Preparing to leave for the Conga and Iron Butt Ride

Well have been doing some side jobs for the last few weeks to make sure that all the bills were paid before leaving. Dont need to come home, broke but happy and find utilities getting cut off! So basically I have today to get things done and organized as tomorrow afternoon, I am taking the girlchild away for the weekend. Have to spend sometime with her before I run away for a week. Lordy I hope that her and Sly can get along without to much turbulence! He gets to relate to a 15 year old girl with an attitude while Im away. Atleast it will only be in the evenings as he will be working and she "SHOULD" be at school!

Well my head is spinning, I feel like I have so much to do and not enuf time to get it done in. I have to get 2 bags packed, one for the weekend and one for the Conga. I still have to exchange our monopoly money to that plain American stuff. Get some laundry done, pick some things up, and get basically organized so that when we get back Sunday at noonish, I can unload, add my rear seat and backrest, reload second bag and dress the bike for the Conga!


My basic plan so far is to meet the girls in Idaho Falls on Monday May 25th. Now the bigger mission is I have also decided to test myself yet again and add some more of the Dragons shenanigans into the mix. I am planning on doing an Iron Butt Ride to get there. http://www.ironbutt.com/ridecerts/ The Iron Butt Saddlesore is 1000 miles in 24 hours, but if I succeed then, I will also get a certificate and patch saying that I did so and of course some bragging rights. It will also make this trip that much more memorable for me, not like it wont be already. But I figure I have to find a new way to test myself, so why not. Last year was a test to go out on my own and bring Flo home.



The route I am going to take is all Interstate, heading south to Portland, then east to Walla Walla, and on to Idaho Falls. I am hoping to head out of Vancouver by 5ish on Sunday evening and ride til about 11pm(which should put me in the Portland area) then sleep a few hours and on the road again by 5 am. This should get me to Idaho Falls on time. If I feel that I am losing time then I can cut out the small detour to Walla Walla. I dont need to stop there but wanted to add a few more miles just to be on the safe side for the mileage I need for the Iron Butt. Will see how it goes while Im on the road. I have also realized that it is the Memorial Day weekend in the US, so traffic may be heavier. Oh well she what happens as I go. If I dont succeed, then there is always next year!


I think I have all the info I need, printed out and in one place. I have maps(not that I use them), my Conga donation sheet and info (cause Im sure more then one person will stop to ask me what the hell Im up to - between the pink wig and the way I am dressing the bike) my reservation information, the Flotinerary and the week long itinerary I made for my own reference. I know what other things I need to pack into my bag, but of course I cant til the last minute. Have passport and ID ready, need puter, cell phone, chargers for everything, camera(hoping girlchild will borrow me hers as well as it is smaller then mine) Im still trying to add more music to my MP3 players, so that it is not so repetitive.


I feel so overwhelmed right now, but I know I will get through it all, one way or another.