August 25, 2004 - 12:56 AM

A Weekend Full of Ros

What a surprise, I'm severely tired again. Even though I was supposed to have a week of relaxing fun, first with my cousin Ros, then coming home, it didn't work out that way. I'm typing this entry from the computer at home in Maryland, and my eyelids refuse to let me see the screen as my fingers stumble across the keys.

After picking Ros up from the airport Thursday night, we had dinner at Matt and Sharon's while watching the Olympics. Poor Ros was all tuckered out by the time we made it back to my place after midnight.

The next day was spent thrift-store shopping, first at the Goodwill near my apartment (where I bought two pairs of excellent pants and a khaki safari shirt), then at a couple places in North Hollywood. We even tried a costume shop that, it turns out, only rents/sells costumes to television and movie productions (although they do rent out costumes for Halloween to the public). Ros has an eclectic, sassy, stylish, and yet efficiently multipurpose sense of clothing, whereas I am very "boring, by the book, classic" in my fashion. So I had fun tagging along as she inspired me with new attire options.

We then rolled down the 101 to Amoeba Records in Hollywood and spent at least an hour and a half shopping for CDs (I came away with new cds from Rilo Kiley, Keane, Carina Round, and Dresden Dolls [that last one being a recommendation as the best album of the year from my friend Jeff]; a Postal Service ep with Iron & Wine's cover of "Such Great Heights" as featured in the movie Garden State; and an older release from K's Choice). I coulda spent a whole lot more, but before my wallet ran away with my love of new music and got married and started having babies, I came to my senses and put back a few CDs. Ros, meanwhile, plunked down her money on CDs from the BeeGees, the Pretenders, and...um...a few others. I think.

After that shopping spree, we had lunch at Poquito Mas, checked in with Nick to see how his preparation for the party on Saturday was going, and then went back home for a nap. It had been decided that we would try to pick up some surfboards that night so that we could surf in the morning, but the surfshop was all rented out by the time we got there. Matt and Sharon suggested that we go to the beach in the morning and use Sharon's board as well as their wakeboards to start off, and then to rent some boards when the noon rentals were returned to the shop.

That night we had dinner with Tony, Jennifer, and Margaret at a restaurant called Typhoon (which is located in the Santa Monica Airport). Pan-asian cuisine, Sharon ordered up some sexy food, and Ros challenged me to share in a dish that served fried ants on top of potato strings. Yes, you could see the ants and their little bodies and legs. No, you really couldn't taste them because the salt and vinegar that the potato strings were apparently drenched in masked any flavor they might have had. We returned to Matt and Sharon's to play some games and watch more Olympic coverage (Trampoline?!).

Saturday morning, we made it to the Santa Monica beach just south of the pier by 11 AM. I borrowed a neoprene shirt/rash guard from Matt and was the first one to go on Sharon's board. This was Ros's second time surfing, whereas Matt grew up surfing (although not as a regular surfbum), and Sharon had taken lessons in Hawaii. On an overcast morning in August, paulkim managed to ride the waves. Even standing, sometimes.

I got quick lessons and advice from everyone, and Matt guided me, giving me a push when a wave came. It was frickin' cool. No, I wasn't a master, but I did capture a few waves all on my lonesome, and was able to ride a few while in control. We left Sharon to surf by herself around noon and rented boards for me and Ros. The sun came out and the next 4 hours were spent surfing, sunning, and eating- it was glorious. Even despite the headaches I was getting from constantly hitting my head on the water hard (not just from messing up a ride, but also from getting tossed aboutin random waves as I was paddling back out to sea, or falling off the board as I tried to sit on it while waiting for a new set to come in).

Thanks to Matt and Sharon and especially Ros for getting me on that surfboard. I'm definitely going to look into doing more of it soon.

A quick shower later, and Ros and I were off to Nick and LDBL's party. It started off slowly, but by 8, it was going pretty good. Matt and Sharon showed up with games (we played Time's Up, and, while it was a hoot, there were too many people to make it totally work), Tony and Margaret showed up with Ketchup and Mustard, a bunch of Nick's co-workers were on hand as were LDBL's teacher cohorts. With the quality of food (and quantity), the free-flowing booze, and the excellent company, I should say that kudos should be given to Nick, LDBL, and Mer for organizing and prepping a successful Saturday Night Social.

Already exhausted, Ros and I agreed to go rock climbing with our surrogate older siblings Matt and Sharon on Sunday morning. Somehow, Sharon made it out to Point Dume (an ocean-side cliff just north of Malibu) by 9 AM to set up the ropes and anchors with her friend Tina. Ros and I barely managed to drag ourselves down to M&S's house, where Matt then chaufeured us up to Zuma Beach. It was around 11:30 by the time I was strapped into a harness. Sharon and Tina had already scaled the rock several times and had a path set out for me. Considering that it was my first time rock-climbing, it was a pretty difficult path.

Somehow, I made it up to the top. I refused to look down because of my fear of heights (or as one astute observer at the bottom put it, a fear of falling), but I made it. I was amazed at how I was able to do it, because halfway up, there didn't seem to be any appreciable hand or foot holds in the rock. It was sheer and slick. But closer inspection (and a gut-wrenching trial and error experience) proved that the tiny little slivers and nooks in the cliff-face were enough to provide purchase as I pushed up.

Ros followed after me, and proudly made it to the top as well. It was a bit of a blow to the ego to see Sharon, and then Matt, and then a few other climbers around us, scale the heights with ease where we two had labored for what seemed like hours. I made one more climb after lunch on an easier route, and surmounted that (with one rough patch) with much more confidence and command.

Another quick shower at home, and we met up with T & M one more time for dinner. Everytime we go out, my cousins choose such great restaurants. This time, we gorged ourselves at the Border Grill. Stuffing ourselves to the max, we parted ways so that I could deliver Ros to the airport for her red-eye flight back to Newark.

Thanks to my cousins for treating us so well, especially Matt and Sharon, who were like our own personal seasoned vacation tour guides. And thanks to Ros for instigating this unforgettable weekend and for being such an interesting, funny, inspiring, and cool companion. Love ya, cuz.

Now Listening To : Blackalicious- A to G
Random Thought : I really really miss having my cat to cuddle. I am cat-less in Aberdeen.

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