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I should have seen it coming. I should have known that a sport that depends on the behavior of the moon, sea monsters, and energy that flows from way over the horizon would be dripping with it. Heck, I'm basically walking on water. But still, I'm surprised at how much magic I've found in surfing.

First there's the magic of place... Of course, the secret spots up and down the coast come to mind. Places with shark lore, epic waves, tragedies. There are smaller miracles too. For example: I bought most of my surfboards through Craigslist. Every place I've met someone to buy a board has become a magic spot for me.

I highly recommend you try meeting someone on your commute route next time you buy a surfboard. I bought my last board from a guy I arranged to meet at the BART station parking lot near my house. Now every time I come home, the magic reminds me that there might be waves tomorrow morning.

Then there's the magic of time, which seems extremely elastic when riding a wave. Everything slows down. Why? Because my heart and CNS is on overdrive? Or so I can enjoy the ride? Who knows? Also, photographers talk about a magic hour or golden hour when the sun is just right. Surfers know that the early AM hours are often best for waves because wind tends to stop.

Magic things... magic surfboards. I'm lucky enough to have one. It catches waves in all conditions. Board shapers love to discuss the magicness they've encountered over the years.

It's all true. Every last bit.

I offer a few recordings tonight: Sing the wolf song is to the lyrics that eve wrote me the other day. Apologies in advance if you listen with dogs in earshot. I added a few more tonight since Eve & I were sitting around with the mic on. We recorded " Always on the Sunnyside" which is something she sings at school, you're supposed to tell some kind of joke in the breaks... something I screwed up of course. This led us toward the ban ana knock-knock, which I also screwed up horribly.

Last night's tune 'i had nothing' was recorded at a rehearsal space with my bandmates (weekly jam-mates?). I basically said, "When I hit record, just start playing." woomp! there it is.

Thanks a bunch for all the notes you've sent me on these things.

Finally, I updated that web page. It's a klunker, but:

• you can get to everything without digging through directories
• you can listen to everything through the doodad.
• the feeds will let you get a ping if there's a new tune.

I think I'm somewhat caught up on the listening now.

Bruce-

• porches is just getting uploaded now. Really nice. I'll spin this a few more times tomorrow.
• migrain my brain is severly migrating my brain right now. Please tell me there was some loopation involved in that. The micro hemiola in the hectic part might induce seizures.
• walle vatoR nice touch here. I like the mood.
• silence is not too slient with that guitar erupting over there. Neat!
• thoughts almost takes off in a lee ranaldo direction. I like it. This made a great first impression.

Seth-

• Thanks for putting that itunes doodad together today, if the RSS thing I responded with won't work to pull in the latestgreatest, let me know and I'll cook up a dynamical version of your xml file.
• t he biggest risk is great. I like the way the energy kind of goes from 0- 60 in the prechorus. Also, nice organ moment, I missed that first time around.
• eve had a comment on decelerating repetition: 'that's not funny' when I played it for her right before bedtime.
• free from me is so nice. isn't it amazing how just an additional vocal track can kick up a demo recording?
• Also, sweet & flavorful AND i n my right time AND the plan in the same upload pile? wow. send more, what are you waiting for?

Peter-

• I'm in touch with your blog. I enjoy catching the recording detailz over there. I'm not really making too much of an effort to engineer any of my recordings. I'll start to pay a little more attention to this and put some factoids together.
• Lyudmila works! Is that a love song about this betty?
• I enjoyed stat ement of too. It comes across as very thought-out and deliberate.

Derek-

• It's been a treat to hear these gems. I mentioned this to you in an IM the other day, but I'll mention it here for the groop: Your recordings are so hi-fi! In a rush, I downloaded baker sfield to my phone while I was on the bart. I listened to it on the .5 inch speaker and wow... I heard all the backup vocals even...
• dow n the hole- I love it. It's serious! I don't think I've heard you open up like that before! Beautiful.

A BART police officer approached us this morning at the casual carpool line to ask for help with spotting thieves in the parking lot. He said that there's been a rash of thefts at the Lafayette station. The bad guys are going for catalytic converters on Toyota trucks as well as the ocasional stereo.

The officer asks anyone with info to call in the detaiks to the BART Police: (877) 679-7000.

I've been commuting into San Francisco from the 'burbs for the past few years. I'm in the 'bridge and tunnel' set -- a moniker that references two of the worst hazards in the bay area. As commutes go it's not the worst in the world but it has little to celebrate between the time spent, cost, and carbon footprint.

At least I have options. The bart reaches my town. One unanticipated option is the Casual Carpool. Using CC, a driver can pick up two riders and get into the carpool lane in the bridge. Riders & driver benefit.

I heard about the CC a while ago; I heard about the rules:

• The carpool is free
• Keep the chitchat to a minimum
• Keep the radio low
• No coffee in the car
• Drivers, keep your car clean
• The driver decides the route

Which as it turns out, is pretty close to the 'official rules and etiquette'. I've met some nice folks from my neighborhood and learned some handy shortcuts on the way to the city.

Find a CC pickup location near you and give it a try sometime.