Who Am I, Really??

While sipping my morning coffee I try and take a minute to visit a few of my favorite blogs. At my dear friend Jules site I stumbled across this personality test. I always get a kick out of these things. http://drawing.feedbucket.com/start.php

Here is what it had to say about me based on what I drew:

"You are driven and ambitious and tend to make radical moves to reach your goals.You are a direct and forthright person. You like to get to the core of the issue right away, with few signs of hesitation.You like following the rules and being objective. You are precise and meticulous, and like to evaluate decisions before making them.You have a sunny, cheerful disposition."

I bet there are few fokes who would disagree with this...

Portland International Speedway 2008

Portland International Raceway was repaved and reconfigured this winter; all the racers were there checking out the new race track.

I stopped in to see how my friends were enjoying the new track surface. There were smiles all around and tops speeds of 160 plus.

Squirrels Make us Smile

I work at a beautiful college campus with lots of trees and shrubs. Our facilities crew does a great job maintaining the grounds.

Today while sitting at the front desk covering the phones for a coworker a very cute squirrel paid me a visit. Ever feel like you’re being watched? Peering through the glass front door, he looked up at me as to say “Hey Lady, give me some food.”

So being the softy I am for a cute face (just look at my dating record) I jumped from my station and raided the refrigerator looking through everyone’s lunch in hopes to find this little guy a special snack.

I carefully stepped out to toss him part of my coworker’s lunch, and he quickly stuffed his cheeks and walked right up to me for more.

“You’ve done this before haven’t you,” I said in my best soft squirrel voice.
He replied in his sexy Antonio Banderas voice, "Why, yes I have."

The Oregon Ambassadors of Music

In July 2009 my daughter will be boarding a plane from Portland, Oregon and leaving the U.S.A for 18 days. A special letter came in the mail for her a few weeks ago. This letter is reserved for a select few musicians in Oregon. This letter was an invitation to join the Oregon Ambassadors of Music on their summer European Concert Tour.

The many opportunities she has been given have come from countless hours of hard work, practice, and dedication that I can only dream of having. Below are the many places she will visit.

London, England

Paris, France

Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Liechtenstein

Austria

Venice, Italy

Rothenburg, Germany

A flat tire in Shaniko, Oregon

The community of Shaniko is a not-quite ghost town located on Highway 97, about 70 miles north of Bend. Shaniko was incorporated in 1901. The town is famous for its colorful history and was once the nation's largest wool-shipping capital. The enormous sheep sheds of that era still stand on the edge of town. Several buildings are maintained in an Old West theme, including authentic boardwalks and an original schoolhouse and the Shaniko Hotel.

Shaniko was named for pioneer settler August Scherneckau. Scherneckau came to Oregon after the Civil War and bought a farm near the present site of Shaniko. Indians pronounced the name Shaniko, and that is how the locality got its name.

Bla – bla – bla…

It is also the worst place to get a flat tire. There is no one and nothing around, it is a ghost town. While pulling off the road to use the restroom at the Shaniko Hotel, I must have ran something sharp over because when I stepped out of the car I could hear it hissing. I quickly jumped back in and found a level quiet side street to park on so I could change the damn tire. After evaluating the situation, I still had to go to the bathroom and figured I’d better take care of that before attacking this tire.

I drive a vehicle that is only two years old; it is the only new car I’ve ever owned. I have never had a flat in this vehicle but I have had to change a tire in an older car I owned in college. I knew how to do it; I wasn’t real excited about it, but it wasn’t beyond my abilities. So I thought.

Being the responsible vehicle owner that I am, I stopped off at Les Schwab to have my tires rotated and the air checked before I headed to Bend for a weekend of mountain biking. I generally do this before I head out of town. My grandfather used to take really good care of his vehicles and he tought me to do the same.

I couldn’t loosen the lug nuts! As hard as I tried they weren’t moving a bit. Okay don’t panic, I mean really with this short stubby lug nut wrench that comes standard with my vehicle, how could anyone get any leverage. Okay, I’ll get the jack out, I totally know where that is, and I know how to use it. I’ll get my spare out from under my vehicle and come back to the lug nuts in a minute. How do you get the spare tire out from under the vehicle; it looked like it was practically welded under there. Oh dear God what am I going to do.

So out of the ghost town dusty streets of Shaniko came ghostly old men from everywhere. Where there had been no one on the streets now came sweet old ghost men.

God Bless the Old-Men-Ghost of Shaniko, Oregon.

I learned a lot that day. I learned the importance to keeping a huge lug nut wrench in your car at all times. I learned that all new cars have this fancy, very hand spare tire lowering thingy on the back bumper. (Very cool invention). I learned it is very important to keep the manual in the car at all times (even if you thought you were keeping in a safe place in the file cabinet at home so when you sold the car it would be ready to hand over to the new owner). And that it pays to be a sweet woman because old men love to help a damsel in distress.

I was a bit humbled by this experience. I travel around from one fun adventure to another and rarely think about running into problems. On the other hand, I tend to be very organized and plan things out to avoid problems. Accidents are just that; they are unexpected, unavoidable, and happen not matter how prepared we are in life. It is what we do with them, how we react to them, and what we learn from them that counts.

Memorial Day - Mt. Biking in Bend, Oregon

There is no better place to be then in Bend, Oregon mountain biking around Phil’s Trail on Memorial Day. This weekend was the first time I was there and the weather was a bit questionable. It was a cool and cloudy few days to ride in. I’m not complaining, like I said, there is no better place to be then Bend.

I stayed at Eagle Crest just outside of Redmond in a beautiful little one bedroom condo. Cozy, quaint, and decorated similar to what I would do with rich earth colors and sparse nic-nac junk. I am into clean and organized environments.

I enjoyed my ride but have to admit I wasn’t riding as strong as I did the last time I visited the area. With all the extra cold rainy days we’ve had in the Portland area I haven’t gotten nearly the miles in this year. This time last year I was getting 80 to 100 miles a week in. Currently I am averaging 45 to 60 per week. It is funny how I compare each year of fitness to the next. I gauge this years cycling success to last years.

I took in a great walk at Drake Park, a stole up Wall Street and found a path with about 100 cute dogs on it behind the Old Mill District. I got my dog petting and oogglling quota in for the next four months. I had to laugh at the truth to the saying “Owners look like their pets.” Well, a little.
What type of dog would you be if you had to compare?

Me, I’d be a mutt, made up of a:

Labrador (because I am so soft-hearted)
Basenji (because I have way too much energy)

Beagle (because they are so strong willed)