the 32nd week

Sunrise in Oregon. Another photo by Amanda Hoos. Edited by a blind idiot.
Also, this is how a ring-wraith might behold the sunrise.

We lost Amanda Hoos this past week.

Losing one Hoos is hard enough; losing two is just downright cruel.

Okay, here goes the not-so-great week (the 2nd in a row!):

Monday. A beautiful, non-January day in the high fifties! We launched a new menu and new (higher) prices on just about everything. People were much more vocal about their dislike of the latter than their enjoyment of the former (which includes a new vegetarian hummus sandwich that is off-the-hook). I think the transition will be smooth and over quickly; when I was at Starbucks we raised our prices more than once, and each time there was a day or two where people swore never to come back and when they were ranting and raving, and then by the next week, everyone was coming back and happy again. People need their coffee, and we have damned good coffee, and they'll pay premium prices for premium coffee. After work I did some writing and hung out with my peeps upstairs. Brandy came over for a good while, and I called it a night early, crawling into bed and reading J.R.R. Tolkien.

Tuesday. Another beautiful day. After work I went to Mount Echo for a bit with the sunroof rolled down, and I watched the city from high far away. It could almost be spring if it weren't for the gray skies; but in 65 degree temps, who's going to complain about mere cloud cover? Josh came over and Mandy made spaghetti, Ams made nachos, and he made cookies. Amos and I watched the first "Lord of the Rings" movies, the long-ass extended edition, and Mandy and Ams joined us towards the end. 

Wednesday. Another BEAUTIFUL day: high sixties, sunny, birds singing. We opened the house's windows and I drove home from work with the sunroof rolled down yet again (after a cigarette pow-wow with Isaac, Rhino, and Amos by the 600 Vine fountain). Mandy and I went to Kroger and turned the dining room into a study, and in an old chest in the basement that belonged to her sister we found a pair of what appear to be eyeballs in fermaldehyde. They could also be testicles, but my bet's on eyes what with the whole "optical nerve" thing. The house quickly filled with people eager to see Mandy as her time here dwindled: first B. Shields, then Andy, then Isaac, then Amos after his close. Mandy made spaghetti (round two!), and we all hung out in the revamped dining room-turned-study and talked about how great it is to have such great friends, and how much we'll miss one another. Despite our conflicts and fights, the friendship and comfort of being surrounded by people you love and who love you definitely makes the statement "Life is best shared" as authentic as it gets. People thinned out, and Amos and I "shot up"--i.e. Call of Duty, not heroin--and before bed I lit a candle and started reading Tolkien's The Twin Towers. No, wait. The TWO Towers. Damn. I always do that, at least since 9/11. 

Mandy's Last Day [sad-face]. After work, Mandy, Gambill, Ams and I went to Roh's Street Cafe for coffee, and that turned into an adventure of sorts: Mandy first knowingly illegally parked in front of a police car, and when she realized that wasn't her best idea (a while after the fact), she fixed the problem by parking in front of a fire hydrant. Nailed it like cat food. Blake gave his goodbyes before heading off to work, and Andy came by to offer his own farewell. Nick arrived, and Mandy and Ams joined him for pizza at... well, dunno how to say it, maybe Atavola? James from the Tazz in my earlier days works there. Amos came home, and Isaac came by to say goodbye; in the meantime we talked about D&D, and the basic story sounds cool, and Isaac recommended I read a series by R.A. Salvatore. I may do that (sometime). Isaac left after he said bye to Mandy, and after pizza Nick and Mandy loaded up her car for their 40-hour drive west. Jessica B. came by to say bye, and so did Matt (Gambill's brother). The time came and we said our goodbyes, and we stood on the porch and watched them leave. Both Mandy and Ams were in tears--being bffs and girls and all--and after Mandy was gone, Ams, Amos and I quietly hung out cloistered in Ams' room, without many words but with too many thoughts. Amos and I had a mellow and sorrowful smoke outside, and we all we went to bed. The silence, no one walking through my room, it unnerved me. I want that back.

Friday. Work was a decent hop, and when I came home Blake was all moved into Rob and Mandy's old room. He moved in earlier since his friend Billy came into town tonight. I shrugged my shoulders and decided to move upstairs, too. It only took me 2 1/2 hours to totally tear down the walk-through room and reassemble everything upstairs (including wall decor). Blake, Amos and I hung out for a while listening to Bill Callahan (a.k.a. Smog). Amos and I had Wendy's for dinner. When Ams came home from work, I showed her my room, and she really likes it. Nice and cozy. "Your koala cave," she said. Last I heard from Mandy, she was fighting a blizzard somewhere in Nebraska or Colorado, not really sure which. She sent me a picture and it looked awful. 

Saturday. I woke around 9:00 and took a lot of change to the Coin Star at Kroger: made about $50. I spent the majority of the day writing--minus Indian with T.J., which just didn't taste as good without Rob and Mandy--and then I made considerable progress in my zombie serial. Mandy, Nick and Sarah arrived in Portland around 3-4:00 our time. So thankful the drive was safe. Tonight was a quiet night, just the housemates hanging out, no one really coming or going. Ams and I hung out for my room for a long while, remembering what it was like just a week ago when Rob and Mandy were here. The simple and quiet things no one ever notices, the little quirks and curiosities in our personalities, the way you knew who was coming just by the sound of their feet on the stairs. In a sense it doesn't feel like they're actually gone; it's more like they're on a long holiday, and we're expecting them to come back soon. But they're not and they won't, and the weight of that lies heavy on our hearts.

Sunday. Woke with a splitting headache and went back to bed. The wind, rain, and fog from yesterday has been replaced by yet another spring-like day. I had coffee at The Anchor while doing some reading. Blake, Billy and Ams went to Rock Bottom, but I went to Gabe and Emily's for a bit yesterday and foolishly left my wallet there, which had my $25 gift card in a sleeve, and so I couldn't go. Ams went to Dayton and Blake, Billy and Amos went to a super bowl party. Isaac and Josh (not Ams' Josh; let me repeat, NOT Ams' Josh) came over, and instead of watching the game we ate pizza and played video games in the dungeon. Josh went home and Isaac passed out downstairs after a good number of beers. I clambered into bed and read some Tolkien, talked to the Wisconsinite, and went to bed.