Amanda and I got up, went to the 8:30 service at Port City Community Church then played with the kids in Grow Zone.  Well, I did anyway.  She helped the host team check the kids in and such, but I played with the three year olds.  There was one of them, he was one of the first kids dropped off, named Charles.  I was reading a book to him when another kid came in that I talked to and got him occupied with playing with Play-Doh.  When I was done talking to that kid, Charles put his fingers under my chin and turned my head back to him so I could continue reading.  I thought it was funny, but I wondered where he learned that from.  I had fun, but the kids were a little more rambunctious than they have been some other weeks.

After helping out at the church we went home and got our dogs then headed out to Wrightsville Beach after making a quick stop at the Family Dollar to pick me up some boxer briefs.  I decided a bathing suit wasn’t the way to go to keep the boys down there comfortable, and neither was going commando.  I thought regular boxers would scrunch up too, and I have decided that boxer briefs are the way to go for now.

Amanda went walking with her aunt, Anna Frazelle, while I paddled out to surf with her uncle Barry and her cousin Hannah.  It took me a bit- the waves weren’t rough like they were yesterday but they were of a decent size.  I caught a few good ones and I was having a good time, but I decided to get out after a while, maybe an hour or so, to save some strength for when Lars Boscaljon came out.  Paddling back out was tough and I wanted to want to go back out when he got there.

I was the only person I saw wearing a spring suit- everyone else had full suits, but it wasn’t that bad.  Only my legs were cold and it wasn’t even unbearable.  The sun was nice and warm at least.

Anyway, I got out, followed shortly by Barry and Hannah.  Lars and Kaitlyn arrived not too long after we’d all gotten out.  I had enough time to dry off, change, drink some water and eat an ice cream sandwich.  We socialized on the porch a bit then the two of us went out.  Fortunately the pack of boxer briefs I’d bought came in a two-pack, so I didn’t have to put cold wet ones back on.

Again, it took us some time to get out there, but sadly once we did the waves lost their push and we weren’t able to do much.  That didn’t keep waves from crashing on our faces after we tried to catch them and had to get back out though.  Mike finally got to break in his new wetsuit though.

When we got out we saw Rich Biagini, who had also just recently gotten out.  We talked to him for a few minutes then headed on back to the Frazelle house, stopping off at the house where Lars and Kaitlyn park to shower off.  After we got dried and changed (for the second time in my case) all of us, me, Amanda, Barry, Anna, Lars and Kaitlyn, went to Vito’s for some pizza.  After we ate Anna and Barry walked back to their house and the rest of us went to Sweetwater next door to look at surfing things, particularly wetsuits in my case.

I tell ya, I was HUNGRY when we were eating.  Two sessions in cold water, fighting to get back out in the water each time you ride a wave in, still getting used to the extra weight of a spring suit, it’ll take its toll on a person.  They were two very tiring surf sessions.

Nick Warkentien called while we were driving home and said something about getting together.  Since we’d already eaten they just picked up some food and came over after a little bit.  Mostly we sat around the dinner table talking, but after a while we moved to the living room.  We joked about swapping because Amy was uncomfortable looking at the TV from the seat she usually sits on with Nick, so she was on the couch with me and Nick was on the other couch with Amanda.  We teased Amanda and Nick because they were sitting much closer together than Amy and I were (which might have to do with that couch being half as long).

Amanda and I introduced Nick and Amy to The Pick Up Artist.  It’s hard not to enjoy that show, and I think they liked it at least a little bit.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Amanda cut my hair before Nick and Amy came over.  As usual, I first mentioned needing a haircut about a month ago.  It’s not bad by any means, but I always like it best after it’s had a little bit of time to grow back out.

Zach Dotsey