The Chi-Town Hustler

Water Tower Place

I flew out to the Windy City this weekend to visit Joan and to check out U Chicago, Northwestern, and Notre Dame Law. I'll post some further reviews later, but the first thing I did was stop in at NU Law. It's right in the downtown/water tower area, which is a damn cool place to be, but it's a little removed from Evanston, making the trip up to see Joan a good 30-45 minutes. Even so, it's a great, new building, and it's right on Lake Shore Dr. with great views of Lake Michigan.

I really liked the school, and the location, but it was pretty goddamned cold. It was about 36 degrees, actually. Thank god for the motorcycle, otherwise I wouldn't have any weather gear.

Northwestern University School of Law

I am not going to get into where I would go until I actually have acceptances in hand; suffice it to say that the Chicago schools are near the very top of my list, and Notre Dame is somewhere behind them, as far as I know at this point. I'll get to the others later. Sleep now.

Dan's visit

February 18th - February 22nd:

Dan came in for an extended weekend before heading out to Phoenix for a photo shoot. He brought his friend Gillian, whose parents just moved out to L.A., and we spent a lot of time hanging out, but much more time just surfing.

He was here for 5 days, and we surfed 5 days. We hit up El Porto first, which was big but a little poorly shaped. Porto is harder to paddle out in than the more southerly beaches, and for our first time out it was a little daunting. Once we were out, though it was a lot of fun. The next couple days, however, we hit up Hermosa Pier and it was a good bit easier to get out, if a little smaller. The last day, we surfed Manhattan, which was probably the best day we had even though it ended up getting blown out and we had to go in.

Both of us went along the same sort of progression: We started out retarded, slipping off rails, falling off the front of the boards, and Dan even perled once. We got progressively better as the days went on though, and even though it's not like riding a bike where you can just start exactly where you left off, by the end of 5 days, I was doing really well. Like maybe 70% of when I was surfing every day, back in the P.V. days. The Manhattan sesh was really encouraging. I'm definitely gonna have to get back out more often. The new board is sweet....

Official Braggin' Time!

The official numbers are in from the Law School Admissions Council for the 2005 series of LSATs, which are administered four times per year. As some may recall, I managed a 176 score. Here's where I placed (slightly modified because LSAC only gives numbers for 175 and higher).

Those who scored 175 or higher: 558

Total test takers: 139,491

By my calculations, that puts me in the 99.996th percentile!

The new Surfboard

My brother and I went in on a new surfboard - it's a ...lost 6'4" x 18 7/8" x 2 1/2" Proformance series squashtail. For the purchase price I got a set of fins (Pat Rawsons), a leash, wax and a wax comb. She's pretty, isn't she?

Dockside with the Atlantas

I went down to San Pedro today to check out the Atlantas. She's a 48 foot bluenose schooner, and she's a very pretty vessel. Interestingly enough, the captain has a shadow-box aboard with an actual piece of oak and a deck spike from the HMS Victory, Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson's flagship when he defeated Napoleon's forces at the pivotal battle of Trafalgar. It's one of 93 released. Amazing.

Anyway, we boarded Atlantas for a quick dry run. I figured out running backstays, which are necessary on this vessel because of the extra sail in front on the bowsprit. It's got both a forejib and jumbo jib. I also checked out the ketch "Ashika," which is the boat I want when I get enough money to have one. Unbelievable.

JEB Stuart's Birthday

Remember the best horseman and cavalry leader in the War between the States today. It is J.E.B. Stuart's birthday.

Another brush with greatness

I ran into Billy Gibbons from ZZ Topp. Yep, just kinda ran into him. That's L.A. for you, I guess.

Actually, I was at the Petersen automotive museum (on Wilshire, west of La Brea and past LACMA), where I happen to be a member, just checking on the latest exhibits. They're in the process of setting up a new display, entitled "Cars and Guitars" about the connection between rock and roll and hot rodding, making Gibbons a natural choice as a participant. You see, this particular rock star has a very intriguing collection of custom iron, and he was the featured guest at the party there tonight, which I did not attend. However, as I was browsing the gift shop, and buying my new-Z06-owner dad a birthday present of a Corvette-themed shirt, I happened to see him and an associate pull up in identical black deuce roadsters. He was to film a TV interview later - I didn't check to see what channel because it doesn't matter to my non-tv-having ass - but it was nice to rub shoulders with such a luminary. Incidentally, I'm now rocking out to "La Grange."

As a very interesting side note, the museum recently acquired from Tom McEwen's personal collection (I believe) the original Mongoose II Plymouth Duster - the blue one. It was displayed next to Don Prudhomme's Snake II Plymouth 'Cuda - the white one. I've now seen Don Prudhomme's Snake I - the yellow one - the Snake II and McEwen's Mongoose II at the Petersen. I've heard from word of mouth that they have had Prudhomme's red Snake I 'Cuda displayed as well, but I missed it. These apparently cycle in and out of the Prudhomme and McEwen collections.

For those of you unaware of the history of the great Prudhomme/McEwen years, the men referenced were famous drag racers of the funny car variety. Don Prudhomme called himself the Snake, and Tom McEwen, his biggest rival and challenger in many a match race and championship, began calling himself the Mongoose (the snake's predator). They both came under the Chrysler Corporation fold and campaigned Plymouths in FC/AA competition, and the rivalry took on a life of its own.

Albert Sidney Johnston

Happy birthday to General Albert Sidney Johnston, the almost-hero of Vicksburg. The Confederates would have had a clear-cut victory and a strategic trump card had General Johnston (not to be confused with Joe Johnston, who campaigned near the border of North Carolina and Virginia towards the end of the war, and who was considered by Northern General Sherman to be the best of the Confederate crop) not been tragically shot in the leg. Heedless of the injury, he pressed on in the attack alongside his men and bled to death on the field. The resulting paralysis of the Confederate forces allowed a Northern retreat across the Mississippi and the Confederacy could not mount an attack on the retreating invaders. Vicksburg was to fall later in the war.

John and Ponch!

You may remember him as Frances Llewellyn Poncharello from the classic TV series "CHiPs." Here I am with Erik Estrada at the L.A. auto show. John and Ponch, together again.

Going dockside

I'll be sailing the bluenose schooner Atlantas (probably, but it might be another schooner or sloop) out to Catalina come March, and I'll be going dockside to Marina del Rey on February 5th. I've gotta get cracking on the navigations.