Good things...sometimes too much

I have recently gotten a very good job offer here in UT. It includes a hefty pay raise from what I am currently making, and part ownership of the business after three years.
It is a good thing...but now decisions have to be made...really big ones.
We are at the point in our lives where we really just want to settle down somewhere, buy a house, and just be in one place for a while.
We are not completely sure if that is here.
I hate to say it, well kind of, but it is looking like Oregon is more out of the picture than it once was. Being closer to family is at the forefront of our thoughts.
If I took this position we would be here a minimum of 3 more years...but do we really want to be here that long?
My wife and I have come to the conclusion that we don't want to stay in Utah, don't want to raise kids here, and are not going to buy a house here.
The people have issues, the school system is one of the worst in the nation, and the climate is not great.
But can we handle 3 more years?
Decisions will be made...

One is not the lonliest...

Once again I am the only motorcycle in the parking lot at work. The weather has turned cold. The fair weather riders have migrated back to four wheels instead of two. All I did was put my liner back in, throw a neck warmer in my saddle bags, and pull out my winter gloves, and ski socks...I am once again a tourist attraction.

I swear I am not crazy

Y'all gonna think I am nuts.
Our thanksgiving was spent in Colchester VT, and for the record, I have never been to Vermont.
It is a beautiful state, full of lush greenery, beautiful farmland, and scenic mountains.
We might move there..like I said before, I am not crazy.
It is just a thought...

Decisions

Deciding where to live, is one of the hardest things we have had to deal with in a while. Weighing the pros and cons of each location, thinking about the things we will miss, the things we love, the things we hate.
The Wasatch Mountains are beautiful in the summer and winter.
Mt Hood is a huge looming guardian of the Portland metro area.
Skiing, hiking, mountain biking, snow shoeing, and such are so close here in Utah, and if we bought a house in Heber City the mountains would be our back yard playground.
The live music scene in the PNW (pacific northwest) is mind blowing. The jazz and blues musicians that come out of that area are some of the best you will ever hear.

So this is where we are at. Nothing is set in stone, we are planning for both, we are leaving it up to fate.

1 Day, 1 Day

Snowbird decided to open early due to the 3 foot dump yesterday....they will open tomorrow...peace

I am going nuts..

I know, I just posted that Portland countdown timer...now things might be up in the air again...life is just mean that way.
The number one thing keeping us here, is the fact that the mountains happen to be in our back yard...well not literally, but 10 minutes away...we love the accessibility.
We can go snowshoeing, XC skiing, back country ski touring, skijouring with our dogs, hiking, and mountain biking, and it is all so close.
In Portland, we have to drive to all of this. Sometimes 30 minutes, sometimes an hour+.
All comments are greatly appreciated.

Portland timer...

Countdown Until Ski Season

Created by OnePlusYou

Requested...

I request was put in for something....here it is.

...until I return to Portland....
Also

... until ski season begins...

Been a while since I have posted...life gets in the way I guess..
so ski season starts Nov. 14th...If there was an emoticon for jumping up and down, it would be here.
Still riding...it was 35 this morning...I was fine...too cold is 25...
yeah, I got nothin' peace...

77 days

Until ski season...which means I possibly only have about 80 days of safe non snow/icy road conditions left for riding...it is an odd feeling...

I love 75 degrees

It is like heaven...
Snow is on its' way....

Autumn is close

It hasn't reached 90 degrees since Sunday. Sure the trees still have all their leaves, the local kids just started school, and there isn't any snow on the mountains yet, but I can feel it. The time of the year where I am excited about skiing and riding at the same time. Winter is just around the corner, and Summer is a horrible memory in the past. No more sweltering hot days.
I can ride without dripping sweat.
Honestly riding in 95+ degree heat is not pleasant. Leather does not breathe that well, even mesh is hot. I tend to carry a half gallon of water on days when the temperatures soar to new heights.
Sure I can't ride as much in the winter because of snow...but, when it is 20 degrees and hasn't snowed in three days, you will see me. You will look at me as if I am insane. I am not insane, I am a motorcyclist.

Small spaces

This afternoon I adjusted the valves on my motorcycle...I have to say, my fingers hurt. The actual adjustment was a 5 minute ordeal, the annoying part is getting the four, yes I said four, valve covers off the engine. Well, actually, three are a pain in the ass, the fourth is easy.
If I was ten years old,it would have been easier...but it is done.

I have no title...

Yes it is still hot, but there is a light at the end of this long hot summer...it is almost over...only three and a half months until ski season.
Can I just fast forward instead?

Heat

The heat right now, is disgusting.

Time

286		days
6886		hours
413190		minutes
24791442		seconds

Greener Pastures

I looked at the weather for Portland, OR yesterday. It was a high of 75...here it was about 102.
The futbol league that I am playing in starts up again next Saturday after taking the month of July off. This should be interesting. We have been trying to get practice time in during our break, but it has just been so hot it is hard to get anyone to show up. Even I have only shown up to two of our scrimmages.
Oh well, it is all fun anyway, I just hope we can get a consistent group of players to show up. We have, I think, 21 guys who initially signed up, payed money, and said they were going to play. The most we have had show up to a game is 18, on average we have 14 or 15. It is really hard to play a good game, when you have different players at each match, with only about four to six consistent people.
I really don't understand it, why would you pay $225 and then not be there. One of the guys came to the first practice, payed for the season, and we haven't seen him since, and this was in April.
Well I digress...
peace

Horse Racing

I just have to say, I love horse racing. Moving to Utah has made it impossible to do this. So, what better excuse to do a nice ride to Evanston Wyoming. If you have never been, it is a lot of fun. Wyoming Downs is a great track.
Our route took us up hwy 89 from Salt Lake City, east on I-84 for about 5 miles, north on 167 just past Snowbasin Ski resort down into Huntsville, east on hwy 39 and up over Monte Cristo pass, then south on hwy 16 into Wyoming. It was a great route, with fun twisties, amazing vistas of the surrounding area, and proof, that, yes, there is still snow in the mountains.
I was definitely pushing my bike to new limits. Being a sport bike racer for a few years in my past, I haven't had a chance to test my skills in a while. I am glad to say, I have not lost it; of course, my Virago is not a sport bike, but it is also not a stretched out cruiser like these modern bikes, yet in it's time it was considered to be one. The only draw back is that it is a carbureted engine, so when going up over high passes it doesn't run as well as it could. The new EFI bikes electronically adjust for changes in elevation. Overall I have no complaints, I just had to give it a bit more throttle, and it ran fine.
This will definitely be a ride done again.

298 days

That is how many left until I leave for Portland.

• 25,747,200 seconds
• 429,120 minutes
• 7152 hours

316 days until we actually move.

Road trip plans

It has been decided, the route has been tentatively set, and the date, is not set in stone.
My wife and I have decided to take it upon ourselves to do a 5500 mile road trip around the country. Departing from Portland Oregon, taking the coast route down to Los Angeles, east over to Tulsa Oklahoma, a side trip to New Orleans (hey what's another 1400 miles?) and then back to Portland, taking the northern route through Colorado, Montana, and Idaho.
I will be riding my 1990 Yamaha XV1100 Virago, she currently has a 1981 XV750 Virago, but not sure if she will be taking that bike, or if we will purchase something newer between now and then.
Our tentative time table is late spring of 2010, probably either April or May.
Here is our travel route, not exact, but a rough estimate.
You are probably wondering what brought this idea into my head.
Well, you can blame a friend of mine. She lives in Tulsa, I needed a reason to visit her.
Why would I want to fly, when I can take a four week long road trip on my motorcycle?
There you have it, if we don't do it now, it may never happen....

The long way

Yesterday morning I planned on heading down to Provo, UT to help a friend with a small, and easy job on his bike. I live in Salt lake City, if I had taken I-15 it would have been about a 45 minute drive. I did not.
I took the long way, just for fun, one hour 45 minutes later, I arrived.
Here it the route I took, Salt Lake to Provo.
Basically all I did was set my route into google maps, and then alter it, completely.
I really had no idea where I was going, I was just randomly dragging the route onto interesting roads.
It was great, a nice ride, full of nice scenery, mountain roads, twisties, amazing vistas. I think my average speed was around 35.
I wish I had had my camera to actually take some pics, but as it was I had forgotten it, as I usually do.
Peace, ride safe.

People who think they actually have power

It is funny, it seems most admins on forums think they own the world. Yes, the WORLD, and this admin is only one of about 20.
I am not afraid...but very amused.

Bad Air

Bad air quality and motorcycles do not mix. In my car, I can just roll up the windows, and the air filters fix everything.
On a motorcycle all I have is my nose for filtering air.
Today is a red air day in the valley. Try to hold your breath.
But their is light at the end...Jazz Festival this weekend, and supposed to be some moist air coming through on Sunday which will clean up the air.

4th of July

I can honestly say the 4th of July is one of my least favorite days of the year. I don't really like fireworks, they are just loud, and polluting. They rank right up there with parades....I hate parades with a passion. They take up space, block off major roads, and are basically just in the way. The people who watch them are pigs, they leave so much litter it is disgusting.
Whether I actually like the 4th or not, I still go and watch fireworks with friends because they like them...I just bring earplugs...
So in other words, happy 4th July y'all

I love things like this

I love the fact that since we bought my wife her own motorcycle (1981 Yamaha Virago XV750) she has become the best passenger in the world. I never really realized how it would affect her as a passenger. Considering the last time I was a passenger on a motorcycle was when I was about 3, I really have no experience in this matter.
It brings me to a point where I have also realized she has become a much better driver also, more aware, and more careful.

People ask weird questions.

So, I have the most random questions asked of me whenever I am preparing to leave anywhere on my bike.
Since it is summer the most common one is, "aren't you hot with that helmet, leather pants, and jacket on?" My most common response tends to be, "well yes, but it is better than a really bad sunburn, roadrash, and brain damage."
The most interesting thing is that the questions that are thrown at me in the winter and/or when it is raining are basically the same, but with a slight twist. Mostly, "aren't you cold." "you know it is raining, right?"
I don't understand people, do they think motorcycles melt in the rain?
I mean seriously, I go skiing when it is below freezing, what makes you think 35 degrees on a motorcycle really makes much of a difference?
Overall it just comes down to ignorance. They just don't know any better.
Kind of like how non skiers don't understand the huge grin on your face when it is snowing in the city.
They just don't get it.

Yeah, it's still hot

Another weird thing about SLC. It has this huge potential to be an awesome ski town, actually it is an awesome ski town, just without the ski town.
I mean, it has some of the greatest skiing on earth, the license plate does not lie.
The longest I drove this season was 45 minutes, the shortest about 25.
The powder was deep, and light. Storm after storm kept coming in and puking more snow on these beautiful rocky mountains. There are nine ski resorts within 45 minutes of this city.
The only thing missing is the laid back ski town mentality.
Salt Lake City is too generic. It might as well be a suburb of Los Angeles. It really doesn't have it's own identity, except for the fact that the LDS church basically owns it. Which in itself, is a bit off putting if you are not LDS.
Most people always seem to drive like they are an hour late for their wedding. Which, comically, is a common place thing in this city.
Most people are always in some kind of hurry, running red lights, illegal u-turns, practically running down pedestrians in the crosswalk. They really need to chill out, get off their cell phone, and pay attention to life.

I never blog here do I...

I just realized my last blog was over a year ago. I am horrible. Well whatever, life is what it is.
So in the past year Sarah and I have moved to SLC Utah, had an amazing ski season, bought Sarah her own motorcycle, and decided to move back to Portland OR next May. My job is good, Sarah is enjoying massage, but also has a job at the local plasma donation center. She decided to get this job mostly because the economy is tanking. This way she has more stable income.

Regarding motorcycles, I currently ride a '90 Yamaha Virago XV1100, and we recently bought Sarah a '81 Virago XV750.
Sarah is slowly regaining her confidence on the road. Her first experience on the interstate was last Friday, she did fine, just isn't used to the speed yet.

Overall Utah isn't a horrible state to live in, it's just too hot. The biggest thing is it is just not Portland. We miss great beer, good live music, rain, green landscapes, and clean water and air.
The air quality here in SLC is horrible. I walked the dog today, and actually had trouble breathing.