It wasn’t a bad experience, unlike some of the stories you hear about the DMV’s in states across the country. I chose the DMV office in Springfield after hearing that it might be less busy than the main Oregon DMV office in Eugene. It was a new, clean and modern facility. I took a number and in about thirty minutes someone called my number and I began the process of surrendering my Utah driver license for an Oregon driver license. Interestingly, there were no questions on the application form asking about medical conditions such as diabetes.

An hour later, I was leaving with my new Oregon driver license in my hand. As a bonus, I was also leaving as an Oregon voter because in Oregon, you can register to vote at the DMV.

I hope this doesn’t mean I have to pay attention to the political campaign ads I see on TV and in the newspaper!

I don’t think this is a ride I could have done in Salt Lake City. Firstly, I don’t think there is a defined UGB in Salt Lake City or any of its surrounding cities. Most importantly though, it would be a ride of well over a hundred miles, maybe closer to 150, and through more mountainous terrain than what I encountered yesterday in Eugene.

Below are some photos from my ride around Eugene:

1. The trees. Big ones and many of them.
2. The number of bicycles. All shapes and sizes and ages of people out riding a bicycle for fun, for exercise, and for transportation.
3. A warm day is 78 degrees and not 98.
4. The humidity is usually above 50% instead of below.
5. Grocery stores sell beer and wine. I’m not talking about a few bottles either. Most grocery stores have an impressive selection that would rival any of Utah’s liquor stores
6. Lots and lots of ducks. All the rivers and ponds have them. Geese too.
7. Lots and lots of “Ducks.” You can tell a “Duck” by the bumper sticker, the sign, or the shirt that reads some variation of either “O”, “Oregon”, or “Ducks” as a declaration of support for the University of Oregon “Ducks.”
8. It only takes 30 minutes to get anywhere in town….and that’s by bicycle.

But, in some ways, it’s just another American city and in that sense, it’s just like Salt Lake City. For example,

1. The highways are congested during heavy commute times.
2. In all parts of town, there’s the usual array of brand names we’re all familiar with.
3. Bicyclists, in general, have an unhealthy disregard for their personal safety. I’m not sure I can say that bicyclists in Eugene are generally any better or worse at following the rules of the road than the bicyclists in Salt Lake City, but one thing I have noticed, and I’m shocked by it, is the number of bicyclists in Eugene who do not wear a helmet.

After checking in to a motel, we walked downtown and had dinner at a local micro-brewery. Then we wandered through one of the biggest street festivals I have ever seen. At least ten city blocks took part in this celebration.

Vehicle traffic was blocked off in the entire area and there was a flame thrower show going on in one intersection of two major streets. The highlight though was a show by the MarchFourth Marching Band, from Portland, Oregon. Their show mixes klezmer, jazz, salsa, reggae and adds drum majorettes, stilts, and fire into a high-energy confabulation of music and motion that even the most hard-core non-dancers will find hard to resist.

Check out the videos of MarchFourth, my new favorite band:

• What is MarchingFourth Marching Band?
• MarchFourth Band on Knightmarika
• MarchFourth Band

and check out their official website:

March Fourth

and their MySpace page:

MarchFourth Marching Band on MySpace

Just as I was finishing the boat-building project (see my previous post) in which I built an eight-foot Eastport Pram named “Barely A Wake,” I learned of a job opportunity at the University of Oregon in Eugene. When I read the job description, much of it seemed like it could be from the description of the job I have at the University of Utah. Pat and I have been wanting to move to the pacific northwest for a number of years so the job seemed like a perfect fit of my professional experience and our personal goals. So I sent them my resume, etc., on May 7 I had an online video-conference call interview, on May 11 I sent them some samples of code I’ve written, on May 20 I went to Eugene for an in-person interview, and then on May 25 I received an offer to go work for the University of Oregon.

Now that we’re nearly a month into this relocation project, I have to say it is hard work. Everybody says moving is hard, but I’ve found it to be much more difficult than I imagined. The details are overwhelming at times and that’s on top of the goodbyes to friends and places I’ve known and loved for the past 24 years.

In honor of our decision to move to Eugene, below are some photos from my trip to Eugene in May. I hope it gives you a taste of the beautiful city that is Eugene.