San Francisco
Is this really happening?
The text message said, "Come to the roof. Margaritas." It came from my neighbor Nicole at noon yesterday. She lives with five other people in the apartment that backs up to ours. Four more apartments back up to us too. We're all connected with a five story staircase that runs past all our kitchen doors and binds our lives together with the roof. And I love it.
About twenty young working adults live in these units. With the exception of a law student and an undergrad. Some are passionate about their jobs, others are surviving, and there are those like me who spend days looking for jobs and going to interviews.
My Roommates are:
Tony from France who, thank goodness, gets into cleaning rolls every once in a while. He writes his nines like "g"s because he's French. And I'm pretty sure he's dating one of the girls from the house full of beauty downstairs.
Hugh, from England, is the perfect example of British comedy and I can't believe I'm the only one who hears some of the stuff he says. I know I'm the only one who hears because if anyone else heard they would be laughing. He walks around with his arm in a sling because a few weeks ago he was too drunk to ride a bike and did. Imagine a younger blond smaller Favio...That's Hugh. Who? Hugh. Hugh? who.
Patrick is looking for a job. He lost his last one for inefficiency which made sense when he tried to carry one grocery bag at a time to the car the other day. He keeps me laughing too. In one conversation with him we ended up googling the answers to ten different questions and then made plans to perform a science experiment to find the answers. Sadly, the same experiment we wanted to do was also included in..fifth grade science classes. That's ok though, because we made KILLER fresh fruit daiquiris on Tuesday with the neighbors and fifth graders can't do that.
Matt lives in the closet off the kitchen and he's from L.A. He is a giant who is afraid of heights. He won't get within ten feet of the edge of the roof and even that far back he takes on a hunched position with his knees bent a little, as if the wind would carry him right over the edge if he stood up straight. One night he made us watch "The Room." It's the worst movie ever made and deserves that title more than any other movie that could and will ever be made. I couldn't bring myself to walk away from the trainwreck of it.
A blue grass band, the Jugtown Pirates, lives downstairs and they play on the stoop sometimes to make money and sell cds. The Tourists EAT IT UP. They should, it's tasty tasty music. Yesterday Nicole, Amy, Ashley, and I stood in our bare feet and sundresses taking pictures and dancing on the sidewalk to their jam session. We were all bronzed up from our rooftop sun session earlier in the day.
Victor, Bogey, and Geoff live downstairs and they are making their own beer. It's good stuff, too! Victor is a chef and he's helpful to have around when we all cook a big dinner with the random ingredients we can contribute. I learned how to make a delicious fried eggplant the other day and in the process realized what an amateur I am in the kitchen. He'll be helpful to have around.
I'm walking and busing everywhere. I should get a bike if I plan on staying longer because it's the best way to get around and how everyone else does it and I want to fit in....
I found a church with great worship music and a leadership that wants nothing but God to be glorified. Their hearts are focused on what He wants. I'm excited to find friends, encouragers and accountability there.
Still working on finding a job. I've got some interviews coming up. Wish me luck!
Time to walk to the beach to meet my friends.
This is really happening. This is my life. And I can see the city skyline from my roof.
Love you and Miss you guys. Football season is here. War Eagle!
