mill type thing.... That took a lot out of me. My Calves are still burning and I was done pushing that f'n thing almost 20 min ago. wow... I am tired. I don't know if I am going to work anymore today. muuuhahahahahaaaaa. I used one of those ab rollers the other day and forgot how much they kill you. My abs are super soar still.... yikes... I am out of shape or something. I am hungry right now. I could use a beer and a couch and some hoops on tv right about now. yea, that would be good.
--Capn' Tougher S.S. Then Leather
The great thing about rock and roll is that someone like me can be a star.
-- Elton John

January 18, 2003

Either I will find a way, or I will make one.
-- Philip Sidney
Yao and tha Rockets took it to the hole and beat tha F-laker's last night in over time...... Steve "Franchise" is tha man!!! oh isht...!!! He showed Kobe what time it was in a huge way... daaaaaamn... that made my year, and to top it off, the WARRIORS won last night too!!! Big Earl killed it with 28 points, 20 of which came in the 4th quarter... that dude is sick. The Warriors are all killin it!!! My dogs are on tha hunt baby!!! MY DOGS ARE ON THA HUNT!!!!!!! GO WARRIORS!!! BEAT LA!
--Capitan Sean Dog

January 17, 2003

If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the UP button.
-- Sam Levenson

January 16, 2003

I had a really crazy dream last night... I dreamt that I traveled back in time (or into some alternate dimension or something) in a space ship full of refurbished Acuson parts and that my crew and I (which consisted of Chewbacca, C3P0 , R2D2 , Lando Calrissian, my boss Vaughn and coworker Paul) crash landed in some sort of prehistoric parallel universe where humans on earth had evolved with a high standard of living but no technology. We crash landed in this really nice back yard that had a huge Greek style swimming pool with huge columns everywhere and crazy statues and all kinds of hanging plants etc. The people who found us were very curious about our refurbished Acuson parts and wanted to know all about our wondrous flying machine. At first we were all kinna worried that they were going to attack us and lock us away in some dungeon, but they turned out to be nice, totally civilized people. It was then that my boss realized that the people of this alternate earth had no technology, that they had no weapons, and that basically every one on this planet like earth was a granola-eating hippie. He decided that it was up to us to keep it that way; so then we all decided that we needed to violently throw all the Acuson parts into the swimming pool and to completely trash and break all the parts of our ship so that this world wouldn't develop technology and the evils that come with it. My boss even tried to throw R2D2 and C3PO into the pool but I convinced him that they were just harmless walking coffee makers (???) and that we should let them live. It was a pretty rad dream. I am sure there is some pretty deep meaning in there somewhere......hahaha word.
--Tha Capitan of tha Boat
Art is not a mirror to reflect the world, but a hammer with which to shape it.
-- Vladimir Mayakovsky

January 15, 2003

I just got done wheeling a 500+ pound cart a 1/4 mile across the campus by myself. All I can say is damn... damn my legs are burning and my body is exhausted... wheeeew... time to call it a f'n night... haha
--Capn' Ngoooo S.S. Mylegshurt
Yar, went to Van's last night! it was super fun, I skated the mini a ton... I still need to get better, but in all I think all in all I rode pretty well. I also landed a backside tailslide on the bank to ledge and my little 270 cabalarial things on the pyramid... that felt really good. I need to start riding there more often. I met Capn' Stew and his dog Mike there. those dudes are fun to skate with. It was a great session. I had soooo much fun. Skate or die!
--Capn' Skate S.S. Tolive
It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do.
-- Jerome K. Jerome

January 14, 2003

I need to start eating better..... Maybe now that I am on my own again I will get back in the groove of eating well... hrm... yea I think that is definately going on my list of things to do..... word... but first, I must consume this Hostess Blueberry Muffin Loaf that has 29% of my fat intake for the day.... hmmmm yum....
--Capn' Gettinready S.S. Tobringtheruckas
Words to live by:

I live each day
Like it's my last
I live for rock and roll
I never look back

I'm a rocker, Oh oh
Do as I feel as I say
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
And no one can take that away

I'm a rocker
And I'm always revvin' up
I'm a rocker
I can never get enough
I'm a rocker
It's something in my blood
I'm a rocker
Wouldn't change it even if I could
--Judas Priest
Get the facts first. You can distort them later.
-- Mark Twain

January 13, 2003

The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.
-- Joseph Addison


The weekend in review:

Friday: Watched the Warriors beat the Wizards in Washington! YEA!!! Went to a movie with my step dad, and then went to a rockabilly show at Plant 51. That place is awesome. They have soooooo many good shows there.... Viva Plant 51.

Saturday: Got up at 8 and got ready for work. Worked for 6 hours moving pallets, boxes, and tons of crap. Went home and spent all day moving tons of my crap. Moving sucks. By the end of the night I though I was loosing my mind and that my arms and legs were going to fall off. Highlights of the day included eating at the Canyon Inn and talking shit with Mike, Jamie, and Geoff. Highlights didn't include moving tons of shit, smashing my fingers under a super box, and smacking my elbow on the door of my car. Mike, Jamie and Geoff are good friends. Those three rock. My new house is gonna be rad.

Sunday: Woke up at 9ish, ate breakfast with my Mom and John, watched the Niners get worked for a while, and then started packing again... man... I have a lot of shit. Got fed up packing and decided to go skate Greer with Stew for a bit. That was fun. My new wheels are super fun. Fast as hell to be exact, and they look pretty cool too. They are a lot harder then my old wheels which is gonna take some getting use to... they slip out super easy on the paint at Greer... scaaaaaaaaaary.... hahaha but kinna fun at the same time. Getting hesh is fun. After a pretty good sesh, it was back home to pack for another couple of hours, and then off to the new house to set up my room some more.... after I finished that it was off to the studio to play some punk rock with Mike and Ben. It was fun. At around 1ish I went home to Mt. View to pick up some more crap to take to the new house.... stoped by Jack in the Box on the way out and got some really good food at around 1:30.... drove to the house and slept like a rock..... woke up to a glorious sunrise and a super cold room. Took my time getting to work... Life is good.

--Capn' Rockin S.S. Inthafreeworld

January 10, 2003

YAR!!!! happy birthday ya blog! ya ole bastard!!!! Tis one year since I started this here voyage into the unknown.... and look at us now... yar... how far we have come, and so far we still have to sail.... yar... onward into the unknown me hearties... onward into the unknown....
--The capn' of the ole boat
Sammy Hagar is a little girl.
word,
--Capn' Sammyain't S.S. ShitcomparedtoDave
This song is awesome: Jukebox Hero, by Foreigner. Every time I hear it I feel the fire in my heart burning again. Rock and roll forever.
--Capn' Hesh
I haven't been good at updating my blog. I have been busy. Work has been crazy. I have been sick with a stupid cold that isn't getting any better because I have been working too hard. I need a vacation to recover from my vacation... haha doh... I want to go skate... but it is raining and I don't feel that good. I need to start packing so that I can move. So much to do, so little time. argh... story of my life, yes... no? maybe? I don't know but for the last couple days all I have wanted to do is sleep and not work. I am feeling a bit better today tho... so that is good. yes that is good. Keep on truckin ya som biatch. word.
--Capn' Tiredof S.S. Beingsick
I went to a funeral/memorial service for one of my good friend�s Dad yesterday after work. I can't even imagine what it must be like to lose a parent. My deepest sympathies and warm feelings go out to Brett and his family. What a bummer. : (
--Capn' Erf S.S. Sadtimes

January 09, 2003

In doing your work in the great world, it is a safe plan to follow a rule I once heard on the football field: Don't flinch, don't fall; hit the line hard.
-- Theodore Roosevelt

January 08, 2003

4 days, 6 parks, 8 sessions.... or Skatefest 2003.

So I left California for the second time in a week last Thursday to fly to Arizona to go skate with one of my best friends and mentor Dylan the Destroyer... yar... twas a grand time at sea to say the least. 4 days of skating, 6 of the best parks I have ever skated, good friends and great times. By far one of the best trips I have ever gone on. Thanks to Dylan for getting me out there, and to Sara for letting me crash at her pad.

Day 1: Woke up at 5:30am to catch a flight out of San Jose to Arizona. It was way to early and I was way too tired but somehow I managed to get checked in and somehow I made it to my plane. I arrived in Phoenix at 9:50, got my bags, and headed out into the warm winter day. This is where I met the crew: Dylan the Destroyer, Kyla the Ninja Killer, and Sara the Shred Dog. Once I threw my bags into the super packed trunk, it was off to the first park (minus a few minutes at the local Whole Foods to get a quick snack). We started the day at the Mesa Skatepark, a huge park with not much to offer in the way of bowls or lines. There were some fun ledges though, and we had a good flat bar sesh for a while. Mostly the park was a waste of space... but that being said, it was much better then most parks here in California, so I was still pretty stoked. If you wanted to try to do a long multiple ledge line this park would be perfect. There were tons of perfect sized ledges everywhere... but as a whole, the park wasn't all that rad.... So, after a nice warm up sesh it was off to Sara's house to chill and kick back for a few hours while we waited for Dylans friend Kevin and his girlfriend to arrive from Southern California. We played a few games of pool and watched a couple skate flicks to pass some time and wait out the Arizona winter heat. Once Kevin and his girlfriend (whose name totally slips my mind... erf...) got into town it was off to the Paradise Valley Skatepark. This place was amazing... huge layout, smooth ground, good transitions, and it had every kind of prop you can think of. One of the best parks I have ever been to. We all had a super good session there. I learned 270 cabalarials on the pyramid, skated the spine/bowl with heshin' steeze, and basically just had a rad time messing around doing silly tricks. It was one of the best sessions I have had in a long time. Kevin and Dylan were boosting some serious airs that night.... Kevin also did this crazy blunt slide transfer/gap thing from the top of a 7ft quarter pipe to the transition of an adjacent pyramid... it was super hesh and super sick. After the 4+ hour sesh we decided to go pick up Kevin's girlfriend, (who would normally have skated but had a head ache so she stayed at their hotel) and then we headed over to T.G.I.F. for some food and beer. Man, I don't think a Black and Tan ever tasted so good. The service at the restaurant sucked, but we got a free dessert out of it... so I guess that is cool. After food it was time to go back to Sara's parents house. I went to bed super early, I was beat like tha brat.....

Day 2: I woke up and was sore as hell. The Crew got motivated at about 12 and drove out to the Chandler Skatepark . Kevin and his woman met The Crew there since they were coming from the other side of town. This park was pretty fun, not as good in my opinion as the Paradise Valley Park, but still a pretty fun park. They had some kinna crazy quarterpipes with no coping on them which were fun to do slides and raw bs 50/50grinds on. Most of the transitions were smooth and they had some pretty fun props there. Dylan and Kevin were rippin that place to pieces.... I didn't really skate well there till after I got my second wind, a good 2 1/2 hours into the session..... I think we must have skated there for almost 4 1/2 hours.... it was super fun. I did a few hesher tail slides that felt pretty good, the kind of slides where your wheels make all kinds of screaming noises and stuff... it was cool. They had these fun ledges that you could grind up and on top of with out even having to olie on to them (sorta like doing slappy grinds or something...). I sessioned those a bunch until I fell on my ass trying to do a slappy backside 50/50 to backside tailslide... haha.. I guess that is what I get for trying a silly trick like that.... All in all I would give the park an 8 out of 10, I probably would have liked it better if I had felt like being more hesh that day. I had a hard time getting hyped up to shred that day. After falling quite a bit and finally landing some good tricks we all decided to go get some late lunch at Baja Fresh... man that was some of the best food ever... I don't know if it was just because I was starving, or because it took us almost an hour and three phone calls to find the place, or if it was because the food was really that good... but man... it tasted better then anything I had had in a loooooong time. Once we were sufficiently stuffed we decided to head out to the Gilbert Skate Park. The sunset that night was amazing. It was so rad that I had to just kinna chill for a while and enjoy it. I don't know if it gets any better then it was that night, full from good food, chilling with good friends, at a perfect skatepark, watching a beautiful sunset, in perfect weather. It was the closest thing to a "spiritual experience" that I have had in a long time. It was a great feeling. The session was super fun that night, everyone was ripping it up and having fun. As far as ratings go, I would give Gilbert a 9 out of 10, it was a really fun park to skate. After a long and super fun sesh it was time to head back to Sara's house to meet up with her parents for dinner. They took us out to this reallllllly good restaurant that was sorta like PF Changs. The food was excellent and it was super fun. Sara's parents are rad. Went back to Sara's place and crashed out... twas a great day o' skating...

Day Three: I woke up and thought I might not be able to move because my legs and arms were so sore. It turned out all I needed was a nice warm shower to loosen up and not the entire body replacement that I was anticipating. Kevin and his girlfriend had to leave on day three and I for one was sad they had to go. It was a ton of fun skating and hanging out with them. We hit the road at around noon after a bagel and some soda, and headed out to the Casa Grande skatepark. Man, this place was sketch. The area around Casa Grande is worse then the ghetto. Empty houses and burned down trailers were strewn out as far as the eye could see. Wrecked cars, broken bottles, trash, and rusted metal.... it was very humbling to visit the city of Casa Grande. The locals seemed nice enough... they were helpful and gave us good directions to the skatepark. When we finally got to the park I was a little bummed at the sight of it. It looked pretty shabby, pretty abused, and pretty gross. It was the kinna park where if you fall on the ground you wonder if you are gonna catch some kind of crazy disease or something. Not exactly the kinna thing I wanna have go through my head while I am skating. There were a ton of kids on BMX bikes there too, which is not that big a deal for me because I am use to riding with bikes at Greer... but these guys weren't very good, and didn't really keep an eye out for skaters carving through the bowls... so it really kinna sucked. The session there was the closest I came to a Greer type carve sesh and the lines through the park were actually kinna fun, but over all it was a pretty crappy park.... one of those ones that you make the best out of while you are there and then don't visit for another couple of years.... But then again, I have to admit that the lines you could carve there were pretty awesome, with lots of possibilities. If the locals weren't so mindless and white trash it would be a rad place to ride. If I had to put money on it I would guess that 5 out of 6 kids there spent too much time sniffing glue and gasoline in their free time.... Glad I skated there, really glad that I don't live there. After about 2 hours there we were all thoroughly annoyed with the cracked out kids and the lame posse of BMX cromags. So with no love lost, we parted ways with Casa Grande and decided to head out to the Gilbert Skate Park again. But before we went to the park we decided to go to this crazy TV Sushi bar where we ate some pretty decent Sushi and watched two basketball games, two football games, a pool game, and a golf game all at the same time. After getting sufficiently stuffed with sushi it was off and running again, heading back to the Gilbert Skatepark. I wish there was a park as good as the Gilbert park here in the Bay Area.... I think I could skate that place for months and still would be finding new lines and learning new tricks. That park rules. We all skated super good that night. I think I may have had my best session of the trip that night. Highlights of the night include a smith grind on the flat bar across the big pyramid and cabalarials on the small pyramid for me, and an insane nose wheelie by Dylan across half of the park.... it was a great night of riding. After we were tired and broken from hours of skating, we went out for some beers, and shots, and nachos to celebrate Dylan's b-day. I had some really good nut brown ale at the place... I think it was called Alcatraz brewing co... or something... I dunno... anyway, their nachos were off the hook and the beer was great. After obtaining a sufficient buzz from having two beers and three shots within 30 min we walked over to the movie theater and saw About Schmit. That movie is weird. Well done with good acting... but fucking weird. Not very uplifting either for the most part... but still a good movie. After the movie it was back to the house for some much needed sleep.

Day Four: Dylan and Kyla had to leave back to Colorado early on Sunday because Dylan had to get back for work on Monday, so that put the crews number down to two. Surprisingly my body wasn't really that sore on day four. I guess it was getting use to the abuse. So at around 10ish with a stretch and a bit of a yawn Sara and I motivated over to the bagel shop and got a quick breakfast, and then worked our way through the northern part of Phoenix to hit up the Desert West skatepark. The Desert West skatepark wasn't much to look at. Lots of kids... lots of empty space.... a crappy pyramid.... no coping on the transitions.... and some kinna funky looing bowled out areas.... when we got there I was like "this isn't gonna be much fun"..... but three hours later we were still skating and having a great time. There were little curbs all around the park with metal edging on it and some kinna fun ledges etc... I messed around a lot and had a lot of fun dorking around on the curbs. Some kid called me the king of posers and then told me that I was "totally stoned". hahaha After I landed a mach 3 backside tailslide on the medium ledge I asked him to play me in a game of skate... which he declined, stating that he could hardly olie up the curb and then argued that I knew to many hard tricks. Kids out in Arizona need to be beat down severely... or something..... maybe they just need to stay away from the glue and gasoline. hahaha Anyway, Sara and I had a rad time skating at the park and after close to 4 hours we decided that it was too hot to skate anymore and opted to go check out the Vans park at the local mall. The Vans park looked like it could be pretty fun if it wasn't packed with 5000 little kids.... but since it was packed with close to 6000 little kids we decided to go catch a movie and rest before our next session. So we went and watched Catch Me If You Can, wich I highly recommend. The Nachos at the theater sucked but oh well, what do you expect from a theater..... after the movie we went to Baja Fresh again for dinner wich was grubbin as usual. After dinner we decided to go back to the Paradise Valley Skatepark for an evening sesh. I couldn't skate for shit at first, but by the end of the night I was finally getting my flow on. Most of the local kids had to go home early to go back to school on Monday so by the end of the night we basically had the whole place to ourselves, which totally ruled. That place was soooo rad. Super good park. I wrecked my self that night, hitting my elbow super hard and falling on my back brutally after tripping on a missed back side tailslide on this bump to ledge thing... ouch... can you say "swellbow"... oi... but I still managed to have a rad time. I really hope that some city in the bay area takes note of the parks out in Arizona... they are sooooooo good.... anyway, after about 4 hours of skating the rangers came to shut down the park and then it was time to head back to Sara's one last time to catch some z's and pack up for my trip back to reality and California....

Day Five: Got up, took a shower, hit the road back to San Jose. Man what a trip......
So it has been quite some time since I have written about my adventures and escapades�.. I have tons to write about�. I have been here, there and everywhere� lots of stories� lots of traveling� lots of fun�. Man� I don't even really know where to start�.

Well I guess I will start with Christmas�.
Christmas was awesome. I had a ton of fun buying gifts for people and had even more fun watching them open up their presents. The looks of wonder, surprise, and happiness were all great. It was awesome. For the record, my Christmas at home in the bay area was one of the best ones to date, not because I got lots of loot or because I made out like a bandit, shoot, I didn't even ask for anything this year�. But this year was great because you could really feel the family love. The warm smiles, the happy laughter, the bright tearful touched eyes�. It was great. It was really really great. I can't really find the right words to describe the happiness that filled my soul this Christmas�. It was as if an empty void had been finally filled after a long drought or something�. I don't know� it was just rad. So that was Christmas, I was here, in Mt. View, with my Mom and John, and John's kids Grey and Karen�.. and it was awesome.

Spokane:
After Christmas, on the 27th, I flew up to Washington to see my Pops. It was a good trip, I miss seeing my Dad. I wish he lived closer. I miss being able to just ride my bike over to his house and stuff�. I miss hanging out with him. Spokane is a long ways away. Anyway, he had his traditional "new years eve, eve party" and that was pretty fun. He has some nice friends. I could go off about some things that made me mad and that annoyed me, but I won't. It was a good trip and I don't feel like getting into the minor lame mishaps. I left my Dad's on the morning of the 31st and got home with just enough time to go get a few last minute things for my Gangster costume, for the OG Gangster New Years Party��.

New Years:
New Years was off the hook�. Thugged out hip hoppers, gang bangers, pimp daddies, ghetto hoochies, gangsta biatches� man it was awesome. Good music, 40's, fake guns, attitudes, dominos, dice, and dancing�. Zero zero tre' foo'z representing�. Man� nothing like bringing in the new year Gangster loc steelo�. It was sooooooo much fun. I drank two and a half forties (one Colt 45, one King Cobra, and one empty bottle of King Cobra that was refilled with Newcastle to the half way mark), a glass of champagne, two shots of that really bad stuff called Yeager..... and some crazy mixed drink� not to mention the crazy beer combos that I drank during the Neanderthal Quarters game (a mix of Mickey's King Cobra, Miller High life, and who knows what else� ). I got pretty fadded, and it was fun. I danced with a ridiculously hot girl, got her number, did I mention that I got my fade on, busted caps on fools, schooled my new roommate Ben at Neanderthal Quarters by scoopin on his azz twice within 5 minutes, danced some more, drank some more, and talked hella shit. By the end of the night my homie Mike P and I were giving everyone Evil-I tattoos and acting like crazy lunatics�. It was a great night. Costume parties rule. One of the best parties I have been to in a long time. To top it all off, I didn't even get sick, and wasn't even hung over that bad the next day�. That ruled. This New Years was one of the best ones I have ever had�. Good times with good friends. This was one for tha homies... that's how they all sould be.

The day after new years it was off to Arizona for a super hesh skate trip... more on this later.... this year is gonna rock!
--Capn' Gettinon S.S. Thagoodfoot

January 07, 2003

Only a mediocre person is always at his best.
-- W. Somerset Maugham