Time to crank up this ol’ rusty beast, just in time for the upcoming DC07 — this year’s reprise of last summer’s terrific trip to DC. We leave in just ove two weeks, so I’m using a trip to Portland as a dress rehearsal to work out the kinks and hopefully hit the ground running once we get in that torture device — a.k.a. charter bus.

I arrived in Portland earlier today, just after noon, but basically haven’t left my hotel room yet as of 4PMish. I didn’t sleep well last night, so tried to get in a solid nap, which proved irritatingly elusive. But I did get some decent dozing in, and now I’m absorbing some caffeine before I hit the hotel gym and then downtown Portland.