Everything I am about to write here is true. In a creative and embellished sort of a way. But honestly true as I remember it. And some parts are even truer than other parts. And there are more than a few coincidences besides my role in connecting Balsa Bill and Balsa Guilhem (William). But let me get to the story, and then you decide what is truly true and what is merely true.
I travel a bit. Occasionally with my wife on her business trips, other times on my own or with others to surf. Each time I go, one of the first questions is whether there is a Sways builder anywhere near and can I drop in a say hey. I had wanted to meet Guilhem and see his cool stubbie boards for a long time. So, I convinced my wife that because her ancestors were French, we should go to France, burn up her frequent flyer miles (I love my wife for many reasons, this being just one, albeit a big one) and see the country with people who cannot seem to pronounce the letter “n” on the end of a word. Maybe drink some wine, eat foie gras, and generally put on a few pounds. And while we are at it, drive 16 hours on tiny 2 lane roads all the way to Biaritz so I can meet Guilhem and see his shop, surf, and check out the topless girls on the beach. That last part, while true, was actually sold to my wife as a leisurely trip through medieval rural France sampling the food and wine of Bordeaux and visiting the scenic Basque county, rich in history and culture. She bought in.
Well, I hate to go without a gift, and knowing full well that I would second-guess anything I did too early, I waited until two days before leaving to get a Cocoa Beach area tee shirt for Guilhem. Short on time, the idea was sounding really good at that point. But I needed help. I called Mike Daniel and begged a favor. Mike had the brilliant idea of going ½ block over to Balsa Bill’s shop and getting one of Bill’s really cool surfboard tee shirts. He would find it, and use my FedEx number to send it to me in time for me to pack it for the trip. Everything was looking good for a glimpse of those topless chicks (that of course being only part of the reason to go to France.)
OK, now here is one of the really true parts. Mike was in the store, working with Bill to find the shirt, when he heard a strange language being spoken by some customers nearby. They were not pronouncing the “n” on the ends of their words. You see where this is going?
Mike please pick up the story here. (Don’t forget the secret code word, the mother of pearl letter opener and strange man in the beret). I’m going to upload some pictures tonight and we will see if Guilhem will add some to the story.
Afterwards, I will add a little piece on why you should not let your wife meet the wife of another Swaylockian and compare notes, and what means for how much time you are actually allowed to use the home computer from that point forward.
Mike, you there?