At Arts County Fair, we have a fine tradition called Hobo Week. The week before the Fair, everyone is needed at the stadium as much as possible. So all the kids who live off campus, like those who live at home in, say, Coquitlam, move onto campus for a week. And by “move onto campus” I mean “move into other people’s housing.” So all the ACF crew who live on campus in Gage or Fairview (or even up to a mile off campus) end up with extra people on the floors and couches of their already cramped housing. And who sleeps where is determined by a master list of “Hoboes” and “Shelters” in the AUSffice.
That’s pretty much what happened here the week before my birthday. It’s been four years since my last Hobo Week, but that didn’t matter. We had people to cram into our apartment, and just barely managed to fit in six of them. On Monday the 13th, nafspeak showed up and claimed the best spot in the house: the futon in the spare bedroom. On Wednesday the 15th, applecrapgranny arrived and was assigned to the couch. On Thursday, Vanessa flew down from Vancouver and was given an Aerobed on the floor next to Naf:
VANESSA, UPON BEING HANDED THE AEROBED: “Wait a minute…is one of those air mattresses for lazy bitches that inflates itself so you don’t have to do any work?”
PAUL: “Yes.”
VANESSA: “Hey, wait a minute! I’m a lazy bitch!”
On Friday, fejacobsen arrived from San Diego. By then, we were down to a too-short loveseat, so Faith got a nest of cushions on the floor. And the Saturday, Matt and Erin, the other two San Diego kids, arrived up here, and had to bring their own damn bedding.
Somewhere in the middle of all this, we dubbed the whole thing “Hobo Week”, and explained the concept, as above, to the Americans. And we had SO MUCH FUN having everyone here, too. I loved having my old friends from UBC here for my twenty-ninth birthday weekend. I was extremely happy that they thoroughly enjoyed their vacations in L.A. And we were delighted when applecrapgranny and his menagerie decided to stay with us for a few extra days, as it sucks very harshly that Drew lives so far away, and we only get to see him a few days a year.
Sunday morning was a gong show in itself, as Anton and his little sister Haydn showed up, taking the house count up to 10 people for pre-Disneyland pancakes, turkey bacon, and sandwich making. But we all got through it (having Naf here to direct traffic was PERFECT) and started sending people home: the San Diego Crew on Sunday morning, Vanessa on Monday morning, Drew and Naf on Monday afternoon. Drew came back for a few days, and left again for good yesterday (and yes, Muffin, we miss you too!).
And with his departure, we again end Hobo Week, the Los Angeles edition, and can resume walking around the house without pants. Maybe now is not the best time to tell my fiance that wherever I am is always the Home for Wayward UBC Alumni.
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