Mike & Jen Stark were stateside so we met in Seal Beach for dinner. They live in Shanghai, China, and are in the USA for a mixture of work/play. Dinner was great (thanks again, Mike!) and the conversation was even better. Topics: reminiscing about the France 1998 barge trip (best vacation ever!), stock investing, emerging China, surfing vs. sailing, and good times in Syracuse.

I got an invite to Shanghai! Score! Road trip, I mean boat trip? And we agreed we need to get together more often when on the same continent.

New Ride!

Picked up my new surfboard this evening. 9’6” long, 23” wide, with lots’ of nose rocker. I am stylin’

US Open @ Torrey Pines

I scored two US Open tickets from work, so Corrie and I joined the 42,498 others at Torrey Pines on Thursday. We searched for the best available bleacher seating and settled on the fairway/green 17th hole. Great place to see the approach shot and putting. With practice, the bleacher crowd got into a rhythm of standing to watch the approach shots and sitting for the putting.

I estimate that 15 to 20,000 people were following the Tiger, Phil, and Scott Adams trio. As the Big 3 were playing thru the course, we could see the masses moving hole to hole. We waited 3+ hours for the Big 3 at 17. What a zoo. Pity for the trio following the Big 3; because everyone was leaving while they continued to play.

After the Big 3 finished 17, Corrie and I walked the course and saw the other golfers. Actually saw a 3-put – Hey, I can do that!

Corrie won a golf bag with the longest driver (340 yards!) at a driving range simulation game.

A friend suggested I start a blog if for no reason other than to have an online diary. Thanks, Karen, wish I took your advice years ago. Here I am at Witches Rock in November 2007.