Job hunt

I know this is long overdue, sorry.  Living in Seattle has been fun, overwhelming, and eye opening all at the same time.  I've never been anywhere like this before.  There are more places to go and things to see here than I've ever encountered before. It took me several days just to get all of my things in order at the house, and I'm still searching craigslist for a few free things like an armoire and a night stand.  Things got off to a rapid start- the job hunt was fast and effective.  I learned very quickly that the places I hoped and dreamed of working for (google, amazon, boeing, etc.) were a bit of a dead end.  These companies were looking for very specific positions, all of which were only available online.  There was no chance of meeting with anyone but a receptionist face to face.  I moved on to my second choices, which is what I really expected to happen. I've always thought I'd enjoy working in a coffee shop and what better place than Seattle?  I'm also really interested in home theater and electronics so Best Buy has been a place where I feel I could fit in for a long time. So I set out to "scope out"  local coffee shops and visit the two Best Buy locations near me.  Coffee shops are surprisingly far away from me- nothing terrible... just further than I thought they would be **Exception:  Starbucks.  Starbucks can be found on every corner here.  Sometimes two in a corner.... one stand alone and another in a grocery store.  I've known several people who work for Starbucks and I'm not against it, but if I had my 'drathers I'd pick a cool local shop any day over a chain. On to Best Buy.  I googled the two and found that one was much larger and had a Magnolia section for premium audio & video. The following story took place within an hour.  So I stroll in, walk straight into the magnolia and begin to drool over a pair of electrostatic Martin Logan speakers when an employee asks if I need assistance.  I replied "no, I'm just dreaming electrostatic dreams for a moment"  and we begin talking about the set-up and technical specs of the system until he finally said he didn't actually know a lot about it.  I asked him if they were hiring for seasonal positions- then it started.  His eyes lit up and asked if I wanted to work there- I said I was interested.  He took me to the manager and told him I was interested in theater and audio.  The manager studied me, asked where my gear was- without hesitation I pulled my Shure SE215's out from the neck of my shirt and he said "you pass".  We talked home theater for a little while and he said to apply online when I get home.  At this point I excuse myself to test the electrostatic speakers a little more.  Not five minutes later the same employee came back in and said the manager would like to interview me today.  I agreed and proceeded to complete my application in store, wait about 15 minutes and on to the interview I went.  They asked the usual questions, easy to answer if you've got real stories to draw from.  Fortunately I have plenty. In the end they asked if I had any questions... I asked a couple and then he said "you'll have a few more in a minute because you've got the job".  So I signed my life away for the holidays and went on my way.

Space needle

Driving into Washington

The hunt begins

Toasty

Maybe some day

Ill own something like this 

Idaho

This was called a nitro beer, smoothest I've ever had.  The restaurant was featured on man vs. food, it's called Bar Gernika 

Boise

Utah

If I'm honest, I didn't expect much out of Utah.  I was wrong.  Utah has some amazing scenery and some of the nicest people I've ever met.  I stayed with a friend who has the nicest home I've ever seen.  I spent an entire day just admiring the view from their back porch.  My short time spent in Salt Lake City was nice, I met a local waitress named Samantha, who suggested a hidden gem in town called Ensign Peak.  It was a great suggestion.  From the peak you could see all of Salt Lake City, and it was beautiful.  Shortly after I reached the peak I realized my meeting with a couple of S2000 guys was in about 30 minutes- which happened to be the amount of time it would take me to get to our meeting location.  I charge downhill, hurdling rocks on the way and hop into my car.  Once I make it to our meeting point it's clear that I shouldn't have been in such a hurry, but it was kind of fun to sprint downhill anyways.  The S2000 guys have never disappointed , and the Ogden owners were no exception.  They happily inspected my car for anything that might need adjusting or replacing to keep me safe for the remainder of my adventure.  I knew the belt was the most likely subject for scrutiny, and the guys agreed that it needed replacing.  After dinner one of them texted me to tell me that they had checked local shops and had one of them order me a belt so that I'd be prepared to hit the road safely.  My host graciously volunteered to take me out to the store and helped me replace the belt.  Ogden definitely caught me by surprise, and added to my list of places I'd like to return to some day.