Day 9..."Forest Grove, OR...Meet the Felders"

Aug 8th...Once again, I was the first one up.  I went downstairs and headed outside for the porch, and got in touch with Dej while I checked the Facebook page.  I knew I wasn't always going to be able to log on, so I got my fill whenever possible.  Erik and Alex came down after a little while, and we hung out on the porch until I had to start packing.  I had a great time with them, and wished I could stay in Portland just a little while longer.  Of all the places I had been so far, this was my favorite.  I loved the eclectic little city, the Arts & Crafts homes in the neighborhood I was staying in, and the overall "personality" of the area.  I extended my gratitude and bid farewell to Erik, Alex, and Emma when I was done loading the car for the drive to Forest Grove and then Idaho later on that day.  Before I left, Erik said he would call me if he found anything I left behind. So now, two weeks later, I still wonder if he found my personal stash of Marinade that I accidentally left on the window sill in their bathroom.  I can only hope that he used it all up, Alex loved the way he smelled, and I will be getting an order for more soon. 

I left Portland and spoke to Dej for a majority of the relatively short ride to Forest Grove.  April Felder's house was my next stop, and we knew she was excited for her party begin.  In a previous message, she had also told us that she had the most excited 10 year old in Oregon waiting for our party as well.  I pulled up outside, and I caught her daughter Sarah peeking at me through the window.  I had to finish my conversation with Dejah about an upcoming contest and other business related matters, and I guess Sarah couldn't contain herself while she waited.  The front door opened and she came out of the house with a big smile.  She walked to get something out of the car in the driveway and she waved at me before going back inside.  This gave me a pretty good idea that I was definitely at the right house.  Having two girls myself, I can easily identify with that level of excitement, so I quickly finished up the call so I could go inside and say hello.  They met me at the door and I was hit with the smell of fresh baked goods coming from behind them.  This was already a good party in my book.  Sarah helped me from the car with what she could carry, and she even helped me set up the scent display once inside the house.  She was a big help that day and earned herself a freebie for her assistance. 

You all know I am a sucker for Mini-Marinaders, so when I was offered a picture of Sarah's baby niece Bella with a bottle of Marinade you know I jumped on the opportunity.  She was freshly changed and ready to go when they propped her up in a chair in the living room.  I placed a bottle of Marinade down and shot as many as I could before she decided she'd had enough picture taking for one day. 

2PM quickly approached and April started putting out food and taking care of last minute details.  We waited for guests to arrive and I passed the time talking with the hostess and her daughters.  I could tell April was getting nervous as she texted people who had RSVP'd for the party.  I had a bad feeling that we were going to have another low turnout, but I didn't realize how low until I started my presentation and no-one had arrived.  April, Alexandra, and Sarah got their own personal party that day, and their smiles and enthusiasm for the products made me forget it was a small audience.  Sarah designed one creation that day which was amazing, and she named it "Beautiful Forest".  It's a mixture of Juniper Breeze and Vanilla, and once submitted, just narrowly missed becoming a finalist in the August edition of our "Design Your Own Scent" contest.

When their scent mixing was complete, they placed their orders, and then I started packing the car for the trip to Idaho.  April and her daughters loaded me up with a bag of food for the trip, and I was happy there was a big piece of cheesecake waiting for me later.  I said my goodbyes and promised April I would still come back on the next tour if she wanted to try again.  She was an excellent hostess and I think luck just wasn't on our side that day.  I drove away from the curb and picked up the phone to call home.

Dejah and I were both disappointed at the last two parties, but we did our best to cheer each other up.  She reminded me that I was still out on the road meeting fans and spreading Body Marinade, and I tried to make "3 down, 7 to go" sound as good as I possibly could for her sake.  I hate hearing her not in good spirits, and it was one of those times in the tour that I knew we both really needed a hug.  We decided that we wouldn't let our frustrations get us down, and we looked ahead to the next party in Lewiston, ID.  I hung up with her so I could get some miles in and she could handle business at home.  I had a lot to think about for the 6 hour drive to my friend Mike's house.  "Was the first party in California as good as it would get?....Did these last two parties show us what was coming up?....Were we going to go broke before I got back?....Would anyone show up at the following night's party?"  I had no idea, and it was nerve racking.  The stress was building, and it was broken only by a force greater than myself.  On the way to Idaho, I experienced one of those sunsets that stays in your memory for awhile.  A beautiful array of color splashed across the sky, and although I never slowed down, I was able to get a couple of good pictures from the driver's seat.

I was excited to get to my next stop, as I was finally going to meet a close friend that I had never personally met before.  My friend Mike (aka "Sudsy") and I met through an online poker site about 6 years ago.  We played cards together regularly for years, but the distance between us had prevented us from shaking hands until now.  As I drove I remembered back to the first Christmas after we had started playing poker together.  I was having trouble finding a Playstation 2 for Jessica for the holiday, and he told me that his local Walmart had them stacked to the ceiling.  Without getting any money from me, his wife Cheryl ran to the local Walmart and they picked one up, and sent it out the following day as I sent a check by mail.  This amazed me as a New Yorker, and I knew I had found a friend I could trust for the long haul.  Now, I would finally be able to meet him in person.  Earlier, I had figured this trip to take less time. I had never realized that over 200 miles would be logged on a 2 lane Route with no lights, and speeds that never really exceeded 50 mph.  I arrived in Lewiston just after midnight.  Sudsy was there waiting for me, and the "bro hugs" began.  We sat outside of his house for about an hour, looking up at the millions of stars and catching up on life like old friends.  I could tell he was tired and I was as well.  It didn't take long for us to call it a night, and he showed me to his daughter's room where I would be sleeping.  Ally had a cute little room in the back of the house, and I dropped my bags on the floor before changing my clothes.  I laid my man sized frame down onto the childrens sized bed and looked up at the ceiling while I reflected on the day.  I woke up in Portland, did a party in Forest Grove, and was now falling asleep a few hundred miles away in Idaho.  The amount of travel amazed me, even as I lived it every day.  It didn't take long for me to drift off, as I was helped along by the security that comes with staying with "family".

Total miles logged so far...4161.2!!!