Day #4: I've Looked At Clouds From Both Sides Now

Today's Route: Umatilla, OR to Walla Walla, WA (61 miles)
Total Trip Miles: 274

I've now officially entered my second state: Washington. It's true that I flirted with the state on yesterday's ride. But from here on out, there will be no more Oregon.

Hello Evergreen State!

Day #3: I Love Me Some Good Tailwinds

Today's Route: Goldendale, WA to Umatilla, OR (87 miles)
Total Trip Miles: 213

Last night through this afternoon, I had an affair with Washington. But I'm back in the loving and faithful arms of Oregon tonight.

Day #2: Scary Ass Bridge

Today's Ride: Hood River, OR to Goldendale, WA (53 miles)
Total Trip Miles: 126

Ross's house was mighty cozy this morning, and I didn't want to leave. Outside it was raining. Not itsy-bitsy-sprinkle rain. But rather, full-on, constant, hard rain. I pulled on my big girl panties, I rolled the bike out of the garage, and off I went.

Looking' stylish in my shower cap helmet cover.

Day #1: Waterfalls for Bikers

Today's Ride: Portland, OR to Hood River, OR (73 miles)
Total Trip Miles: 73

When I awoke this morning, the panniers were obediently lined up on the settee--all packed and ready to be mounted on my bicycle.

Roll call: back pannier left, back pannier right, front pannier left, front pannier right, handlebar bag.

Final Countdown

Liftoff time is quickly approaching--less than 48 hours! That's 1/7th of a fortnight! I have been waiting for this trip for so long. And. I. Can. Not. Wait. Any. Longer.

La Mappa Della Bicicletta

Signore e signori, vi presento la mappa della bicicletta...

The bike route.

Introducing the route for this summer's bicycle trip! The solid blue lines indicate segments that will be traversed by bicycle. The blue-pink lines represent sections that will be travelled via Amtrak train. When all is said and done, I will have bicycled about 4,000 miles.

Anchoring, Sweet Salem, and TJ's

We had planned on anchoring out last Friday night, but the weather was shitty, and we still hadn't solved the riddle of the engine.

Lessons Learned

In my product management life, I always looked forward to the project "post mortems." For one, they provided closure to the projects. But more importantly, they allowed for continuous improvement by enabling me (and my team) to reflect on the things that went well and the things that didn't go so well. Reviewing and incorporating the learnings from the post mortems facilitated efficiencies and helped to ensure smoother projects moving forward.

Piercings & Doin' It

(Fear not, Mom, I have no new piercings.)
(Fear not, the rest of you, this is a G-rated post.)

Two and a half years ago, I got a body modification. In Ayurvedic medicine, the modification is made to a part of the body that represents the female reproductive organ, and the procedure is intended to enhance childbirthing abilities. In contemporary western medicine, the modification is made to the "protuberance that houses...the nares" (thank you, Wiki), and the procedure is performed purely for cosmetic reasons, typically resulting in infection and regret.

An Overnighter to Sand Island

This weekend reminded me how wonderful a simple overnight adventure can be.

Me, Jake, and Phoenix @ Sand Island.
(Thanks, Will, for the photo!)

Stomping On My Old Grounds

I am so grateful to have the absolutest bestest friends in the whole entire universe.

Didja Know About Pirate Vision?

I loved the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World. It was my favorite ride. It had a catchy "Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life for Me" song and a jaw-dropping tumble down a waterfall at the end of the ride. My fascination with pirates, however, ends at Disney World. And so, Jolly Rogers, I readily admit that my pirate IQ is pretty scanty. If you have acute pirate smarts (or you are a cute pirate), then you can ignore this blog entry--a time dividend for you, Captain Crunch!