The Crazyness is About to Begin!

Well, we are nearing our launch date to completely redo our Finance dept and move them to an entirely new software set. The training starts next week on monday and we just have a crazy mess of upgrades facing us. We have to roll them,and update our Utility Billing depts system as well and roll them to a new SQL server and away from a flatfile database. FUN!

Im also going back and forth about whether or not Im going to switch out my standing rigging on my boat. Basically, it could use it, but 700 is a lot of money to throw at it when it isnt really broken. The problem is that I cant really wait until its broken, because if something on the standing rigging fails under sail, there is a very good chance the mast will come down and not the way it was intended. Bleh! I have been going back and forth about this and well, I dont know. The date for the haul out is getting closer and closer and my list of projects is getting bigger and bigger and well, its going to suck basically. Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!! Not exactly the fun part of owning a boat but it has to be done!!!

Im looking forward to a long weekend and sailing my ass off. Its going to be a blast. We are forecasted to have 70F weather all weekend with nice 9-14mph south winds. Perfect sailing weather!!!!!!!!!! Now... If I can figure out a way to make all those damn powerboats stay at home and stop chopping everything up and in general, being stupid.

Weekends come and go

I had a good sail saturday, I just stayed in the lake cruising around and having a good time by myself. It was a nice day out and sunday I was hoping would be even better. I hung out till like 3am with Heather and Megan and I woke up kinda late, only to find hardly any wind. I decided to make a run anyways and headed for the bay. There were about a million boats out, ok not really, but it seemed like it. The motorboaters were out in full force, waking everything in their path and just stirring things up. I sailed around the bay a little before I finally had enough of no wind and came back in and fought my way through the channel to my slip. Yea... it sucked lol.

Here is an interesting email I got the other day from a friend from San Diego, I met him in La Ticla Mexico.

"what up man, long time. how have you been.....have a good winter...i moved to kauai in december and have been getting nuggs all winter. but thinkin ahead for summer, and conguamas, and barrels, and shrimp burgers.....catch my drift....or somewhere...maybe indo.....what are your plans . what you been up to.....holla back, partner.....yeeehaw barrel fest what what!!!"

This just gets my blood pumping like no other. Damn........... I cant wait to get back to that place!

I need to get wet, its been a while.

Im doing some scouting for a sail down to another port city around 40 miles south of where we sail. Its a place I often go to surf and I think a sail down there via the Gulf would really kick ass. We shall see how it goes.....now back to work David!

Sailing Pics

Im at the helm. That day in the bay was just beautiful!

Here we are again. My bud Chris is going down below for some beers.

I got some shots from me sailing my boat last sunday. It was beautiful out there on the bay and I ran into 2 people that post on the same sailing forum I do and thats where I got the shots from.

Im going sailing again this weekend and Im super excited, I cant wait to hit the water. I have a small list of chores I need to do when I get down there tomarrow but its nothing too daunting. Well, I better get back to work, its going to be a crazy day. Thanks again Gary for the pictures!

Ahhhh Madness

Hahaha, Well yea. Im still alive and kicking in this mad mad mad IT world of the government. Working with 50 million different vendors, crappy software for such a specialized environment, and just random crap all over the place. Im hanging in there and coming up quick in this thing.

The sailing has just been going offffffffff!!!! I have been sailing every weekend and my personal life and organization has been suffering as a result of that. I have been learning literally TONS of information on this sailing thing and just getting out there and experierimenting with everything. Ive also gotten out there in the bay by myself in my first singlehand last week and had a blast. It was challenging to work the sails and plan everything in advance to make sure it would work but it forced me to really review my process and see errors I have been making. Anyways, I gotta run. Still at work and working on a bunch of issues. Anyone know why adobe acrobat pro 8 is totally eating it trying to convert a 200mb+ file that is 20 24X36 pages at 3000dpi down to 20 pages of 11X17 @ 300dpi? Dayum, its driving me nuts!

Just Thinkin

I have been doing a lot of that lately. Just reading and thinking about everything. BUT, dont leave the page yet, this will not be another "I can't decide what to do with my life" post.

I have been reading Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac and its an awsome book, I really recomend it to anyone who hasn't read it and is interested in another way of living.

The IT world has been going pretty decent, just learning and learning and staying caught up in a world that moves at the speed of light it seems at times. I have been trying to get focused on getting my ceritifications and trying to move up maybe here at the city but that will tell in due time. We have been working on several big projects and trying to increase our productivity and overall response time. Its really exciting and the technologies we are working with are super fun. Its challenging to say the least.

Well, it looks like Im headed to lunch. I brought my lunch today as an effort to start saving money for the big trip, but, I can always start on monday right? Right!

Small Craft Advisory

That was the call for Galveston Bay saturday as we had strong NE winds all day friday and then ESE winds at 15-20kts on saturday, effectively whipping the bay into a frenzy. It was clear and cold as hell as we met up at the boat, me, Damien, and my buddy Chris (the guy I raced last weekend). Chris starts putting on foul weather gear, being the experienced sailor that he is and is looking at me like Im totally retarded. I have on jeans, 2 shirts, and a good hoodie. He tells us its going to be cold and wet but we head out anyways.

As we are motoring through the channel and under highway 146 I noticed the lack of boats but I thought it was just the cold keeping them from coming out. As we approached the mouth of the bay, that's when I realized why there were hardly any boats out. There were 2-3ft waves and just chop everywhere. We started beating through it and I was up getting the mainsail ready to be reefed when I noticed the prop on the outboard was coming out of the water because we were bashing through so bad. The foredeck was getting soaked with each wave and I was catching chilly 50F water in the face. Chris informs us that we are heading back to the lake. He doesn't know my boat that well and doesn't really trust the rig that well yet. We headed back into the lake and let her run under full sail. We initially sailed on some light points or maybe the wind was just slacking a little because when we tacked back across the lake we started healing hard. I had a good puff hit me and I dropped my beer for the mainsheet to let it out a little to ease the heel and being her back under control. We sailed across the lake a few more times and on the last one at a close reach we were hauling ass. I didnt have my GPS so I dont have a speed but it was a solid 6kts for sure.

The rest of my weekend was pretty uneventful. I rode a dirtbike for my first time this weekend and immediately caught on to that and had a blast. It was a 200cc but had been modified a little and that damn thing was pretty fast.

I hung out with Sabinka last night and we watched a good movie and enjoyed some wine. It was the perfect end to my weekend and I had a good time. We talked about life and goals and missions a little and shared ideas with each other. Yup, now Im in the office, dealing with 25 something emails about tech crap. yay.

The race was ON!

A Beneteau 34 we passed

My boat. Yea, my jib needed to be hauled higher.

Healing pretty good here.

Chris on his Morgan25

Closeup of the Morgan25 I raced

I had a great day sailing on saturday! My Dad and my step Dad both came down to sail with me and I prepared them for the race that was going to take place against my friend Chris in his Morgan 25. We got the boat clean and loaded up with some lunch stuff and headed out.

We met up in the bay just outside the channel markers and we started raising the sails. Chris faked me out with reefing at first and I followed only to look up and see him under full sail. Damn! I unreefed and got the main and jib up as fast as I could and had my Dad at the helm start us on our first tack off to starboard. We quickly caught up to him and passed him and we turned back out to the bay as we were getting into some shallow water and I draw 4ft. All day Chris would get me on port tacks and I would hang right with him or gain on him on the starboard side. We did finally pass him and slamdunk him when I was at the helm and controlling a lot of the mainsheet. I passed within 15ft of him and completely stole his wind. What a great day! Later that night I got some praise for our performace that day. Not tooo shabby for some newbies.

Sunday brought colder weather with a northern wind and I decided to go out. Well the wind was dying off more and more throughout the day and by time we got a ways out the bay, it went totally calm with maybe 1-2kts of gust. Blam, we were becalmed. We decided to just hang out and drift and have some drinks. We had a good time and even motored over to some big 40ft Hunter and got them to give us some chips. It wasnt really my idea but it was funny nonetheless. We eventually had to motor all the way back in and as we were coming in, it started picking up again so we motorsailed all the way back to the slip.

Im really starting to get the hang of this I think. Its so incredibly fun out there. Im working on the boat and getting more and more things replaced and getting her looking good and sailing right. Ill be working on the rigging again soon. I still need to do my brightworks but, thats not at the top of the list. Enjoy the pictures.

Im Saaaaiiiling Awaaaaayyyyy

Yeeeaaaaaa!!! Well, the weather is looking like it is going to cooperate this weekend for some time to go sailing. I plan on sailing the whole weekend again if I can and spending the night on the boat saturday night.

Work has been a little easier as it has calmed down some. Thats good because it was stressing us all out pretty badly. I thought it was just me but our network admin and my friend called me the other night and asked if I was the only one who thought it was just going totally nuts at work. Its friday now, and Im hoping that it will be just nice and quiet today with the occasional issue and leaving me time to get some more important things done. I reeeeaaallly need to clean out our server room/tech bench.

So yea, sailing. Im stoked. There isnt much surf to speak of so thats what Im doing all weekend. Speaking of surf, we have been having a pretty wierd winter this year. Usually this is the time to get decent and frequent surf here in Texas but lately, nothing much has been happening. We've had a few good days dont get me wrong but its been nothing to write home about thats for sure. The water isnt too cold and is hovering around 59F at the moment.

I have been thinking of a vacation with my older brother Cory for the summer. I dont have a lot of time like I used to with the old job so I guess Ill just go somewhere for a week and a half and enjoy it as much as I can. Now that Im making decent money, I have been thinking of dropping some cash on a flight and heading off somewhere, Australia maybe? I just dont want to think about it too much because it depresses me that I dont have the time that I used to.

Ill try and shoot some pics this weekend while we are out on the boat. Have a great weekend!

Another Day at the Office

Its 8am.

As I sit down I notice the red "you have a message" light flashing on my phone.

3 emails are already in the box, waiting patiently to be read and tended to.

As I turn to fend off some emails, someone walks up with a laptop and tells me they are having logon issues with it, a problem that really doesn't make much sense. My focus changes now from the emails to the laptop in my face and I learn that this is a very unique problem, unique in a way that to fix it requires having a knowledge of a part of this network I have not yet learned. Another knowledge forms now in my brain, that knowledge is that the only person who does know this, is home sick. I wont call him and bother him because that is rude and my own struggle to have independant knowledge is stronger than my desire to call him.

IE7 is putting up a fight of epic proportions as it keeps crashing on close.

ICE Tcp printer configuration is out of whack.

We have a large amount of wierd traffic on our network causing congestion.

.....it is barely noon. Ohh how I want to be somewhere in Mexico right now with my only worry being that noon time wind shifts will soon turn the wind onshore and blow it out for lunch. Then Ill be forced to paddle in and eat and lay in my hammock as I wait for it to turn offshort again in the afternoon. I keep asking myself if signing up for this is really what I wanted.

Epic

So... this non posting business has gone on long enough. Its time to restart this blog!

Well, the latest and greatest news is I finally got the damn outboard back from the shop last weekend. Its very hard to be patient about something you buy and cannot use immediately, in fact, its been one heck of a lesson. Well, I got the motor back and God smiled upon me and blessed me with 2 full days of sailing in good winds in nice weather. Ohh, not to mention warm tempuratures as well.

The first day my step dad drove down. We prepped the boat and I went over a few things with him and we got her out of the slip and out into the lake. Ok, he has never sailed in his life and well, I have only been out maybe 2 times on other peoples' boats, never on my own. We decided to stay in the lake area and everything went well. We cruised around the lake for around 2 -3 hours under full main alone, I was a bit nervous about raising the jib too as this was my first time out. I practised tacking all over the lake and we made about 8 passes back and forth before we headed back in and called it a day. It was an amazing feeling to be out there and I was really having a blast. I went over to my friend Chris's house that night and had some drinks with him and his friends. He has a morgan 25 and has taken me out on his boat. He has been sailing for some 20 0dd years so he agreed to come out with me on mine the following morning to show me how its really supposed to be done and fully check all my rigging and make sure Im not missing something. I spent the night on the boat the night as I have been doing for the past weekends and slept great.

Rami showed up at around 11:30 am and I just returned from West Marine with my new mainsheet. I had totally shredded the previous one as it was the only line on my boat that I did not replace when I redid all the running rigging. We got everything ready to go and got some beer. Chris shows up and helps me with a stupid bowline knot I couldnt get to set for the life of me on the mainsheet. We start heading out and we decided to head out into the bay so we motor all the way across the lake and through the Kemah Channel. We had some asshole on a huge speed boat come from behind us s we were leaving the channel in front of the boardwalk and just blast through the middle of several sailboats and 1 other motor boat. The wake he left sent my 25' rocking violently and it really pissed me off. Is it illegal to shoot at someone with a flair gun???? We went out under a reefed main alone and cruised along nicely for a while. We could have ran a full main but we decided a nice easy sail was more ideal for the moment. We cruised along and headed way out into the bay and the wind slowly started dying down. About 5-8 miles out we unreefed and ran a full main and tacked back around and raised the jib. Even under full sail, we were barely making 2 knots but in no real hurry to get back, we just drank some beer and enjoyed the nice slow cruise with the waves now coming up from behind. About 45 minutes later, the wind started picking back up and we started gaining some speed. We adjusted our tack a little to be on a beam reach. Wow! We sheeted the main in a little and the next thing I know we are hauling ass! What a rush! Chris tells me we are making probably around 5-6 knots and we were heeling around 30 degrees maybe a little more. I loved the heeling especially and the smoothness as we effortlessly sliced through the waves. I let Rami take over on the helm and I went forward to the bow to just look around and take it all in. The weather was perfect, 75F, sunny skies, and now its 4:45 or so and the sky is an awsome color. Im looking at the sails, huge and filled with wind, carrying the boat along at this speed and giving us the ride of our lives. I could not have asked for a better sunday.

As for everything else, not much has been going on. I have been working a lot and just enjoying my time working in this environment and learning a lot. We have a great IT team here and Im glad to be a part of it. The surfing for me has been lacking. I can no longer do dawn patrols and gettin the surf to line up on the weekends perfectly just isnt happening. Ohh not to mention, the water is a toasty 56F and all I have is a 3/2. Bleh...

Today starts the day of my diet and goal to get into better shape and save more money. I know, I know, new years was last week, BUT, I never start my goals right on the 1st. I know how I think and I know most people fail. I give myself that extra week to still be bad and just get it out. Starting on the 1st is a daunting task, especially if you are super hung over the next day. The only thing Im thinking about is a nice juicy hamburger somehwere. So, I think Im ready. We have a mini gym in the garage now, so thats pretty cool. I really cant wait for this weekend. I hope the weather holds out and I can go sailing again!!!!

Working for the City

Well, I started last monday and so far, it is safe to say that I love it! I know it is only the first week but it has been awsome so far. Its crazy to say this, but I actually enjoy and look forward to coming to work. I never know what the day's challenges will be and I like that. We have a much bigger environment here than I did at the last job and I have tons of fun toys to play with. Its like being in mission control.

Everything else has been going ok. Im STILL waiting on the engine to get back to me from the repair shop and it is taking forever. They had to order another part so that delayed us another week. Im hoping and praying that it will be finished this week or sometime early next week. I would really like to get my boat out there before the dead of winter really sets in on us. I spent the night on her again saturday and I loved it. I worked on unclogging the anchor locker drain on sunday and finally drained the 3 some odd gallons of water that had been sitting around in there, darn leaves. I have been building a list of projects I need to start tackling and its a little daunting but exciting at the same time. Mostly just little repair jobs here and there. Its coming along, slowly but surely.

Well, there hasnt been too much surf to speak of around here lately. The water is getting chillier but as we keep getting some warm days, it warms right back up around 68 and then takes a crazy dive on the next cold front. It has been a little wierd this winter here in Texas as so far, it has been very mild, but we will see. Everyone can be quick to blame global warming and what have you, but Texas weather is always a little wierd. Its mild now but come January, we will all be saying "global warming whattttt?????". I need to hurry and get my but out there into some surf before it gets tooo cold as I only have a 3/2. I cant wait to try it out though, my older brother's friend just gave it too me for nothing! Its a pretty new o'neil so we will have to see how it does. Ok well, I have some issues I need to research so Im outa here!

Im home again

Well, I just got back from Mexico. I had a great time there and logged around 70+ more hours on Mexican busses. I blasted south to Punta Mita again where I was to hang out and see some friends and deliver some shoes that I had promised to buy for a friend there. I stayed the night in Debo's place, which, btw, if you ever visit Punta de Mita, I highly recomend you stop into Debo's and grab yourself one of her famous burgers or some awsome breakfast.

I had a good time there in Mita and I got to surf 2 days. I didnt drag my bored along for this quick little trip so I just rented an 8'0". Yes yes I know, but I had a damn blast on that log and it was the perfect size for the waves those 2 days. We had around stomach high and super long and clean lines. I got some great rides and just had a blast. I met a great couple from Canada and they were cool as hell.

My last day in Mita, I met a guy who had been sailing all around from the Bahamas. He took me out to show me his 40' ketch rig and I really enjoyed that. I havent had the chance to check out anything bigger than 36' and especially a ketch. A ketch is a boat that has 2 masts, the aft (back) one being shorter. There was a lot of rigging on that thing, but overall it didnt look too terribly complicated. He was a cool guy and a good surfer and we traded information back and forth, from surf spots to boating/sailing tips. He really inspired me.

Well, like I said, Im back and ready or action. Tomarrow I begin a new chapter in my life as a career man....for now. That should be some dull reading for a while, so Ill have to come up with some witty stuff or just start surfing and sailing as much as I can. I think we would all rather read about that stuff much much more than what I did during my 8-5.

Almost Done

Well, as it stands, I have about 4 more days of work owed to Jackson Hewitt, and then I'm out! I have around 5 days off before I start my new job, so I havent decided just yet where I will go. Im trying to watch the swell models and make my best guess as to where I can head off for a couple of days and score some good surf. South/Central Texas should be getting good for a couple of days around monday or tuesday, but north to central east coast Florida is going to be going off possibly better and longer. Damn decisions. I wouldnt mind driving to Florida for some good quality surf, but my surf buddy just bailed. He has a lot of doctor appointments for his back this upcoming week, so Ill be flying solo. Thats cool. I just dont know the Florida breaks like I know Texas, so I might just stick around here. I also Have the possibility of heading into Mexico for a couple of days to try and score.

So what has been happening in the blogosphere?? Is everyone throwing in the towel like Wiff? I hope not, cause I secretly know Wiff will be back. Haha, yeaaa... I have been thinking of working on an article about the stabbing for Drift Magazine but I havent fully decided yet. For thos of you that remember, I was lined up to do some writing for them about my trip but then backed off about exposing some spots that I traveled to and saw. Thats that elite-ist asshole in me.

The boat is still coming along. It has all new rigging now and the motor is in the shop so its a matter of days Im guessing. I need to hurry and get some insurance on that thing, so I can go sailing with no worries. I might go and do that today, but I think the office is closed. Damn. I have decided to relax a little about my poor boat. I talked with some great people at the recent ALS walk after party for our beloved Wes Ellsworth and they told me that as my first boat, my primary concern is learning how to handle her and learning all the aspects of sailing. They told me not to go crazy on new electronics and all that gear and just learn how she sails. If I decide to start heading way offshore then yes, I need to learn charting and spend some cash on some good electronics, but until then, I have the entire Galveston bay and Clear Lake to explore.

Ok, well, Im headed off to work. I know, I know, its the day before T-day, but o well. I gotta finish up so I can go surfing next week!

Back Back and Ready for ACTION

Well Im back from the cruise. We had a great time and I would take one again, however like I sa before, its not really my style.

We consumed just wayyyyyy toooo much alcohol. My final tab for 7 days was 600 dollars and well, Im hurting. Im pretty sure I wont be able to drink like that again for a long time, I just constantly pushed it. The reasoning behind it was my celebration of my death of my current self. Things are changing very very much on the personal front, and well, I got hired today at my new job. Ill be the 9-5 guy for a while so I can get my experience and certifications to move on and recover easier from long long surf trips. The money is very very decent for my level of experience (37K start) and they are willing to pay for my certs with Microsoft and well lets just say, those are not cheap. Its time for a temporary change. Waking up early. Working out. No more partying (at least weekday partying). Im watching all my friends grad from college, get married, move away for good jobs and it seems Im one of the last sticking to my guns. This is my gateway and only way to step it up to the next level and Im ready to sacrifice a little while to make it happen.

Anyways, Ill try and start posting regularly again. I have been slacking and Im trying to stop that. I have been working hard on the boat and all my parts for the engine just made it in today so hopefully that will be fixed in the next week or 2. All my rigging and everything is about to be ordered in a day or so, so brand new rigging is going to rock! She should be nice and ready to take out hopefully by the middle of next month. Ill keep everyone posted on my new career as a sailing surfing traveling maniac!

Leaving on Sunday

Im leaving on sunday for my cruise. Yessss! We are headed out for 7 days to Grand Caymen, Jamaica, and Cozumel. Cruises arnt really my style of travel, but it will be fun. I think the plan is just to drink as much as possible. The fun news is, a huge front is coming down from the NE, and its looking like some bigggggg seas we will be crossing. This should be fun!

http://polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/latest_run/wna_ecg.anim.gif

yeaaa......

My Bday!

Not much has been going on, just working and trying to get that new job. My birthday was monday, and Im now.....23. Umm, yea.

Ill write more later, been super busy!

Not much to say

Well, I dont have a whole lot to say here, just wanted to poke back in. I guess I gotta start keeping up with this thing again because that was my goal, to try and post as much as possible. Not too much has been going on. The boat is getting there, slowly. Im watching the weather like a hawk and just waiting for any sign of swell on our horizons. Its not coming.....

I might be making a job change. Yes.. Im thinking about tossing in the cards on my current job. The travel and all the time off are not worth it anymore with all of the crap I have to deal with and the wear-n-tear I do "non-reimbursed by the way" Im doing to my vehicle. So, Im exploring another option at the moment, and if it works out then I will post about it. It will pretty much signal the end of my traveling for now..... but.... it will provide the funding for that "UP AND VANISH" move that my current job cannot provide the cheese for. It will provide more working cash for the boat, and it will get me in on the cutting edge of IT work, which, is a true passion of mine. It will give me the means to get certified in all of the things I want so when I vanish, I can come back to something instead of nothing. Dont worry my few readers, Im not abondoning my dreams by any means. Im exploring another route to them. If anything, Im still on my path of living day to day, one day at a time, and trying to explore every option that comes my way. Im not a chronic job hopper, I prefer some stability. Yet, this opportunity is my newest sense of adventure for the moment. Im still living my dream, just in different contexts.

Another weekend on the boat

This is her, a 1983 Catalina 25. Yes, I know the sail is up, Im airing it out!

So, I spent another weekend down in Seabrook, Tx working on my boat. I didn't get much done this weekend but I did finish cleaning the starbord quarterberth. All thats left now is the head/sink and the Vberth in the bow. I really need to get to work on the wood on the outside but at the moment, Im trying to just get her ready to sail.

We had a bit of an issue with the outboard this weekend so hopefully we will be throwing it in the shop and letting those guys take a stab at it. At this point, Im just ready to hit the water.

Guatemala 2007

This is a small video I made of my Guatemala footage I had. Enjoy

The trip pictures are up!

This is a picture of Lago Atitlan in Guatemala from up on the highway leading down into Panajachel.

Well, they are up folks. You can see them at

www.flickr.com/photos/astraltx

They go from pages 1 through 7 and I will post some here on my blog as well. I keep hearing from people that I should write a book about this last surf trip and my new upcoming project, the Catalina. I have been thinking hard about it, and it sounds like a damn good idea. I love to write and writing a book would mean a lot to me. To know that people would actually be reading about my adventures thrills me and excites me. It pushes me to go out and do more! The next series of trips are going to be pushing things to the limit again. For next year Im considering the following...

1) Drive my RAV4 all the way to Panama and back.

2) Take buses/hitchhike/bum rides all the way to Panama and back for the ultimate backpacking experience.

3) Possible slight detour from surfing and head to Syria with my best friend Rami for a month or more. Once there, we will hit the buses and goto Lebanon and Jordan and possibly in Saudi Arabia.

Who knows. The possibilities are endless! Im really banking on number 1 and 2 though, I would love to see all of Central America.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.... the wonderlust.

The surf here has been nothing to even mention or talk about. Its been flat as hell after hurricane Dean, which sucked anyways. My older brother's friend gave me a brandnew quicksilver 3/2 and I cant wait to get out in the lineup this winter in a new, good suit. Hopefully, I wont freeze my ass off this year.