Writing Machines is the course website for English 170L at Pomona College in Claremont, California.
ohio love!
Submitted by marmalade on 10 December 2006 - 7:27am.
I'm not sure if this is (well, actually, I'm certain that it's not) relevant to the class in any way, but I wanted to share it because it was really funny (to me)--
Apparently there are some morons (hard-core athletes??) who think it's a great idea to go surfing in Cleveland (my hometown) in the middle of December.
There are forty mile per hour winds... the water is (at its most lovely) described as "chocolate" (I finished my scuba certification by diving in Lake Erie... I could see, at most, a grand total of five inches)... The temperature is frigid...
Anyway, these fellows (and they only really interviewed men, which made me feel slightly better) apparently believe that they are the "real surfers" in America, as compared with anyone out here on the West Coast.
And I quote:
"'Everybody surfs in California, which waters down the experience,' said Mr. Rooney, who grew up surfing in Orange County, Calif., before moving to Cleveland three years ago to work in his family's real estate business. 'Being here takes me back to that feeling of discovery that the founding fathers of surfing experienced.'"
Well, all you founding fathers, come to Cleveland!
wow
This is absolutely ridiculous! On the other hand it speaks to the resourcefulness, and resilience?, of Ohioans. I can't believe that they don't literally freeze to death.
Ha! Wow that is ridiculous.
Ha! Wow that is ridiculous. Probably more absurd than swimming in the dirty Ohio River, which I never understand either.
Surfing Cleveland
As long as one can't do everything in life, I'll give surfing Cleveland a gentle pass.
more on crazy surfers
speaking of swimming in mud...so i sent this link to my friend who's a pretty dedicated surfer, thinking she'd get a kick out of reading about other crazy surfer antics, and i got this reply from her, which i really just have to share:
here's a story to warm your heart:
last night i leave the library at like 11:50. it's raining; i did not know this until i got outside, and therefore have no idea how long its been raining for. I say to myself, "well, skating in the rain is bad for your bearings but jesus you don't want to be outside for any longer than necesary. so skate!" i start skating and am soon blind because my glasses are full of water and hydroplaning cause there's so much water on the ground. awesome.
SO i am just about to pass 6th street and go down that little narrow sidewalk next to the construction, and i think, man, i should probably slow down so i don't douse myself with the water that is sure to be coursing through the street. I don't. about 0.25 seconds later, i feel my skateboard stop DEAD. I literally superman it, face first, arms outstretched, contents of unclosed backpack projectiling forward over my head, and land about 4 ft in front of my skateboard, face-down in a SERIOUS puddle of mud and silt that is at least 3 inches deep.
from behind me i hear: HOLY SHIT OH MY GOD ARE YOU OK and rambunctious laughter. this is, after all, saturday night.
they come, pick me up out of the mud, in which i am COVERED--head to toe--in my hair, somehow THROUGH my sadly muddied new jacket onto my shirt, on my pants, down my pants, inside my shoes...god. i start to whimper, they tell me to facebook friend them cause "that was like the greatest thing i've ever seen in my LIFE" and then i book it down south, sniffling and covered in mudd.
anyway, some holiday cheer.
yeah. crazy surfers.
whoa...
Not to advertise Schadenfreunde, but oh dear... that is a really funny story. My apologies to your friend... that must have hurt (both physically, of course, and emotionally)!
Man, you're right--crazy surfers!