Fluid Detail

No offense, but sadly this is the first New year wish I am sending.  I guess all the travel has caught up with everyone and midnite was just too far off.  The neighborhood is snapping and booming with the usual cache of illegal asian fireworks that never end and bricks upon bricks of firecrackers that fill the valleys with thick smoke.  But I got stuck with more stamina than the rest and faced with ringing in the new year with my Negro Modelo and lighting a couple of sparklers to toss into the yard.  Traveling the past 12 days has left me with too much to say and too little energy.  Jumping from the tropics to the powdery snow of Tahoe and back again is mind blowing, at least for me and the first

time doing it.  Staying active here on Vox is very dependant on available time and during the trip, I had none.  thankfully I was either on the mountain snowboarding, drinking, eating, or sleeping.  I love that I didnt have time for frivolous blogging, or reflection, or reaction...just doing.  Drooling on the pillow by 10 pm and up @ 6 am to get to the mountain by 9am...
It felt like the best surf trip I ever took...except I was on mountains and there was snow instead of water.  but the exilleration was the same.  Same stupid exhausted look on my face at the end of the day.  Same, "I'll eat later" attitude. 
the first two nites back here on maui i had the most vivid snowboarding dreams...woke up wondering what the hell are the windows doing open, when its snowing out ?!!  I went surfing today, anxious to feel a board under my feet and I have to say that snowboarding has made me a more aggressive surfer, in that the extremes I will attempt to put my abilities through. 
I wonder what my tolerance is for the other issues in my life.

Whoa...power is out here @home, my guess is cause of the wind, pretty gusty, maybe up to 45 mph. Just sat down to post with a glass of bourbon...the chicken marsala that i whipped up has me feelin overfed... and now feeling a bit stoned. Put the bourbon on top of all that and I might get Jag’d.  Got DJ Miguel Migs, trancing me, coming out of my

iBook, candles going, xmas gifts all sent out today.  Fat and happy.
Blasting off this rock on Monday heading for Lake Tahoe and with fingers crossed, find some snow.  The forecast doesn't look that good...that is, if its snow you want.  Snowboarding would be great, so would driving to Sonoma Coast for a few days of dumping Pinot on my head.  Considering 12 members of the family will all be staying at the new house, you got to have your bases covered for constant activity, not necessarily together.
My life this past 4 months is a double edged sword.  Malia and I have traveled all over the world.  She got to spend time with my family and friends back east where I am from, and we met up with members of her family in europe. We have been back home for 3 months and because I decided that I was only going to work in real estate @ the job I wanted...I haven’t worked yet.  I have been plenty busy, of course, but with the tahoe trip looming i didnt want to get something and burn them for the holidays.
So, I have not “worked” for 3 months. I would never have gotten away with any of this, but i worked during a couple of the months last summer...as a lifeguard at the Jesey Shore.  Wildwood actually.  It was my 12 summer  but I hadnt done it in 6.  I said, “Let me work!, you just enjoy the beach.”  And work I did.  I can’t even sarcastically insinuate that it was really work.  I hung out with all my high school and college buddies, sat on the beach all day, trained, competed in all the lifeguard races, showed all the young punks that experience IS everything, partied my ass off and saw 5 Phillies and 2 Eagles games.  I’m still laughing about shit that happened last summer.  
Anyway, because I cycle like that, love summer, like to cruise for fall/winter I end up in straining when it comes to the holidays.  And I am strained.  Honestly think the trip should have been reconsidered.  Originally it was going to be xmass in tahoe and new years in philly.  But the philly leg got dropped.  oh well.  
     My Buddy has an extra Billy Joel tix that I swooped on and I am seeing him on Monday nite here on Maui @ the outdoor, Maui Ampitheatre, getting picked up after the show and flying out @ midnite...Bada Bing

I was 13, you were 13 and a fat little shit with a big mouth but protected by your big brothers crew.  I dissed you on the b-ball court and you got your boys to surround me so you could try to get me go after you.  I didnt bite.  I was scared.. but not of you, ass-clown! I would love to find out what you and your junior mafia has turned out to be.  Would you be surprised that age has turned a shy, timid, only child with no dad into an extremely fit bad ass muthafucker waterman that blinks at nothing?  You would definetly need your posse this time...first to clean up after you piss yourself when you see me comming.  Second,to pick the asphalt out of your fat, fucking teeth! 

Although this is an awful lot like giving valentines in 5th grade...I happened to have loved giving valentines in 5th grade. So, Hush Hippie , as the end of today, is my blog crush.  Lots of personality and creativity and successfully transmitted across her vox. also, adorable.  kelli, charged hard at the tape.
This has to be the theme song for Blog Crush Day:

John you were my coach, my mentor, my motivation. The pride of the neighborhood, soft spoken but the most reverred  and respected person, not only in the swimming community, I ever met.  The fact that you lived down the street from me when I was a child and then went on to be nationally recognized, coaching U.S. Teams, but ending up back in the area and coaching me during my high school years, baffles me.I may actually have total recall of every word you directed towards me. You are an enigma. When my Dad died and I moved back into the area and caught word that you were looking for an asst coach, i had nothing going on, dazed, confused and lost.  The first day on deck you told me that I reminded you of my father from when you two played ball together in high school.  I couldnt believe this was happening.  I was a sponge for your EVERY word.  After 5 months working together you told me you had cancer.  2 months later you were dead. As I told you on your death bed, "Thank you, John.  You are the most positive influence on my life."

I like this concept as not only could my memory use a good drumming but a lot of my posts here are fluffed up with photos and I started on here to improve the regularity of my writing.  "IT-GIRL" kelli dug this up and although it is, as Paul Simon is wont to say "losing love is like a window to your heart. Everybody sees you're blown apart..", it stands to put some of the past in order. Mahalo Kelli

No one asks "How's it hanging?" anymore.  Or, "How's your balls".  Granted this is Maui and not South Philly but sometimes I just miss those terms of endearment.  'Howzit Hanging" being less offensive than asking about someone's balls, but, honestly, either of the greetings cuts to the quick...you dont need to hear any posturing bullshit, just get to da shit.  Not sure what some of the answers were to the questions but definetly followed by at least one wise crack before pertinent info...Example:
"How's it hanging?'
"To the left, you can ask any of these bitches"
Or:
"Yo, how's your balls?"
"How's my balls?...those mother fuckers are breaking my balls for bringing my girlfriend."
I'm not worried about it though, I was just back in Philly and Jersey for the summer and those ass-clowns are still doing the same old shit.  Not that it aint fun while your doing it. But it wears... I guess I just like to see things change up frequently.  Or I'm just making excuses because I know this time of year is a lot of fun in Philly, running around the city getting drunk, oh, I mean, Shopping!...Yes, this is the one of two times a year that I jones for the city.  Have fun you east coast freaks...just dont call...Midnite there is 5am here.
that all.

Show us a victory. 
Submitted by dearbarbz.

Old Guys Rule! Me and Buzzy defend our Ocean Challenge title.

Show us your favorite mode of transport. 
Submitted by NomDeCocon.

When I'm on the East Coast it's the Van Dyne lifeguard boat.  Love to race and train in them rowing up a down flat

sandy beaches without a care in the world.  Sometimes the weather doesnt always cooperate and you faced with racing in a pile shit and whitewater.
When in the islands it's  an outrigger canoe. 1 man or six man in  hawaii its the only to travel.   We do island  to island races and  the world championship  is from Molokai to  Oahu ,  42 miles.

Show us something by your favorite artist.
Submitted by Miss Parker. 

Andrew Wyeth has always hit me hard.  Growing up in the area that he most features in his works, resonates melancholic with me now, its more important to me now.  Being so far away, and skipping the last 11 autumnal seasons, his works are snapshots for me...like I'm in them.