Surf's up, dude

What an awesome day! The forecast was for rain, but luck was on our side because the sun was out all day loooong. The hot weather was perfect for our planned adventure: surfing!Two guys from Argentina wanted to go surfing too, so we all drove out to this simply amazing beach near Westport. We got a 2-hour lesson and rentals from a Maori guy named Mark, who was a wonderfully effective teacher and one heck of a nice guy! Looking super sexy in our wetsuits - NOT! mine wasn't fitting quite right with my long legs and shorter upper body - we got pommelled by the waves, but managed to get a few great runs where we actually got up on our feet. It was SO MUCH FUN. At one point, I had a grasshopper on my shoulder while I was surfing. Beth had to flick it off me. He got quite the ride! After a few hours, our surfing ability was decreasing at a far too rapid rate because 1) the tide was coming in and the waves were getting more difficult to surf, and 2) I suppose we were getting a little tired. Once we decided the boards weren't in our favour, Beth and I jumped and frolicked around in the big waves laughing wildly each time a big crasher tossed us like lettuce. Man, it was like being a kid again, and that's what it's all about! This photo below is the beach we surfed on... Starvation set in after giving back the boards... Beth and I have become picnic table queens; if there's a picnic table within 2 km of us, we're bound to find it. I think today's picnic table is the best one yet! Later that afternoon, we headed south towards Greymouth along the most stunning stretch of coastline I've ever driven along. It looked like a mix of the Oregon coast and Long Beach near Tofino, BC. Anyway, with scenery like that, we couldn't help but play the role of the typical tourist and stopped at almost all the look-outs and scenic spots. On the drive, we stopped in at the pancake rocks where there are supposed to be big blow holes when the tide is up. When we were there, the tide was not up. But the flat layered rocks were pretty cool. A short pit stop proved interesting when I saw the size of the toilet seat. Would my butt fall through? I didn't want to find out, so I did my usual germ-free "squat and hover". Upon arrival in Greymouth, I thought the folks who told me it was a dirty little town were wrong. It was small, but cute, in its own way. We got into this hostel called Global Village, where there was aboriginal art everywhere and loads of cool stuff like free bike and kayak use. Too good to be true? Apparently not - we took the old-school bikes out for a a spin all over town. It was at this point where my idea of this nice little town began to deteriorate a bit... First, some coolie in his hot rod got a speeding ticket for burning out in the town centre. The two little boys on bikes beside the car below then further reduced my liking of Greymouth. As Beth and I were passing the two 8-year-old's, one of them called us bitches, and then the other one tried to run Beth off the road. What the heck??!! Little peckers. We ditched them around the next corner and stopped to collect our thoughts: Beth: Can you believe those kids? Dee: Yeah, I know! Beth: How funny is that - two 8-year-old's picking on two adults? Dee: Yep. Crazy! It always happens after the fact that I think of something smart to say to kids like that, but at the time all I can think of to say is "Come on you little punks, you think you can take me on? Yeah, I'd like to see you try, you little dweeb!" Of course, in reality all I ever do is pedal my bike as fast as I can and ignore them as though I didn't hear one nasty word out of their mouths, and I pray they can't ride as fast as me... Dee & Beth: [laughter] So, now I'm about to take my sun-kissed, salty body to bed and hope tomorrow is just as freaking awesome as today was. The power of intention... P.S. I'll try to use the power of intention to get the bloke sitting next to me at this computer internet place to stop scratching his balls every 11 seconds.