LAST TUESDAY, my plans were to work on “Swamis,” which I did, watch a little of the possible running of the VANS PIPELINE MASTERS, do some house cleaning, go to the local recycling, load up all the food that got ruined during my recent five day power outage/failure, then go up to Port Townsend to do some work. I did work on the manuscript, in between checking the buoy readings, getting more coffee, feeding the birds, UNTIL I checked the tablet, and, after a lay day and a day of competition I totally missed, the show was ON.

I WAS AWARE that ripper on the mainland’s north shore, CHRIS EARDLEY was on THE NORTH SHORE. He’s in my contacts, so I texted him. HERE is how that went:

ME- Are you hanging at pipeline while I’m hanging in my living room watching pipeline?

CHRIS- Yes I was! Awesome event. Just got done surfing, though not there.

Me- I’m working for JOEL (another ripper). You probably have about 20 people you have to contact to say you were there.

Chris- Only the ones that have nothing better to do than text me about it.

Me- I had a lot of better things to do. I’m paying for it now working late.

Chris- Hahaha

Me- If you text me some shots of you hanging out on the North Shore with Scott Sullivan (PA ripper and, evidently, Pipeline photographer- water and, yikes, all) and Jamie O’Brien and all, I can put them on my site on Sunday and you would get TENS OF HITS. And I would appreciate it. It’d be great.

Chris- Jamie is coming over for beers later. I’ll see what I can do.

Me- Yeah. Um, what, yeah?

Chris- I kid. But I did just get out of the water on the WEST SIDE, n______ (yes, I know better than to name spots, even ones I will probably never surf). North shore is enormous and messy today..

Me- I actually was hoping you were serious, but a couple photos would be so lovely..

Chris- I’ll take some pics for you. I haven’t been taking many since I’ve been trying to leave my phone behind, and also due to being on the water or doing some work, which I’m also mixing in.

Me- You have probably already sent a photo of you working to your coworkers, so I don’t need that one.

Chris- (Upper photo) Here’s my morning.

Me- Other than the big ass hotel in the background on the one shot, beautiful and thank you. No shots of you ripping?

Chris- Nobody to take such shots. My surf missions are solo.

Me-Somehow you are making solo sound heroic. Solo, baby!

Chris- No complaints. Get to surf on my schedule.

Me- I think I want to surf on your schedule.

Chris- Obligatory sunset shot.

ME (to you, and to Chris)- My friends already know not to put me on speaker phone. Hopefully this won’t dissuade any of the few friends I have to be a little more… selective about texts.

I DIDN’T POST ANYTHING on Wednesday. I will this week. NO CONTEST to watch. OH, and I did get the garbage to the transfer station. Still have way too much recycling.. Getting close to Christmas. A nice present for a surfer might be… hope you answered waves.