Caught Outside


On the hike the other morning I thought that I was being slick by sneaking out between rain storms. Feeling cocky I decided to abandon my rain coat and just go in my zip-up hoodie and 'Reef' ball cap. About halfway through the hike, instead of making the hike shorter due to impending weather I decided to take the 232 steps (Squirrel Hill) and just do the trek all the way to Deer Park. Do the hike in it's entirety. Why, you may ask? I'll tell you why; Because I just knew, KNEW that I'd make it back home before the rain would start up again.... Yeah, right.
A little more than two-thirds into the hike, already coming down from the hillsides and into the flat lands through the back neighborhoods of Fairfax thinking about getting a cinnamon roll and coffee because I thought that I would be high-and-dry is right about when the sprinkling began. I must of gone about fifty feet when I spotted a woman walking two dogs and wearing pretty much the same 'non-rain' attire as I was, was walking towards me. Our eyes met and I said to her as we passed, "Figures," as the rain began to pick up heft. She started laughing and responded with, "Exactly what I was just thinking!"
She continued to walk her way and I continued with a bit more haste to walk in my direction. By the time I went a block and made it to the little foot path/alley that cuts between the two houses and connects Dominga Ave. and Bolinas Ave. it begins to hale--BIG!
I then leg it as far as Sorella Cafe as by now it's just chunkin' down (that shit HURTS). While standing under a teeny overhang at Sorella, I spotted a little bundle of red flowers out in the middle of the street (see photo) and that pretty much summed up the morning hike.
When the hale turned to rain a minute or so later I took off for home figuring that I'd just pass on the cinnamon roll & coffee and eat at home and make my own coffee.
Just goes to show; NEVER think that you're slicker than Mother Nature.

Again, while on my 'every-other-day' hike I bring my little camera with me just in case I see something that I find interesting. This particular shot was from sometime a couple of weeks ago and I felt it was a good one to capture a picture of. Note the license plate. Taken in Fairfax, CA. towards the end of the hike about 8:15 AM.

Sometimes life can get a little crappy living’ in the ‘burbs. Last weekend while working on a project in my studio the sewer system decided to back up and my studio bathroom was ground zero for the event.
Sorry for the graphic photos but I just wanted to show the ‘before’ and ‘after’ clean up. I guess the time I spent in the Tenderloin as a janitor/handy man paid off, as this was a fairly common occurrence back then…. Yuck.

I went to the deli where my son works at part-time to say hi and get a sandwich to go. While standing there waiting for the sandwich, I look down and to my surprise and amazement I see that they are selling 'Flicks,' the chocolate candy wrapped in the toilet paper tube we used to buy as kids some....(cough cough)...40+ years ago.
Naturally, I bought one and yes, they still taste the same except they are packaged in a sealed, mylar pouch stuffed into the tube.

Monday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) I started off with a surf in the morning in Bolinas with "the crew" then later in the afternoon hiked around Limantour Beach and clicked a few pictures in the process. Here's one of a jelly fish that I walked past. Nice day.

Between 'Dawn Patrol' surf and evening yoga classes I tend to hike about 4 mornings a week, rain-or-shine up the hills around and through the beautiful town of Fairfax, CA. Some mornings towards the end of the hike I like to stop at a favorite cafe and order up this little breakfast of champions. Cinnamon roll and a large coffee! nice.....

Here we are with more pointless history from the expert in all things pointless. The Story: I had bought about ten cakes of Sex Wax in high school circa 1977 as that's what I did then and ironically still do to this day (note; in 1977 wax cost about 50 cents a cake!). Somehow, I had lost one of the cakes of wax and I had forgotten about it...who wouldn't? Well, back in 1998 my mom had passed away and I was cleaning out the house and in my closet I found the lost cake of wax twenty one years later! I still have it as you can see (it's the one on the left) and it has never been opened.
A couple of teeny differences about the wax then & now. Then, the wax was 75 grams whereas now, it's 85 grams. Also, they had a cardboard cut out of the logo which was shrunk wrapped into the package. Now, it's a sticker on the outside. The similarities of then & now Sex Wax... it's still being manufactured at the same address (though if you look closely the zip code changed by one digit) and it still works great. Okay, history lesson over. Whew!

December is becoming the absolute worst month for me. Every year now for the past five years it's the same old crap. Too many deaths, ill heath and broken hearts. I now hate 'em. So, to keep in the crappy December spirit I won't post any pictures/photos.
I hope the coming year is great for anyone who reads this drivel.... as for me, I'm not holding my breath.

Here's an early morning well spent. One shot taking off on a little wave that ramped up inside and the other shot rolling down the line while running the length of the board. Many thanks to my friend, surfer/artist extraordinaire, Mary Wagstaff for the shots.

Yep, I have siblings. here I am with the two oldest....er....I suppose that they would prefer I not use the term 'old' in any form. Also, hanging out with my nephew Victor.

Time just moves way too fast.

Yep, it's been quite a while since I have posted anything on this here blog. Part of the reason being was that my computer was down for a few weeks (driver=dead) and had to get it all back in order. The good news is that I now have a new drive and new software. The bad news is two-fold; 1) I lost ALL of my data including photos, comic strips, entire graphic novels, etc. 2) My computer is back up and now I can blog again!

Okay, today's photo was taken on a recent trip back East in Gloucester, MA. What a great and beautiful place. The photo, well I think that it is self-explanatory.

Recently bought a little pile of beat, old (1960's) MAD Magazines from my pal, Sam Shiffer at Blue Moon Comics (Novato, CA).

Boy, If I had to pick one source that influenced me as a cartoonist it would easily be MAD Magazine. Just about every artist and writer in this wonderful publication was/is top notch and have influenced generations of artists and just just about everyone else... including me.

I prefer the issues that were first created in the 1950's up to, in-and-around the mid-1970's. I consider this first 20 year period MAD Magazines "prime years." Much beyond that... well.... nothing lasts forever.

A few days ago a mentor and friend passed away. He was a huge influence on cartoonists and writers the world over and I was truly lucky to have known him. So long, Harvey and thanks.

I bought this 1965 Makaha Skateboard from a little junk/thrift/whatever shop (closed not long after I bought the board) in San Anselmo almost 10 years ago for $15. It's almost exactly like my first board I skated on in 1972/73, which was also a used, mid 60's relic.

Of course, by 1974 I had moved on to the oh-so-modern 'plastic boards' of the time with the new urethane wheels. Then it was off to a succession of boards through the 1970's (Logan Earth Ski, Z-Flex 'Jay Adams Model', Sims 'Lonnie Toft Model', Santa Cruz 5-ply, Alva Pig, etc.) and by 1980 I was cruising on a Santa Monica Airlines when I stopped skating for almost 20 years.

Anyway, I'd like to have another deck, oak or maple made to this boards exact measurements, except have it drilled out for modern, small trucks and the smallest 'soft' wheels and then grip tape the top. It would be a cool little board to tool around on for sure.... as well as eliminating the 'hitting-a-pebble-and-meeting-the-ground-in-a-violent-way' element.

I LOVE history, don't you?

I just found the scrap of paper that I roughed out a t-shirt idea I had last year. I really want to make this shirt a reality... though it's not like I don't have enough projects to do already. Hopefully the cleaned-up, final version will see the light of day soon.... I hope...

My high school mascot/logo... at least when I went there it was.... I always wondered who drew it. Sac High (Sacramento High School) Dragons.

More sightings on the 'regular' morning hiking route.

In order, creativeness seems to abound in the community and one of the locals watching me from the hill.

I decided to change up the morning hike recently just for the heck-of-it and have been going up "D-hill" as the local kids call it and back through the neighborhood home. The walk, though about 15 to 20 minutes shorter than my other main route (1 hour, 5 minutes) does have a longer, steeper climb (Tomahawk!) but also pays off with this incredible view of the Ross Valley (see this photo I shot this very morning about 7:45)... my house is down there to the right a bit.... somewhere.

Out at 'The Spot' early Sunday morning... which is VERY RARE for me to surf on a weekend there. Glad I did as it was actually fun surf that day and thanks to the very talented painter/surfer Mary Wagstaff for the photo.