Ten years.

Ten years hasn't been all that hard on me, I have to admit. I'll thank the women in my life for introducing me to proper skin care. A message to the men out there: they are on to something with all that moisturizer and sunblock. Now if I could just figure out how to get all that lubrication into my knees...

So I've been at this thing, on and off (mostly off lately) for ten years. Although I have been writing for twenty, the bulk of it has been in the last ten. I have essentially chronicled my thirties.

When I look into the archives I can see how much I have grown and simultaneously, how much I haven't. I can also see how much better I used to be at this. Writing is definitely a skill that requires use. The pen, or in this case the keyboard, may be mightier than the sword, but unlike the sword, the pen gets sharper the more you use it. Left alone for too long, it gets dull. This missing muse is, of course, part of my motivation to put this blog into semi-retirement.

Ten years of career angst without ever mentioning the specifics of work. I learned that lesson early. Thanks Heather.

Ten years of my love life at first unashamedly exposed and then, as a result of frequently public and painful consequences, awkwardly hidden.

Ten years of hanging off rocks and riding down slopes and rolling down trails and paddling into surf.

Ten years and nearly thirty stamps in my passport.

Six of those ten spent with a loyal, friendly, occasionally smelly, $36 dollar, mushy faced dog.

For those of you who have stuck with me on this digital journey of exposure and discovery, thank you. I have met many of you in person, and you have been profoundly supportive and influential. And actually, it is because of some of you that this site even exists. Lord knows I don't posses the technical acumen to maintain this shit.

Be well.

Be kind.

Be outside.

Be brave.

At least for now, ciao.

Until the actual end, enjoy.

That said, i've had five pow days during the second warmest winter in US history.

So there's always that.

Even better, a few weeks ago, while I was working in Mammoth, I looked at the mountain report and saw that the top was about to open after four days of snow. I grabbed my new Burton Malolo and headed out before noon. Chair 23 to the top opened right as I arrived. Fifteen minutes later, I was carving fresh tracks through knee deep powder through the three back bowls, dragging my fingers across the snow.

I rode up to the snack bar in the sunshine, kicked off my board, pulled out my blackberry, and held my next conference call from the deck in the Mammoth outback while staring out at the snow capped Minarets.

I suppose that's why I don't bitch too much about that HOA.

I'm pretty sure I'm also just a month away from at least a temporary digital retirement.

Unless I find some inspiration to keep writing, I can't imagine why I would keep this around, what with Flickr, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, and all that time I spend on Geocities...

But then again, you never can tell.

In other news, if Firefox has told you that this site is an evil hive of digital maladies, don't believe them. DC is germ free.

It's snowing again tonight, and we should be getting slammed on Tuesday.

The irony: I have the condo because I have a good job. But when the snow comes, I really don't want to be working!

More Surfing Videos

But it begs a question: How are these dudes not dead?

I was in bed by 1AM and asleep by about 1:02.

2011 was fantastic. Five vacations. Three all new passport stamps. And surfing in both the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Happy New Year. Get outside for 2012. Don't let it all pass you by.

You can see all of Panama's photos here.

If you need me, I'll be in the cheap seats on Southwest - but on time!

We spent a week in Panama driving, surfing, driving, hiking, driving, diving, driving, climbing, driving and I think we did some driving too.

More pictures to come, but here's a taste of our brief year-end adventure.

This last photo of a handsome Lord Byron belies his reality as a lunatic. Immediately following this rare moment of calm, he, during our bike ride, stopped his ass in the middle of Ocean Blvd, blocked traffic, interrupted a wedding reception, and took a dump in the very middle of the road.

He's quite a charmer.

"As with every other form of bigotry, I have never been able to figure out homophobia. I will never understand how straight men get so irrationally enraged at the mere presence of a homosexual. When I was an RA in college, we went through diversity training with a guy who represented the gay student union. Several of my colleagues sat in the back of room, arms folded, cursing under their breath. Hell, they offended even me. As this was the first openly gay person I had ever met, I wanted to hear his story. I had a long talk with him after the session. I walked back to the dorm with him in an attempt to understand where this fear, this hatred comes from. And it might come as a shock to those homophobic readers but he didn't even grab my ass. Not once!

Shocking!

Seriously. It's not like gay men have done anything to piss of the straight community. Sure, we aren't too happy about Will and Grace, but we can live with it. They aren't competing for women, so they certainly didn't steal your girlfriend. It's not like these homophobes were getting their asses kicked by the neighborhood gay street gang. Honestly. Have you ever once met a gay bully? No gay terrorists. No masked men are running around cities forcing innocent citizens to redecorate at gun point. Though that's not a bad idea. Most people need all the help they can get. And they aren't out there recruiting like the fucking army.

Don't like getting hit on? Is that it? Come off it, ass face. Women aren't hitting on you either and most of the gay men I know wouldn't come near you if you were touring with the Village People. And if you do get hit on, so what? Women have been putting up with your bullshit pick up lines and unwelcome advances for years. Take some of your own medicine.

Personally, the best pick up line ever directed at me was from a gay man. He asked me, "You're not gay are you?" "No, I'm not", I replied. "Don't worry. The first time, doesn't make you gay." Priceless.

And no, it didn't work.

Someone told me it's because they find the thought of gay sex repulsive.

All right.

To most straight men, gay sex is repulsive. But the smell of green beans makes me want to wretch. I'm not out there shouting insults at farmers.

Against your religion? Believe it's a sin? Read your book again. So is lying, cheating, fornication, and greed. Go direct some of that hatred at your politician and priest first. They are much bigger targets.

I'm told that people hate what they don't understand. Most people don't understand quantum physics, but no one is out there tossing bricks at Stephen Hawking.

I just don't get it. "