445 -Bare Naked Ladies, 90 Years Old and a Dentist

445 Yup... that is the number of miles for weekend number two of the trip around the state. I returned to Bend with several friends heading to the Blogger meet up... that was their excuse! I was in search of Bare Naked Ladies. They were found at the Les Schwab Amphitheater(LSA) in Bend on a warm July evening in Bend.

First let me say that there is not a bad seat in the LSA. The LSA is set in the center of Bend next to the Deschutes River across from the Mill District shopping area. I went with one of my best friends Andra from College who also shares a love for this crazy band from the great country to the north. We opted for the reserved seats and were not disappointed. We were center stage seventh row... with no one sitting in front of us. The concert was amazing to say the least. The crowd was a little mellow until the sang "If I Had a Million Dollars". Then everyone was up dancing to the music.

After the concert I spent the evening at Andra's sisters house and headed off to Portland early Sunday Morning. I had a party to get to!!!

My aunt Julie turned 90 and it was a full family reunion for the event. I was great to spent three hours riding from Bend to Portland with all the riders leaving the BMW rally, then to see all my cousins that I haven't seen in years. A big part of the reunion was seeing the reaction to the changes that I have experienced in the last year. I have lost 120 pounds and several of my cousins did not even recognize me. A great time was had by all!

Monday was my bi-annual trip to the dentist. My friends in Corvallis give me a bad time because I go to the Dentist in Portland. I feel that when you find someone who is good and treats you with respect that you should continue to give them business. My dentist took care of me during undergrad and graduate school and made sure I had clean teeth even without insurance. I feel the least I can do is continue to see him as long as he takes care of me. Another check-up! No cavities!!!

I then headed back to Corvallis/Philomath via Hwy 219 west of Portland, down Hwy 99W and the Kings Valley Hwy. All and all, another great weekend.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/128823

Next up... the Numb Butt Tour 2010

2145

Wow!!! 2145! That is the number of miles I have ridden in the last three weekends. This does not count to and from work on a daily basis. These are the weekend trips the last three weekends.

765-- That was the first trip for work. I had a meeting and doctors appointment in Portland three weeks ago. I also forgot my wallet in Philomath so I had to make a return trip home before heading to the Bend/Redmond area for the first of two Yellow Ribbon Veterans Education and Employment Fairs that I attended the weekend of July 10. The trip to Bend and some eventful moments... like the summer snow storm of bugs while riding along the river in the early evening between Sweet Home and the top of the Cascades on Hwy 20.

I stayed at a great new hotel in Bend; The Oxford Hotel. I highly recommend it. It was a great stay and I only wish I could have spent more time at the hotel. I arrived at 10:30pm and had to leave the next morning by 7:30am to be at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds. The fair went from 9am - 3pm and then I headed south and west to Medford for the next fair.

I rode down hwy 97 towards Crater Lake, bypassed going into the National Park and headed for Medford. I arrived in Medford around 6:30pm. After getting settled into my normal hotel (the Holiday Inn Express) I went out to find the Central Point High School and the location of the next Yellow Ribbon Vet Fair. Did I mention that it was a really warm weekend? In the 90's in Portand, Bend and Medford. It is amazing how quickly one can become dehydrated. Note to self, drink more water!!!

The Vet Fair in Medford was interesting to say the least... Nothing like hanging out in a very hot gym for 6 hours. The big questions of the day were.. Why did a building contractor had three huge bags of ground coffee on their table? They had no clue as well. So we spent the day making up stories about the coffee. The best quote coming from the Subway Sandwich Table next to the OSU table... "I definitely have sandwich experience!".

I also had the opportunity to meet Senator Ron Wyden. He came up to our table to thank us for for attending the fair. It was nice of him to acknowledge that people came a long way for the fairs and we (OSU) were one of the only two state universities that were in attendance.

The return home to Philomath was uneventful and it was nice to be back at home... More to come...

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/128802

Which Way to Go?

That is the decision I make every day when I leave home. Is it the highway or the back road? Do I go over the hill and try to cross traffic or take the longer route and take a right around. Do I turn left and deal with the in-town traffic. It usually comes down to how many times I hit the snooze button. Heading to work is always a series of decisions for the shortest amount of time to get to work.

Heading home is always different. Depending upon when I leave I can alway make the 7 mile trip home take more than 7 miles. Sometimes it's to pick up a half gallon of milk in Harrisburg. Fill up the gas tank in Albany or Junction City. Sometimes it just doing the Kings Valley tour before heading home. Somehow it always takes longer on the motorcycle.