Welcome to Bike Forum.
I'm from Seattle ... STP ... the best way to get from Seattle to Portland. Actually, I'm 3 years young to cycling so I haven't tried it much. I mostly ride on trails, but do have a 2006 Jamis Sattelitte Road Bike which I've used on some organized rides.
I recently joined the Forum ... new to forums in general ... I'm a bit older than you so my guess is I haven't participated in these as you may have. I'll pick up the phone or send an e-mail. My 13 year old will stand in circle of half a dozen friends while they all text message each other.