Weekend Event Guide: MTB race, mobile dance party, ‘Beyond Portlandia’ & more

Should be perfect conditions for racing at Skibowl at the 6 Hours of Mt. Hood.
(Photo: Portland Racing)

The Weekend Event Guide is sponsored by Abus Bike Locks. Thanks Abus!

Hard to believe it’s already July and Pedalpalooza is coming to a close.

There’s one more huge ride that you just have to experience at least once. Loud n’ Lit will rampage through the streets tonight, blasting tunes and good vibes all over the city.

Sunday is packed with fun rides from here to Seattle, including a group ride to Gateway Green that leaves from outer northeast Portland.

Check out the full menu below…

Friday, June 30th

Loud n’ Lit – 9:30 pm at Irving Park (NE 7th and Fremont)
This massive blowout party ride will cap off Pedalpalooza. Expect an all-night celebration that starts with a slow and lout and very well-lit parade through the streets. Expect a huge crowd (2,000 in years past!) and mobile dance spectacular that organizers say is “loud than virtually every club in town.” More info here.

Saturday, July 1st

Sorella Forte Women’s Club Ride – 9:00 am at River City Bicycles (706 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd)
Weekly women-only ride at an intermediate pace. Sorella is one of Portland’s best clubs. Come learn from and meet very nice people who are good at riding bicycles. More info here.

Beginner Friendly Road Ride – 10:00 am at Western Bikeworks (1015 NW 17th)
Work on your leg strength and group riding skills on this easy, 1-2 hour ride with the kind folks at Western Bikeworks. Free pre-ride coffee. More info here.

Sunday, July 2nd

NW Tandem Rally – 8:00 am at University of Washington (Seattle)
Join the Portland Wheelmen Touring Club for this annual gathering of tandem enthusiasts (single riders welcome). Numerous ride options, vendor fair, BBQ, beer garden, ice cream social, and more. More info here.

Sauvie Shootout – 9:00 am at Ovation Coffee & Tea (941 NW Overton)
Weekly training ride out to (and around) Sauvie Island and up into the West Hills. Splits into different speed groups. More info here.

Group ride to Gateway Green – 10:00 am at NE 96th and Sandy TriMet Park & Ride
Portland Wheelmen (and women!) are leading a ride to the new off-road bike park at Gateway Green. Dust off your MTB and join them! More info here.

Six Hours of Mt. Hood (MTB Race) – 10:00 am at Mt. Hood Skibowl
8th annual mountain bike endurance and relay race you can enter as a two-person team or solo. 6-mile laps include twisty, forested singletrack and great views of Mt. Hood (of course). Free post-race chili lunch and $1 beers. More info here.

Beyond Portlandia Bike Tour – 3:00 pm at Everybody’s Bike Tours & Rentals (305 NE Wygant)
This free guided tour will take delve into the histoy of the Albina neighborhood and Vanport. Learn your history from ancient settlers to modern-day social issues. Any tips donated to Self Enhancement Inc. More info here.

Zoobomb – 8:30 pm at the Pyle (SW 13th and Burnside)
A proud Portland tradition. Do it again or do it for the first time. Just do it… better! More info here.

What are your plans? Share in the comments… And have a great weekend!

Stay plugged into all the bike and transportation-related events around the region via our comprehensive event calendar.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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At long last, TriMet says a new Gideon Street-Brooklyn bridge is coming

Yellow line shows the location of the old Gideon-Brooklyn footbridge. A crucial neighborhood connection, it was torn down by TriMet in 2013 and never replaced.

At long last TriMet says they’ll replace the old footbridge that used to cross over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks between Southeast Gideon and Brooklyn/16th streets.

The rickety old bridge was demolished in 2013 as part of the construction of the Orange Line MAX. It was supposed to be replaced by a new bridge, but TriMet never built it. At the time, TriMet said they cut the replacement bridge out of the project in order to meet a federally mandated 10 percent reduction in the Orange Line project budget.

Even though the project came in under budget, TriMet sent remaining funds back to the federal government. Neighborhood and transportation activists were furious.

The bridge is a crucial connection between a new MAX station and jobs to the south of the railroad line and neighborhoods to the north. With a connection lacking, many people make the risky decision of crossing over the tracks on foot — and even walking through train cars during long stoppages at the nearby Brooklyn yard.

A 2015 story in the Willamette Week quoted a Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood District (HAND) Association member saying, “The freight train cuts off our whole neighborhood from the MAX station. People are going to be running across [the rail yard] to avoid missing their light-rail trains.”

Here’s more background from HAND neighborhood activist and Bike Loud PDX leader Jessica Engelman. She shared the good news on the Bike Loud PDX email list last week:

“The Gideon Bridge was a project added to the Orange Line MAX project at the request of area residents and the neighborhood association to replace the ped bridge over the freight tracks at SE 16th that had to be removed for Orange Line construction. It would provide ped/bike access from the north side of the freight/light rail tracks, where more residences and businesses are located, to the south, where the MAX Station and access to Tilikum Crossing are located. It was considered a crucial project because due to the proximity to Brooklyn Rail Yard, long, slow freight trains that block all north-south access are a frequent occurrence at this location.”

Even when the old bridge was still open, people with bicycles opted to carry bikes across the tracks to save time and effort. Hopefully the new bridge will have a ramp and/or a reliable elevator.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Despite the lost funding opportunity through the Orange Line project; neighborhood activists and Metro Councilor Bob Stacey kept the dream alive by getting a new bridge into the Central City 2035 Plan and the Portland Transportation System Plan.

We followed up with TriMet Communications Manager Roberta Altstadt yesterday to confirm the news. She said the agency has secured approval from the Federal Transit Administration to design and construct a new Gideon bridge using Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project funds.

No details about the project are available yet; but City of Portland documents show the estimated cost to be $10 million. The Lafayette Street Bridge, which TriMet built as part of the Orange Line MAX project, sits about one-third of a mile south of Gideon/Brooklyn. As we reported in 2015 that bridge cost about $4 million and includes an elevator for bicycle and mobility device users.

Altstadt says design of the new bridge and a public process will begin this fall (in partnership with PBOT). The new bridge is expected to be completed by mid-2019.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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The Color, Not The Flower

For the longest time, I presumed this wildflower you see along roadsides everywhere was called Periwinkle. Like the color, right? Makes sense. I just found out a couple weeks ago that it’s actually Chicory. Who knew? Years of biking past these flowers and I was totally wrong!!!

from Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery http://ift.tt/2toDhEM

Picture Perfect Pokemon

Who new that Pokemon was still a big deal?! Not me. But I do love this new graffiti mural on the City’s West Side… and I heard on the radio this morning that there is some Pokemon Go Fest happening downtown that is already SOLD OUT!!! Guess it’s more popular than I thought?!

from Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery http://ift.tt/2skTNWD

How to Stay Calm, Anxiety-Free, in a Crisis

When dealing with a crisis, it can be difficult to stay calm and anxiety-free. After all, “crisis” implies catastrophe, disaster, and sometimes even near-Armageddon. In reality, a crisis can be of any size or nature and is something that causes distress to those involved. Facing any type of crisis can create new anxiety where none existed before, and it can aggravate existing anxiety and anxiety disorders. While it’s natural to experience heightened anxiety during a crisis, it’s not a rule. You can stay calm and anxiety free in a crisis. Here’s how to do it. 

Crises are a part of life. Quite likely, you’ve experienced more than one crisis in your life already and will probably experience more. My most recent crisis is ongoing and involves a computer meltdown. I’ve also experienced crises in the form of traumatic brain injury, psychiatric hospitalization, and more. The events differ, but they hold the potential to disrupt life and increase anxiety.

How Crises Can Impact Anxiety

An unexpected, negative event can stop us in our tracks. It can cause anxious, racing thoughts that seem to consume us. Can we think of nothing other than the crisis and its consequences? It often seems like we can’t. We begin to overthink, to ruminate. Worries, fears, and what-ifs spiral out of control. Frequently, we catastrophize, inflating the problem so that it becomes even more difficult to handle. This heightened anxiety can disrupt sleep, insert itself into our relationships, and interfere in daily functioning.

Indeed, a crisis can wreak havoc on our lives by causing our anxiety to skyrocket. When anxiety takes over, it feels impossible to stay calm. Fortunately, each and every one of us has the power and ability to remain anxiety-free in a crisis.

 Stay Calm and Anxiety-Free in a Crisis

It’s okay—and perfectly normal—for a crisis to cause distress and anxiety. That doesn’t mean, however, that we must stay in this agitated state. The tips that follow will help you to remain calm and anxiety-free in a crisis.

Shape your perspective. There are many negatives in a crisis situation, but not everything is negative. Intentionally discover what is still going right. What positive actions can you do more of to increase what’s working and what’s going well? In choosing your pespective, you’re not ignoring the problem, but you are keeping it from consuming you.

Be solution-focused. Looking at all of the problems created during a crisis can be incredibly overwhelming. Instead, back up and break the problems into workable bits. How can you manage each piece? Find small solutions within each area.

Think of a broken piece of pottery. When you look at the whole, it just looks like a mess. If you take that mess and try to fix it all at once by putting glue on all of the pieces at the same time and shoving them together, it doesn’t work. If you continue to look at the broken mess, you might be tempted to throw it away. If you do that, though, you’ll be trashing a lot of beauty that remains. When you separate it into chunks and repair it piece by piece, you’ll recover the good. This is what it means to be solution-focused in a crisis.

Find opportunities. In any crisis, big or small, there opportunities to grow. With my computer veritably melted, I’ve been able to do work-related reading that I need to do but haven’t. Years ago, when I was in the hospital, I was able to ponder my priorities, values, and goals, and I had the support to create action plans. Look at your own crisis. How can it shape you? Think of someone you admire. How would he/she handle this? Can you identify traits and stengths you want to develop?

Reach out. Sometimes, anxiety tells us that we “should” be able to handle something ourselves, without needing help. This is one of anxiety’s lies. In reality, humans need each other, and connecting with someone for help and support can make solutions and opportunities easier to find.

Breathe. Meditate. Be mindful. Drink tea. Sometimes anxiety, and even panic, come anyway, despite what you’re doing to remain calm. That is part of crisis. When this happens, take time to stop and breathe deeply. Practice mindfulness and meditation to return your attention to the present moment and away from the worries and fears. Take plenty of breaks to drink tea to soothe your body and mind. Then return to the above strategies to become anxiety-free again.

A crisis can derail us and increase anxiety. By choosing our perspective, adopting a solution-focused approach, finding opportunities for personal growth, and reaching out for help and support, we can remain calm and anxiety-free in any crisis.

 

 

from Anxiety-Schmanxiety – HealthyPlace http://ift.tt/2sU1sJY

3 Tips for Keeping Your Carpet Looking New

Having new carpet installed can almost make you want to avoid stepping on it in hopes of keeping its pristine look. Use the following tips so you won’t have to worry about your carpet looking old soon.

Image Source: Flickr

Regular Care

Frequent vacuuming will help keep soil and debris from becoming embedded in carpet. Soil can pit and scratch carpet fibers, so regular vacuuming helps maintain that new look. High traffic areas should be vacuumed two to five times weekly. Light traffic areas may require twice weekly vacuuming, but don’t forget to go over non-traffic areas like corners once a week to keep dust from building up.

Use a vacuum with adjustable brushes that will suit the type of carpet and the area you are cleaning. Use a crevice tool to get into corners and a beater brush attachment when working on stairs. Regular vacuuming not only picks up dust, dirt and surface fragments on your carpet but will fluff up the fibers to counteract daily wear. Choose a vacuum setting to match the height of the carpet so it will clean efficiently without damaging fibers. Let your strokes overlap so you cover the entire carpet. Use the angled nozzle attachment to clean along baseboards where dust settles. Replace the vacuum bag or empty the canister when it is 2/3 full so your machine works safely and more efficiently, and periodically check the hoses and attachments for obstructions that might impair their function. You want to get the most clean with the smallest effort! Source: SheKnows

Use Rugs in High-Traffic Areas

You can protect carpet in high-traffic areas with rugs. Look for rugs that are tough and will be able to stand up to some wear and tear, but that are affordable, so that if they do start to show some wear you will still feel like you got your money’s worth for them.

Another benefit to using this approach is that rugs can be easier to clean than carpets. You can shake them out when they get dirty and take them to be professionally cleaned as needed. Source: HSS

Avoid Using Carpet Powder Products

Carpet powders are a popular way to eliminate odor in your carpet. However, they can leave traces of powder residue in the carpet, especially if you overuse them. You may not see this residue until the next time you have your carpet steam cleaned or shampooed. Then, you’ll see a white, sometimes sticky film on top of your carpet. If you absolutely must use carpet powder, use it sparingly. Source: AngiesList

For more information, feel free to call us today!

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Beets

Stopped by the Farmer’s Market on my way home from the studio… and found I had the perfect oval for my fresh beets!

from Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery http://ift.tt/2tmpXAs