Hampton Inn Eugene

... of my trip, like where I'm living, the classes I'll be taking, etc. But after my orientation today I'm officially excited. I've started to get back into that old French mindset, the one that I've experienced before my other two previous trips to France. By the time I leave it will have been almost two and half years since I've been there, and while going to a completely different country with a completely different language ...

... Now....I don't remember either of us saying anything out loud like "wow, things are going smoothly" ...but I know we were thinking that. So, when we got to our car, it was dead, dead, dead. After an unsuccessful try at jumping it via the hotel van, we called AAA and they sent someone out to help. It took a while to charge up the battery again, but 90 minutes later, we are finally on our way again. <br><br>But wait.....we're really low on gas ...

Dre.. transform and roll out..<br><br>Drove up to Eugene this weekend to stoop it with Benja and his lady Rachel. ****in refreshing.. <br>I met Benj in Kathmandu almost two years ago and he's pretty much my life. So being with him was incredible. I could go into details about my amazing weekend but it's just not going to scratch the surface or begin to explain his importance in my life. <br ...

I went back up to Eugene, picked up Katie and we drove back to Idaho. On the way there we camped in the Cascades at the Metoleous River. The photos don't really show how incredible this is, at the mouth of the Metoleous the water comes out of the side of the mountain. Turn around and it's a full river.<br><br>We drove through the Craters of the Moon National Monument, also an incredible area.<br>

... oh well.<br><br>I went to the coast with my friend LaRosa, drove by my old house and found the fence I built and designed still standing :) I went to my first of several WINGS seminars, I am learning and growing a lot from these seminars and will stay connected with the program. If you're curious, google WINGS Eugene and check them out.<br><br>

... it would get the size of the bottom hole something small enough to fit over the top of my burner without a lot of excess airflow. So I ran back to Jerry's, picked up a second pot, some high-temp mortar used in fireplaces and kilns, some square-net chicken-wire type stuff, and giant bag of Perlite, which is a type of pummice rock used for drainage in the garden section. But it also makes a pretty good high-temperature isulation filling. I spend another hour cutting the bottom off the ...

... that keeps the plastic away from the exhaust but I guess the engineers didn't realize that the metal attached to the exhaust might get hot. Well, it did and melted through the plastic, then through my water proof bags, into my extra quart of oil and almost igniting a road flare which was next to 2 arousal cans. That would have been a loud firey mess. Yes, turning around did cross my mind but come on, if that was day one then I want to see what happens on day two.

... to receive the painting. It was to be the final event before my departure for an anticipated two years in Turkey.<br><br>The ceremony was rightfully about the picture, not me. That's fine with me, I'm something of a social wall-flower in most circumstances. I didn't even publicly say anything, though I was interviewed by a student writer for the university paper.<br><br>Here are some pictures of the Last Show Picture.<br><br><br><br><br>

... talk). Louise owns Heritage Roses, a large mail-order rose business that includes beatiful rose gardens at a nursery in nearby St. Paul that are also a tour bus destination. Her love and knowledge of roses and appreciation for all things beautiful helped to cement our friendship. As well, she's a gifted artist. Louise had invited several people to her home that evening to meet us and to give us another opportunity to share our presentation. The next morning we attended ...

Miles so far: 5052 What's in Oregon: Pretty much nothing So we mainly went to Oregon to sleep. It was nice to drive through and see a million trees! Not much to say about it. Just writing an entry to put a pin in the map. Next stop, Seattle.