Hey Beach lovers. Finals are finally over and summer is just that much better for it! Now I can focus on my true loves: fishing, the beach and most of all... FOOTBALL! Now I know a lot of you beach fans are also football fans and that a lot of football fans are really getting into fantasy football. What a lot of people don't realize is that fantasy football can be just as physically dangerous as real professional football. Seriously. Don't believe me? Don't take it from me. Take it from Norman Tugwater, Fantasy Sports Attorney at Law!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ALmgArYW8Y

Its finals time for summer school guys : /  wish me luck

Hey there everybody

I was out at Olde Port Beach in Avila last night setting up a beach bonfire for a wonderful family. It was actually a good time sitting out on the beach reserving a fire pit for them and helping them move their gear down onto the sand; I spent most of the time just basking in the sun. After I was finished I wanted to grab some dinner before returning back home to SLO. I stopped in at the Marisol Restaurant at the Cliffs Resort for their happy hour special. I'd heard about it from some friends who really just raved about it and I thought I'd give it a try. Boy am I glad I did!

For dinner I had what were easily some of the best tacos I've ever had in my life. They were grilled tuna, with shredded bits of green apple, radish sprouts, guac, cilantro and some simply amazing sauces all in a large flour tortilla. Honestly I had to stop myself from just scarffing them and ordering four more. And at $3 a pop they were a really great deal. I washed the tacos down with a pint of beer which was also only $3. We're not talking Bud Light or anything like that either. This was the best micro brew they had on tap, all $3 apiece until 7 o'clock. I tried the Firestone Walker (of Paso Robles) honey blonde ale and I was blown away. I could actually taste the honey in the beer. That was easily the best tasting light ale I've ever had in my life. A lot of people know about the Central Coast's rich wine country, but very few are aware of how great the beer brewed in the area is as well. I would highly recommend giving the happy hour out at Marisol a try. They have it 5 nights a week and most of them they offer food for free with your drinks or at a great, great deal. Pair a good Firestone Honey Blonde with great food and the breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean and you've got an ideal evening in beautiful Pismo Beach.

'till next time beach fans

Jake

So I like to keep up on current events. Weird thing to hear from a guy my age right? But I've developed a habit of watching the news to keep myself aware of what's going on in the world around me. What I've been hearing lately is that we may soon get a bit of relief from this June, oh excuse me, July gloom that has been haunting us around here. I'm so excited to hear this new I can't even express it in writing. I come from the mountains and I've never had a summer anywhere near this cool, not even when I spent summer in Peru, which is in the Southern Hemisphere (it was winter there)! I've heard it a couple times now that we should be cracking into the normal summer temperatures and even burning off a lot of this marine layer. Can you say Hallelujah?!? Here's to hoping for some more summer like weather here soon!

Wow has it been a long time since I hit up my blog last. Between my 21st birthday, finals a trip to Las Vegas and a computer virus this blog has gotten seriously neglected. However I'm back now and I've got plenty to blog about. I guess the #1 piece of news would be that I've broken the first rule of summer and signed up for summer school. You know nothing says summer like thermodynamics and Civil Engineering 207 : P I must say that it is nice to be able to get two difficult classes out of the way while I have the chance. We'll see what takes priority though once I get a new Skeet Reese reel to go along with the rod my brother gave me: fishing or homework. Well that's all I've got time for for now beach lovers but don't worry it won't be another month until my next post. Until then. Jake

So I couldn't make the trip all the way home for Mother's Day today which is a bit of a bummer. Luckily I got to talk to my mom this morning and I had a nice little conversation with her. At least we are fortunate enough to enjoy a some beautiful Spring weather here on the Central Coast this weekend. Its a beautiful day to tell your mother that you love her. Hope everybody and their mother has a wonderful day because there's nothing better than a nice spring day like today with the ones you love. Till next time beach fans...

So I spent an absolutely BEAUTIFUL Sunday with my family at Squaw Valley celebrating my little brother's 17th birthday. I couldn't have asked for a better day to end my season, which lasted until May by the way! It was bittersweet taking my last run down the mountain, but it really was ten minutes of pure bliss from the very top of the mountain all the way into the lodge. Man I wish it could snow all year in the Sierras.

Unfortunately I got an immediate and rather rude wakeup on my return to school. Monday came with a midterm in my Chicano Studies class. Never before have 30 multiple choice questions looked so daunting. Lucky for me Chicano Studies is for my Latin American Studies minor so I did what any good college student would do... I took it pass fail! Hahahaha you lose this one midterms! But then my CE midterm on Tuesday morning came to the rescue. Even with all the time I had to prepare for it there wasn't anything that could get me ready for that one. I don't think anyone left that test feeling too cocky. Further proof that curving and grade adjustments are students' best friends.

Now however the worst of my midterm season is done! The rest of the week I can enjoy myself and take the time to appreciate this amazing spring weather we have going on right now. I hope this keeps up for a while too because if I can't snowboard for another 5 months surfing will have to do for now!

Till next time

Jake

 You know why I love California? Well I'll tell you why! Today I'm hanging out at the beach here in Avila and it's a beautiful, sunny seventy-something degrees. Tomorrow I'll be snowboarding at Squaw Valley Ski Resort in Tahoe. In May! What other place on Earth can boast such a beautiful and diverse climate? I love the fact that I can be down here getting a tan one day and at home in the mountains playing in the snow the next! I wish I could be doing this sort of thing all year long. Love my home state.

 Man-o-man what a beautiful day! when the sun coming through my window woke me up this morning I know it was going to be a god day! And let me tell you Avila Beach did not disappoint. I cannot believe that I'm out here just enjoying this beautiful strip of paradise for a job. How on earth am I going to be able to pay attention to my upcoming midterms when I know things are this gorgeous out? Lord help me keep my focus this week!

 Without further ado

6. Always dispose of used motor oil properly. Never dump it in a storm drain or field. Instead, take it to a gas station or approved collection area for recycling.

7. When you go to the beach, make sure you not only pick up your trash, but try and pick up at least one piece of someone else's. If everyone did this, we'd have our beaches and coastlines looking better in no time!

8. Cut back on your use of fertilizers. Excess fertilizer that makes it into our waterways can cause harmful plankton blooms that can harm fish, marine mammals and other sea life.

9. Avoid using single use plastic bottles. These and other types of plastics often end up on our beaches and in our oceans, where they harm birds, sea turtles and other marine life. Instead, use a sports bottle or other type of reusable container.

10. Join the Surfrider Foundation! We are a non-profit grassroots environmental organization that works to protect oceans, waves and beaches across the globe.

So there you have it folks, some great advice to help keep our beaches clean and beautiful for future generations from an organization dedicated to the cause. For more information on the Surfrider Foundation visit their website: www.surfrider.org. And take good care of our beaches!

We ran into some great folks from the Surfrider Foundation out here at Avila and learned some great tips to help preserve our beautiful beaches. I thought this was something important to share with all of our fans so I'm posting there tips up here on my blog. Here are the first five tips!

Each year over 18,000 beaches across the United States are closed or posted as unhealthy. If we all pitch in, we can make a difference in keeping our beaches and coastal waters clean and healthy.

Here are 10 things that you, your friends and your family can do to keep our beaches healthy:

1. Pick up your pet's wastes. Pet waste that reaches the ocean can make both people and marine life sick!

2. Rake and bag your yard clippings. Grass and yard clippings that get blown into the streets often end up in storm drains, making a fertile breeding ground for harmful bacteria.

3. It's best not to smoke. But if you or someone you know does, have them dispose of their used cigarettes in a proper waste container. Cigarette butts are the number one litter component found on the beach!

4. Don't hose down your driveways. Not only does it waste water, but it causes oils and other pollutants to end up in our oceans. Use and broom and dustpan instead.

5. Use native or drought resistant plants in your garden. These kinds of plants use less water, which helps reduce runoff and helps keep our beaches clean.

There are some great tips from the Surfrider Foundation (its their genius not mine) to help everyone reduce their impact on our oceans and beaches. The last five tips will be coming soon. Stay tuned!

So I couldn't work out on Friday because of work and school, but I did do some beer tasting with the Cal Poly Brew Crew. I think anybody can forgive me for that one.

Day 4: had to fill in for a coworker today so I didn't have as much time to work out, which was actually alright cuz I'm sore as can be right now. But I still got in a quick run and a couple hundred sit-ups. Not something to brag about but it's thursday night so later everybody I'm headed out with my friends! 

Day 3: 45 minute swim, and I am exhausted! This is going to be a long hard road to hoe. In other news today was absolutely beautiful!

Since my tonsilectomy two weeks ago Monday I've been planning on how I was going to get back into shape once my two weeks of mandatory rest was up. Since yesterday marked the end of my two weeks and the begining of my mission to get back into beach shape for the spring I decided to help myself by marking my progress on my blog. Yesterday I wanted to celebrate regaining my ability to run and breathe hard by running so I went on a half hour long run. Might have overdone it just a little but it was exhilerating to run again.

Alright Mother Nature take note! These next couple of days are what spring is supposed to be about. Step your game up.

Got my CPR/First Aid Certification in the mail today! So if any of you beachgoers gets so relaxed that your heart just stops beating have no fear, I'll be there to handle it!

Just got home from the hospital and my tonsillectomy. Missin' the beach already : / everybody go enjoy yourselves a little bit extra for me!

WOW what a day today was! I thought for sure nothing would be good when I went to leave my apartment and 3 of my truck's tires were slashed! Somebody had walked all down my street slashing everybody's tires. Who does that?!? So needless to say my day did not start off too well.

Tomorrow's the big day!!!! Hope to see everyone out there to enjoy a beautiful day out at Avila Beach with us! Congrats to everybody at Poly for finishing their finals too! Now come kick off spring break right with Beach Butlerz.