Kickin' It in Salem, OR

Hello! First let me tell you how ecstatic I am over my new gearing. I think if I had to climb out of Tillamook on Three Capes Scenic Route without those gears, my bike would be in a box and I would be crying on an airplane bound for Atlanta. But no! Here I am at the library in Salem, OR. Today was an easy breezy 40 miles, not too many rough climbs. However, on one of the climbs today I thought that there's absolutely nothing more exhilarating than climbing a mountain for over an hour and descending it in less than 5 minutes.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand, so Bryan (you'll learn about him later) and I cruised ahead of the group and got into camp just after 1 pm, after sleeping in a little and leaving camp about 45 minutes after the other. That's the nice thing about being one of the stronger riders -- you can loaf around in the morning, and still catch up within a couple hours. By the way, great weather so far -- no rain, sunny, but cool (hot at times). Had some mist in one of the rain forests, but it was refreshing and beautiful!
We're camping in Rickreall tonight at the Polk County Fairgrounds. We set up camp, several of the others came rolling in about a half hour later, and I dropped my heavy gear and trailer, and then rode the 10 mile spur into Salem with Kevin and Paul. In Salem, we stopped at a bike shop where I bought spare brake shoes for the descents in the Rockies (just in case!), and then Paul and I rode three miles uphill against the wind to get to Life Source Natural Foods, which was like being in heaven again. I drank a Divine Grape Kombucha, so invigorating! (I also got a piece of Vegan Nutty Chocolate Cake...hey, I earned it!) I loved the store, it was a decent size, and I was chatting up the staff there who were all super nice people.
Now back to the cast. As I was riding today, I was thinking about how Bryan and I had talked about how we can sort of typecast people in the group a la The Real World. It's rather entertaining, and I like everyone (so far), so it's in good fun.
Here's who I'm crossing the country with:
Bryan: 24 year old surfer dude from Wilmington, NC. Likes to use words like "rad," "stoked," and "pumped." He's also a tri-athlete and one of the strongest riders.
Paul: 33 (?) year old nice guy from Utah (folks in Pennsylvania), sort of softspoken, into the environment, outdoorsy type.
Jay: The loafer. In his 30's I think. Always eating, but skinny as a rail. Has all the wrong equipment, tends to forget things. He's already left several things behind at campsites, and was riding for a while with his pannier bags wide open, buckles flapping in the breeze.
Kevin: 44 year old zany British dude. Always chatting with everyone along the way, absolutely hilarious. As Nicola would say, "a bit of a nutter, but a nutter with a good heart"
Nicola: 29 (?) year old British woman. Artist, always journaling, mild-mannered, but I've glimpsed her rough edges (yesterday she handed me a pair of her undies to throw in the dryer at the RV park.
Ken: The old retired dude who loves to talk and thinks nothing of farting even when he's standing with his arse in your face while you're sitting down eating. But he's done a great job filling in our itinerary and calling ahead to campgrounds.
Michael: 49 year old laid back and softspoken, unless you get into politics, then watch out!
Me: 24 year old metro new-agey girl. I think I'm the only one not carrying deodorant, and I'm certainly the only one who doesn't enjoy ice cream or beef jerky.

And that's it for today, folks. Should be heading back to camp soon before sunfall. 64 miles to Eugene tomorrow.