Grandpa Dunn

This week marks the second year since my Moms Dad's passing. I have a lot of great memories of the guy, but the one that always seems to stick out in my mind is his old fashioned pair of big black boots that always sat at the top of the stairs to the cellar. Seemed like they were always there, except, of course, when he was wearing them to work in the yard; chopping wood for the old wood stove in the living room, shoveling endless amounts of snow throughout the cold winter, or maybe just cruising around the yard. He was a man that took really good care of his house because it took care of his most prized possession... his family.

From right to left, Uncle Bob, Aunt Diane, Aunt Doris, Mom, and Grandpop--he was a real man's man, and he loved his huge family like any good man does.

Clip O' The Day

Pictures of the day.

Last summer about a week after my return from Oahu I joined Lord Eric and the hamster for an unexpected New Jersey treat--an Avett Brothers show.

The show was really fun--set out in the country, on this huge farm. (Yes New Jersey has farms) I have to admit I was a little let down with the pop sound of all the newer Avett songs, but it was still a rad time just being there as kids were playing in the grass, bees were buzzing, butterflies were floating, and we were drinking many good beers.

It was really nice to be home and around the trees and people I grew up with. As much as I love Hawaii and other parts of the world, there will always be a place in my heart for New Jersey.

The funniest part of the trip was dinner. After the show we went to this weird old diner out there near elmer somewhere and ordered some food. Now, Country folk in New Jersey are quite unique as they always seem to be slightly touched by a kind of back woods weirdness. The three of us walked into this diner and it was almost like a record scratched to silence. Us boys weren't from around there. By the end of dinner our older waitress was literally trying to marry off the younger ones to us. I had catfish. It was fun.

Adam, the running fool.

Head Full of Doubt (Amazing Song)

Though I didn't really like the newer pop sounding songs, I gotta say the Avett Brothers are still an amazing band. I got into them a few years back via the Jaime Hunter gang and still to this day when I hear their music, memories of tall pine Carolina backyard barbecue missions to Mase fishin singin and surfin and just plain old doin nothin and hangin around and smiling come to mind. Their music is goodness.

After the show we walked back to the huge field we parked in and to our surprise the darkness around us was shimmering with a strange fluorescent green glow. More fireflies than I have ever seen--it almost looked as if they were blinking in patterns as billions of them shimmered in waves across the field, trees and sky around us.

Heres a cool Avett Bro's Video for you to check out if you've never heard their music before. This video's cool cause it's the song they were playing at the show we were at (shown above) in it's entirety. This songs kind of a slower one, it doesn't really depict the full sound of the band, but it's a really good one so I put it up any way. ok bye.

My Old Man

When I was a kid I became obsessed with the act of riding waves. I can still remember what surfing was like to me then, and how pure the experience was before I became the jaded water person I am today. I remember mostly the smells of things. The smell of wax and the sound it made in the middle of the night as I waxed up a board, too excited about the morning to be able to sleep. Man I miss being that excited about tomorrow. And I can remember the surf shops, how magical they were to me with all their cases of stickers and wax-- surfboards hung up on the ceilings like stars so mysterious and magical--and real surfers with long hair and early 90's grunge looks influenced by guys like Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain who gave the whole world this deep emotional undertone of cool that I instantly became enamored with. I did a lot of stuff when I was a kid; rode bikes, rode dirt-bikes, played sports, did Tae Kwan Do with my Dad, played with my friends, the list goes on and on, but I never really attached myself to any of this stuff, then I caught a wave on a surfboard and I have never come across a better way to identify myself since.

The funny thing about all this is my Dad's response. Now, don't get me wrong, he liked the beach and cruising in the water, but he didn't take to surfing like I did back then, he didn't let himself understand it because he was so driven by other things like being a good family man and playing his guitar. It's funny, some of the most poignant memories I have of growing up a surfer is being pissed at my Dad for not letting me go, for not understanding that surfing was not a want, but a need. And again, don't get me wrong, pops was a great supporter of my surfing, but he was also a great supporter of something I have always lacked in--responsibilities.

I can vividly remember this one swell when I was around, I don't know, maybe 13--in my mind it was sick, blue, warm, head high, no one out, and all my friends calling and networking all morning on how we were going to get to the beach to surf, and I couldn't go, why, I had to rototill the whole yard with my Dad. Awe, I remember being so pissed at him as he taught me one of my first and most important lessons about surfing which is: there will always be another wave. Anyway what I'm getting at is now a days all my Dad wants to do is go surfing. Ha, and I hear him gripe all the time about having to cut the grass, or work on a car or fix something in the house, because "110 is going off right now Brian we should be out there," ha, he's become obsessed, and just doesn't want to do any of that other stuff anymore, he just wants to go surfing because now, he truly is a surfer.

The old man's got a pretty good style, check out the tally ho around ten seconds into this clip courtesy of Dave Mccarty.

Hahahaha, the music is awesome...

Happy Birthday Dad.

What's the Matter With Kids Today?

Prafter.com showcased this piece on Education a few months ago. I just wanted to post it up here again to try to keep this message alive--I feel like this kind of thinking could lead to a lot of positive changes in our world. And you know what, I think the most important thing about the ideas suggested in this piece is that they are obvious and simple. I feel like we all know deep down inside that certain things in are world are not right, but we look away from that knowledge. Sometimes we look away because it's easier, sometime we are scared of the consequences of standing up for what we know is right, but in the end, if we just listen to that voice of truth within us all, I think maybe we could end a lot of the suffering we see around us today.