The West Coast - VI

A lot has happened since I last left you. Kelly has decided on taking the job. It seems likely that she will live in Belfair and I in Seattle.

On our last day on Bainbridge Island, we went bakery hopping downtown so that Maiya could find a reliable bread source. There were many lively locals enjoying baked treats and yummy soups around, and we decided to partake in a hearty lunch of butternut squash soup and savory croissants. Then, sadly, it was time to say our goodbyes, as Kelly and I drove down to Portland that afternoon. There's something quite sad about reaching the end of a long journey.

Before Portland, Kelly and I drove down to check out Bremerton (midway between Belfair and Seattle) and her future workplace; the Salmon Center. Bremerton was actually a bit dreary, and Kelly found the workplace uninspiring, but she wasn't keen on giving up on a good job opportunity. Bremerton did have some imposing warships at the naval base, which was exciting. There was also this interesting sign:

My kind of store!

Portland has been a fairly relaxed time. I've been mostly practicing for coding interviews, and working on a coding challenge for a company I'm interviewing for. We saw some really good movies; Kelly and I went to see Mistress America, and later we watched Phoenix with Pat and Scott. Now that was a good movie.

One evening, Kelly and I went to the Rose Garden, which was a beautiful place. The roses were a wide range of colors, from icy blue to deep red, and had a wide range of smells, from soap to lychee. It was a very clear evening, so in the distance we could see Mt. Hood's silhouette, a perfect cone of a mountain. My favorite rose by far was a pale yellow one that had a magnificent shape, and a powerful lychee-like aroma.

The Rose Garden.

One interesting feature of Portland that I discovered today is that a lot of shops seem to double as bars. The bike shop we went to today had several people sipping beer, and it's apparently quite a happening nighttime venue, with live music in the evenings. Things got a bit ludicrous when we went to the pharmacy to pick up some medicine for Kelly, and we found there was a bar there too!

Bars everywhere.