Bike commuting... Rain...

I've started taking two classes at PCC, and I've been bike commuting to get to school. Fortunately, Portland is great for bike commuting (bike lanes, dedicated bike trails, lots of bike commuters). Unfortunately, you still have to know where you're going. My first class was Monday at noon. I left a good hour early, to ensure that I'd have enough time to bike to North Portland, to get up to PCC Cascade campus. So I knew that the school was off Killingsworth, what I didn't exactly know was where on Killingsworth, so when I got to Killingsworth, I didn't quite know which way to go... So... I asked for directions (I know - not very 'manly'). The gal that I asked said... "PCC? Portland Community college? I know there's a PCC on 42nd," she even asked her friend, to confirm. So, I look at where I am... which is like 3rd. hmm 42nd minus 3rd, thats almost 40 blocks. So I put the 29er in TT mode and race up the road. Finally make it to 42nd and although it is a PCC building, it's not where I need to be... So I go up a couple more blocks and ask another lady. "Where's PCC?" she says, well, you overshot it by about 2 or 3 miles... So I have to rewind and race back, all the way to where I was, and then some, to where I needed to be. Only about 25 minutes late, ughh. I don't think I missed too much importance on the first day though. I was really close to where I needed to be the first time I asked for directions. (See, it's not always good to ask for directions -- or I suppose you just need to ask the right person).

Then on Tuesday, I had to go to yet another PCC campus (Sylvania). I was studying the map for the correct route, because there really wasn't a straight shot, and there are sizable hills between our house and the campus. So I found the best route, and I didn't go the wrong way, but it was a grind getting up the hills on my SS 29er.

Since we got here, I've been a bit anxious to get out running on a rainy day. Well, I thought yesterday would be the day. I started out in a light rain, and about 5 minutes into it, it stopped raining. Then when I got done w/ the run, it promptly started raining again. I was sort of worried, because I had to bike up to the Sylvania campus again, but yesterday it had been raining intermittently, so I figured it would stop. It didn't. I was pretty wet by the time I got to campus, but I wore a rain jacket, and brought a dry shirt. I just need to get some fenders. Wouldn't you know, that the sun even popped out during class, but then when class ended it was raining again. We have had pretty nice weather, and I'd say yesterday was probably the rainiest day since we got here.

Well, here we are, we live in Portland now. It's been one week plus one day since we took the final car drive over the cascades to SE Portland where we live now. We do still have some stuff stored at the townhome (Laurie's Mom's place), but not too much.

So we moved out of our house in Bend that had a square footage of about 1550. Right now that seems like a mansion, compared to the little house we're renting. I did a rough sq ft calculation with my tape measure last night and it came to 676. The parents old cabin on Lake Alexander was much bigger than this place. On the bright side, I suppose our energy bills will be lower?! I'd feel much better about this house if we weren't paying as much as we are for rent. But we do live in an excellent neighborhood (sellwood) that's quiet and there are many good restaurants within walking distance. Plus the bike commute to alot of places (like downtown) is much easier than the drive, and the drive isn't bad either, Parking is the problem.

We went on a road ride up the willamette to St. Johns bridge, and then took Germantown road up through forest park. It was an awesome ride through the woods with lots of climbing, we just need to find a better route through downtown, on the way home, if there is one.

Tonight there is bike racing at Portland International Raceway (as there is on pretty much every day in or around Portland).

So that's all right now. Here's a picture from the Criterium at Mt Hood Cycling classic: