Yesterday the weather here in Tualatin the weather was great. The temperatures were in the 60's and the sun was shining. We just had to get out and bike! To bad the weather was not to last until Easter. The egg hunt at Grammi & Papa's might not be in the yard....
Brian and Connor got our our bikes - Brian on his bike and Connor on the tag-a-long. We biked around Tualatin. We went up and down hills and around the bend. We started going up 105th street, and had to stop when the chain guard on the tag-a-long got stuck in the chain. We almost made it to the top of the pretty steep hill. Next time we'll make it. This was a four mile training ride....we're getting closer to our 10 mile Tour de Cure course.
On the way home we stopped at the 'dinosaur park' - Ibach Park. It is a pretty fun place with lots of interesting playground equipment. Connor enjoyed the quick rest stop.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Tour de Cure Update #5
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tour de Cure Update #4
Our planning for the Tour de Cure this July is going very well - the name of the event is Summit to Surf. This is because the longest route is 100 miles and starts on Mt. Hood and end in Hood River on the Columbia River, a great spot for wind surfing.
Our team - Team Tegan and her Daddy - is up to 12 members now, and we have raised $960 of our $5,000 goal. The goal thermometer on our team page is almost to 20% - just $40 more will get us there. Might we have to increase the goal? Stay tuned to find out - or help us get going faster and donate! There are 29 teams signed up so far. Our donations at this point place us in 3rd place. But we are just getting started!
Take a look at these routes listed below - maybe you want to join. You can take a fun 10 mile ride with 1,200 feet of elevation change or the 100 mile endurance test with the 9,500 feet of elevation change. What looks good to you?
100 mile route
Starting up on Mt. Hood at Welches - the course then goes up to Timberline Lodge (try just doing that!) and then down again to Hwy 26 and Government Camp, up to Bennett Pass, then to Hwy 35, and downhill (most of the way to Hood River) and then over to the Mosier Tunnels and back to Hood River.
75 mile route
Same start in Welches and route as the 100 mile route, but skips the trip to Mosier near the end.
68 mile route
Similar to the 75 mile route...not sure where the differences are.
56 mile route
Start at Welches and skip the Timberline climb, up to Bennett Pass and down the hill to Hood River.
48 mile route
Start at Government Camp, up to Bennett Pass, and down to Hood River.
36 mile route
Start at Mt. Hood Meadows on Hwy 35 and go downhill (mostly) to Hood River.
10 mile route
This route starts at Port Marina Park in Hood River, goes to Mosier on the old Columbia River Highway, through the twin tunnels, and park to the start.
Yard Work 2008 #2
Just in case you were wondering how the grass is growing.. (you were, weren't you?)
The second mowing of the season was yesterday, March 19th. It was still a one bag effort - so I guess I didn't wait too long between mowings. It sure look like it needed it a few days before, but the rain didn't cooperate.
I actually had to go buy $4.00 of gas. This bought just over a gallon - but with my yard, that gallon should last until June or July.
Guess we'll see if the grass grow rate continues in the next few weeks.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
TV Online
Did you miss the recent episode of My Name is Earl?
Or - stopped watching ER a few seasons ago, tuned in this week and can't figure how who that new doctor is?
Well, NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox and others have allowed you watch episodes online for at least the past year or two. In fact - last year ABC cancelled Day Break - a show about a LA cop who keeps waking up and repeating the same day over and over again. All the espisodes had been filmed - but they didn't like the ratings so they stopped broadcasting it. The fans (like me) really wanted to see how the storyline played out, so ABC offered the remaining episodes online. Quite nice. Except - now that I described it, and you want to watch it - ABC no longer offers it up on their site. A quick Google search - and I can't find it. NBC did have a show in the Fall 2007 season called Journeyman - which was a another time travel show - but it has also been cancelled. But don't fear - you can still watch all the episodes...here is how to do it!
A new website that allows you to watch TV shows and some movies online just opened up to the world. Hulu has more TV than you can watch in the time you have available - even if you watch for 24 hours a day.
Are you wondering what the T stands for in Mr. T's name? Watch the A-Team!
Having trouble remembering the plot details of that one espisode where Remington and Laura finally stop fighting? Watch Remington Steele!
Do you just miss finding out how Jared was going to escape Ms. Parker each week? Or did was it just too difficult to figure out what the Centre was really up to? Watch The Pretender!
You might just find that one episode you missed - and you'll finally be able to sleep at night. Check it out.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Snakes and Arrows 2008 - We're going!
In 2007, Rush had their Snakes and Arrows tour. It came to Portland (actually - the Clark County Amphitheater in Vancouver) - so Mick and I had to go. We had seen them on the R30 tour in 2004 - but Rush puts on quite a show - you can't pass up seeing them. Only 3 guys - Geddy, Alex, and Neil - they work hard and you can tell it in how they sound. As Connor would say - Awesome!
Anyway - they are touring again this year - the Snakes and Arrows 2008 tour. We decided not to go - as tickets aren't cheap, and the lawn experience at the CCA is unique. It is fun, no doubt - but you really can't see much of the stage without binoculars. The large screens let you see the action - but the stage. Ahh...to be sitting close.
KGON had quite a few chances to win tickets - even with their 5-4-3-2-1 row countdown a few weeks ago. But no matter how many times I dialed the phone, I never got more than a 'all circuits are busy' or busy signals. Well - today was different. I heard another 'cue to call' and started dialing. I was at work - and after a few busy signals I figured I'd dial my cell phone as well. After fumbling around, the first time I hit dial - I didn't even hear a ring - just heard 'You're caller number 9 - you won tickets to go see RUSH!'. Yipee! I think it was Marty at KGON liked my name - since the lead singer for AC/DC is also Brian Johnson....
So - I have to go down to KGON and pick up the tickets and see where they are. Probably not in rows 1-2-3-4 or 5 - but hopefully close. Back in 1996, we saw them on the Test for Echo tour at the Rose Garden in Portland, way up on the left side. Back in 1990 I saw them on the Presto tour when they were at the Met Center in Bloomington, MN. I was in row 40 of 41....could hardly see the stage.
This time - hopefully we'll be close!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Connor's first soccer practice
Connor had his first soccer practice this week, at 5:30pm on Monday. After last week with nice sunny days - the first rain in a few days began at 5:15pm. It really didn't matter to Connor. He was soaked to the skin after running around in the rain for an hour. The practice was held on the artificial turf of the Tualatin High School football field. So - even though everyone got wet, no one got muddy. Nice!
The soccer practice was a new thing for the Tualatin Soccer Club this year. It is an eight week camp run by the UK International Soccer Camp. Connor's coach is named Gaff - he is from northern England. The other coaches were from southern England and from London. The accent is very evident. Connor learned a lot. He had been playing soccer at recess at school, and this was the first time he was in an organized team sport. He has been doing gymnastics for a few years at Metro Gymnastics - and he loves that, too.
He learned some new skills and even has some homework - he was told to practice his drag-back technique. That is fun homework!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Google Maps Updated in Portland
Take a look at our neighborhood. We can never quite see the cars in the driveway due to the shadows from a tall tree. The photos are usually taken from 10am to 2pm so that shadows are eliminated from the photos. But - our tree is quite large, and covers most of the area where we park.
Yard work 2008
I got out the lawn mower and started the Spring 2008 yard season this week. Officially it was March 5th. Normally, the first grass cutting of the year takes place in February. In 2007, I almost started in January - though the workweek / weekend dates placed the weekend I started as the first weekend in February. This year happened to be March due to the rain patterns. February was drier than normal - but the temperature was probably colder than normal. Thus the grass was a little slower starting to grow.
The Portland weather in winter doesn't get that cold. This year I think our lowest temperature in the Tualatin area was 23° F. We had two close brushes with snow events - on Christmas day, and one more day in January. The snow lasted on the ground for just a few hours. So - our grass doesn't get that nice brown dirt color - it stays green all year. Which is nice, since the white snow cover just doesn't exist.
The grass does stop growing in winter, however. The last mowing of the season usually takes place in November. I try and do that after the last leaves have fallen - it is nice not to see leaves on the grass all winter. I don't think I ever mowed in December. The timing is all about when the rain stops.
Some years November and Decemeber can have constant rain. Not inches and inches per day - just enough to keep the ground wet. Mowing wet grass is no fun - so the timing of the first cut depends upon the temperature getting warm enough for growth, and then enough dry days so my bagger falls off with wet grass.
Once it starts growing, it doesn't slow down until July. In another week or two, the growth rate will be at the level of needing a cut once a week. At that speed, I can finish the front and back yards without needing to empty the bagger. We don't have that much yard. And why do I use the bagger, instead of doing the 'leave the clippings on the grass'? Well - I would need to cut it more than once a week to keep the cut short enough so that the grass wasn't covered in clippings. Maybe some day...
Once I added gas to the lawn mower, it started right up. OK - now on the first pull - it took about 10 pulls to get the gas flowing. Last fall I ran it dry. I did the oil change then - it is a lot easier to change the oil when it is warm. And that way I could start the season immediately, without having to do the maintenance first.
Here is the finished result. I meant to take a photo of the before and after - but I must have been so excited to get started that I forgot until I was finished.
Front yard with the flowers starting up
Back yard with the the clear sky and setting sun.
To those of you living in the Midwest or other snow zones....enjoy the white ground cover while you can - your turn will come soon enough!
Monday, March 03, 2008
Tour de Cure Update #3
It has been winter here in Oregon. Some flirting with snow, but mostly rain. February was actually quite dry - not sure what is going on there, but it prevented flooding as the mountains have lots of snow.
So - our training for the upcoming Tour de Cure has been slow. We almost got out and biked some recently, but Brian has been sick on and off for the past two weeks and had no eneregy to do much more that sit and breathe.
Last night we were invited to Tegan and Connor's cousins' Lanee' and Cendra's birthday party. Cendra's birthday is in February and Lanee's is in March, but they sometimes have a party together. This year the party was at the Canby Swim Center. When we got there, we found out that they had setup the party as a fundraising event for our Tour de Cure team - Team Tegan and her Daddy! Both Cendra and Lanee' had asked for donations to our team instead of birthday gifts. And the grand total was just over $500! Hurrah! That is over 10% of our team goal of $5,000. We can't thank Cendra and Lanee' and the Bare family enough. Thank you!
And thanks to all who came and swam and ate pizza and cake and had a great time!
Jacob and a friend clown around
Everyone waits for cake!
Connor loves the pool and the pizza
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