Cheers, good readers!! How’s it been?

As typical, much has happened since the end of the big trip. That interview I cut the trip short for paid off well. I’m 2 weeks in on being a Field GIS Tech with a sweet small engineering firm that I’ll never name here. Like to keep personal and professional firewalled. Suffice it to say, it’s a good place with potential. Plus I get to drive a sweet Toyota around in the beautiful mountains in Washington, eventually all over the West.

Tomorrow I’ll be moving in to my new place, the first non-roommate place I’ll have had since 2007. Glory be!!!!! Cheap, cute and chill. 5 minutes from the office and the Salmon Creek Greenway with trails and such. Not that I’ll be there much as it’s field season so I spend weekdays in the field and weekends home.  Still, it’s mine and it’ll be a great place to be able to come back to and have how I want it.

Having moved over 60 times in my life (living in Govt dorms, on couches, in the dirt, with shitbag roommates) being able to have a homey base to work/play out from is a very welcome thing. Hell, I might even go so far as to get plants again. So grown up!

Thumper got me out on a few more little Oregon trips the couple weeks after I got back from the trip, but isn’t in the best of health.

Exhaust is falling off, the starter switch failed in Astoria so I had to spend the next 2 days gear starting a KLR and that ain’t no goddamn fun at all. Got it back to Bend and will deal with it over the winter.

I will use this space to once again sing the praises of the lowly KLR 650. That fucking tank is one of the most broadly capable bikes on the planet and they’re cheap as shit. One seeking a tough bike to really get out in the boonies with could hardly go wrong buying one.

I’ve been flirting with new bikes, the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT in the lead unless the Yamaha T-7 comes out awesome and under $10k. Knowing the Strom is less off-road capable than the current ride, it would have been plenty capable on the stuff I rode on the big trip. My taint was so fucking hammered after 11,000 miles on a KLR that I decided a new ride was in the mix. I mean, I have ridden around 16,000 miles this year alone, not like some of the poor bikes out there, abused by neglect, sitting around collecting dust under the ownership of one wearing a Born to Ride shirt who sells it after 6 years and maybe 3000 miles. Sad, so sad, it’s a sad sad situation. And it’s getting more and more absurd.

Met with an eclectic group of delightful folks to memorialize a good friend who died last year and had the honor of taking some of his and friend Corey’s dad’s ashes together up to a feature on the back side of Mt Hood called Snowdome. Was a burly scramble and rolled the shit out of my already dodgy ankle, but totally worth it. He asked to be there and it was important to his wife and sons.

Memories of experiences and epiphanies from the Big Moto Haul still pop up on occasion. Little things can trigger a long 1000 yard stare moment where I’m still out there having the coolest experience dirty, tired and content. Many more such excursions shall come in the near future.

For a short bit, tho, it’s time to be a happy little homemaker and worker among workers. As well as coming to the realization that, once again, Portland is my home.