Sigh.  I am a slacker.
Moving on...

Earl found a CD.  Of pictures.

Let me back up...

August 2007.  Earl was going to San Diego for training with his former job.  I tagged along.  Nothing like getting a vacation and letting someone else foot the bill.  4 days before we were scheduled to leave, I found out I was pregnant (We so totally weren't expecting that).  And the day after that we found out that Earl got the job he has now and we would be moving and he would be leaving for training for something like 7-8 months (I say 8, Earl says 7...for the record, I'm right).  To say we were stressed is an understatement.  We went on the trip anyway.  Looking back, I'm so glad we did.  And, although I was 8 weeks pregnant with a surprise baby, I insisted we go to our scheduled surfing lessons.  It's another "bucket list" thing for me...I wasn't gonna let some baby ruin the fun.  (Sam--my little surfing embryo--is now 3, and he's no worse for the wear.  His initials even spell out SRF...Surf.  No...we didn't plan that one.  His favorite lullaby?  "Little Surfer" by the Beach Boys) We paid a crazy amount of money for a CD of pictures to document our sad attempt at surfing.

Here are the pictures. Well some of them.  The CD is sorta screwy and I can't get all 56 of them off and onto the computer.  Probably a good thing though...there's a picture on there of me wiping out pretty good.  I don't think my ego could take the ridicule.  Oh and just so you know, surfing is the absolute toughest thing I have ever attempted.  So the fact that there was only one picture of my wiping out is amazing.  I spent the entire class wiping out.  I had a belly full of salt water and sand in places I didn't even know existed.

I'll walk you through these...captions will be at the bottom of each picture.

 This board/roller thingy here is supposed to help you learn to balance...I did fairly well at this part.  I got kinda confident.  Thought maybe I could be a surfer girl after all.  Psshhh...stupid board.

Earl.  Ever the athlete.  I was raised by a man that could pick up any instrument and play it well.  I married a man that can pick up any sport and play it well.

 Stretching.  Yes...I picked a pink board.

 More stretching.  I like this picture.  Kinda a picture of marriage in a way.  Push and pull...give and take....it's a very fine balance.

 Okay so then our instructor (a very handsome young man named Jordon) made me get on the board and try to maintain my balance while he shook the board violently with all his might simulated waves.  My confidence began to wane at this point.  And just LOOK at Earl's face in the background!  Is he laughing at me?!? I have enlarged this picture...ladies and gentlemen, I give you...exhibit A.

 Of course Earl...ever the athlete...soared through this test with flying colors.

Jordon...showing us how to find our center of gravity and balance.  Bwahahahahahah...right...cause it's that easy.

 Earl...pretending to paddle out.  The fact that he is so handsome keeps me from choking him somedays....

 The classic photo.  One of my very favorites. 

 And again...with Jordon.  He made surfing look so easy...

 And...out we go.  This is our first time out.  How do I know this?  Look at my hair...it's still neatly pulled back.  5 minutes later the waves had ripped the ponytail right off my head and my hair was covering my eyes.

And so I've come to the last picture that I could pull off the CD.  A picture of me...wiping O.U.T.  Humbling.  So very humbling.  I was so sure that one didn't make it off the CD...

Would you believe me if I told you I had a a good time?  I absolutely did.  But I will not be surfing again.  The next time I see a beach I will be sitting in a lounge chair drinking a drink with an umbrella in it.