Meeting RichardM & Downtown Parking Farkle

Last week in a post on Richard Machida's blog he mentioned that he would be stopping in Oregon to visit relatives on his way home to Alaska from a meeting he would attend in the East. I commented that it would be nice if we could get together for lunch, so we did yesterday.  Richard was gracious enough to stop and meet me for a late lunch at a Subway Sandwich shop about 15 miles south of Portland.

This is only the second time that I've met a fellow blogger.  Last year I met with Irondad a couple of times and I came away with the same feeling yesterday. These meetings are unique.  That is, the connection is further down the road than it normally is when you meet someone for the first time.  And there's plenty to talk about while filling in the blanks that are left with blogging.

I greatly enjoyed meeting Richard and getting to know him. We're both originally Southern California guys who have migrated to the Northwest. And we're both Beemer riders. He hadn't eaten since early in the morning when leaving Washington DC and was willing to interrupt his drive to be with relatives and have a late lunch with me. 

Thank you Richard for stopping on your way south.  Hope you continue to have safe traveling my friend!

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Before I met with Richard I had a sales call at one of the older hotels in downtown Portland.  Just to briefly explain our parking meter system, we used to have the standard coin meters at every parking spot.  Some years ago the city installed green boxes like the one on the left.  This is where you pay to receive a small parking permit which is displayed on the inside of the window of your car facing the sidewalk.  Most people don't like this because you have to walk to the box in the middle of the block, pay, wait for the permit to print, then walk back to the car.  If it's raining it's a hassle.  

For motorcycles the instructions say to display the permit somewhere near the seat, as in sticking it between the two seats.  Of course this means it can either blow away or even be stolen. Mix rain into the equation and the permit is in bad shape.  Since the permit is also the receipt, if it disappears you also lose your proof of payment. It's a pretty lame system for those on two wheels.

A few weeks ago while parking, a meter person had just finished giving the car in the next spot a ticket.  I brought up this point about motorcycles being at a disadvantage and he gave me a coupon to get a free parking permit holder.  I didn't know these existed!

I sent in the coupon and within a couple of weeks received this handy little farkle.  The parking permit is held captive in the plastic display and kept safe from the elements or someone lifting it.  Yesterday was my first time using it and as I walked away from the bike in a downpour I walked with confidence knowing I had city approved protection.

It's funny how little things like this can bring happiness.

When I came out of the hotel the shower had passed and the sun was shinning.  Perfect for the ride to meet Richard, although it wouldn't last. In the short 15 minute ride down I-5 there was sun, rain, and hail. Typical Northwest spring fare.  If you don't like the weather stick around for ten minutes and it'll change.

God's speed.

Putting Things in Perspective

Those of us in the northern hemisphere are about to head into the time of year where the weather can be stormy.  I was thinking the other day about how this can translate into what we experience while riding on two wheels and being exposed to the elements.

While riding, at any given time we're either in a storm, we've just come out of a storm, or we're about to head into a storm.  And so it is with life isn't it?  With the storms of life we are in one of these three positions.

Each Wednesday during the lunch hour there's a meeting held in one of the buildings along the Park Blocks which is near Portland State University.  It's called the Downtown Bible Class and is well attended by people from all walks of life including students.  I try to go when I'm downtown and don't have something pressing with work.  Not only is it interesting to go for the teaching but it's a great place to meet people.

This past Wednesday after grabbing a bagel and cup of water I sat down at an empty table to see what new adventure might happen.  Within a few minutes a well dressed man sat down at the table a couple of chairs away.  As we made the usual small talk about how often we come to the class and what we do for a living, he said he was just laid off from his job the day before.  He was in the financial industry and his sales were not meeting the expectations of the company.  He's been laid off before so he said that he's preparing for "What's to come."

I thought a lot about him the rest of the day.  I still wonder how he and his wife are coping with the jolt to their lives.

These life experiences tend to put things into perspective don't they?  You know how it is.  Sometimes you find yourself complaining about a cold or aches and pains then you see someone in a wheelchair or a blind person.  Or you complain about something at work then you meet a person who's just lost their job. 

Once and awhile I think my riding skills are beginning to come together and my confidence gets a little distorted.  Then I either read or hear about a bad accident which puts things in perspective again.

If we're not in a storm we can be sure that one will come.  Life is a series of storms and there are no guarantees in this world.  I purposely said, "In this world".  There are guarantees and when we find them they do help put life in the proper perspective. 

God's speed.

PDX at Night

My wife has been out of town on business.  Last night I drove to the airport to to pick her up.  Her flight was suppose to arrive late in the evening so I had plenty of time to take photos along the way.  As I crossed over the top deck of the Marquam Bridge and looked to the left, the night view of downtown Portland was a treat as usual.  I've been meaning to get some night shots for a while so it was a last minute decision to exit on the east side of the river and find a good viewing spot.

I drove down the street that parallels the river which during the day is busy with traffic from businesses and also the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).  At night the area is to be traveled more cautiously than the day. I found a good spot under I-5 in a business parking lot.

I just had the G10 with me and forget the tripod so a couple of these shots are not as sharp as they should be. I also had the ISO up which caused some noise. This has sparked me to want to come back and do it right.

During the day this area for picking up passengers is normally chaos like most airports.  This photo shows it must be late.

On a recent post on my other blog I talked about getting "busted" the other day by security for taking pictures in the parking lot of a hospital I sell to. So before I came to the airport I called to find out the policy on cameras.  They said I was okay as long as I didn't take photos of sensitive areas.  That's why I only took the G10 to be a little more discrete.

With the camera sound effects on mute I was able to take some candid shots. This is the waiting area where the passengers exit.  I wonder if security knows about that guy's camera on the left?

Amber's plane was a little late so I ended up people-watching for quite some time.  I had forgotten how interesting it is to people-watch at the airport, especially as passengers are arriving.  Sorry I don't have too many photos. I just might bring the camera back some evening for a photo assignment.