Weekend Revelations

1)Plan your future or someone or something else will.
Stay focused. Breathe Deep. Keep your blood flowing. Sweat.
My goal is to see the world with my family.

2) Life is about being or learning to be a great friend.

3)I don't want to forget this past saturday hanging out in the backyard with my son painting
listening to Jack Johnson.

Side note:
A bonzai tree master told me once (and I tell this to most people), "Everyone must have a passion to guide their soul. if not the soul will drift in the wind."

Thursday

HMMM?

How to Wax a Surfboard

Weekend wrap up

Last night I went out to Chinatown with Ethan and Cole.
We were supposed to check out a show at Next Door "Free the Robots"
Before hand we skate the best Parking Garage I ever skated yet.
It started on the 10th floor and there were two platforms per floor
if I am not mistaken. All I remember was Floor 5, Floor 4.5, Floor 4, etc.
We then skated around to our favorite curbs.

We get to the venue and we didn't feel like paying the $20 cover.
So we went to Liliha Bakery for some pancakes. I got a Loco Moco.

Today, Sunday was rad. Sundays are family day. We had a day at the beach til sunset.
On the way we went to a sale at Surf Garage and we go a tie die shirt, a Surf Line short sleeve button down and board shorts, and the above surfboard... all for $85 bucks. The surfboard was $50 and unused. It is a 6'5" and was unused. I tried it and it works good.  It is gonna be my fun board for 15 ft faces (4-5 feet Hawaiian). I always end up buying misfit boards. As opposed to brand new popular brands.

Saturday

Day with son Hayden.
Gonna take him surfing at Waikiki

Ala Moana Bowls

Surfed last night and this afternoon.
Got it good both times.

There's nothing better than catching a good wave while your friends are paddling back to the line-up .
Apparently Ethan said he didn't see me go into a barrel. Just saw me come out. I was stoked on that.
I got pitted a couple of times today. Feels good when your board does what you want.

Creative Essentials and Haydens Largest Painting yet

The Easiest Avocado Smoothie/Shake/Drink

Ingredients: Avocado, Milk, Sugar,  Ice.

Directions: Throw it all in glass, and stir.  Drink  and eat chunks with a spoon.

As I get older I realize more and more things I learned from my father, now that it has been over 15 years since I blamed him for all the negative things in my life. (I think its natural for a any youth to go through that stage). If you ever read this Dad I hope you know that I love you very much and appreciate all the things you've given me (a skateboard, camera, car, another camera).  

Most importantly thank you for teaching me how to work hard, be creative, and enjoy the finer quality things in life, like fitted Italian made shirts,  Singapore Rice Noodles, and all the gangster Chinese restaurants in Chinatown.

 I tell you meeting your dad in front of his office in downtown Manhattan, jumping in a cab to  chinatown, not talking much while stuffing your face, then saying see you later and going back to your business is straight good times. 

But back to the Avocado Drink. Lets call it the Manny Aloha, because I'm self centered like that and its better than calling it the plain Avocado Shake.

I remember in the summers my dad would cut open an Avocado, break it up with a spoon, throw it in a glass with some sugar, and ice, fill it up with milk stir it up, and drink it down faster than I could ask what it was.

To this day, it is my favorite way to eat a whole avocado and drink a glass of milk. 

Its an Asian thing so I hear from Google. A filipino thing definitely. The only other person I know who does this is my Filipino friend John Esguerra from the North Shore. He also does a clothing line and blog called Quality Peoples. He is one of the best designers and surf art connoisseurs I know. See for yourself at Qualitypeoples.com

Anyway if you've never tried this drink, and you like avocados, try it.

If you do, and you like it, think of me and say "aaaahhhhh! thanks Manny Aloha".

I also hear you can drink it with rum or blend it?

Shoot, I guess you can call that a Manny Aloha Special.

Signing off.

Devil's Toy part 2.

Devil's Toy part 1.

Midnight in Hawaii

This month's Chinatown Newspaper Cover

Chinatownnewspaper.com

The story of my life

Spent

Just pulled a night shift to day shift to night shift.
and I'm spent.

Reminder to self:
Write ECSS Book.
Meet with B Press folks
Paint Murals around town
Submit your resume's to Princes to teach art.
Party at the museum.
Teach Art Academy class?
Visit University Art Department. Call Mike.
Cut Skateboards?
Breathe Deep.
Take down art show.
Send art to Rebec and Los.


It's 5am.
Good night.

Flashback

This day Marisa and I drove out to one of Oahu's secret beaches in a big pick up truck at midnight. We threw the queen futon in the back with pillows and a comforter and slept under the brightest stars. We woke up to not a soul around. We explored down the beach naked for about an hour and a half taking off clothes as we walked along This is a photo within that time period. By 9am, it was time to start heading back to town to go to work. 

Saturday in Honolulu

Manoa Wood Workin

Maxing out

Maxing out. 

Working til 2am and waking at 6:30-7am. for the past 3 days.

Maxing out my Ford Escort Station Wagon.

Time to get a truck, and a space to work. Working at friend Amanda's backyard. Mahalo!

Making props for a dvd production and doing cover art during the night.

Saving money buying wood at Reuse Hawaii. Shout out to Manoa, Duram's Rock Hard Water Putty,

my Dewalt hand drill, Parker, Matt, Jeanette, and Hyun at Reuse, my baby Ford Escort, Scrappers, my Bosch jigsaw and wife Marisa and baby Hayden for making it all worth it.

Just reloaded my ipod nano. Tomorrows gonna be a free ride.

Photos of props coming up.

Quote on Working

"I work way too hard to work too hard."

In other words, breaks are essential.

-Manny Aloha

Shout Out to Brother JPL

I want to give a shout out to my homeboy JPL.

for lending me $500 after a big fight between us almost punching each other out

and trusting me to pay him back without one single nag.

for giving me his scarf when I was freezing in Harriman NY camping over night in the woods because my sleeping bag was too small and my head and neck was sticking out.

for inspiring me to create ever time I speak with him

for spending New Years with me and feeding me sake and home made infused vodkas all night long

and letting me, my wife and baby sleep in him and his wife's bed.

for watching my back while I went off doing things that are not allowed.

for frequently making me surpass my limits.

for getting me jobs.

for picking me up an 1 hour away because my car got towed

for giving me advice on how to finish my rocking horse I just made.

for complimenting me on my creations every time. 

for holding the record in most days and hours spent with

for making me feel like I'm awesome.

thanks for still being around and continuing to inspire me.

Can go on but gotta catch some zs

Big Ups Brother JPL

Aloha Oe

-Manzo

Another Surf Life Moment/Tangent

This island life never fails to feel like a dream world.

Today was my first time substitute teaching.

It was actually really satisfying.

I was subbing for a Career Counseling class.

Right up my ally. I'm so much better telling people how to live their lives than my own.

My biggest challenge is learning to take my own advice.

On the attendance sheet, there was a note saying that two specific kids weren't supposed

to sit next to each other, so I ended up having to separate the two. By noticing one of their interests in Marine Biology, I found out they surfed.

and instantly remembered them from my favorite surf spot.

They surfed in a crew of 5-6 surfers all riding different sized boards...

one even on a boogie board. I remember admiring that how they were

so comfortable with their crew and how they all kept track of each other.

Making sure they new where every one them was. 

At the end of their surf session 3 or 4 of them took off on the same wave.

You'll find surf posses in 3's  short boarding and acting all serious.

These guys shared waves.

Anyway I quickly realized that these two weren't bad, they were just smart and had a sense of humor that was probably inappropriate for the teacher to deal with.

I later found out that they weren't going to surf today after school, and I felt lucky that I could and did get it good. Nearly made my wife late for work.

The South Swell is still here. Perfect 8-10 ft faces.

I thought I was the only one who missed awesome days of surf. Apparently it happens to the best of us.

Dream day

Slept in til 8am

Great breakfast with Marisa and Hayden til 9:30

Painted a mural on a window at Baby Awearness from 10am -3pm.

got picked up by friend Alex to surf at 3pm.

The whole South shore was going off.

in the ocean by 4pm.

Surfed perfect waves- 12ft-15ft faces til 6pm.

wish I had a photo of the waves.

Tuesday Rockin

I had this mahogany sitting in my shop area waiting to be shaped into skateboards,

but instead it it turned into this toy for my son.

Monday Mahogany Project

Sunday Line Up

Woke at 7am.
In ocean by 7:30 for a surf.
Caught about 6 waves.
Super clean and calm.
Lots of head dips and a mini shack.

Nothing like mashing your face into the lip of a chest high wave.

Out of the ocean by 8:30am
Picked up Marisa and Hayden from the gym by 9am
home for breakfast and out of house by 9:45.

Drop Marisa off to work by 10am.
Hang out in Manoa Marketplace with Hayden.
Went to Farmers Market.
Bought some bananas and picked up some coffees for Marisa and I.

Left there at 11:40. and back to Beach.
Hayden fall asleep in car. Pull up under a tree and carash until 12:56.

Drive to our favorite swim beach and swim til 2pm.
Lock keys in car and carve down a fat branch to something thin
enough to break into car with.

Get in and on road by 2:30 for a meeting back in Manoa.
Meet with for a commisioned art piece.

Back home by 4pm for Hayden to take a long bath.
Pick Marisa up at 6pm
and drive back down to beach to have dinner with the Thompsons.
Out of there by 9pm and home to crash.

Aloha,
Surfs up on the South Shore.
Goodnight.
Manny

Saturday work and play

Today I finally assembled and installed this tv stand and computer desk.

From 10am-2pm (including lunch) 

At 3pm it was extreme high tide. 

So I surfed a good high tide spot.

There were these 12-13 year old boogie boarders in the water 

making bird sounds and screaming"Yaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!" when they dropped in 

and "Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh" when they dropped in on you.

Another was moaning and groaning like a cow while he waited for waves. 

His friend couldn't take it.

They were hilarious. 

There was an older boogie boarder who was in the water from 10:30- 4pm when I saw him. 

He might of even been there when I got out at 5pm.

He was my indicator. Stay 20 ft away from him, and catch the good set waves.

I call the this spot "Contemplators" because the wave peels slow and you can relax and contemplate while surfing the slow motion growing transition.

It makes you take a deep breath and be all mellow.

If you move to fast, you leave the wave behind.

But then all of a sudden it switches to fast motion and starts racing on the inside with big heavy reef heads below, which stick up during low tied but make for a good barrel during high.

Til later.

-Manny Aloha

Marisa's Birthday

Working the tile grind.

Wife Marisa's birthday today.

Thank god we got invited to a dinner party

at Jack and Danny's. It made her day special thanks to Ashley bringing some cupcakes and a couple of candles.

Kai, Audrey, and Hayden played.

good times.

a little drunk and very tired.

till tomorrow.

Aloha.

-Manny

Roll with Control

My blog posts are diminishing to plane text.
I'm working a twisted unstable work grind.
Gotta grab hold of my life. for the sake of myself, wife, and child.

gotta limit my work to 5 days a week.
and make time for family time.
Gotta grab hold.
Gotta Roll with Control.
Breathing Deep.

Good night.

3 times

Went to the hardware store three times today.
And I think I might have to go back in the morning.
I hope I'm learning something the hard way.

Art Show

Grinding

Missed a couple of days blogging.

I wonder if any of you noticed.

I'm workin' heavy this next couple of days.

tough to get a minute.

But I did get a chance to squeeze in a dawn patrol before getting picked up

at 8am on Wednesday morning.

Wednesday night I had an art opening too.

I invited 3 friends.

and they all showed up.

It was perfect.

Actually I shared the show with another young artist Kris Gellert

we traded a piece

he's a rad photographer.

Marisa invited some friends too who showed

along with a few others

Talk more later.

getting picked up for work in a minute.

But you know what?

It's Aloha Friday.

-Manny

Double Up

Wavos Rancheros

Sunday Shark Sighting

Today was pretty epic.
I went on a snorkel date with wife Marisa and saw sharks for the first time.
Usually while surfing someone else sees one and that's enough for me to paddle in.
One time a few years back my friend saw one while surfing and swam down to go see it.

I thought he was crazy. But today that was me.
It was kind of scary but... they sleep during the day and hunt at night.
And some life guards told me where to look so...

After snorkeling we went for lunch and a couple of beers at Kona Brewery.
Our friend Ashley from Baby Awearness babysat for us.
Picked up Hayden at 1:30 and went home.

borrowed a chop saw from brother Rob Duncan who lives down the street.
worked on a wood project for two hours,
then got picked up by Ethan Lau at 5 o'clock for a sunset surf down the street at Ala Moana Bowls.

He said, tell me how this word makes you feel.... April.
Doesn't it sound so nice. And the sun was setting. And the vibe was all April.
We were crackin' up getting chilly. "This is the coldest I've ever been in my life!"
Laughin' so hard. Yeah you should come to New York.

Yes I'm a romantic. But hey. Why not. I'm over the punk stage.

Ethan said, "This crowd is youthful isn't it?"

Everyone (under 30 except me, but who's counting) fresh and light gold,

The place is usually packed with locals of all ages, but everyone I guess got there's 

and were all surfed out.

My last wave I talked into a small barrel which is always rad. The sun was already down.
Ethan rips and is always an honor and trip to surf with.
He surfs a mini (maybe 5'0) Tropical Blends Single fin with no leash.

Now that I come to think of it every day with friends and family is an honor.

Then I got dropped off by 7:30 for dinner with Hayden and Marisa.
Washed some dishes and read a book to Hay with Mom at 8:15pm.
Then folded laundry and straightened up the house for Monday.
Good night.

Earth Day Poster

Observations