I’ve been ferrying the boys around in the last 2 weeks . It’s mainly been Leroy and his mates . We’ve shared the duties amongst the dads ,finding new skateparks close enough to home .The skateparks in our area require booking times , a means to controlling numbers in the covid pandemic . Not every jurisdiction mandates strict distancing policies . We venture out of our area , to places that don’t have the protection of the “bubble “ . It’s a risk on our part , but the kids stay masked up and generally stay in there own lane . The only thing that really worried me was a kid breaking a wrist . As I’ve stated before , it’s not the time to get hurt . The skate community can have a hardcore reputation . The skateparks are loaded with kids and adults that are from both sides of the tracks , it’s not blonde hair and blue eyes . It’s a race mix up , with big differentials in talent and experience . Volkom in Newport was there favourite . A cool place with a family vibe , and of course and excellent lay out . Still , it was a bit of an eye opener to see so many unmasked . This is typical of the OC and there disregard for safety protocols surrounding the pandemic . It’s understandable that there health system is on the brink of collapse . There were other skateparks we went to .Westchester was the mainstay . A skatepark with a reputation for being close to the hood . I saw it as well . 2 young kids buying drugs ( probably weed ) in plain view . This will probably be the only issue I have with these places . Fortunately our boys were oblivious to the goings on , they just wanted to skate . The park is on the other side of the airport , surrounded by sporting fields edged with trees and homeless encampments. It can be intimidating at first entry ,but what I’ve noticed at all the parks is the acceptance of all types that just want to skate . No matter how tattood up , how black , Hispanic , Asian , or age ,no one was hassled or forced off an area to skate . The skaters respected the skaters . The more I go to these places the more I felt at ease . Yesterday I took the older boys ,Tex and his mates surfing to a new location . We were met with an entirely different attitude .

The tribes of Palos Verdes …. have you read it or watched the movie ? To any of my Aussie friends or any other for that matter who want to see a little of the area , I suggest you get the movie . While not all fact , there are elements of this story that still hold firm today . Yesterday we experienced the dark side of it .

A series of big swells have hit the area over the last 2 weeks . It’s probably been the best window of waves in 2 years . It just happened to coincide with myself having a back injury . I’m consigned to ferrying kids around to activities , Yesterday I took Tex and his 2 mates to Palos Verdes , about 20 minutes south of us . This is an area of rugged cliffs , coves and headlands . For the long stretch of Southern California the coastline is pretty straight , bar this 15 km stretch between the Southbay and Long Beach . It’s an area that most resembles home and it also an area that handles larger waves . Palos Verdes sits up on a hill looking over this rugged piece of coast . It is an area of considerable wealth . There’s no government assisted wealth in this postcode . The waves in this area have a legendary reputation for being fiercely protected by the locals . There have been numerous stories in papers , surf mags and even on the news about the violent attacks on outsiders . I’ve been looking at the waves along here for a few years now . The boys decided they wanted to have a crack on a late cold Sunday afternoon . Indicators was their preferred choice .

The track down is perilous , narrow , winding , covered in lose debris . The 1st mistake : coming here . The 2nd : the boys walking down in wetsuits . Those below and in the surf can clearly see surfers making their way down the trail . Walking down with wetsuits seems a no go . You walk down in clothes and then get changed at the bottom . This of course will leave your belongings vulnerable when your an outsider . The boys were met with verbal insults by surfers coming back up the path . It quickly descended into a heated scuffle with one of the boys boards ripped out of his hands and thrown onto the rocks . Surfers started paddling in , shouting insults . It nearly became an all in brawl .1 of our kids started throwing rocks whilst the other got into a wrestle . The boys backtracked up the hill . The locals got their way . I confronted 2 guys . They accused me of not teaching our kids respect . I questioned him on why our kids reacted that way but he didn’t have an answer . They were both grown men . At 51 , I’m well past my prime . Add to that a back injury had me largely incapacitated, but the urge to do something I would regret was hard to contain . The usual insults about “finding my car and slashing its tyres and sucking dicks and blah,blah “ensued . I laughed . We retreated . Its true , the kids should’ve taken the insults and either turned back or stayed away from the other surfers , but I guess that’s a win for the locals as well . As we were leaving 2 cop cars come flying by . I’m guessing something was going down at the other infamous spot around the corner , Luanda Bay . We left , the boys went onto surf the Redondo Break Wall .

I get it . I get that it’s disappointing to see outsiders surf your spot , but this joint would be lucky to break 10 times a year . That means they have to surf somewhere else the majority of the time and I’m guessing that somewhere else is probably the 3 mile stretch of open beaches where we live . You gotta laugh at a gang that is apparently made up of kids whose parents are multi millionaires . But it’s true . Anyway peoples , it was a very disappointing event. I’ve seen both sides of two very closely related sports and yesterday I saw the ugly side of surfing that I’ve yet to encounter with skating . To the fat little fuck who told me to “ suck his dick “ … I’m guessing you’ll be out in the water down our way sometime .

I don’t dare move . Each breath is kept low in the diaphragm, shortened , hampered ,deliberate . I want to see the time . I want to know how many more hours until first light . How long can I endure ?To see the clock , I know I have to push my sight up above my left knee that is propped up by my left foot . For 20 minutes or more I’ve been holding a pose that has given me respite ,but the urge to adjust grows by the minute . I must see the time . I roll my eyes ,stretch my neck , tilting my head back an inch …..It’s 225 am and then it comes …..a wave of wringing pain that is horrible , exhausting . The pattern continues for hours , the spasms attacking the torso on any subtle body movement ; be it a head tilt , a leg straightening , a deeper breathe or for just the fear alone ……There would be close to 20 episodes through the night and then there was the need to pee . The body cramps were bad enough but the sense of dread and the illogical thoughts it induced were anther fear altogether .

It’s almost New Year’s Eve and the end of a most challenging year for us all . For me there was a sting in the tail of 2020 . A minor back strain under my right shoulder blade would force me to see the parlours state of LAs health system . A system that is buckling under the Covid 19 pandemic. I strained my back whilst driving . Can you believe that ! I was dropping Tex off to his friends house . We were discussing surfing . Whilst holding the steering wheel I hunched my back and tilted my head in an attempt to describe how I nearly scraped through a barrel .Thats when a mild shooting pain shot down my back , followed by several electrical like aftershocks that felt a bit weird . Tex laughed when I told him I just strained a muscle . I didn’t want to believe it .

Dan , our Aussie neighbour sends a text.. “ It’s pumping out front , let’s get out there .” I look out over the front deck and sure enough Hermosa has turned it on . Fuck it ,I’m not missing conditions like this . I pop a couple of voltaren , suit up and meet Dan in the back lane way . All the while I’m stretching , moving , fighting the little voice in the back of my head that’s telling me ..”the backs a bit sore dude , this might not be a good idea .” The waves are all time . It’s cold , really cold and it doesn’t take me long to realise that things aren’t right . You try to ignore it . You forget that your age has a 5 in it now . Your not 25 either . You’re old , you’re hurt and you’re making it worse . After 30 minutes I’m in pain and I’ve retreated back to the sand . By the time I get out of the hot shower I know I’ve fucked up , but pride forces me to hide my stupidity . I even have a couple of beers with friends . 6 hours later I totally regret my actions .

A couple of terrible nights ensued . The nights are always the worst when you’re injured or unwell . The first night was probably one of the worst nights I’ve ever endured . Maybe 2 hours sleep was achieved . The fear over rides common sense . I’m lying flat on my back and there is a little tickle at the bottom of my my throat . I can’t clear it with a little cough or a deep swallow . That’d be enough to send my obliques into a paralysing crush . You start to think ..” Is this the beginning ? Have I got covid and these symptoms another new set of conditions that accompany it . I’m fallible , I’m old enough now to be on the edge of the danger zone . I mean it was stupid to be thinking like this but I was . I knew deep down that I wasn’t that bad . There are friends and acquaintances who have suffered worse pain and sickness . But whilst you live in the States right now ,any little medical complaint or even emergency can be very precarious. The second night wasn’t much better , but thankfully the muscle relaxants I received had made enough of a difference that by by the 3 rd night I knew I was going to be ok . That’s the thing here in LA right now , you do not want to get hurt and be forced to use the medical system . The hospitals are at full capacity . The 2 Urgent care facilities ( walk up medical clinics ) in our area are dedicated to covid testing .We are very lucky that Emma gets a premium health cover for our family . A system that docks money from your pay so as to give you the benefits of a free health care system . There are many who can’t afford it it in the United States . A doctors visit will cost us around $500 ….yep that’s not a typo . Fortunately we have insurance that is offered by L’Oréal and taken out of Emma’s wage . The medical bills here are outrageously high . In my situation Emma was able to hook me up with an online doctor that saw me from a computer screen . He prescribed muscle relaxants . I knocked back the painkillers as I’m very aware of their addictive qualities. He told me if things didn’t improve in 48 hours that I’d need to see a clinic and likely an X-ray or scan . This wouldn’t be easy right now . The system is maxed out . I decided I won’t be doing that .

Well kiddies it’s New Year’s Day . The backs still pretty sore but I’m ok . I’ll have a few beers tonight and in a week or two I’ll be back in the surf as well . Happy New Years to everyone . 2021 ain’t gonna be easy but I think we’ll turn the corner. The moral of the story …..stay safe and stay well and always remember that you( Aussies) live in ‘ the lucky country .’

When the pandemic 1st hit California ,it was really a response to what was happening in NewYork and Europe .We locked down pretty hard in late March . It was a festive lockdown , with many lane way gatherings and neighbourly get togethers . It was weird , the illness had not really be seen in our area . Most started drinking …nightly . There was a novelty to the whole situation , it felt like the end of year breakup had just been and now you are on holiday having a beer or wine each night . With the beaches closed down , the things to do were little . It was drink at night , workout in the morning . A balancing act of drinking enough without getting too hungover and then guilting one self into hill runs or a searching workout on the deck the next morning . Eventually a torn hammy on the hill runs upended the balancing act . The tough decision to stop drinking Monday to Friday was enacted and still now is a rule that is rarely broken . I feel better for it . It would take Emma another couple of months to follow my lead . Fortunately the beaches opened , but the BLM situation exploded and we were completely locked down in our houses for a few days . Once again we were never in harms way and it passed . It was summer , the kids were out of online school . Things loosened up . By September the kids went back . The disturbing news on the severe Melbourne lockdown was headline news in the US . The angst on Facebook was obvious , even I got sucked into the public debate ..I regret it . The crazy but predictable US election entertained the world . I repeatedly wanted to blog on it but I knew you guys had all the information that I did . It was shake your head and laugh “ Only in America “

It’s Christmas Eve this morning . We’ve had a few good weeks on the surf front . The days have been still . We’ve just passed the winter equinox , the shortest night in the rear view mirror and the colder days to come . Rain is forecast next week with temperatures of 15 -16 . The kids are nearly half way through their 2 week Christmas break . Our local park has been buzzing with kids , dog walkers and people exercising . Restaurants, gyms and restrictions on gatherings continue . It’s sort of business as usual , like it’s been for most of the year ….sort of .

The balancing act continues , but now the spectre of the pandemic has closed in on us . So Cal ( us ) is now the epicentre of the virus outbreak . There were 95 new cases in Hermosa Beach from December 1 to December 14 according to the local paper . Shit ,that’s a few more than I ever thought I’d see in our part of the world . Remember we live in a town that measures 1 square mile . We have been told the hospitals that cater for our area are virtually at capacity . They’re not small hospitals , I’m talking Frankston Hospital size . California is down to 1% ICU availability. There’s no beds . That’s why you shut down like Melbourne did or risk the perilous situation we find ourselves in . It’s not the time to get hurt or find yourself in an accident . A trip to the hospital is not advised .

“I’ll get 1 more , just 1 more.” The wave closes out , I throw the board up clumsily in the hope of landing a floater and then WACK !,….. A searing pain jolts through my jaw . “Fuck no ! “:The pain aside I’m immediately thinking ahead . “Please no , this can’t happen now . “ I feel my chin , it’s bleeding , my front tooth is split in half and my jaw near my ear has a deep pain . I trudge home in shock . Nows not the time to head to the ER with a broken jaw . Eventually an emergency trip to the dentist ( extremely lucky to be even accepted ) allayed my fears . The jaw had momentarily been displayed and the tooth could be fixed later . I was lucky . A hospital visit wasn’t to be ..there’s no way I was going to go anyway . Yesterday I watched the kids skate , they were having a ball , I videoed then , took photos . It was only later that I thought about one of the kids breaking a wrist or ankle as they jumped a ramp or stairs ….it’s not the time to get hurt . Fears about ‘what ifs ‘ are not the way to live your life . With vaccines now being shipped out and the changing of the guard at the top it feels like Christmas is still gonna be good . Merry Christmas people . Merry Christmas Australia …. you’re still …The Lucky Country .

Gday chow baggers …..I’m tired enough to squeeze out the news that it’s maybe day 260 of lockdown . Or in our case …sort of a quasi lockdown .Surprise ,surprise who would’ve thought that another more intensive lockdown would be at our door . As you’ve no doubt seen the numbers of covid cases have been skyrocketing in the US . California had been on the outer edge of a map that was growing red with case increases . Now we’ve joined the party ,and of course we would . Just this week Hermosa beach was positive for 10 new cases . To put that in perspective , think about Dromana picking up 10 new cases . Yep it would be major alarm bells in Victoria , but not here . It turns out that schools are considering coming back in a hybrid form before Christmas . Ahhh, not sure about this idea . This town is a square mile in area ,squeezing in almost 20 thousand residents and is run by one of the more militant and notoriously difficult councils to deal with , but still there are plans afoot to get kids into school for 2 hours a day by Christmas.

As of last weekend restaurants are now closed to dining of any kind , it’s just take away for now . Playgrounds have been fenced off but park grounds remains open . Hoarding supermarket items hasn’t been a problem this time ,yet . Fortunately California has 330 days of sunshine per year , outside of Hawaii I doubt that I’d rather live anywhere else in the US in a crisis like this . You can get outside and enjoy the sunshine , take a walk or exercise . It definitely helps mental health when most days hover around 20 degrees Celsius as we head into winter . The days have become pretty short . The sun sets at 445 , by 515 it’s completely dark . The surf on the other hand …..it’s on the up . For the lucky Angelenos who live near the coast and play in the ocean , winter will be a respite from crowds and potential further shutdowns . As the temperatures drop, the numbers rise , but here in Hermosa Beach the coast and the waves keep the lucky sane .

Finally , to my friends back home , I had sympathy for the extreme lockdown that you endured . I can’t lecture you guys on the benefits of it when I didn’t experience it , but I’m proud of the Victorian and Australian response . As I said before ….I know who will have the last laugh . As I look to Christmas and the new year I know where I’d rather be ……….

It’s been a big 7 days . It’ll probably be a another big 7 to come . Could we have ever envisaged a life change so big and so timely that we’d be living in the USA during the 2020 presidential election? You can take it for granted that you’re an Aussie and you don’t care that much , or that it’s not our problem, but it’s difficult to ignore , especially when every waking minute the tv , social media and locals are talking about it . Politics mean so much in this country , it’s a pity either side don’t give a lot back . We are talking about a country where it is viewed to be on the extreme left to have universal health care , cheap education , higher wages and of course higher taxes . The US of A just happens to be one of the only industrialised nations without universal health cover , the other is South Africa . Oh , and add 2 weeks annual leave to the average worker and you start to see the picture .

This election has gone to script . We knew the big guy would campaign hard and rally the masses . In golfing terms he had to come from 6 shots back in the last round to clinch the Masters ( yes , all Aussies know this one with Faldo and Norman ) and by the 12 th tee he had done the unthinkable and grabbed a 1 shot lead . The messages started shooting through from Australia that Trump was going to be the winner . Newscorp journalists had already penned articles . Premature ejaculation is a major problem when you get too excited . On cue the postal votes crept in and Biden eventually came hobbling down the 18th fairway with his walking stick looking like the winner . We were told and warned by the big fella that the postal votes are fraudulent , even during a once in 100 year pandemic where most viewed it as the safer option . Now come the lawsuits . Exactly like we were told it would .

Trump is a beaten man ,a man who can’t accept defeat . He’s playing dirty now and you can’t really blame him after the relentless harassment on the Russian meddling and subsequent frivolous impeachment that the democrats pursued . It’s his turn to bring on the lawsuits but sadly it doesn’t look good for the big fella .Things are gonna get boring over the next couple of years with sleepy Joe Biden ,but the country needs to heal and boring will do just fine . There’s no doubt the pandemic has swept the course and almost certainly cost Trump a dominant win and second term . 70 million people voted for him . Speaking of the pandemic , it’s a mess and getting worse . It’s been a tumultuous year with civil unrest , BLM and now a pandemic that has been poorly navigated . COVID has killed many over here , including the Trump government .

Here in Hermosa Beach nothing changes . School is still online , most offices too . Gyms are closed or severely limited , restaurants cater for outdoor dining , major shopping malls allow 10% capacity and masks are mandatory in public spaces . We are still free to travel but that may change as the pandemic starts to close in from all angles . As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas there’s a positive vibe in our small corner of the US . There’s a sense of relief that the drama of Trump is running out of gas , a vaccine is in sight and Biden their man is in . It’s really only the virus to avoid now and possible lockdowns might just scupper holiday plans ( why would you travel in the USA with covid going nuts ) . Sure we had friends over for a few drinks to celebrate the election win and Kamala Harris as the 1st Black woman to be Vice President . That’s what happens here . Politics means so much in the the US it sucks you in ,but at the end of the day nothing will change in Hermosa Beach . I think I’ll check to see if the surf is up .

I can feel my seat jiggle , a vibration coming from beneath the sand spreads through to my bones . It feels like an earth quake . It is the raw power from waves crunching a small 25 meter area just in front of a rock groyne ……. The Wedge , one of California’s most notorious waves .

“Cmon babe , you should take the boys to the Wedge , it’s probably your turn “, suggests Emma .Ive watched a tone of footage on the Wedge . I’ve seen Jamie O’Brien and a host of pros charge impossible shore breakers . Shit , I’ve gotta check this out for myself . I creep into the kitchen , start the kettle and wake up the boys at 530 am . I stuff the 5 surf boards and one boogie board into the back of Black Betty ( my 2006 Nissan Pathfinder ) . Texs mates Griffin and Dom are squeezed in underneath the collection . Tex then informs me that we are to pick up Shane as well . “ You are kidding me aren’t you ? “ I ask Tex. We stop out the front of Best Donuts where I rearrange the now six boards and extra fold out seat for Shane . The kids (15-16 year olds ) have their faces stuffed up against the windows , perfect . Dom asks Tex what our wifi is in the car. I snigger to myself when Tex replies that there isn’t any . To add insult to injury the radio doesn’t work either , courtesy of Tex blowing it up when he blasted his rap crap through it in a heavy low base. Karmas a bitch . I think it might be the 1st time these boys have ever ridden in a 14 year old car before . We hit the road in the dark , the quiet and the sound of google maps sending me directions in an Australian accent , beautiful . It’s not long before Black Betty is purring along at 80 mile per hour in the carpool lane of the 405 ( LAs big arse freeway ) . It’s not all smooth sailing . A 100% concentration is needed when the freeways are unlit and at times the oncoming headlights from cars on the opposite side of the freeway enter your vision . As I’ve said and you’ve probably heard , the freeways suck in LA especially in the dark .

After 50 minutes we cruise into Balboa island , Newport . I’m surprised at how manicured , clean and wealthy it is down here . “ The Wedge is here ? “ I ask Tex . “ Yeah ,where else would it be ? “ , he replies . I envisaged it to be grimier , more industrial , a dirty parking lot , but no , it was perfect . This is Trump territory , in fact he was here on Saturday at a private fundraising event .

The Wedge is an amphitheater . The steep coarse sand descending into the water , the imposing rock groyne and the waves jacking up like anvils close to shore .

It’s quiet this morning, only the 4 boys on their boards , a handful of boogie boarders and skim boarders . A metallic grey horizon is broken up by intermittent swell that rolls in every 3 minutes or so . What initially looks an unremarkable swell line warps into a large wedging chunk that pulverises the yellow coarse sand . I did some research , the last person to die here was in 2009 ( a boogie boarder ) . I consider my age , the fact that my body doesn’t fold in half like it used to , my weight and think ..” shit I can handle this “ …and then I remind myself it’s 2020 , what could go wrong ? Nah I’ll sit it out .

Professional photographers set up along the high point of the squashed up foreshore . I watch with contentment as the boys catch waves and then unceremoniously get hammered , time and time again . I wonder over to the groyne for a look , on the way back I notice Tex in the unenviable position of being the only one furthest out as an approaching 6 foot plus we’ve looms . The few people that watch scream at him to go ….and go he does like a jockstrap in a dry cleaner. He cart wheels through the roof and gets near evaporated meters from shore . Shit , I better go over there and see if he’s alright . When he looks up stunned , but smiling I laugh my head off . Better off you than me Tex

The Wedge , ticked that box

It’s hot , it’s tense , Emma’s busy , Tex is hostile , we’ve got the neighbours long board on the roof of the car and it’s already moving from side to side and we haven’t even got onto the 405 . We are driving down to Dana Point to celebrate Emma’s birthday . We turn back as we have forgotten our all important phone charging cables ….. yes I know ,but it’s the modern world and we are addicted to our devices . We eventually get back on the road but not before I throw my yearly tantrum and remind the neighbours that I’m an expert in cursing ,but worse still ,unbeknownst to me at the time , I miss the second chance to pack Emma’s birthday present . Yep … I realise once we are settled in our hotel that I have left my wife’s birthday presents in Leroys bedroom . We are down here to celebrate Emma’s birthday. No amount of reasoning and blaming others can excuse me of this shocking oversight . I fucked up ……I seriously considered driving the 2 and half hour return trip to retrieve the presents , instead I took the kids to the beach .

I grabbed Tex , Owen , Coop and Leroy with my tail tucked between my legs . I gathered it be best that I let Emma have a few drinks with Kim and Megan without the kids . Salt Creek Beach would be worth a look .,with surfboards of course . I texted our Aussie neighbour Dan to let him know where to meet us . He , Mimi and there son Fox were also down for a couple of days . It turns out to be a good decision , we get back on dark pretty happy with ourselves .We know where we are going tomorrow . We get to the restaurant just in time to celebrate Emma’s birthday dinner .

Salt Creek beach is my favourite surf location in America , actually it’s my favourite beach here , full stop. Dan , Tex and I would alternate surfing the point ,the peak out front and keeping an eye on the kids . It’s a rare site to see a beach without built up housing , a large pier ,concrete paths and walls . This place is clean , green , shapes with a curve between headlands , it has a surf life saving club on a hill …… it could be Australia , it could easily be the mid north coast of New South Wales. We surf it on Emma’s birthday for another 4 hours , leaving the girls to go out for birthday brunch . To surf waves that don’t regularly close out is a rare treat and surfing in boardshorts is an added bonus . On a side note : the standard of surfing was very high , getting waves wasn’t easy but it was worth the fight .

Dana point sits south of Laguna Beach . It’s a classic surf town that s divided by a large marina . One side sits Salt Creek beach and short board dominated waves , on the other is Doheny Beach , a long board Mecca . This is a wealthy town , as is all of the coastline of Orange County . This area is a rare Republican stronghold in California . A long strip of coast that is blonde haired , blue eyed Californian … there’s no hood here . The OC is still an enigma in my eyes . The drive south of LA on the 405 ,just 5 or so kilometres in from the coast is pretty bloody ugly . Dirty , dusty , barren , powerlines , freeways , smog , industry ….I could be on the Princes freeway going past Laverton in 1995 on a 40 degree day , that’s Orange County’s other scenery .

Our hotel sat up high above Dana Point . The Chart house for dinner set up a beautiful backdrop …. the food didn’t disappoint either .

Finally it was off to San Clemente and T Street at the urging of our little neighbour , Cooper . Catch surf and it’s soft board revolution is based down here . San Clemente is also home to Trestles , arguably California’s best wave . This place is not unlike Torquay . We all meet down at T street , a straight beach with a large pier and a railway line running along the back of the sand .This is cliche California. The waves are average at best , but it’s more a kid and family location . As fate would have it , the poster boy of Catch surf , Kalani Robb arrived just after myself and Tex left for home , worse still his biggest fan Cooper had already just left . I think his parents would need to sedate him once they see the picture below

There’s a lot we didn’t do in Dana Point . There’s the marina , a healthy shopping and restaurant strip , a heap of beach paths , Doheny beach and probably a lot more . We did find Salt Creek beach and it’s fun waves . We also found an area of California that is pretty relaxed , still very busy but is just far enough way from LAs relentless sprawl to make it feel like you’ve escaped for a holiday . Ahh well , I fucked up Emmas birthday but at least she gets a second treat when she opens her presents when she gets home 2 days later .

It’s Fall ( Autumn) but the climate is getting tropical . I’m here . I shake my head that I’d actually be living in the United States at any time in my life , but to be living here right now is something else . Trump , BLM , covid and now an election that’s gonna take the cake . If you watched the 1st presidential debate like I did you’d be shaking your head . I was , but I was laughing out loud too . I may have watched a debate in the past but tonight I was watching with great interest . I was worried for Biden , I still am . For me it’s all about Trump , you can’t take your eyes off him . Love him or loath him he’s compelling viewing .There’s a voyeurism about this guy when you are not as invested as the locals . I laughed when he got in and I’d laugh if he won again and let’s not forget the possibility of Trump not accepting defeat . Shit , 2020 is not over by a long shot ……. please for the sake of putting this year behind us Trump needs to be a one term president .

I have been writing and and then deleting several posts with a political view in the last 8 weeks . I know it’s something you don’t need to hear but shit its infectious when you live in LA . I will declare that my voting bias has shifted after living here . I’ve seen 1st hand what a capitalist and predominantly conservative country has brought socially . It’s a warning to Australia that we do not want to follow in the US footsteps . I’m telling you …….. Australia is wealthier , healthier and no where near as crazy as this joint …..please let us keep it that way . I’ll drink to that

Well , well ole dawgs it’s been a while since we touched base . The lock down continues over here ,but it’s a lot looser than Melbourne ,that’s for sure . Schools , offices , gyms and organised sport are still shut off . Restaurants are open as long as they can provide outside dining . It’s kinda cool with the streets set up alfresco style .While it’s still warm I think this has added to the ambience . The streets are abuzz , providing a sense of positivity that is dearly needed .Can I say that this is safe or full proof ? I think I’ll keep my head in the sand on that one .We are allowed to travel anywhere within the state or country . The road trip has been the holiday of choice . I’ve heard the renting of motor homes has gone through the roof . Without organised sport it’s like the kids have had to step back in time and play how we ( gen x’s) used to . It’s bikes , skateboards and surf boards to the fore …. that’s when you get them off their electronics .

The kids are back to online school but before that we’ve been very outdoorsy . There’s been day trips to new surf locations .Newport beach ….tick that box . I was impressed with the mini point breaks ,punchy sandbars and I was truly blown away by the standard of the kids down there . I’ve never seen better and that’s something I didn’t want to admit . ……No photos of this joint as yours truly was too busy in the water . We also hit Dana Point , another spot just over an hour south of us . I’d remembered this location from the 1st summer we got here when a woman long boarding was attacked by a great white shark . Her leg was badly mauled . Leroy had already done a couple of previous day trips with friends .

The day I joined Leroy and his mates Dana Point exceeded my expectations . It was prettier than I had imagined . White sands , beautiful green water , palm trees , gentle rolling waves , kids , girls , lots of girls surfing . There’s an out door cafe and bar perfectly set up in front . If you’re not catching waves , you’re washing down a beer gazing out to those who do . I long boarded on Billy’s spare board . Just as we hit the water there’s a bit of a commotion on the beach . A poor seal had hauled himself onto the shore with his side completely bitten out .Ahhh well there’s a thousand out , I’ll take my chances , the kids too . It turns out to be a great day . Dana point is a cool surf town ,a great spot for kids and families and yes ….there is wildlife in the water but I’d definitely go back .

Fate would have it that our new neighbours in the back alley would just happen to be Australian . Dan , Mimi and young Fox moved in just before the lockdown . Dans a keen surfer . He invites me to go camping down at San Onofre with his work buddies ( an architectural firm ) . I say yes and I hate fucking camping .

San Onofre is a stretch of loamy cliffs that sit along side a major freeway on the way to San Diego . If you’ve ever driven along here you may have noticed the tents . The military base Camp Pendleton is on one side of the freeway ,on the other side sits a nuclear power plant . a It’s an imposing site . The camp sites are really just a small 5m by 5 m space at the edge of a bitumen car space that runs parallel to the back of scrubby dunes . I sleep in the car . After long boarding for hours , drinking shitloads , dropping a gummy I get 3 hours of broken sleep . Fuck I hate camping .

The following day we surf again . Mercifully we call it quits and go home a night early . Yep it was fun , good company too but you can keep sleeping on a shitty mattress , sharing two toilets with 100 campers ,the constant dirt , sand and shit stuck between your toes , ears and arse hole ..Camping is over rated .San Onofre ….it’s over rated too .

There you go pups , I’m probably rubbing your noses in it a bit , but our lockdowns a bit different to Australia’s . I guess time will tell as to who has the right approach . At the moment we aren’t doing it too bad ….that is until we get sick , the odds say it’s more likely over here .

The kid was given his farewell . The emotional and beautiful gesture of a paddle out .

It’s been very warm and unusually humid . A thickness descended over the South Bay in the last few days , it was at its heaviest today . The thick sea fog has blanketed Hermosa Beach , trapping the late afternoon heat from the day before . It added a sense of foreboding . An extra weight to the morning ceremony . Today the kid would be farewelled in the ocean . Tex would be out there , forming a final guard of honour with friends and family . A circle of mourners paying there last respects to a kid that died at only 14 years of age . He overdosed on one pill , one fatal mistake .

A regatta of yachts , boats and watercraft circled the crew in the water . The life guard sat on either side and used their boats to blast a plooom of water at each edge . Emma and I sat on the beach . It was terribly moving . Quiet , really quiet . Apparently the bagpipes were playing .Thank god we couldn’t hear it from the beach , it would’ve broke me up .

To see the father try to smile and stay strong , whilst watching his sons friends surfing , greeting , hugging each other must’ve been both painful and joyous .To see them all come to farewell his kid must give him comfort . His kid was popular . He tried to smile but you could see him cracking , I had to look away . The kids here are approaching there prime , his son never will . Emma and I stayed on the edge . We never knew the parents other than an exchange of a phone number in the early days . We walked off quietly . The kids are at the beach now , celebrating, having fun , enjoying there last days before on line schooling starts this week . Everything goes back to normal for most of us ….