The King of Karma

She's so pretty

Jason bought a surfboard today, in a way that typifies who he is. He is, without question, the biggest "people person" I've ever met, to the extent that I wonder how a misanthrope like me ended up with him. He says hello to everyone, can strike a conversation with anyone, and is interested in what people have to say to him. I, on the other hand, find most people I meet boring - I hate small talk and have little interest in chatting with strangers.

Anyway. Back to the surfboard story.

Jason drove up to the North Shore today, famous for its huge waves and surf culture. He figured it was the best place to get a decent board at a decent price. As he was driving up, he passed a Hawaiian dude hitchhiking by the side of the road. The guy looked to be in his 40s and was carrying a really cool board. Jason drove by him at first, but then turned around to pick the guy up. Turns out, the guy is a board shaper and he knows all of the surf shop proprieters worth knowing on the North Shore, so in exchange for Jason giving him a ride, he went shopping with Jason. They went into a store that looked kind of shabby from the front but had an amazing array of beautiful boards in the back. Jason's hitcher and the owner hugged and talked in Hawaiian for a couple of minutes, then the owner led Jason out back and showed him a gorgeous, barely used 9 ft. epoxy longboard. Perfect for the smaller waves on this side of the island and for teaching novices (known here as grommets) how to surf (that means you, Rocchios!). It was priced at $470 (and worth every penny), but the guy let Jason have it for $270.

After getting his board, Jason went and sat on the beach for a little while, watching the waves. As he sat there, he saw a pod of whales swim by. Not a bad day, all in all.