Putting a bird on it

So I get up at 4.30am this morning to catch a 6.30am bus to Portland with R.
You know what?  Nothing good happens at 4.30in the morning, the least of all of which is a seven hour, ass numbing ride to Portland.
Our bus driver was interesting in that he would bark random announcements into the mic and then slam it down abruptly so you always felt like he was mad at you and like, possibly, you had done something wrong.  Otherwise, I have to say BoltBus is the way to go.  Prompt departure, decent leg room, free wifi, and a smooth ride down to our destination.
We arrived and checked in to our hotel, before wandering down to check out San Sai Sushi, where we enjoyed a couple of nice rolls and a beer for an absolute steal.  I loved this restaurant when I came here with Michael years ago, and so I was happy when R announced that she would be happy to eat here for the duration of our stay.
From there we went to REI to buy all things unsexy but practical, and then we hit Trader Joe's which always kind of dumbfounds me with the choices there.  On our recent East coast travels, we sought out Trader Joe's for good breakfast foods and snacks, as well as cheap wine.
We dropped our stuff off at our hotel, had a brief respite and were off again to check out Melt, which I've been to before, and was again enjoyable and all on the cheap.
As always, Portland's a great city with great food, a nice, hip ambiance and still an affordable destination (given that we come from Vancouver).
Looking to check out Powell's, the Japanese gardens and the Alberta Arts District in the next couple of days.