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Having the hardest time trying to get boards right now
- Thread starter stringcheese
- Start date
Shop right by pismo pier main avenue had OTR Stretch boards last time I went pre covid
Being uncompromising pays off for me again! At the suggestion of Paul at Chilli, I called a shop named Proof Labs in north san Francisco. On the phone they said they had some interesting things, and an impressive stock list online. Took a shot and drove 5 hours because I found no other places in the whole state with chillis at all. Walked in the door and right into not almost, not a good substitute, but exactly the boards I wanted!
This is a 5'10 rarest bird and a 5'11 hot knife, propped up on the feet of a 5'11 super stocked string cheese(who hasn't shaved in weeks, has a head injury, and doesn't comb his hair, but feels like the luckiest guy in the world right now)
You were smart to not announce you were going to Mill Valley to buy this surfboard. Am sure Nep or Reality Check would have gone and bought it out from under you.
I didn't expect to find anything in particular, left the house in the morning to look into wavelengths in morro bay and was open to the idea of driving more...decided to go all the way and at least feel up some random Chillis, a driver2, and a 2 happy. Got lucky!
You were smart to not announce you were going to Mill Valley to buy this surfboard. Am sure Nep or Reality Check would have gone and bought it out from under you.
Did get to check out the other boards, also a sharp eye inferno 72 and some nice Timmy Pattersons. The driver 2 I didn't even pull down from the rack, the 2 happy felt like it just wasn't for me. Those boards, I think, are for better surfers than me. Or(also?) surfers in better waves. The sharp eye was sweet and I will be getting one.
Proof lab is a great surf shop! They had all the goods, and none of the garbage. The people working there were helpful and nice without being "too cool for you" like so many surf shops end up being. This despite the fact that they were obviously way younger, cooler, and better surfers than me. I felt old and kinda like a kook, but that's on me
. I bought some t shirts and they hooked me up. A pretty girl made me nervously fidget and drop my keys twice. Overall 10/10 will be back experience.
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Just for fun, a couple of thoughts from a person visiting San Francisco for the first time in more than ten years, and the first time ever not just to buy hallucinogenic drugs;
Google maps while driving is the greatest invention since Nintendo. Without it, driving in that city was so gnarly, so frustrating, that it was the main reason I didn't go back for so many years (well, that and a local lsd connection...but mostly the driving). The official flag of San Francisco should be a "no left turn" sign. Which is...ironic. Now, it's so easy! I got to explore a lot more than I ever would have in such a short time.
The observation deck at the de young museum is great. It helped a lot to get a feel for what is where in that patchwork, un-intuitive, weird layout city. I was up there for half an hour looking around, taking it in. Felt like I walked away with an ingrained sense of direction for the place that might have taken forever to gain without that. Also a new appreciation for the city itself, how colorful, and eclectic, and varied it is. What feels dirty, downtrodden, and messy from Street level comes to feel more...lived in and free to be what it is than other, more straight forward places.
The attached art museum was...eh. 5/10, generously. I'm glad I didn't realize that I was supposed to pay a separate fee for the Judy Chicago exhibit downstairs until I had already looked through it and gotten pointed out while already exiting. Side note, that was the only time I encountered a "pull your mask up!" person, an older lady chastising another older lady for letting her face diaper slip a half inch. LA wins museums.
The Japanese tea garden was my favorite part of the trip besides proof lab. It is my third favorite Japanese garden, and has my new most favorite cup of tea, udon, and pork bun.
China town! WTF? More like China actual. Are you people trying to get ran over? Get out of the road!... unloading chickens from trucks in traffic and shlt...I wandered into some shops that clearly were not comfortable with me poking around in there. Bought things I don't even know what they are and wasn't able to ask. *some upset Chinese version of "what are you looking for?"* me: uhmm...fruit? Berries? *same tone response "soup?!"* er...no...ok walking away now. Off to little Italy. Oh God am I sick of Italians, what am I doing here? Getting some of the best truffle cheese, real deal hot copa, and pesto focaccia, and getting the fvck out of there.
Overwhelmed by lack of direction, insane noise, languages alien to me, unidentifiable smells, I started getting unusually tired, which I know from experience is followed by having some kind of sensory overload breakdown, so I hurried back to my car before I started freaking out. Probably need to have a friend with me next time I'm in that madness. What a trip though, I closed the car up and started laughing, very happy.
I'm still a southern California kid, and always will be I imagine. It was a lot of fun to get into San Francisco and give it a shot though, and I like it more than I thought I could. I kinda get you, nor cal city. We can be friends.
Google maps while driving is the greatest invention since Nintendo. Without it, driving in that city was so gnarly, so frustrating, that it was the main reason I didn't go back for so many years (well, that and a local lsd connection...but mostly the driving). The official flag of San Francisco should be a "no left turn" sign. Which is...ironic. Now, it's so easy! I got to explore a lot more than I ever would have in such a short time.
The observation deck at the de young museum is great. It helped a lot to get a feel for what is where in that patchwork, un-intuitive, weird layout city. I was up there for half an hour looking around, taking it in. Felt like I walked away with an ingrained sense of direction for the place that might have taken forever to gain without that. Also a new appreciation for the city itself, how colorful, and eclectic, and varied it is. What feels dirty, downtrodden, and messy from Street level comes to feel more...lived in and free to be what it is than other, more straight forward places.
The attached art museum was...eh. 5/10, generously. I'm glad I didn't realize that I was supposed to pay a separate fee for the Judy Chicago exhibit downstairs until I had already looked through it and gotten pointed out while already exiting. Side note, that was the only time I encountered a "pull your mask up!" person, an older lady chastising another older lady for letting her face diaper slip a half inch. LA wins museums.
The Japanese tea garden was my favorite part of the trip besides proof lab. It is my third favorite Japanese garden, and has my new most favorite cup of tea, udon, and pork bun.
China town! WTF? More like China actual. Are you people trying to get ran over? Get out of the road!... unloading chickens from trucks in traffic and shlt...I wandered into some shops that clearly were not comfortable with me poking around in there. Bought things I don't even know what they are and wasn't able to ask. *some upset Chinese version of "what are you looking for?"* me: uhmm...fruit? Berries? *same tone response "soup?!"* er...no...ok walking away now. Off to little Italy. Oh God am I sick of Italians, what am I doing here? Getting some of the best truffle cheese, real deal hot copa, and pesto focaccia, and getting the fvck out of there.
Overwhelmed by lack of direction, insane noise, languages alien to me, unidentifiable smells, I started getting unusually tired, which I know from experience is followed by having some kind of sensory overload breakdown, so I hurried back to my car before I started freaking out. Probably need to have a friend with me next time I'm in that madness. What a trip though, I closed the car up and started laughing, very happy.
I'm still a southern California kid, and always will be I imagine. It was a lot of fun to get into San Francisco and give it a shot though, and I like it more than I thought I could. I kinda get you, nor cal city. We can be friends.
Sounds like a nice little day in SF. You covered some ground. Proof Lab is a cool enough spot.
Indeed. Map apps have eased a lot of the anxiety with not knowing how to get places. It's funny. Once you internalize the "3 right turns is a left" mentality, it's not too tough to get where you need to go.
Chinatown seems overwhelming until you step off Stockton and realize the over 60 Chinese shopping crowd really only goes heavily into a few blocks. Outside of the series of small groceries, bakeries, food, and supplement shops in that corridor, things spread out and are a lot more "tourist trinket" style shops.
North Beach is ok. I find the Italian preservation districts to be a bit boring. That's where I live now.
Indeed. Map apps have eased a lot of the anxiety with not knowing how to get places. It's funny. Once you internalize the "3 right turns is a left" mentality, it's not too tough to get where you need to go.
Chinatown seems overwhelming until you step off Stockton and realize the over 60 Chinese shopping crowd really only goes heavily into a few blocks. Outside of the series of small groceries, bakeries, food, and supplement shops in that corridor, things spread out and are a lot more "tourist trinket" style shops.
North Beach is ok. I find the Italian preservation districts to be a bit boring. That's where I live now.
People driving strictly by GPS get my goat. Figure it out before you go or at least pull over when you don't know where you are going. I blame this attitude on Uber/Lyft drivers mostly who don't look through their window and wander into my bike lanes. 3 right turns to go left how you do it. Terribly inefficient though, again really helps to know where you are going.
Agreed. Better from top of Twin Peaks though.
Like going to music venues, only go to museums when you know there is something there you are interested in. Not saying random visits can't be fun/enjoyable/educational, just saying, that I don't go to Britany Spear shows when I would rather see something else.
No naming spots!
Visiting a few select blocks in Chinatown on market days for the cheap version of visiting to Guanzhou. Real thing is way more jammed with people. Oh, can recommend never driving through Chinatown (except at night) and don't expect to find parking no matter what. Going shopping there with HK born friends for food items is different...it is apparent round eyes are viewed as a pain the ass with their inefficient buying style.
Do people really call North Beach 'Little Italy'?
The stimulus can get to people. I like it in chosen doses and is why I ended up not moving out of the City but definitely to a (relatively) sedate part of the City.
Accepting and appreciating differences makes the world go round. Uniformity is dull.[/quote]
mine took 12 weeks
. I'm still whining when i hear this mythical 1-2 week turnaround.
I hear you on the strictly GPS driving. I tried to use it before and after moving, and that worked pretty well. Wish I had heard about not driving through China town...what a disaster .
Did like the the museum, even though I didn't like too much of what was in it. The building is cool, and atmosphere was relaxing. Like you say though, it was a bit like being a music fan at a concert I'm not that into. Still alright.
I'll try twin peaks next time.
And I have no idea what people call anything around there, it felt like little Italy...north beach was after that and by that point I was kinda over it and just drove through, saving it for next time.
.Did like the the museum, even though I didn't like too much of what was in it. The building is cool, and atmosphere was relaxing. Like you say though, it was a bit like being a music fan at a concert I'm not that into. Still alright.
I'll try twin peaks next time.
And I have no idea what people call anything around there, it felt like little Italy...north beach was after that and by that point I was kinda over it and just drove through, saving it for next time.
Last time dear old dad visited, told him where to meet me after work at this place in North Beach, gave directions on how to take BART/bus/taxi/walk, and sure enough, he and the new younger wife drive there.Wish I had heard about not driving through China town...what a disaster
So about 1-1.5 hours late, in they walk, complaining pretty much through the first and second cocktail.
Knowing it is pointless to remind him "I told you not to drive," I just nodded, went "Hmmm," a few times, looked over their shoulders to people watch.
Dinner gets there, that shuts up most of the complaining, until she says, "blah blah blah and then he drove down the one-way street in Chinatown!"
This started a round of interpersonal bickering that I managed to somewhat avoid by having to go to the restroom (which later proved to be a source of new complaining when she wanted to use the facilities after dinner "What do you mean I might have to wait my turn, there is only one toilet, one sink and it is down a narrow hallway? What is wrong with this place? blah blah blah").
After dinner, I walk them back to the parking garage (complaining starts again about the cost of parking), and I am eager to see them off, and I tell them how to best get back to their hotel. Dear old dad take me aside, asks me to drive, and to give a quick sight-seeing tour out to the GG Bridge. Asks if I can work in a steep hill.
"Sure, can do that." As it is now later in the evening, past rush hour, traffic isn't as bad. Then find his new wife has minor steep hill phobia as I find the rental car has enough guts to unspring the shocks on the way up and over some steep hills. Can't say the shocks were good enough to resist full compression on the way down.
And before you know it, having pointed out some multi-million dollar homes in Pac Heights along the way, get to GG Bridge, where I proceed to frog march them through the windy sparse fog to the first tower for a view of the Bay (as their Arizona thin blood congeals and the complaining starts "Why is it so cold, it is July!").
By the end of the stay, dear old dad had accepted the differences, liked the afternoon espresso and follow up Buena Vista specialty, and using a mix of taxi, public transportation, and foot power. Not so much with her.
Oh well, different strokes for different folks.
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That's seven spice, kook.
If there is any place that can bring the complainer out of a person, it seems to be SF. I was thinking "sounds like your dad needs to trade in for a different new wife, but I re-read "younger" and I kinda get it
I was in SF for a work thing last week, gotta say the whole "homeless crisis" is totally overblown. I think I saw ten crusties total. Didn't canvas the whole city but between Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, Embarcadero, and SoMa I figured I would have seen a lot more. Really enjoyed my visit, I can see why people like living there.
I got almost no sleep because a homeless crazy guy was angrily shouting obscenities at no one in particular outside my hotel all night...and I was on the third floor with the windows closed.
It’s never easy sleeping in the tenderloin.
ive only ever experienced more aggressive pan handlers in Cape Town.