You Gee Bee

 July's Permanente, created by Michael Wolf, was called the UGB, or Urban Growth Boundary, 200K.

My phone fell out of bed and sounded from far below at 6:15am.  I crawled down and laid on the floor listening to S.O.S. by Abba.  "Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find."

Coffee before heading to the cafe for coffee.  Warm summer air allowing shorts and short sleeves, no arm warmers and a slather of sunscreen.

Met rider Brandon on the Springwater, where so many rides begin.  He was headed to Lolo Pass.  Brake Bike Mike's also Lolo Passing today, we say.  That's who I'm meeting, says Brandon.  Small cycling planet.

Bell Station for strawberry milk and a signature.  Then more Springwater.  Mike catches up and almost immediately gets a flat tire.  This poor guy is just jinxed.

Continue to Boring, out Estacada way, Canby.  Around the same big loop we've done so many times.  Westbound into the heat of the afternoon.  Gaston, the One Horse, a big fat ankle needing ice and beer.

Hit a wall of heat riding across trespass territory.  Took a quick pausenzeit near a shaded tractor. Back into the hot headwind, through the ugly part of Hillsboro.  Mini-mall land.  Finally, Rock Creek Tavern for more ankle ice and record-breaking amount of tator tots.

Off.  More heat.  Not enough speed to keep up.  Feeling sucky.  Mantra in my head "why am I so slow, leg hurts, stupid slow slow slow..."  Up Skyline.  Stop and puke.  No more tots ever again.  Feeling better for the fastest descent ever.  Partner says "on my six most the way down!".

Downtown, Blues Festival, uncharted control point.  Seven Eleven.  Post-crit beers with the ladies.  Post-crit-beer-beers with the frisky and shift gang.  146 mile day, my longest but not my best.