Happy New Year - To All Kooks - In The Water or At Their Keyboards - Beware - The NEW BA for '04!

I gotta hand it to myself - not too many suicidal thoughts because of:

1. One of my best friends of all time - Gary King - died of a heart attack right before Christmas. His friends held a "paddle-out" at California Street a week ago. My kids and I will attend his memorial service in a couple of weeks. Gary's ashes will be spread at sea, via one of the Channel Islands Boats, for whom he was a Captain.

2. Another friend - Rod Luscomb - of Sunset Cliffs Fame - a surf spot - LUSCOMB'S - was named for him, died in December. His Paddle-Out was a few weeks ago at WindanSea.

3. Chuck Hasley, a friend of mine for almost 50 years, died last Friday. Chuck's Paddle-Out will be in a couple of weeks, probably at WindanSea

4. For Christmas presents I received: The Flu, TWO root canals, and a nice Notice from San Diego County Superior Court/Family Law Division - "Petition for Marriage Dissolution."

MERRY CHRISTMAS, BA!!

I've probably made every financial mistake that a husband could make over the course of the last 13 years - if there is such a thing as reincarnation - I hope to come back as one of CJ's Golden Retreivers.

Luckily, my kids and I are still pretty close [I think], and I know, err, hope that we can become re-acquainted in the next few years, before they start having kids.

Other than that, the surf's been okay, and I figger I got 10 years to prepare for retirement on either an Island off of Panama or a commune in India - wherever India is!

Later,

BA