Showing posts with label santa cruz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label santa cruz. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Just What I Needed

It's close, yo. Less than 48 hours away and the Aquaholics will be heading to Westshore on the Lake Tahoe Epic in the persuit of happiness. But we got things happening in the meantime and I can only report that we're going to make it there whether the rental agency likes how we roll or not.

I got to say, working at EMC has been really great and I feel I fit there in the work environment, but since the young guns moved out from Boston, the floor has been more lively, the pain caves aren't so painful and even the shit ball coffee tastes a little less shitty. On that note, the managers stepped up their game faces and called on their secretary to plan a beach day last Thursday. On a wellness scale the day was well to very-well and after a 3 hour meeting highlighted by Big Ed's motivating speech on 'bottomlines' and 'fullfilling promises' we made the journey over the hill for some fun in the sun with the EMC All Star BURA squad, us.

Julia blew it up with tents, TOGO's, music and a helluva rockin' atmosphere. She special ordered this incredible weather that set the backdrop to a Utopian work day(is there work in Utopia? I hope not).

As we got underway there was a debate whether alcohol should be purchased. In one corner there was the 'well, it just doesn't make sense to get everyone liquored up and drive back over the hill' and meanwhile, in the other corner they are on the horn placing an order for 4 12vers of miller light and whatever else looks good. Come on, we're partying here! Work hard play hard and keep an even keel.

KT rolled in with his 6 volleyballs and little booties to keep his feet cool in the blistering hot sand - yea, blisters on everyone's feet. Next time KT, bring booties for everyone. It's kind of like the kid in class that whips out one piece of the bestest gum for himself and eats it in front of everyone.

But the VB game was awesome and props to KT for settin' that up. Big Ed, me, the Mak-attack, Chaz, U-dog, and Kelly-Kel lost the first set, but rallied for 2 in a row off my diving dig save and Chaz's closeout serving. Shut KT and his crew down and wore our sweat proud. I think we made Big Ed proud - you know, everybody loves a winner.
Carrying on with the incredible time, we jumped upstairs to the Crow's Nest patio with the ipod doc and laid down an epic set of Curtis Mayfield, Lionel R, Skynard and the rest. Are you seeing a pattern to the music we roll out? Our waiter, bless is tiny heart, was trying to handle the entire patio and while I had sympathy for the man, I wanted a blasted cocktail to put these flames out.

Curtis ended up having to trek inside to the bar and place the first order. After waiter figured it out and the broad that was late showed up for her shift, the guy came through and it was river of Bay Breezes down the hatch. The kids from Boston were beside themselves. Boats going by, 73 degrees, slight breeze and Jack Johnson telling us the horizon has been defeated. We ate plenty of dead sea life, raw, breaded, seared and the like and enjoyed ourselves until the sun hinted at hiding behind the mountains behind us.

Jules, Curtis and I headed out for a cig and found a couple of cool-ass bros that offered up their final stick to us and we kindly accepted. We kept the ipod rocking the whole time and had about 4 different little dance parties before we got back to the truck where the dance parties continued. (Before I get carried away here, I had stopped drinking the Bay Breeze's and was content with water knowing full well I had a drive back to the pit on my hands.) DJ C-Dub kept the jams going on the ride back and we rocked out to the hip hop hibby all the way back into LG. The ipod wasn't off for more than 30 seconds when it was plugged into the house and Chris Brown was singin Forever to the girls and us.

Jules and MD had a little practice from there Dance Revolution training and wanted to show off some skills. The fish came down and wanted a little action too, so we abliged and the night was epic.



Great day all around and I've never been so sore in the thighs - core volleyball and 8 hours of dancing until the morning light. I forgot all about the worries on my mind and slept like a baby. Friday may have been my most unproductive day in my pain cave, but I don't think I was alone. I hope you all can share a riproaring good time with your co-workes. You spend 50 hours a week with them...embrace it. Love it. And be excellant!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Big Island Brah Hippy Trail

August 13, 2008 I met my Christopher McCandless. No he wasn't on his way to Alaska to die in a bus, but on his way to Santa Cruz to sell the flutes he made out of the high mountain forests on the Big Island of Hawaii (Ha-Why-eee)....yeaaaaa.

So there he is in my living room with a huge smile on his face. Never met the guy before but after backpacking 6 months in Europe, I know that comforting feeling that washes over you when a helping hand is extended your way. Let me back up and start the story before I just confuse you with bullet point sentences.

I had just got home from playing with the out-of-control black dogs. This is what they really look like when they play ball... Tales at light-speed, slobber and happiness spewing off their faces...

Anyway, so this 4Runner pulls over in front of my house about 7 o'clock last night. I'm curious because there's two frat boy looking d-bags that get out and one hippy that looks like he fell out of a tree in Berkely. The Betas took off in their truck hardly saying bye to this guy and me being me, I had to catch what this traveler was riding.

"Hey man, you walkin' somewhere?", I says.

"Yea man, headed to Santa Cruz. I'm from the Big Island," haole says.
"Of course your are."

So I invite the wayward traveler inside to get comfy and get this kid's amazing story of peace, cheer, medicine, women with exotic names and flutes. I guess I was in awe of this guy and had so many questions for him about how the fuck he got from weird-ass Florida - regular kid, well-to-do family with beach house - to living 'Maulka' on the Big Island.

Maulka means 'mountain' in Hawaiian. It is one of the key words he mentioned that would help me get around in Hawaii. The other key words are Kona meaning 'dry side', and Makai meaning 'ocean'. For example, "Dude came maulka on his way makai and left for the mainland from kona."

Johnathan Wolf, kept saying he came from a community in the mountains. I asked him to elaborate and the hippy hawaiianly said that it is a peaceful group that lives simply in the mountains on the big island. He only left the community for the mainland to sell his flutes in yoga centers along the pacific coast and expand himself...


check out the stone necklace and 'SPACE' shirt. Hemp belt and black Kung Fu pants were just the icing on the cake for this guy's gear.

Santa Cruz is actually just a stop on his journey so that he can get a little flower out there that he met on the Big Island and invited to the community. Speaking of 'pua-nani'... that is the Hawaiian name for flower, triangle, fresh water spring, or vagina, or small child - go figure. ... these were two ordinary flowers he was meeting in Santa Cruz. When he called them, he says, "Hi there Firefly? What are you and Lulu up to?"

In some weird alternate space/time continuum, I wanted to relate to this guy and see just what's out there in that jungle he lives in - Like Ray Kinsella wanting to go into his corn field and see what Shoeless Joe was keeping from him out there.

Mr. Wolf has been studying yoga maulka in Hawaii for the last 5 years and practicing yoga for the last 10. Just recenlty he got into Capoeira and had plans to meet a Mestre, Capoeira master, in Seattle in about a month. So he's got this staff looking instrument and a gord that somehow makes adds to the staff used in Capoeira circles. I thought it was a walking staff, what the hell do I know about cool shit though.

So many stories later and I found out he's been in this community for quite some time - no shit hippy. He respectively took his sandals off before entering my domicile and was very thankful for my assistance on his adventure to the mainland to find Capoeira gurus and a couple minxs that go by Firefly and Lulu who are part of the community.

The man was SOL on transportation from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz, apparently there is none? Go figure for the sheeshy town. So out of the continuing good graces of my lack of other things to do, I gave him a ride to dt San Jo to catch the 17 Express to his pua-nani. Along the way he played me a song on one of his flutes that really set the comfy mood of the ride and brought laughter and smiles to my insides. I will most likely never forget this soul who abandoned civilization to live without phone, television or refrigeration in the mountainous areas of the Big Island of Hawaii. This picture ending my time with my personal Alexander Supertramp. Best luck on your journey Johnathan Wolf.