November Winds, the Target's notes.

Morning after.  Clearing begins.  Malibu's beach, 11/7/2014

   As more and more ride the set-waves of November winds to earth, the leaves have begun to stretch past their peak color. Rain has become more prevalent as has the wide temperature variation between sun-up and sundown. We are into full-time Fall mode now. Dark Five o'clock each day. The solstice about a month away as we prepare for the first winter blast. Thursday the 6th we were to meet at Shallow Waters on 45th, a Wattman pick. Supposedly great bay views. From first arrival I noticed an issue. Besides the rain I mean. The place was closed up tight. No mid week business here. Immediately rang up mission control. Many would expect the Watt to handle this with grace. Wisdom maybe. The Wattman's response? "Well their website said they were open." No call. No follow up. With insight like that you'd wonder how we've made it through so many places over the past two years. Lisa's in town. Perhaps he was a bit distracted. But, after a quick confab we determined the alternate location to be Barn 34, a newbie upscale dive the Journey had led us through back in late June.  Wanted to see if they'd begun to heal from their first summer's growing pains.
   Upon entrance we found the the off-season slowdown had hit them hard as well as the upstairs sports bar was shut down during the week.  This left the smaller bar in the dining area on the first floor.  No drafts although our barkeep had no issue with making the stair runs to get available drafts as requested. It was obvious that our barkeep could skip the gym any night she worked. Now why, if you're trying to make a name as an upscale restaurant, would you not put tap-handles at both bar locations. Things that make you go "hmmmmmm." Gotta say though, the beer was served cold in an iced glass.  Always a plus for us. We ordered a trio: the Crab Balls, Hank's Buffalo Sauce Wings, and the Rock Fish Tacos.  We all agreed, the crab balls were fair but too much filler.  The wings, Wattman enjoyed but neither myself nor Lisa were crazy about. The fish tacos were the best of the three, plenty stuffed and had a decent pico de gallo and taco sauce.  With two TVs that were hard to see from our end of the bar, and no music whatsoever there was no ambiance to hold us in place. Their promise was as of yet, unfulfilled.  Maybe never will be. We don't give too many places a third pitch. Time will tell. For now, with no surf our offseason drag begins.

THE RATINGS-
Hank's Buffalo Sauce Wings: C+
Crab Balls/Fish Tacos: C+
Beer: B
Atmosphere: C+
Overall Score = 2.44

Surf Omega, notes from the Target.

Last ride, 10/30/2014

   Time change. End of Daylight Savings Time. Beginning of 5pm darkness. Least there's Halloween festivities. But wait... no little boxes of milk duds? Walmart runs out of the small bags of M&Ms? Are these people TRYING to send me over the edge? I've even found myself gorging on M&Ms straight outta the big bags instead of the proper way; one color at a time.  I've gone rogue.  But, I digress. The real issue here is our Omega; the end of our weekly surf sessions for the year.  It has been said, "sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself."  For us the ocean is where we find ourselves. Each week when we leave the beach we have found a little more of ourselves than we had before. Knowing this week would be our last until Spring, we had high hopes for one last blast of stoke. Alas, upon arrival we find ourselves facing the lowest tide of the year with barely knee-high albeit clean, left breaking waves. But, DWatt sprinted in like it was the beginning of a new season. Maybe it was that he saw the potential.  Maybe it was the dying rays of the last sunset. With barely enough light to discern one small set from the next, the Wattman managed to jump several short backside rides. Stoke realized. Nice end in fine fashion. Still got the weekends... I suppose. Not the same.

Thursday low-low's.  Holidays and 66th, 10/30/2014.

   Leaving the beach the Journey led us to Ponzetti's Pizza on 144th. An OC family owned institution since 1962, DWatt was old friends with the owners so we gave them a look-see.  This being off season, and a bit early for Thursday Night Football the place was somewhat quiet. Maybe 6 others during our tenure.  Beers were ordered. As if to further expunge our season the Summer Shandy I ordered was literally the last.  Killed the keg. Like that keg represented the last surf. Damn it Jim!
 We put in our food request of BBQ Chicken Pizza (this is what they do), and Buffalo Hot Wings. Service was prompt and we delved into the pizza which was quite good.  The wings didn't make the minimum cut. Not real spicy. Not real there. After a closing round we called it a night. The mid-week, non-surf, very much off season begins.

THE RATINGS-

Buffalo Wings: C-

BBQ Chicken Pizza: B

Beer: B-

Atmosphere: C+

Overall Score = 2.44