Happy Birthday to me ... a $400+ fine (for forgetting.)

On the up side, we got a 3,000 mile run to VA. Now we just need to get back to OR before 3 PM.

Up and ready before 6 AM local. One minute to 6 AM, I call dispatch and get right in. We get the OR to VA run we had looked at. The only down side is that we need to have to be back to OR before 3 PM. That makes it tight, BB tried to interrupt me but I missed it. So now we have the run.

Went down to eat breakfast, the place is still under construction. One of the things you have to do is go into the kitchen to get your juice from the juice machine.

As we are walking to our bus in the AM, the guy who had to wait for me to park last night is just leaving. We leave just before daylight so we get to watch it get lighter and then all of a sudden it just seems to be light.

1st stop of the day is a rest area near Red Bluff, CA.

Opps, get a message that I forgot to do my daily check in call. I usually leave the guest book out so I have the motel zip code for my call in. This morning I even commented that I got into dispatch just before the call in notice beeped. But it didn't click and I didn't call. There is a 'fine,' for not doing the call in.

Coming up the state line we could see a mountain in the distance. Turned out to be Mt Shasta. I think it is mention in more than one of Merl Haggers songs. Beautiful today.

Another thing I noticed while still in CA was a "Welcome to the 51st state." They are still working on ceading from California.

We get to the Port of Entry at OR and as I pull on the scale the guy comes over the loudspeaker asking me where my plate is. "On the back of the bus." (Right where it is supposed to be) He has me pull ahead so he can read the plate and I wait with the red light. Next thing I know he is standing next to my window. Major opps. He takes my drivers license and asks me to park and come inside.

Very pleasant about it, I had all the info he needed then came the bad news. He showed me the fine for not having the correct paperwork. My mistake. It's not anything I have had to do before, but I should have known better. Years ago drivers used to take care of stuff right at the scale, 10 years is what he told me. Guess that's the last time I had to do it. Now it all has to be done on the computer BEFORE getting to the scale. Not likely to forget again. Two opps today, this one's a little bigger than the first.

Called and got both my OR and WA permits before I left the scale. This also cost me 45 minutes that I didn't have to spare this trip.

15 minutes down the road we are at my only fuel stop. CNG in Central Point. I fuel, BB goes in and orders. While fueling I call the drop and leave a message. They never called back so I guess all is good. BB is half done eating by the time I get in. A few minutes later the area fills up with school kids. It would have taken us our half hour just waiting in line behind them if our timing had been off.

As we go to leave, another of the Seattle buses is fueling at the CNG pump. I really want to stop and talk be we have miles to go.

Last stop is another rest area, this one at Gettings Creek in OR. Along here we noticed a lot of tree damage, so much that BB looked it up and found they had had heavy snow damage a few weeks ago.

Lots of traffic in Portland rush hour.

Staying at a Comfort Inn almost in downtown Vancouver. Black Angus shares the parking lot but it was a 45 minute wait ??? So we walked about 3 blocks to a Brickhouse. Great food. Band was just setting up so, but we got out of there before they started. We are too old for that.

Daughter called and said they had water in their basement, so they wanted to know if they should check ours. Once that thought is put in our heads we thought they should. We were still OK as of Weds. We'll see what it is like by the time we get home.

Board is back up over 100 but I want to be home the last week of the month and we will just make it after this trip to VA. There is a truck in VA going back to within 10 miles of our house but it likely won't still be there a week from now when we get to VA.