Yesterday

Yesterday. It was frosty when I woke up. It certainly wasn’t the weather that some folks experience with snow, ice and wind… but it was cold. California cold. I know there are some of you who scoff. I once did. When I lived in Pennsylvania, I would run and skate  in subzero weather all the time. Anyway, I was shivering as I loaded up the pumps and hoses. I drank strong dark coffee and ate MetRx bars. I drained the pool at the house and one old favorite. It has been raining quite a bit out here. In the winter, I usually keep a few permissions drained. It is easier. It rains so much that it becomes a chore keeping them emptied. Lance Mountain, Arto Saari, Ben Nordberg and Curren Caples were enroute.

I swept the leaves out of the shallow end and then readjusted the pump. It was running smoothly. Samwise recently welded a new bottom onto ‘Big Blue’…  that is the name I gave my old pool pump. It was dropping the water level fast. The morning was quiet. I heard the nearby gurgle of the water and hoses running. I thought of all the pools I had drained over the years. I recalled one early morning in 1998 when Steve Alba and I had crept into an old neighborhood at first light and drained Koontz Pool. Steve had hopped over a neighboring wall and silently ran an extension cord to plug into their outside outlet. He borrowed their electricity to drain the pool while they slumbered inside. I smiled thinly. So rad.

I text my boss Randy. We are dealing with some things at work and finalizing several issues. We’ve been working on several special projects as things begin to pick up. It’s an exciting time. Skateboarding. I pull the pump and bucket the remaining water. I have everything wrapped up and back in the truck in quick fashion. I am no longer cold. Within an  hour, Lance and the crew arrive. Everyone is smiling. I take mental notes. Observations.

Professional skateboarders can be very egotistical. I personally think anyone that is very good at anything can have such potential. To approach such people in friendship is always a dubious business.  It must be hard to stay grounded when the world is hanging off your oysters. These guys had no such vibe. Mellow. Cool. Content in their own skin. We rode a bit, laughed and the sky smiled with us. It was a good day. Thank you to Arto Saari for the images. Skate- Ozzie