my scattered brain

I was just looking back through some of my recent posts and found that I left out some important information. Or at least it is important to me and makes one of my posts a little scatterbrained. In my post about discovering new places right in my backyard, I talk about this beautiful ride Ripp and I went on and then I post pictures of a wedding. The wedding wasn't part of my bike ride, nor did I ride my bike to a wedding. Huh?!? My second great place of discovery was Millcreek Canyon, just east of Salt Lake City. The place where that wedding in those pictures took place. I have passed the mouth of that canyon so very many times, as our very good friends live just a mile from it, and have never entered. It is so pretty, a place I want to visit again. Maybe with my bike, I can think of lots of people I would want to take along. Okay. I feel better, that post is now complete.

first day of school! first day of school!

E was a lot like Nemo on that first day. Dragging her feet during the last few days of her summer gave way to binging off the walls early on Thursday. If I remember correctly (I was still sleeping) she was dressed, with backpack on at 7:05.

She did manage one last hurrah, a tea party, with The Pill. He was not ready for the bell to ring and worried about what he was going to do ALL DAY. Instead, he was able to play with some super-fun second cousins and accompanied E on a play date after school. All was good.

We continued our tradition (going on three years) of all riding bikes to school on the first day and I was secretly touched when she asked that I walk her to her classroom. She isn't as old as she sometimes seems or as she thinks she is. I am thankful for the small moments that remind me.

Speaking of traditions, we have a new one. When I was first introduced to the Nie Nie Dialogues last year, one of the first posts I read was about their back-to-school-feast. What a fabulous way to get excited for school and make the focus all on the children. We didn't come up with a family motto, but we did drink fancy drinks out of fancy glasses, made a toast to E, and the kids ate it up! A tradition we will continue and one I would recommend.

I love this picture of her. My little E is in second grade. Even as I write it, I have a hard time believing it. I am listening to the rain, thinking about getting her off to school in the morning, and I am sad. I wasn't ready this year. I was visiting with a neighbor friend of mine a few nights ago and we were discussing how crazy it is that her eldest daughter just got married. She looked at me and with so much love for her daughter written all over her face, she reminded me not to blink. ''Don't blink, they will be gone."

I think about how excited I have always been for my children to move on the the next thing. To sit. To crawl. To walk. To go to school. I have cherished all those moments with my children, but I have also blinked a few to many times. Sometimes it takes a first day of school or a friendly reminder to slow us down.

It's just not fair to get sick in August. When the temps are in the 90's, your invited to the pool and your sister is playing at the park.

But life is not fair. And even The Pill needs some downtime.

There were moments when he was completely himself. Like when he went outside to start his motorcycle and let Ripp know it sounded good. Or when he asked me if I wanted to smell his feet because they smelled like gum.

I think it is a sign that the summer rush is catching up to us and maybe it is time for the bells to ring

I am sort of ready, Will may be, Elli is most definitley not.

I need to give kudos to Ripp, who took on the city council over some shady sidewalk work...and won! I may have compared him to Erin Brokovich and laughed at myself, but he was a voice for the people and I am proud.

adventure ride 2009

*Warning: this is a long journal entry. Done for me and the others on this ride. I don't expect you all to laugh your way through this the may we all will. But it had to be done, there was not a single moment I want to forget. We rode, we laughed, we survived. Date: July 30-August 4, 2009 Mode of Transportation: KTM Adventure bikes Destination: Seattle, Washington and Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia via Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana Miles Logged: 2127 miles +3 ferry rides Adventure Riders: The Ripp's, Brent and Monique Carlson, Brandon and Lynn Wallin, and Brock and Marci Buttars.

Memorable Moments:

-The Wallin's showing up in their brand-spankin' new matching KTM moto gear. I knew at that exact moment, when we weren't even technically underway, that this was going to be a great trip. We threw down 560 miles the first day and were glad when the Federal Agent didn't give Ripp a ticket for passing on a double yellow. We received our first lecture from Brock.

-Lynn's love of her first night camp spot outside of Le Grande, OR. When we arrived at 11 o'clock at night, following a ride up a steep and winding dirt road, Morgan Lake didn't look nearly as dusty and murky as it did at 6 in the morning. Lynn, Brandon, Jake and Brent still swam for a shower, even though they came out dirtier than they went in.

-Brandon in his undies. Again and again. This became regular occurrence.

-Day 2 somewhere outside of Yakima, where the temps were at 100, jumping off a bridge into the American River to cool off. Finding out after Marci jumped that she can't swim and her hubby Brock being the biggest wuss of all. An eight year old jumped quicker than him.

-Already I am questioning the nature of this vacation. Oh wait, that is when Brandon informs me that this no vacation, it's an adventure ride!

-Mt Rainier. Breath-taking, intimidating and snow covered. Followed by a stunning ride into the Seattle area underneath of canopy of evergreens.

-When a fellow adventurer approaches us at a gas station to ask if this is an official Adventure Rider meeting. Who knew this was such a sport? Seattle was his turn around spot on a ride that began in St. Louis. His bike seemed way less equipped and much less comfortable than ours, what a dude!

-Seattle. Its bridges, tunnels and water. Pike's Place, the original Starbuck's and fish and chips overlooking The Puget Sound.

-The La Quitna in Bellevue for having a room at 10 o'clock at night. They didn't the night before when temperatures were so scorching in the Seattle area that locals filled the rooms.

-Our first ferry ride from the Seattle Pier to Bremmerton. Followed by a beautiful ride along the Olympic Coast Highway to Port Angeles. No vampires in the city on this day, but surprisingly cold temps. We eat our way through the wait, and indulge in more fish and chips, onion rings, and hamburgers. All the comfort food you could want when the air is frigid.

-Our second ferry ride from Port Angeles to Victoria is cold. We bundle up in gloves and beanie hats and brave the boat deck for a glimpse of a harbour seal. Brent lays down and sleeps right on the deck next to the railing. One big rock of the boat and he's overboard.

-Victoria, Canada. Our temperatures rise quickly and we end up in t-shirts and flip-flops. We rest our rear ends, walk around an interesting street market, laugh at the shirtless older man (who was eventually joined by Brandon and Ripp) checking out the vitamin water hottie and take some questionable pictures with a large, stuffed moose and a large, twisty tree. Laugh a lot!

-A GORGEOUS ride along coast leading us from Victoria to Schwartz Bay. We drive through lush neighborhoods and I pick out the beachfront home I could only wish to retire in.

-Ferry ride #3 to Vancouver. A birthday celebration (on BC Ferries Celebration boat, no less) that includes singing, cake and a ridiculous pink, sequined hat that I proudly wear for the remainder of the 90 minute ride. A birthday gift by way of a gray whale dorsal fin surfacing a handful of times and a intense, pink sunset that rivals the sparkle of my hat. We take more silly, questionable photos and I think to myself that this is an unforgettable birthday and 'vacation'. I mean, adventure ride.

-Port in Vancouver and take a dangerously fast, night ride (sorry Mom) into the heart of Vancouver where we are trying to catch the 7 million dollar fireworks show in honor of my birthday and BC Day. Get there, turn of motorcycles and witness a firework. Seriously, only one, the last one. Laugh more! I think another lecture from Brock is coming, except he is also driving too fast.

-Regroup and make plans to stop for a hotel for the night. Brent's other wife, Samantha-the GPS navigator, takes us to a hotel where we receive the news that because of the holiday and other events, hotels are full for the next 150 miles. We try the Roach Motel across the street and even they are full. Could it be? People start to look a little worried and I lose my camera, but don't know it.

-We decide to go through customs at 11 o'clock at night, which will eliminate waiting in any lines, and the gentleman questions what the hell we are doing riding this time of night. A motel 2 blocks over the border has vacancy, but we pass it up based on the air-conditioning units in the windows. ??? For the next 3 hours, we search endlessly and remain picky. Full, only two non-smoking rooms (need more, couldn't possibly share), Vern, smells like curry or distracted by what appear to be teeth in the receptionists mouth.

-VERN. We pull into a KOA and are immediately met by Vern, although the smell of alcohol reaches us long before he does. He invites to throw our tent down next to their trailer, offers us a rum and coke, and asks us over to meet his wife and girlfriend. Jake tries to keep the bike upright under Vern's sloppy weight and I receive a much unwanted back rub from Vern. Turn back for support, only to see the motos backing up and cameras being turned on. We tell Vern we'll take a look around and head for the highway ASAP! Laugh a lot more!!!

-Finally admit defeat and end up in our sleeping bags next to the baseball diamond at a local high school in Bellingham, WA. Wake up a short four hours later to a mother deer and her two fluffy bambi's also wondering what we're doing. Realize I have lost my camera. But in the plus column, I'll never forget my 31st birthday and where I slept that night.

-I am totally bummed. Remind myself that it is not about capturing the moments, it is about making the memories. This works for a second, but I admit that I am completely heartbroken. Hold back a lot, but let go of a few tears as we make our way down the road. At our 4,329th gas station stop, Monique and I begin talking and brainstorming. After a few minutes I am able to remember that last pictures I took and where we were at. Google the Roach Motel (Alpine Motor Lodge) and do a cheerleader kick when the man tells Ripp he has it. It gets home two days after we do.

-Begin the day very sleepy. Ripp pretends, or not, to nod off so that I will rub his shoulders and my helmet bumps his a few times as I nod off. We ride into an oven in Winthrop, WA and decide to relax and cool off. We eat, shop for kids and agree to make it 40 miles down the road to Omack where their promises to be a new Best Western waiting for us. It is, and it doesn't disappoint. We rest, shower, eat Mexican food and get a pleasant night sleep.

-The Grand Coulee Dam along the Columbia River and its picture tour across the bridge. We question each other about jumping off this bridge and decide that it isn't nearly hot enough to be that stupid.

-Day five takes us down through a curvy canyon and I tell Ripp that if he doesn't slow down, I will be walking out and we'll be really late getting to Hamilton. I get glimpses of scenes from A River Runs Through It and see why people love to retreat here.

-A few miles south of Hamilton we come to Lake Como and decide to rest here for our last night. Bathe in the lake under a full moon and come out with my hair feeling the softest it has on the entire trip. Curl up next to Ripp in our tent under the evergreens and fall off in to what is the best night sleep on this adventure.

-The final day is a 300 mile push. We eventually part ways in Idaho Falls when the rest of the group wants to change course for a more scenic drive. Ripp and I just want to get home and bomb down the highway. In a couple short hours, Ripp and I are home, clean and cuddling with the kids. Ahhh!

-When we got a minute, we called home to happy children which was a blessing and relief. Thanks to Aunt Wendy and Grandma.

Looking back, there isn't a moment of this trip I would change and I would throw my leg over the bike today and do it all over. Every minute of every mile. I saw some more of the beautiful country I live in and I experienced all of it. A quick plane ride or air-conditioned car would have been nice at times, but I would have missed a lot...but read more than 2 pages of my book. Finally, we made new and better friends in what were familiar faces. And I think I can speak for us all when I say, 'bring on the next set of maps!"

We are Adventure Riders.