January 2009

January started off with a visit to the KBOO Bike Show to announce the Siren Nation Valentines by Bike event and I got to see some friends from BikePortland.org,  Good Sport Promotions, and the Portland Bureau of Transportation.  I attended more Small Business Development counseling sessions (SBDC) with Portland Community College and learned quite a bit. On the 10th I had a booth at the Portland Velo Swap at the Lucky Lab Brewery in SE Portland. I checked out a SW Waterfront Neighborhood Development presentation and went to another Siren Nation Meeting for Valentines By Bike.  On the 16th I met Kathy Smith – Physical Education teacher for the Harriet Tubman Leadership Academy for Women to talk about developing their bike education program.  January 17th 2009 I worked as a freelance guide for NW Discoveries on a XC ski trip on MT. Hood. The 18th was the annual Palm Tree bike ride with Shawn of the Urban Adventure Leauge.  I went to a Bike Farm Meeting, a Shift Meeting, another SBDC session and on the 25th went to a Vision in to Action Coalition grant writing workshop.

February 2009

Febuary started off with a Travel Portland orientation breakfast and another Siren Nation meeting, followed by a party at zaytoon’s.  Black Sheep Bakery provided vegan chocolates.  After another SBDC session and a valentines day bonanza, the 15th brought us another great Worst Day of the Year Ride.  I volunteered to be a on route mechanic and medic. I saw more friends from Good Sport Promotions, and saw a good friend and Teem Beer member Steve Nelson -sadly for the last time. Wednesday the 18th took me to another Shift Meeting at one of my favorite neighborhood bars: Vendetta.

I was contacted in February by an artist named Abraham who was working on a pod-cast self guided walking tour.  He was asking people to participate in recording voice memories describing emotional events at locations around town.  I volunteered to do a recording session with him and described a couple events- one was my experience responding to a car accident on MLK Blvd in my neighborhood in NE Portland. I described the thoughts and emotions in my head as I gave medical attention and spine stabilization to a 17 year old African American woman sprawled out in the middle of a 4 lane thoroughfare. The woman who had multiple broken bones screamed at the top of her lungs for the entire time we waited for paramedics to arrive.  I also described my experiences during an accident with a cyclist going down on the train tracks.

Saturday the 21st was a Bike Farm gathering, and  I also attended a quick books workshop with the PCC SBDC. Wednesday the 25th was the Travel Portland Tourism Conference and I found out about two brand new competitors. I had a good talk with David of Portland Walking Tours – he gave me some good advice on credit card merchant account sharks. I networked with several local hotels and local small businesses. Friday the 27th was another great Breakfast on the Bridges and I finished out the month with another Snowshoe Tour up to the Tilly Jane cabin on MT. Hood with my good friends from my  Pacific Crest Trail through hike of 2005.

March 2009

I kicked off the month with meetings on the new website development and got to see the first screening of Veer – a local documentary about the Portland biking scene. The BTA’s annual Alice Awards happened and Sunday the 8th brought us the Interesting Architecture Ride.

I sent an intern application to BikePortland.org and went to a Zoobomb findraiser for Hollice – the Sprokettes Performed. After another Shift Meeting I recertified my Wilderness First Responder cert. with NOLS and the Wilderness Medicine Institute.  Ryan Hashagen of Portland Pedicabs contacted me about sharing some space and working towards a small bike business incubator that would later become known as Pedalworks.  On March 26th I met a PSU student who asked me to give a bike safety class at Ockley Green Elementary Shcool for their Earth Day event. I said yes.  I did another round of dropping off  Portland Bicycle Tours fliers and checked in with my friend Ian at the Westside Recyclery. I dropped by the Hawthorne Hostel to say hello and did some brainstorming for new advertising ideas. I checked out the Blue Bird Guest House  and on Friday the 27th went on another North Freaks Bicycle Club ride. I dropped off the Portland Bicycle Mobile (my stubby school bus) to get some work done at the shop and worked at Next Adventures semi-anual tent sale.  I purchased some new website hosting  and met with Danny Millholand about a promotional event with my hometown friends- that group of kick-ass acrobaticalistis – NANDA.  Next, I made some bike rental signs for the business. Ken of NW Discoveries contacted me about guiding for him on a multi day trip in May for an Elderhostel Program.

I posted the three Pedalpalooza rides I lead this year and called Joe Bike about the status on a past project “Stumpworks”.  I also called Valery  at the Portland Office of Sustaiability about working with them in the future.  Another productive Month.