Down the Coast...

Seein' as I was on vacation, I decided to head down to the coast with my mountian bike. I travelled down I-5 from Portland till Grant's pass, and headed down Rt 101 to the coast of California. It was a glorious day as I passed into California and the forest of giant redwoods. This was my first time among these ancient trees and boy was it a sight worth seeing. Definitly a route I recommend

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The surf was crashing along the coast as I wound my way down towards Eureka. 101 is a roller coaster ride of a road. At Eureka I turned inland again and headed back through the redwoods to San Francisco Bay. I got to spend time with my buddy Chris and his wife Erin and to see Karla in SF. If you are in the city looking for good food, check out Ti Couz. They are located at 16th and Valencia street. The food is in the style of the Brittany Coast, a region where there is both French and Gaelic influence. The focus of the menu is buckwheat crepes with various fillings. Two people can eat good for under $30. A steal for a dinner in that area. They are a smaller place and they don't take reservations so plan ahead!

The MacWorld Expo was a lot of fun, getting to see the latest products and check out the new titanium Powerbooks. But the other reason for being down there was to mountain bike! I did some riding in Berkeley with Chris and then on Sunday I headed into the hills east of Berkley. I am always amazed at how california has managed to stop the spread of the city into those hills. Just over the ridge are vista of tree covered hills and rivers snaking through steep valleys. Much of the area is a protected watershed, no one allowed in. I rode the trails of Grizzley Peak Park. Lucky for me, living at over 2000 feet above sea level, I had that extra oxygen capacity in my lungs to help handle the steep uphills that came with all the fun of flying down the trails.

What the????...

I was headed home on I-84 through The Dalles, when I decided to cross the Columbia at Biggs and drive on the Washington side for the rest of the way. As I topped the hill, I looked to my right and thought I must be seeing a mirage. Off in the distance was Stonehenge. I followed the signs by the road and ended up at a full scale replica of Stonehenge. It is actually a World War I memorial for locals who had died in the war. It was built by a man who helped settle the area before the war. Definitely worth the detour if you are anywhere near the bridge that crosses at Biggs junction. Here are some pics

What this site is about...

I received a few e-mails about the get together for New Year's eve, asking why I didn't announce it ahead of time. While the site was down for a couple weeks around New Year's, and I didn't put it on the Calendar (hey, I'm still new at this), I did put it in the december 12th update. Please bear with me as I work out the kinks in keeping a site like this up to date. Also keep in mind that I do this in my spare time. This is Your site, I just coordinate it. Don't' wait for me to organize something, go for it! Even if you live where you feel you have no other posse members close, plan a get together. If you want to meet some other people, just write to me with something like "Hey, I am planning a get together at... on such and such a day a this time..." even if it's just getting together at your favorite place to eat, it's worth doing. I would gladly drive to areas that are 'remote' to me to meet up with new people. Or if you are planning on going to a rodeo or skiing or just about any other activity, let me know and I'll post it. That's why this site is here, be a participant and not just a spectator. As far as keeping tabs on when the site is updated, if you use Internet Explorer (I know, but right now it's better than Netscape 6 Beta, so I must go with the Evil Empire) you can "subscribe" to the page if you add it to your favorites. This should alert you when you sign online if the page has been updated.

While we're on the subject...

I would like to address something that has been bugging me lately. As I have said before, the Posse is not about a lot of rules, and who can or can't participate. But I have run into a few instances lately where people were repeating things they had "heard" about some one else who wasn't there at the time. A lot of this has been just plain gossip. One thing I learned early on working for the fire department is that rumors and gossip can run rampant in a bunch of guys just as easily as any group of old bittys. I think it has a lot to do with ego. One thing I am thoroughly tired of hearing is "he was coming on to me" or "he was just trying to get into my pants". Unfortunately, I have seen from first hand evidence, or been there myself to witness said activities, that I have to conclude that if you talk to certain people and find them remotely interesting, they immediately assume you are after them. Let's all try to be adult here. I know that sometimes you find someone is just looking for some action and will take it with anyone who offers, hey I've been there myself when I was first out, and really horny, and tired of all those years I'd been holding back. But don't project that on every guy who decides they enjoy talking to you. Also, second and third hand information can really hurt other people. If I think I know something about someone that a friend is getting involved with, then yes I may say "hey, I don't know if this is true, but this is what is being said so be careful". But repeating things you "hear", but didn't witness yourself, to large groups of people is just plain ol' gossip. And that is Not what the Posse is about. Save that shit for the bar scene 'cause if someone is gossiping at me, I have to wonder what they say about me when I'm not there. Also certain people seem to enjoy playing people against each other, or saying bad things about someone else when really they are guilty of just that same 'bad' activity. It must be a guilt or ego thing. I just don't understand. So again, please leave that kind of bullshit home if you want to do stuff with the Posse.

2001 is here!!!

As planned, a bunch of us got together at Tim's place to ring in 2001. When we weren't lighting things on fire, we were probably sharing a relaxing moment with friends new and old. I know I had a good time hope yours was as good. The NorthWest posse is looking forward to a year of new adventures and more new friends. Here are a few of the pictures that came out okay from our weekend.

Hey! watch where ya throw that thing!	Now everybody wave your sparkler...
They don't seem to spin so good on the snow...	Tom speaks his mind...
The group photo(well, mostly. Some had to leave early)	Dutch, official NWP dog, says "It's hot in this coat!"

Okay, I misplaced my list of every one who came but at one point we had 17 people at Tim's. HIs place isn't all that big but it's always fun to gather with a crowd like that. We were able to find a spot for everybody to bed down, though some had to share (not that they minded ;-). Well, almost everybody (sorry kevin, hope yer head's not still sore from Tim stepping on it).

I'm headed to California this week for the MacWorld Expo in S.F. I'll be taking my camera with me and hope to see a few of the Farwest posse members while I'm in town. I'll be back with a full report and pics. For now, take care and best in 2001.