the 25th week

It's me. As a zombie. Not real life.
Well, I guess that's half-true...

Monday. A month and a half of Food Prep begins now. I spent the entirety of my day ('cept for work) hanging out with the housemates (plus Andy, who might as well be a housemate). We took zombie pictures and watched TV. I like the fact that I live with so many great people, especially my sister. Really, I'm proud and thankful that we have the friendship we do, and whenever I'm telling people 'bout myself, I always speak highly of her and boast about the relationship we have. Although I'm not one for "counting blessings", she'll nevertheless always be at the top.

Tuesday. Mandy was freaking out about her graduation speech, so I wrote her a damned good one, with help from T.J., and in thirty minutes flat, no less. "How fitting that the guy who wrote half my college papers is now writing my graduation speech." Living vicariously through Amanda Hoos? Check Yes. And then whimper for what has become. In thanks she treated me to Melt in Northside, and Ams joined us. It's this hole-in-the-wall vegan joint, super trendy with the menu written out on a blackboard. I had their Joan of Arc with herb-roasted red potatoes, and then we got bubble tea from Clifton. I spent the rest of the night hanging out with Amos, and Rob roasted some amazing coffees for the coffee tasting tomorrow.

Wednesday. Let's just suffice it to say that after work today, I may not be able to eat muffins for a week. The coffee tasting at the house went really well. Rob unveiled three coffees: a Colombian microlot, and then a Guatemalan and Kenyan geisha varietals. "I never thought we'd have this many geishas in our house at once," Amos said. I didn't hate the geishas, loved them, actually. You can taste why these beans cost twenty bucks a pound unroasted. Cat, Amos, Nick, Kassie and I smoked strawberry hookah, and then I took Cat to her place downtown and then took Kassie to her place in Clifton. She invited me inside for a bit, and we hung out for a little while, and we had great conversation. She's one of our best baristas, and it's sad to see her go: she's launching off to Portland here in a bit to expand her coffee experience. 

Thursday. It's been warm out, but a cold front swept in today, cold and misty rains blanketing downtown in a dripping fog. Cat and I are trying to throw together a 600 Vine Christmas party: beer, hookah, let-come-what-may. The house was quiet this evening and played some "Skyrim": it's good, but I can only play it in spurts. Mandy graduated from Lindsey Wilson today--SHOUT-OUT!!!--and she said the speech went really well, got lots of compliments. I'm not surprised: I wrote it and she gave it. We make, in her words, "an unstoppable duo." I grabbed dinner at The Anchor and spent the last bits of the night hanging out with Amos, Ams, Rob and Brandy. Her voice is all ragged and worn from one hell of a sickness. "I coughed up blood yesterday. Can I have a hit off your cigarette?" That's probably not a good idea, but yes. Also, we all discovered, much to our dismay, that Mandy's more afraid of bedbugs than we thought... Like, seriously.

Friday. Tyler came down around 5:00 and we spent the evening hanging out with Blake, Amos, and Mandy. Rob joined us for a trip to Chipotle (although I suspect it may have been his idea?), and when we got back we watched through Season One of "Frisky Dingo" yet again. Tyler and I fell asleep in Blake's room, him on the bed and me in the chair with my head thrown back. Yes, exactly like a beast, as you should expect.

Saturday. Rob made a chemex of Guatemalan, something amazing to wake up to. Amos, Tyler and I got Indian. Andy was going to come but got a flat tire. After Dusmesh we went shopping in Clifton. Tyler headed home, and I spent the rest of my Saturday hanging out with Blake, Andy, Amos and Mandy, and Mandy and I made a midnight-run to Kroger. Or at least it felt like midnight, you never know with dark settling so early. It very easily could've been around six or seven, I'm not sure.

Sunday. Mandy and I hit up U.C.C. for church, and then I went downtown to Carew for some coffee courtesy of Gina, and then I ran errands all over western Cincinnati. I had Subway for linner (dunch+linner... I meant lunch+dinner. Been doing that a lot lately, maybe it's a tumor?). Andy came over for a little while, and that's always good. When I first met him in 2007, I didn't like him. Jessica C. (not the more recent one) had strung me along for a good while, and then dropped me for no good reason and fixated her attentions on him. Jealousy stained my opinion of him. Once he got the shaft, too, she ran off with some guy and married him, and they've got a baby coming quite soon. Now Andy and I are good friends, and we agree: stay away from those Jessica's!