Elephant Seals at Año Nuevo State Park

Stoked to spend some quality time recently with my Pops while supporting a good cause on a beautiful day in Northern California. One of my favorite places on the planet, aka Año Nuevo State Park, hosted "Seal Adventures Day", that benefited the Coastside State Parks Association, where we were able to spend several hours watching the elephant seals mate, fight, and makes lots of cool sounds. I was really stoked on all the friendly volunteer docents, and the park ranger who told me about his surf sessions at the reef by the mating grounds that is one of the sharkiest places on earth for great whites. Good times! Taken January 26th, 2013.

Where did you go?

Insert token blog post explaining why you haven't posted so long, and insert how you are going to push yourself to "write and post more" here. Not really, at this point I am taking the time to reflect and look back on this fun transition period of my life. What a whirlwind couple of Months the end of 2012/beginning of 2013 had in store. From working to volunteering, surfing to house hunting, San Francisco Giants torture to Jack White on a not so silent night, San Diego New Year's eating and sleeping to soon not be sleeping with a baby boy due in March, I have a feeling the ride is just getting started. Cheers to not knowing where this world will take you, and for now I'll just try to keep my head from spinning and find solace in not having to worry about RSVP'ing to SXSW this year. :( Live Happily Ever Now!

Danny Boy! Sharing in my love for the Giants!

So Stoked! We're having a boy!

Sorry Jack White, Tigers were no match for our world champs!

Pretty cool to watch Kelly Slater surf in Santa Cruz

Nat Young hometown favorite! Stoked that he made the tour.

Was packed for the cold water classic

Kelly Snap goes boom.

Took a trip to China Town.

Bath salts lookout.

Cable car fun with wifey on babymoon in SF

Of Monsters & Men at Not So Silent Night

Youngster I was

Grandpa was in town for the holidays. Talking in person vs. our daily call

Jack White can play guitar. Sorry about your Tigers.

Zombie Squid Apocalypse.

Not getting sick of these

Not landlocked anymore

Stoked to speak at Capitola's City Council Meeting for Surfrider

Future Giants fan almost here!

Museum of Modern art in SF

My favorite dog in San Diego!

Our new house in Santa Cruz

Logging HQ

Until next time...

Surfrider Foundation Santa Cruz Chapter

Coming back to Northern California I was super excited to hook up with the Santa Cruz Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, and I am so stoked on the great group of activists that I met so far and all of the amazing things that they are doing with chapter. When I first became a member of the Surfrider Foundation back in the early 90's, I always was passionate about protecting the beaches that I loved in Santa Cruz, and it is such a cool feeling to come back full circle as an adult and to be able to be an active member of my hometown chapter again.

Since I've been back I've made it to several beach cleanups, and attended some great events, and met some great activists! I am stoked super stoked at how welcoming the Santa Cruz Chapter has been, and if you are in the Santa Cruz or Bay Area I highly encourage you to get involved! You can like the facebook page, and check out the Chapter's website for more info, and I look forward to many more years of protection and enjoyment of our oceans, waves, and beaches!

Baja 2012

The hurricane crew was running on one vehicle "play it safe" skeleton crew mode down in Baja Sur, and for the first time in many years in Mexico I avoided personal bodily harm. I did not fall off of a cliff, get stung by a stingray, get stuck upside down on a 100 foot waterfall, fall down a flight of stairs, get robbed at gunpoint, roll a truck, get attacked by bees, or any of the other semi-disastrous occurrences that plagued me South of the border. Instead, great surf, great times with great buddies, and made some great friends. I even avoided the multiple scorpion attempts to sting me on the final day of the trip which has been known to be the most deadly (i.e. only pinch me vs. getting the stinger around to my hand), and decided against the last day of the trip "token shower" and managed to avoid the huge snake in the cantina bathroom. What more could guy ask for? How about a video inspired by the OG Magnus Frennmark? Soundtrack includes The Dirty Heads, Mason Jennings, Miike Snow (remix), and Foster the People (remix). Live Happily Ever Now!

Majestic Big Sur

Big Sur is one of those places that makes you realize how unimportant things like phones, tv, and other normal everyday what we think are "problems" are in the grand scheme of things. It was fun camping with lifelong friends, and being "cold" for a change. Let's just hope that nobody falls in the river because I bet those shoes would smell bad... Live Happily Ever Now!

Back To NorCal For The Win

We are about a month into our Northern California homecoming and life indeed is pretty sweet on PST. A little bit of sensory overload at this point, but so excited to be starting our wonderful new chapter in the area I grew up in. Also stoked to be in an area that is Green (compost and trash options at Costco and nearly everywhere), and looking forward to hooking up with the Santa Cruz Chapter of Surfrider in September. Live Happily Ever Now.

Border Crossing

Sadie's first look at the West Coast

NorCal Fire

Surf City Sorta (AKA Capitola)

Unlike Texas, CA Beach Rules...

Hiking in South Bay

Mountain Journey

Giants! Timmy Full Moon Heat

At Home - Beach - Friends

Life Is Better With Best Buddy's Birthday Bash And Daughter

Loose Leaf Bliss

Getting Used to CA Beaches

Support CA State Parks

Right Back Where We Started From

Nice Left

Live Happily Ever Now

6 years ago in June was undoubtedly the worst month of my life. Not only did my sweet Momma pass away, but I was not in a good place in my life overall (you grows up and you grows up). 6 years later looking back, I could not imagine a more different place to be in. Happily married, good job, moving back to California to be with family and friends (and the beach), finding my inner activist with Surfrider, being a better person; and while I still think of my mom everyday (as well as dreams both good and bad alike), most of the thoughts involve smiles instead of tears when I think of her. Here are the lyrics and video from The Transplants "Sad But True", a great song that has gotten me through some tough times.



When the fog comes through the golden gate
And the moon shines on the bay
And everything has changed
Now that you have gone away
Things are getting darker
And it's harder for me to see
And now you're an angel
Lookin over me

Back up back up
Its what you get beat up keyed up this rocky road

Sad but true but the list is too long
If i had to name you all it wouldn't be fit in this song
This magnums got me thinkin and it's making me pissed
Your lives were taken to early and you will always be missed
All the mothers who cry and the fathers who mourn
For every lifes that taken there's another child born
That doesn't make it better and it doesn't make it right
Im just thankful everyday that you came in my life

Back up back up
Its what you get beat up keyed up this rocky road

In a dream you take a trip
Down Shattuck to Durant
Up the hill, to the steps, Sproul Plaza and Telegraph
You pass Channing you pass Derby
You go to Ashby down to Adeleine
Take mlk to fifty-fourth and go down
To Genoa yeah and follow the bart tracks
To Harmon street ahhh Harmon street
Harmon street Harmon street
Yeah it's reoccurring it's like a dream
I live a thousand times yeah
And it's always like the very first time

As time goes on i can never forget
All the times we had memories i protect
Seems like yesterday when i last saw your face
You're no longer here and no one can replace
All the times we had wish they could happen again
I'll hold you in my heart in my heart to the end
If i could make a change it'd be me not you
So hard to sit and cope, so sad but true

Falls on Bull Creek - Lunch Win

Cubicles got you down? No problem, less than 2 miles from the office lies the Falls on Bull Creek. Fresh off some rain this can be a great cool down spot in the Austin summer heat! Make sure that you bring your 4x4 vehicle to get past the water sections.... ;) Dan is the king of inspiration for mid day weekday cool downs! Wayall!