Wednesday, December 31, 2008

LIVE Surf with Murph has concluded

By KJ

Murph, June and I are down in Waikiki for a few more days while everyone else has left. So, the live coverage is over. If you watched, I'm sure you weren't disappointed and most likely insulted at several points.

My posting has clearly slipped up, but I'll get updates and more photos sometime tomorrow.

Cannonballs, scorpion bowls and a football star

By KJ

Well, the weather didn't cooperate so much yesterday and it looks like it might be the same today as well.

We started off Tuesday by hanging out at the pool for a while. June treated us to a few epic cannonballs. The video below just kills me. Not sure if the actual cannonball is better or Murph's "Today is a good day to die" comment.


After chillin in the pool, we planned on heading to Waimea Bay. It began to rain, so we detoured to lunch at this place called Joe's. It was such a great time and proved that we didn't need the weather to cooperate to have a good time... however, we did have to have plenty of alcohol at our disposal.

Murph and I continued our "honeymoon" by sharing a few scorpion bowls. We obviously took some heat for this, but we did set a key ground rule... no drinking at the same time.

Mellen was pretty hung over, so he showed up a little late for lunch with Abby... and boy are we all glad that he did. After we were all done eating, this 70-year-old Japanese lady came over to him at the table and asked if he played football. It was so random and so hilarious. She told us of how she went to Michigan State while Bubba Smith played there.

Even though Mellen denied ever playing football, I was able to scrounge up this photo on the internet. This should help explain why that lady approached him in the first place.


We had a few too many cocktails at Joe's and then we headed to Waimea. The rain wouldn't subside, so we drove back in the direction of Turtle Bay and ended up stopping at Sunset Beach again.

The rain stopped, so we were able to enjoy a little body surfing. Ty OWNED the waves at first, but eventually they got the best of him as they shot him out of the water and crushed him into the sand. Murph developed an interesting method of laying on his back right on the shore line and sliding across the sand. Both were events were hilarious.

The waves were some of the biggest that we've seen yet and it was pretty cool to see TONS of people surfing. A little rain doesn't really deter people from doing much of anything around here, so even if the weather doesn't cooperate today, that shouldn't slow us down too much.



The night (for me) was capped off by grilling at the pool outside of the other house. I was exhausted, so I called it a night rather early. I'm not entirely sure what everyone else did the rest of the night...as they are all still sleeping.

The weather doesn't look too good for today, but it's New Year's Eve and we have a stretch Escalade picking us up for a night full of debachery, so either way it doesn't really matter.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Best day yet

By KJ

Day three of Surf with Murph was epic in MANY ways.

Me, Murph, Lapa, Ty and the Cooks took a day trip down to Hanauma Bay. Murph did his best to have us reenact the "Look kids. Big Ben, Parliament" scene from National Lampoons on the drive as we had to make a handful of U turns to find the place.

Once we got there it was unbelievably annoying what we had to do to get down to the actual beach. We had to wait to park, then wait to buy our tickets, then wait to watch this annoying orientation video and wait again to get our snorkeling gear. It stunk, but it was completely worth it when we got down there.

It was one of the most amazing places that I've ever been to. The snorkeling was great and I was fired up to finally get to use my underwater camcorder apparatus (pictured left). I looked like Jacques Cousteau, but the HD footage came out pretty sick, so I'll try to post clips at some point.



Prior to Hanauma Bay we hit up a few other scenic spots, like Chinaman's Hat (pictured below), Kualoa Park and Kahana Bay. Murph was obsessed with getting a photo of Chinaman's Hat so it looked like the hat was actually on his head... what a jerk.


A few other things to note on the trip:

• Murph and I had a giggle fit during the orientation video as Murph "relieved a little pressure" as the lights went down. It was hilarious.

• After Hanauma Bay, we stopped off at Halona Blow Hole. Lapa is pictured at right at the Blow Hole.

• The last stop of the trip was Kaloko Point. Ty and Lapa went body surfing, while me, Jamie and Mike took advantage of the photo ops (pictured left). There were two weddings going on there and it was such a picturesque scene.

The photo I snapped below is an instant classic. This wedding ceremony just got over, as you can see by a bridesmaid and groomsman walking out, and apparently these little kids REALLY had to go. So their dad helped them out by dropping trow COMPLETELY with one kid, while he assisted the other.


After the road trip, we got back to the house and got ready for dinner at Lei Lei's. June and the Airasians had arrived, so the entire crew was finally together for the first time. After Lei Lei's, we went up to The Bay Club at the resort and things really got out of hand.

We spent the night playing pool and this sick shuffle board game. We were having a good time...and then the shots started flying. I blame June and Murph for getting them going and just taking the entire night to the next level.

While we were at The Bay Club, Jamie was sitting there and says "KJ, come here." I go over to Jamie and she says to me, "Did that girl just take her pants off?" I was a little taken aback by the question, but I turned around to see this girl that is bare-ass naked from the waste down. Seriously.

Her pants weren't down to her ankles... they were completely off. I'm so bummed that I didn't have my camera on me (for obvious reasons), but trust me when I say, it was a scene like no other.

We are off for another day trip today. Not exactly sure yet where we're going yet and not sure if it will be more fun then yesterday, but we'll do our best.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Turtle Bay, Sunset Beach and Obama

By KJ

Day two of Surf with Murph was definitely a great one and the fact that we went to the local Foodland to buy MORE beer REALLY, REALLY frightens me. This trip is already out of hand.

We started off the day by hanging out at the house, eating breakfast and then watching the Pats play. It's unconscionable to think that you wake up and watch live NFL games at 8 a.m. I don't think this is something that I could EVER get used to, even though it was great to crack my first beer at about 10 a.m.

At halftime of the Pats game we went out to assess the pool situation. It's so inconvenient to get to the pool as it's about 200 feet from our door. What a pain in the ass.

The Pats dismantled the Bills, much to Mike's chagrin, and then we were off to check out Turtle Bay.

The place we're staying at is actually off of the long driveway to Turtle Bay Resort (pictured left). So, it only took us about 10 minutes to walk to the resort itself.

As we approached the main building, we noticed a Honolulu police car that seemed a little out of place since Honolulu is about an hour south and also an unusual amount of cars and men in matching Hawaiian shirts hanging out around the perimeter of the lobby. Then, Mike noticed that all these guys had ear pieces in. So, the speculation by all of us began that Obama might be making a visit.

Despite having the once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the President-elect in person, we instead decided to walk along the beach and then belly up at the Hang Ten poolside bar at Turtle Bay. While we were wrapping up our lunch at Hang Ten, we overheard a bartender say that she just met Obama. So, indeed the future leader of the free world was dining inside Turtle Bay, while we were throwing back Long Boards and checking out the "scenery" outside.

After Turtle Bay, we headed back to the pool for a little more R&R. Jamie went to get a pedicure at the spa at Turtle Bay and then we were off to try to catch the sunset at Sunset Beach.

The skies were a little hazy and it eventually started to rain for about five minutes before the sun actually set, but it was still a pretty cool place. I'm hoping we can hit it up on another night when skies are more clear.

Murph and I did take the opportunity to pose for a photo while standing on a lava rock of sorts right on Sunset Beach. We took quite a bit of heat for the "honeymoon" photo op, but it was well worth it. As you can see, I was rocking my very own Surf with Murph T.

Probably the funniest thing to happen all day was while we were at Sunset Beach. This random dog was strolling around the beach and came over to us. I petted him a few times and he sniffed my solo cup of beer. Then he made his was over to Murph and then to Ty. In an unexpected turn of events, the dog goes and pisses on Ty's beach mat...while Ty is sitting on it. An instant classic (see below).

The five-minute rain shower then came in and we were out. We headed to Foodland for some more beers and other stuff that we needed for our poolside dinner BBQ that we had planned.

Lapa dominated the charcoal grill with a spread probably more suitable for 15 people then eight and we just hung out until the pool was closed down at 9 p.m. We definitely spent a lot of time at the pool yesterday and I think that will be a go-to hang out spot for us all week.

Today we're going to do some sort of day trip and then tonight the rest of the crew (the Airasians and June) arrives. We're planning on the "opening ceremonies" of the decathlon tonight too, so that should be interesting.

The live webcam has been a big hit so far as more people than expected are checking in at random times throughout the day to see what's happening at the house. We aren't recording any of that footage as we're all fearful of having any video evidence of some of the things that are done and said in this house. So, if you want to be a part of Surf with Murph, you've gotta tune in live.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Wish you were here?

By KJ

The crib

By KJ

This is one of the two places that Murph has hooked us up with. Sick!

The eagle has landed

By KJ

Just touched down in Honolu at 8:04 p.m. local time and I'm already in a cab on my way to the North Shore.

In a miracle of all miracle type of situations, my suitcase was the first one off the carousel. I have done my fair share of traveling and never once has this happened to me. So I feel it's a sign from God that I am supposed to be tipping back a few with Scott and "Lapa" ASAP.

I am about $30 into a "grab-your-ankles" cab ride that's going to run me over $100. I could've waited three hours for Jamie and Mike to split the fare with me, but no chance was that going to happen...especially once my bag was the first one out in baggage claim. I consider it money well spent.

That's it for now. Aloha!

UPDATE: When I said "grab-your-ankles", I meant it... $131.10. Ouch.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

The ascent has begun

By KJ

Murph's pounding rum and cokes in first class, Jamie and Mike are delayed two hours in Atlanta and I'm blogging and drinking a beer in San Fran. The ascent on Oahu has officially begun.

I'm not sure the status of the rest of the crew, but those are the reports that I've received thus far.

I'm currently sitting at a place called The Buena Vista San Francisco (a little Irish pub in the SF Airport...picture left). This place is pretty cool. There's a table of four people to my left that are literally playing some sort of card drinking game. I am contemplating inviting them along for the Surf with Murph debacle...they'd probably fit right in.

Anyway, just a quick update from here. I'll be getting leied (READ: layed) in no time.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Some missing info...

By LaPa

We are getting really close to kicking this thing off. Is it bad if during Christmas dinner I constantly tell my family that I’ll be in Hawaii in 2 days…is rubbing it in not part of the Christmas spirit..? Anyways, I am still awaiting Ty’s “introduction” but in the meantime I figured we were missing one for our host. How can I pass up a free shot at some cheap heat. Here you go…

Scott A Murphy

One Liner: Born in raised in Blue Hill, Maine aka “The hill” (not to be confused with Beacon Hill), he has resided south of Maine since high school. A graduate of George Stevens Academy (along with 10 people I think), St A’s, BU and recently Babson. Seriously dude, enough! He is the strangest combination of intelligence and childish behavior you’ll meet. Really he’s a math geek who enjoys a good social life. He’ll be flying to Hawaii riding in First class with a bunch of “Chatches”.

Scary Thought: Murph is actually spending a month in Hawaii, so basically he has plenty of time to see the sights and relax, which means that while he has company, it should be an all out bender. When Murph says he’ll buy 600 beers, he actually will, remember he’s a math geek at heart. He’s actually admitted to passing his time during the morning commute, adding up numbers on license plates….ask him, it’s more complicated than you think. As always his #1 goal will be to make sure everyone is hammered and having a good time. If you’re a guy he still might ask if you’re interested in a late night tickle fight. He will most likely be seen at the bar all week ordering bevs and pretending to be one of his aliases, Doug Murphy, Doug Wynn, D Lowe’s brother…maybe Colt Brennan's bro??? Murph, just remember if you order shots and you spill them, the bartender will not refill them for free!

Little Known Facts: Murph is a huge advocate of the snap point, chest bump, Top Gun high five and the dreaded late night chest poke. He worked as a high school janitor at one point. He has been to approximately 78 bachelor parties. He has no respect for police officers or state troopers, he thinks they are dumb and he’ll tell them that (please don’t give him the chance). Most embarrassing moment, he once lost a pool game to Meg Grew (his rival), who rubbed it in his face by eating his popcorn without invitation. Murph is also well known for his “best, worst, best” scenarios, “Zams”, “awh..awh…awh” and many other strange noises. He is probably the only person I know that could have organized this trip.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Calling all decathletes

By KJ

At the Surf with Murph mixer the other night, I somehow had a stroke of genius...it's amazing the places you venture to after slamming four car bombs.

Anyway, I threw the idea out there of having a Surf with Murph Decathlon and it was welcomed by those in attendance with flying colors.

So, here's my proposal for the Surf with Murph Decathlon:
• $10 entry fee (to cover Decathlon trophy)
• Every entrant submits two events they'd like to compete in
• We pull 10 of the events out of a hat that will make up the Decathlon
• Top five positions get points for each event (1st gets 5, 2nd gets 4, etc.)
• Events may have to be set up in a head-to-head bracket style in order to award points
• The winner takes home the Decathlon trophy and bragging rights for life

It's pretty simple really, but there are twp questions that we need to answer as a group. So, leave a comment to this post so we can figure this stuff out.

• Do we pull the events out of the hat prior to leaving or once we get there?
The downside of pulling the events when we get there is that you have to bring the gear to complete your event with you. So, if your event is "Funnel a Beer", then you'd have to bring the funnel. The downside of pulling the events before hand is that we don't get the excitement of pulling the events in person.

• Should we have a Decathlon Committee to approve the events submitted?
I would recommend that Murph, Jamie and I make up the Decathlon Committee. We will approve events before hand and then also be the judges should a conflict arise during the Decathlon. I was originally thinking just Murph and I would make up the committee, but Jamie will be sober, so she's gotta be on it too. We really need a committee because if we don't have one, then Mellen will submit "Growing the fastest beard in 20 minutes" as an event and we'll all be at a severe disadvantage.

You may think that having a committee for this thing is going over the top, but we used to do Decathlons like this in college and if we didn't have a committee then the only way to settle anything was to "go elliptical" on someone and we don't want to have that happen.

Also, here are a few event ideas from past Decathlons:
• Funnel a beer
• Head-to-head flip cup (three cups/person)
• Shotgun a beer
• Head-to-head Beirut
• Longest keg stand

We could also do non-alcoholic events:
• Texas Hold 'Em tourney
• Bocce tourney
• Cribbage tourney

Or team events:
• Three-legged race
• Horseshoes

The options here are really limitless. So, comment to this post w/ your answer to the two questions above and then submit your two decathlon events.

SurfwithMurph.com is not liable for any injuries sustained during the Surf with Murph Decathlon. All entrants must sign a competition waiver acknowledging you WILL get hurt during the Decathlon, just the severity of injuries are unknown.

Monday, November 24, 2008

A mixer for the ages

By KJ

If Saturday night's Surf with Murph "mixer" was any indication of what's to commence on December 27, then we're all in really big trouble. I mean, SERIOUS trouble.

To recap the night, here's a list of what we all learned while slamming way too many car bombs at The Hill Tavern:

• I am a nerd. I started off the mixer by opening up my laptop with wireless card to do a little work. I know, I suck.

• Airasian works in retail.

• Jamie is pregnant and in for the worst week of her life in Hawaii.

• Mellen needs to shave every 35 minutes to avoid his 5 o'clock shadow.

• Murph plans to buy 600 beers in his first trip to the liquor store in Hawaii...I am NOT kidding.

• Airasian loves measuring the inseam...if you know what I mean.

• Mike slams car bombs so slow that the Bailey's curdles before he's done with it.

• Elliptical machines are scrappy fighters.

• Lenny HAS to go.

• The latest addition to the crew, Tyler (bio coming soon) does a great Rodney Dangerfield impression.

• The Surf with Murph Decathlon is happening...details to follow.

• Jackie is a saint for marrying a guy that works in retail AND gets his azz kicked by exercise equipment. What a trooper.

• Murph + KJ + Mike + Lenny = the next Dream Team.

• Murph DERAILED by falling asleep at the tavern.

• KJ + 4 car bombs = yak job in the hotel bathroom.

• Mike is a great little spoon.

• Murph likes to sleep with dress socks and a dress shirt on...and THAT'S IT...don't ask me how I know this.

• This trip is going to be a total sh*t show.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Less than 50 days: Where's my Trucker Hat?

By Murph

Time is flying!

So I wanted to address a couple things quickly:

1) We're on for Saturday night, November 22nd. Everybody that's local seems to be able to make it that night (Laps, just a head's up here, I would make sure your cell phone switch is set to "OFF" that night......seriously, and turn off picture mail). Probably looking at some sort of bar crawl in Boston (and hopefully by then Pumpkin beer will NOT be carried in bars). We'll figure out the details in the next couple of weeks. Bar Crawl with full attendance will most likely hit 2 bars maximum, so don't be late, due to the fact that Jackie "A" will have to be carried out of the 2nd bar after her 2nd beverage. Like she experienced in Montreal, the beer is much stronger in Boston than it is in Watertown.

2) I got us a White Escalade Limo for New Year's eve (with the OK to bring some booze on board, no word on whether it has a "smoke machine" as requested by some, i'll get back to you on that). It's coming to get us in Turtle Bay around 7pm (plan on dinner in Waikiki), and leaving Waikiki to head home between 3am-4am. As for where we'll be spending New Year's: I have the list down to 2-3 spots on the beach where we'll be dressing casual (I'll also make sure to get tickets if we need them). Each place has outdoor seating/drinking where we can watch the fireworks over the ocean at midnight. We will also have the ability to bounce from bar to bar via the limo, he'll be around all night (and assuredly will HATE us by the end of the night...some more than others I'm guessing....). The limo will also be around for anybody who needs to wrap it up early that night, we'll make sure to leave a pillow, some water, a teddy bear and a blanky in the limo in case this happens. NOTE: Mellen you'll have to pay any cleaning bills that arise because of your excessive "shedding".

Looks like we have three different arrival times: the afternoon on the 27th, the evening of the 27th, and the afternoon of the 29th. As far as transportation goes we should be able to figure all this out no problem, so no worries there.

Laps: On the way down there I'll be the guy up front in a trucker's hat YELLING things at you repeatedly. I'll do everything I can to work over a stewardess in order to send you back some bevs from first class, so relax and enjoy the flight....

Hope to see you on the 22nd.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Where we're staying, and other stuff....

By Murph

I wanted to let people know where we're staying for the week, below is a picture that shows the two places ("A" and "B", on the lower right, they're about 500 feet apart), as well as Turtle Bay (top left of the picture):


Both places are in a little gated community full of pools, tennis courts, and in between a couple nasty golf courses. The walk to the beach is 10-15 mins, and the walk between places is only a minute or so.

This is on the North Shore of Oahu where there are a TON of beaches, and places to "relax". People can snorkel, or check out 30 foot waves which are apparently common in the winter. I'm also looking to get a booze cruise of sorts in line for people intersted. Here's a more "zoomed out" pic of the area:


As for arrival times: I'm hoping to get everybody to post that here so we can coordinate getting up to the North Shore from Honolulu. I arrive at 3:19pm (assuming no more changes in my flights) on Saturday, December 27th.

Upon getting there I'm planning on buying a bunch of booze, mixers, soda, water and food for each place so we have it on hand when everybody gets there. I'd also like to get people to post their booze, mixers, soda, and food requests here and I'll make sure you get plenty of that (and more!). I'm planning on being the best host possible, and you all know I have it in me....

I also mentioned that I'd like to get as many people together in Boston for a night out prior to this. The night that seems to work best for everybody is November 22nd. I'll send out an email to everybody on this soon.

I'm also working on setting up a limo situation of sorts to get us down to Waikiki for New Year's. There are some places on the beach that we can hit, some formal, some not, so please let me know if you'd rather dress up or be in your shorts for the New Year.

This is one of the busiest weeks (if not THE busiest week, or so I'm told) of the year down there, so there will be plenty of stuff going on, but the downside to that is that I need to start planning anything that we want to do as a group (like New Year's Eve, or a luau..) ASAP, so let me know if you have any ideas.
Hope everybody is doing well, looking forward to this....

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

With a little over 2 months to go it's time for some introductions....

By Murph

There's a little over 2 months to go, and I’m ready NOW. After sending an email 6 months ago to my bestest friends, I ended up with a strong list of people that took me up on my invite. I just wanted to send out a little note about each of the confirmed guests. Hopefully this gets the 5-6 people that are uncommitted OFF the fence and ON a plane in a couple months.

I’ll also be posting more info on the trip itself (address/pics of the places, car stuff, possibilities for New Year’s, other possibilities for drunk bus/boat outings, room “assignments”, and private island touring/partying, etc) over the next few weeks. I’m thinking we may want to try to get as many people together some night in Boston ahead of time if possible, let me work on that.

Also, PLEASE don’t ask me if I have a “facebook” page. First of all, the site would be crippled by the amount of female requests to be my “friend” (I don’t want that hanging over my head, and I’d hate to ruin any “facebookers” day). Secondly, I’ll call you if I need to talk to you. Now that that’s cleared up, here’s a little tidbit on each of the current cast of characters heading south for New Year’s (in order of commital):

Brian LaPierre
One Liner: A friend from St. A’s who currently resides in Tampa, FL (f&ck your Devil Rays, and yes, I said “DEVIL” Rays).
Scary Thought: Laps will be “leaving” a 2 month old (his first child) at home with his LOVELY wife Sara while he joins us in Hawaii. Wow. Does this scare me? Yes. Couple that with the fact that he was the FIRST to commit…..we may have a “Man on a mission” here. He will most likely be seen double-fisting…some sort of drink that is.
Little Known Fact: Laps “claims” he’s under 7 feet tall, but he’s actually 7 foot even. Possibly his ONLY quality as a human being is his ability to see over large crowds with ease, should come in handy down there.

Ben June
One Liner: Met him through a friend at St. A’s. June currently resides in Medford, MA. Good friend of mine that has more stories about me than I’m comfortable with.
Scary Thought: Anybody unlucky enough to be acquainted with June knows that he himself is a “scary thought”. He forced me to wear a foolish velour sweatsuit at the Wynn Casino in Vegas a few weeks back. I can't believe I gave in to the peer pressure (and I'll take that $140 for the suit...whenever you get the chance). He will most likely be seen working exotic looking Hawaiian chicks, busting out horrible dance moves, and eating whatever is available late night.
Little Known Fact: I won some money on a bet I made with a friend during our annual spring training trip this year involving: Which will be greater at the end of the MLB regular season: Johan Santana’s ERA X 100 (look it up) or June’s Weight (??)?. Let’s just say it wasn’t even close.

John Airasian
One Liner: Another friend I met at St. A’s. You may have seen him on his business’s (Eastern Clothing) commercials making a fool of himself (dude, STOP reading off a placard!)
Scary Thought: Don’t know where to start here. Over the years we’ve done some “stuff” together. I’ve broken into female’s apartments with him to….grab DVDs (he wanted “Sister Act” while I wanted “Uncle Buck”), and grab whatever booze was visible. And together we’ve ruined some people’s nights at Fenway Park, as well as pathetically posed as lawyers while wearing Eastern Clothing suits to do certain things….Potential disaster in Hawaii. He will most likely be seen talking to himself, dancing with large inflatable phallic symbols, or causing a Hurricane warning to be called for the North Shore while we're down there.
Little Known Fact: RECENTLY lost a fight with an Elliptical machine in his basement (with a little help from the treadmill), it’s true, I saw it. He hates Pearl Jam.

Jackie Airasian
One Liner: Italian, but wants to be Armenian. BU grad, who made the mistake of marrying Johnny, they currently reside together in Watertown, MA.
Scary Thought: If she gets tangled up in some Stoli Vanilla, look out. This is a wild card situation that’s going to be interesting to watch unfold. The North Shore will surely be on watch. She will most likely be seen trying to deal with her husband’s antics, as well as inventing new hard booze drinks on the fly. Can't wait to taste some of those strange concoctions...
Little Known Fact: Likes to be hit with a hose (insert joke here), and enjoys “two-fers” north of the border. You can’t make those up.

Jamie Cook
One Liner: I've known her the better part of 7 years now, she works at Intel (does that make her a “work friend”?) and was the first person I met at work that wasn’t a male electrical engineer. A good poker player, fantastic at video games, and a great friend...but a HORRIBLE lottery player.
Scary Thought: Jamie has had the “privilege” of seeing me teeter on the edge of professionalism and idiocy for years now. I consider what she knows to be both scary and dangerous. She will most likely be seen hanging at the beach being “queensy” in very large sunglasses with drink in hand, or running the show at a bar by either owning the dance floor or busting out some profesh-style karaoke.
Little Known Fact: Maiden Name = Szafarowicz, Ebay “handle” = “szaftime”. Wow. Possibly best known for her incredible knowledge of when certain wines will be “released” by their vineyards, as well as her love for the libation.

Mike Cook
One Liner: Indiana University grad still waiting for Bob Knight to walk back through that door, and the calendar to roll back to the mid-70’s/80’s when the hoops team was actually respectable. Also, unfortunate to him, he’s married to Jamie. They currently reside in Oak-ham, MA.
Scary Thought: Both time tested, and proven on several occasions, the coupling of Mike and KJ can become, not sure what to use for a word here, harsh? Cross your fingers on this one. He will most likely be seen scheming drunken antics, and wreaking havoc late night.
Little Known Fact: Mike’s a dork (you wouldn’t guess this when first meeting him, trust me). He has an MBA from Stern (NYU), and currently does something important for EMC. He is also known for his excellent relay baton passing skills, drunken shotputting (I’m calling for a rematch, late night, Jan. 2nd, 2009), and the formation of the “5-borough bar crawl” (that was a LONG night).

KJ Cardinal
One Liner: Author of this blog site, entrepreneur of sorts, check out packnetwork.com or kjcardinal.com. A friend of mine that currently resides in Hudson, MA. FACT: I’m much better than him at golf.
Scary Thought: KJ and his LOVELY wife Ang (god bless you Ang, we’ll miss you down there!) had a baby girl a little over a year ago (my girl “Anna”). Let’s just say a little over a year ago a little streaming video site titled “Trench Cam: Anna Begins” almost got off the ground, and I was one of the first to sign up for the site, but never had the “pleasure” of seeing it come to fruition due to technical difficulties (power supplies in the delivery room) and MORAL difficulties….KJ, WHERE is my $29.95? He will most likely be heard screaming “PLAY MORE STEVEN MILLER” at random cover bands, and pounding bud lights and jello shots by the dozen.
Little Known Fact: Ask him what “KJ” stands for, and prepare to laugh. He also enjoys dining at the Y….MCA in Westborough, MA.

Jon Mellen
One Liner: Friend from St. A’s. Currently resides between the outskirts of Portland, OR and Somerville, MA. Mellen’s a dork who I OWNED in every math class we ever had together, I mean I studied much harder than you for four years, right?
Scary Thought: Mellen has an ability to pound any sort of beverage, and is known for serially shotgunning Foster’s Oil Cans while drinking Maker’s Mark to wash it down. My liver was hoping he wouldn’t make the trip, but you can’t win them all. He will most likely be seen behind a wall of 30+ miller lite cans, and hopefully with his shirt ON.
Little Known Fact: Born and raised in Bismarck, North Dakota. Yes, you read that right. He is also known for throwing shoes at females who practice BDR (Blatant DisRespect) while visiting his place of residency. Also co-creator (with your’s truly) of the “headless horseman” shot/depth-charge. FACT: He WILL be the hairiest man in Oahu that week.

Abby Hangsleben
One Liner: Intel employee who currently resides outside of Portland, OR. Mellen’s better halve, and MUCH better looking.
Scary Thought: The fact that she spends time with Mellen means she can hold her own when it comes to alcoholic beverages. She also has family in Las Vegas. Bottom line: she can rip it up. She will most likely be seen bringing her “A Game” to a beachside bar for 10+ hours, or doing tequila shots with me at the bar.
Little Known Fact: ALSO originally from North Dakota: how da f&ck did you guys meet in Oregon? Abby once lost a sizable Credit Card Roulette situation in the North End; the wine, beers, and Lobster Ravioli were fantastic, thanks!

STRONG PROBABLES: (only two I’m pretty sure on, there are a few others “trying to work it out”…you know who you are, and I’m hoping for the best, but I don’t want to jinx it..):

Randy Savage
One Liner: Met him through a friend at St. A’s. Savage currently resides in Melrose, MA. Just simply writing his name on the line above made me laugh, AND sick to my stomach with the thought of him showing.
Scary Thought: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, IF Randy STOPS BEING A PUZZY AND SHOWS UP IN HAWAII, SHOULD ANYBODY ASK TIM FOR A STICK OF “BUBBLE GUM” AT ANY POINT IN TIME, I DON’T CARE HOW BAD YOUR BREATH IS. You may have to seek professional help if you do, and since I warned you, in print, I can’t be sued to cover that cost. He will most likely be seen boozing, plain and simple.
Little Known Fact: Savage's dad is actually cooler than he is…also, in the old days, he was known to lose his CAR every now and then….hmmm….he is also one of the LEAST respected members of Bellevue Golf Club in Melrose, MA.

Miss Elisabeth
One Liner: Made one of the biggest mistakes of 2008, married Randy. You better come down and celebrate New Year’s with us, and then hopefully 2009 turns out better for you Michelle!
Scary Thought: I’m thinking that, while on vacation, Randy may end up turning her into quite a party animal. I know she has it in her, and I’ve seen glimpses in the past, but if she shows (and she BETTER) I expect a 110% effort out of her, this may get scary. She will most likely be seen turning down shots I’m offering her early in the day/night, but to only later on that night have a few herself and offer me shots that I’ll gladly do…
Little Known Fact: She knows more about kids shoe’s than anybody I’ve ever met. She’s shoulder deep in kid’s shoes over at Reebok/Adidas. Also, I don’t think she likes it too much when Randy and I end up out together, but she may have no escape during this trip, she’ll have no choice but to join in….

Monday, October 6, 2008

Murph Witch Project

By KJ

As previously mentioned, Surf with Murph is planning on featuring video content of the debacle in Oahu.

Well, if Murph's running a camera, then we can all expect seizure-enducing, Blair Witch Project-esque footage. Seriously.

A few weeks ago I threw a surprise 30th birthday party for my wife. Murph was in on the surprise and actually an instrumental piece of the puzzle.

He was part of the set-up crew and also the camera-operator to catch the momentous "surprise" on tape. Well, needless to say, he blew it.

I really can't describe how horrible it is, you just have to see for yourself. Check it out below and keep in mind that this was at the BEGINNING of the party and before we started killing Headless Horseman™. This trip is going to be a disaster.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The countdown is on

By KJ

The countdown to Oahu has officially begun. As of today there are 100 days until we arrive in Oahu.

The live ticker below is actually counting down to when Murph's flight lands in Honolulu at 2:49 p.m. local time. So, adjust your mental countdown accordingly if that doesn't correspond with your ETA. Either way, in 100 days we're going to be in Oahu!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Get your "Surf with Murph" gear today

By KJ

Unfortunately there aren't nude beaches in Oahu, so get your "Surf with Murph" gear today so you're not caught naked.

Whether you're in the market for a t-shirt, trucker hat, BBQ apron or thong, the official storefront of Surf with Murph has all the gear you'll need.

All proceeds benefit Murph's liver transplant when he gets back from Oahu.

Monday, September 15, 2008

The North Shore has no idea what it's in for

By KJ

This winter "Surf with Murph" will descend on the North Shore of Oahu and it has no idea what's about to hit it.

An Ocean's Eleven caliber cast has been assembled by Murph to help celebrate his long-awaited sabbatical. From December 27 to January 3, we'll all be surfing with Murph to help commemorate this joyous occasion.

We have big plans for this blog...updates, photos, videos, a LIVE web cam and more...the likelihood of this all coming to fruition will depend on two things:

1. internet connectivity on Oahu, and
2. my blood alcohol content level

So, no promises, but the intention here is to post a lot of things that we'll all never forget, never live down and perhaps regret?! Stay tuned.