Portland Weather and Reach the Beach

It was inevitable, wasn't it, that I would get around to talking about the weather in Portland? From what the locals tell me, we've had an exceptionally mild winter here. For the last month, we've even had sunshine and relative warmth on several days. This came to an abrupt end yesterday when I rode to work in a Northwest snowstorm. By "Northwest snowstorm", I mean that white flakes were falling from the sky and immediately disintegrating upon reaching the ground. Still - pretty neat.

The thing I can't get over is just how unpredictable it is. If you want to take advantage of a pretty day, you need to step outside IMMEDIATELY or suffer the consequences of changing weather. Today was a prime example. For the last 3 weeks, I have been training for Reach the Beach, a 100-mile bike ride from Portland to the coast in May. (More on that in a moment.) The weather was pretty frightful this morning, and I put off my ride until afternoon. Finally, around 1:30 the skies cleared, the temperature rose to an acceptable 50 degrees, and I was off without so much as changing clothes.

My route today was short, just 14 miles to Mt. Tabor and back with a side trip to Movie Madness. Except for a few shorts drizzles, it was a fairly sunny ride to the top. But shortly after I got to the bottom, graupel (snow pellets) started falling. I was completely oblivious of this word before I moved to Portland. But when it's hitting you in the face, suddenly you must know what it's called. The graupel turned to a hard rain so quickly that there wasn't time to pull out the rain pants from my pannier. So instead I got wet. Soaked actually.

Here's the amazing thing. I passed a number of bikers on my long ride home in the driving rain, and I seemed to be the only one the least bit annoyed or inconvenienced by it. Most of them were actually smiling! So I smiled too, and it turned out to be a pretty good ride after all.

As for Reach the Beach, I'm pretty intimidated by the 100 mile distance, especially on my sad little mountain bike that doesn't give me much in the way of speed. But it's fun to have something to focus on. I'm planning on some morning training rides with coworkers, although we've only managed one so far.

Now for the sales pitch. Reach the Beach benefits the American Lung Association, and I have been given a nifty web page to allow my friends and family to donate to the cause. Think about contributing. Or come ride with me!

http://RTB.kintera.org/aeyates?faf=1&e=1619904459

Bunny on a Bike Ride

As part of my endless quest to entertain the masses, I continue to scour the local papers and websites for any Portland event that might live up to my high standard of weirdness. Frankly, there are too many to attend, but I did manage to make it out for the 5th Annual soaking wet Bunny on a Bike Ride.

The rules are simple. Show up on a bike and sport bunny ears. I decided to get a little more creative and attend the event as a goth vampire bunny, finding amusement in taking something cute and making it evil and dark. But I forgot my fangs at the last minute, and switched to simply a goth bunny. Unfortunately, no one there knew me and being goth in Portland is not terribly uncommon, so I think the irony was lost on people.

The ride started from 6 different locations in the city with 4 rides in the quadrants, 1 in the North, and a group of hearty Zoobombers. These folks meet at the Portland Zoo on a weekly basis, high up in the west hills, and ride primarily children's bikes as fast as they can down to the city. This little event even warrants a Wikipedia entry!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoobomb

There were about 100 people out today braving monster winds and rain. I chose to meet up with people in the Southeast. From there, our leader guided us to an undisclosed location for a potluck and outdoor fun. As fortune would have it, this undisclosed location was Irving Park, about 1/2 mile from where I live! Thanks to the weather, there was no outdoor fun. But there was carrot cake, popcorn, chips and salsa, and all the marshmallow peeps you could ever possibly want. (Which would be zero marshmallow peeps for me.) One guy actually covered himself with them. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of that. I'm sure they will post better pictures on the internet at some point, but in the meantime, you can check my winter album for a few.

Bunny on a Bike Ride Photos

Amy and Nick's Ukulele Funtime Lunch Hour

Welcome, friends. Recently, we've had some nice spring weather here in Portland, and one way I get to enjoy it is by stepping outside with my coworker Nick for a little ukulele fun time. He plays and sings. I try to sing too. Next week, I may even add a shaker egg into the mix. Nick has posted some of the videos he's made online. The ones with just him are much better, but since this is my blog, I'm posting one with the both of us. Hurry and watch it! Youtube already removed our last video together, because apparently Van Morrison is a spoilsport with nothing better to do than to surf the internet and remove all performances of his songs from existence. You are all better off for not having to see it anyway. It was our first run-through, and I gave up 2 verses into it, but stayed in frame looking bored through Nick's performance. I'm sorry to report, ladies, that Nick is happily married, so don't call and ask me for his number.

Keeping Portland Weirder

In one of my last installments, I spoke with both fondness and dismay at the weirdness of Portland. Case in point: The Urban Iditarod. Coinciding with the annual Alaskan Iditarod, Portland's version involves human "dogs" in costume pulling decorated shopping carts through the streets of the city, following the commands of the "musher". Each team chose a theme for their vehicle and dressed accordingly.

I'm not sure which team this rollerskating, hula-hooping mama was on; she may have just been there for the beer. But we saw a variety of clever ideas including a Pac-Man vehicle being pulled by 4 ghosts, the Thundercats, Cave Men and Women with an actual fire going in their shopping cart, the Bluth Family toting their stair car, the pope-mobile, a dodge ball team, a band of tie-wearing Mormons, and the list goes on and on.

The event didn't appear to have any assistance from the city or the police. The mushers and their sleds just ran through the streets with the traffic, and even the finish line just seemed to be blocked off by sheer numbers of people rather than any kind of organized plan. We only stayed long enough to gawk and take a few pictures. Now I just have to think of a theme for next year!

If you want to see more pictures from the Iditarod along with other random things, I've added to the album on Kodakgallery:

Winter in Portland

I got involved in the weirdness last month in my own small way by participating in the Worst Day of the Year ride on February 10. It was an 18 mile ride through the city, with stops along the way for donuts and coffee. The organizers purposely pick a day in dreary February to jolt us out of our winter blues, but invariably the weather turns out to be decent, and we're denied our bragging rights. We had only a few drops of rain the whole ride, and it was warm enough to take off our hats and gloves and enjoy the breeze. The ride starts and ends at the Lucky Lab brewpub, where they served us hot chili to go with our pitchers.

I try my best to keep up with the madness of Portland, but so many things pass me by. For example, I have yet to attend the musical "Tonya and Nancy: The Rock Opera". Nor have I paid a visit to the new smoke-free vegan strip club, where you may occasionally catch the dancers wearing SOMETHING but it won't be leather or fur.

I'm also having a hard time keeping up with nicknames for my fair city. The tally so far: "Stumptown", "Slabtown", "Bridge City", "The City of Roses", "Puddletown", or just "PDX".

I did attempt hosting a weird event of my own - a leap day party with a viewing of the 1972 horror classic "Frogs" starring Ray Milland, Sam Elliott, and Joan Van Ark. But everyone got to talking, and we never watched it. I caught it the next day on my own and was highly amused. Plus Sam Elliott was HOT before the Mark Twain mustache.