Sacramento to Vancouver/Portland, Take 2

[bluevelo]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

Even though this area is generally liberal, there are LOTS of conservatives here. You won't have any trouble finding any, especially if you join activist or interest groups. Downtown Vancouver is nice now, and if you lived nearby you'd probably enjoy it. But for $5K you need other reasons to move. Changing jobs is a gamble. It could end up being a negative experience like you have now. People everywhere - here included - are nervous about their ongoing employment. That means power plays and backstabbing will abound - it's human nature. You'd be the newbie and therefore possibly the first to go in a downturn. Personally, I wouldn't want to live in the Sacto area, even in Davis, because I think other areas are more appealing, but it isn't a horrible place to be. You just have to look at your lifestyle or desired lifestyle and then choose an area and make sure you engage in activities you enjoy regardless of the weather.

I think planing and executing at least two long weekends away during the winter is a good place to start. I never met a snowbird until I moved to Portland. Now I understand.

Actually, we've got a little bit of that - the backstabbing - going on in my current office, but its very secure employment and it actually would be more secure in Vancouver. I'm not worried about that. But I will say that aside from my previous stop in Jackson, MS, here in Sacramento, CA, I've not needed to snowbird and that's been *nice*. I honestly think at this point there's only about a 5% chance I'll put my application in. The rain and gloom are huge show stoppers. I hate wearing rain gear, even when its drizzling, I don't want to go outside.

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by bluevelo

I hate wearing rain gear, even when its drizzling, I don't want to go outside.

Actually we don't wear "rain gear" here! If you did, people would point and laugh. We just deal unless it's pouring.

I take out the trash, unload the car, etc. in drizzle (light misty rain). I think it would be accurate to say though that Portland's rain is no longer "misty." I remember summers as a child the "misty" rain. Now it's heavier. Not a whole lot, but we've had heavier rain, and this year with El Nino the rainfall is harder. It goes in 15 mins. spurts but it's still there. The rest of the time it's fairly light.

No, I don't think you're a NW type. I did read on another thread though that Vancouver and Lake Oswego are for the conservatives. We have plenty here in Portland, nobody should kid themselves. Just down the road from me are a WHOLE bunch of Chris Dudley for Governor signs. Good Luck sucka. Actually he's a nice guy just completely unqualified!

[aroseinrain]

yeah, about the rain.. you can always spot the out-of-towners because they carry an umbrella. I gave my last umbrella away about 20+ years ago to this elderly lady who was trying to keep her head dry under a newspaper - and I never looked back. I always seemed to be using it as a dance prop (ala "singing in the rain") instead of using it to stay dry anyway.

[bluevelo]

My GF is visiting Portland next week as part of a conference, but for right now - unless something drastically changes between now and midnight Friday - I think I'm going to take a pass on applying. Just looking at weather.com, its cold up your way. 65 is not my idea of ideal summer weather, even if it is sunny and dry.

[Sarcastic_Twit]

Well it's supposed to be in the 70's by end of the week so she might like being here then. Portland is in a jetstream that changes roughly every 3-4 days between warm air and cooler air. So your body never gets to adjust to temperature changes. Look at the month graph on weather.com to see.

Umbrellas are worthless in Portland since the rain comes with wind. You always have to hold it at an angle like a matador skewering a bull.

[bluevelo]

Originally Posted by Sarcastic_Twit

Well it's supposed to be in the 70's by end of the week so she might like being here then. Portland is in a jetstream that changes roughly every 3-4 days between warm air and cooler air. So your body never gets to adjust to temperature changes. Look at the month graph on weather.com to see.

Umbrellas are worthless in Portland since the rain comes with wind. You always have to hold it at an angle like a matador skewering a bull.

You pretty much have the same umbrella/wind issues during winter rains down here; we'll get the gusty 20+ mph winds off the ocean... only sturdy expensive non-compact umbrellas can take it, and your lower body still gets wet.

[aroseinrain]

It's like I told my husband; it really doesn't rain that much in Oregon, it just takes a long time to finish.