We drove the car onto the ferry and took it to Bainbridge Island. From there, we drove to Poulsbo to meet Kenric’s college friend and his wife for dinner. I immediately fell in love with the downtown area. We were a little early so we walked around a little. There were many European flags fluttering in the wind. I recall seeing flags of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and some which I don’t know. The whole town has a Scandinavian and Nordic feel to it.

We walked into a bakery and actually walked out without buying anything which is really rare. Kenric said he would save his donut for next week when we pass by Wall Drug, a gigantic western store that sells everything including very delicious maple frosted donuts.

Chuck and Elizabeth were right on time. We had dinner at a Europub, a restaurant they’ve both been to. When I asked Elizabeth what she usually gets there, she said it’s been a long time since they’ve dined there and when they eat out they usually go for Mexican food. I laughed and told her that Kenric and I purposely avoided suggesting Mexican food because we know she’s from Mexico. I said we didn’t want her to think, “Oh, just because I’m from Mexico doesn’t mean I have to eat Mexican food all the time!” She said she would have loved that. I believe her because I would eat Malaysian food anytime.

I really enjoyed chatting with Elizabeth. She loves living in Poulsbo, and she loves her job with the school district. We both think our White men waste a lot of food when they eat chicken wings. Like me, she cleans up after Chuck is done with the wing, and like Kenric, Chuck thinks the crunchy chicken cartilage is rather disgusting.

It was really good to see Kenric catch up with his college buddy whom he hasn’t seen in 20 years. They delivered pizza for the same pizza joint. They went to McMenamins for St. Patrick’s Day where Kenric had his first sip of Knob Creek Bourbon. Chuck reminded Kenric that they went there together twice. Neither could remember the other visit. It was that good! When Chuck got up for a smoke, he told Elizabeth, “Whatever he tells you, it’s true.”

Map of Places Visited