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