Mother, Mother Ocean…

…I have heard your call.

I’ve had a few good days now, haven’t had to take any medication at all since Friday morning. A little tired maybe, but it was a good weekend. After the unpredictability of the bone pain Thursday I decided it wasn’t the best idea to travel to the East Coast with my command this week, both Crystal and my CO gave me “no shit” looks when I told them. Check, got it, two steps behind but I got to the right answer eventually. My entire command left today so not a whole lot for me to do for the next two weeks but that’s not a bad thing, I can catch up on some paperwork I’ve had on my desk for a few weeks and my hours can be as flexible as I need them to be.

Now, good Officer and all that aside and being a proper chip off the Big Kahuna block, what’s the first thing I thought of when all of a sudden my weekdays looked eerily vacant?

…wonder if there’s any surf…

Oh man, it just so happens a little North West swell peaked yesterday and looks like the occasional five footer is still rolling in. Well doesn’t that just sound like the perfect scenario for someone whose boards haven’t gotten wet since before he heard the word Cancer a month ago.

Next step, after a couple pop-up demonstrations on the carpet to prove my knee was feeling a lot better (pop up! No, do less. No, you gotta do more than that, cause you’re just laying right out, it looks like you’re boogie-boarding.) plus no coughing or sniffles for the last day and I was cleared by Quartermaster/Ship’s Surgeon Crystal to go surfing! I had to agree to wear more sunscreen than I wore in the first seventeen years of my life combined, to get out long before I’ll want to, and to not go to a spot that requires jumping off any cliffs (boy does she know me…), but all reasonable conditions… the only one I couldn’t agree to was to go somewhere with a lifeguard tower, I mean let’s not be ridiculous.

So this morning I woke up at semi respectable hour, took the dogs to daycare, and headed over to look for surf. While my normal spot looked less crowded, that requires a cliff jump so was off limits and I headed south to the spot that doesn’t. Decent timing caught most of the pre-work crowd loading their cars and yet the marine layer was just burning off and a touch of offshore breeze was fluttering through the palm trees.

and this was the view…

…shoulder high A-frames and a light crowd? Sure, thanks! (extra points to whomever can name the surf spot, my guess is it will be whichever checks first of the Bosun or the Powder Monkey)

The water was 72 degrees, very warm for San Diego, I roasted in my full suit but it was great. Got totally pitched on one (paid the standard fee to Mother Ocean) but then scored two that opened up all the way to the rocks. For the first time in a month I felt completely at home, couple nice carves around the single fin and a few sections to fade back and then step up and cheat five on the nose and watch the feathering over the shoulder… logging at its best.

Now I may have lost a few of you there…

…but I know at least three people who read this are nodding their heads smiling thinking it makes total sense…

As promised I got out before I wanted to, but the rising tide was mushing the waves out so good time to call it anyway. Here’s a pic after I got out including the log…

I needed that. Thank you BK for passing on to me this soul-cleansing escape, you taught me many things but I can’t think of one that has had more of a direct impact on who I am and been more of a salve for so many wounds.

Enough about surfing, since I showed you the before I figured I’d update, over the weekend the glue on my incisions came off and Crystal says it’s healing nicely

And I received two packages with fun stuff from two very sweet Aunts. Thanks so much Aunt Dondi and Debi!

Coming up on the two week mark since Chemo tomorrow, so my white blood cells (and therefore immune system) should be about normal. Supposedly most people lose their hair at around two weeks so that’s something to look forward to but other than that the next week should just be preps for the next round on the 22nd. Can’t say I’m overly looking forward to feeling like that again but I stick to my previous sentiment, if I need the stuff, let’s get on with it.

Ship’s Surgeon Crystal is doing outstanding, busy as ever, graduations to plan, resumes, etc. But I’ll let her get into the details if she so desires.

Thanks for all the love and support, I know the last post wasn’t sunshine but like the waves have crests and troughs to head towards shore I should expect the same.

– Cap’n Dave the Determined

Hark, now hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly
…into the mystic
– Van Morrison