Whirlwind

My whirlwind trip up the coast was downright awesome. I have a few thank-you's to fire off, so let's get to it:

• First off, I'd like to thank my truck. It wanted to die on me about an hour before I got to Portland. The engine stopped purring like a kitten, and started purring like a dying kitten with fluid in its lungs instead. My top speed for that last hour (which became two hours): ~45 miles per hour. Considering the pouring rain, and heavy traffic, breaking down by the side of the highway would have been pretty miserable, so I'm thrilled that my old truck "dug deep into the suitcase of courage," to quote Phil Liggett, and limped to my destination. Then, above all odds, it carried me and my stuff up to Seattle, and then back to Boise without complaint. Thank you truck. 
• Next I'd like to thank my friends Sara, Ari, Ana, and Dan for hosting me in Portland. You guys threw the best tapas party I've ever been to! Those plantain empanadas were totally righteous (in the surfer way, not the religious way). 
• To the man who runs the mechanic shop near where Ana and Dan live....THANK YOU FOR FIXING MY TRUCK! When I brought it to you it drove like absolute dog shit. Two hours later, it left your shop purring like a goddam lion! You easily could have gouged me, or swindled me, or simply offered to buy my truck for the price of a bus ticket back to Boise -- but instead you fixed the problem, and charged me a very reasonable amount. If you live in Portland, go here: Woodstock Shell Auto Repair. 
• Thanks to Mustafa, the elderly Turkish gentleman who challenged me to a chess game while I was waiting for my truck to be repaired. You won both games (albeit narrowly), and suggested that I "think positive" about my truck. I did just that, and things turned out well. There is no doubt in my mind that you played a roll in my truck's easy fix. 
• To the people I went dancing with on New Years in Seattle, thank you for kicking my butt like that. I was all ready to go home at 2:30 when our first party started to slow down, but nooooo...ONWARD! TO ANOTHER PARTY!!! I haven't literally danced until dawn in *ahem* quite a while. What a wild night. Thanks. 
• To all the people who took time out of their schedules to see me in Seattle, thank you for doing so. While I'm happy to be in Boise, you all certainly did a good job of reminding me of how fond I am of Seattle, and how many amazing friends I still have there. Thanks for all the food, the conversations, and the company.
• To the roads, traffic, and weather of Seattle, Washington: thank you for confirming that my decision to move to Boise was indeed a good idea. Compared to Boise, riding through Seattle is more like bush-whacking through a jungle at 20 miles per hours. I forgot how quick your reflexes must be to avoid collisions and/or obstacles. So much more turning! So much many more potholes! So much more traffic! So much more rain! My first ride in Seattle was on New Year's Day, when I'd had far less sleep than I normally do, and let's just say I was thrilled to make it back to the house with only a broken buckle on my shoe -- in my state, it could have been much worse. 
• Thanks to Jamie, Lina and Matt for letting me invade your home like that. 
• Special thanks to Lina for getting me tea, making me soup, and constantly refilling my cup with Nuun while I was laid up, sick as a dog, at your house. I was struck down with the worst stomach flu I've had since my days on the Magic School Bus in Mexico. Holy shit. Picture me: weak, sweaty, and nauseous, curled up like a fetus on my air mattress. If it weren't for Lina's care...I would have perished for sure (or at least been much more dehydrated). 
• To Jamie Stangeland -- I perhaps owe you the biggest thanks of all. Not only did you introduce me to possibly the best animated television series known to man, and not only did you mercilessly pummel me into a pulp on our training rides together (like wow), and not only did you (on countless occasions) prepare me some damn tasty food/beverage -- but you let me stay at your beautiful house for a whole week! Thanks my friend. I had a marvelous time in Seattle...thanks largely to you.