Friday was the last day of the Rumford fireplace course at the ISBA, and also the last course until The middle of September. Everyone I’ve met in the last two months is either leaving today or has already left, with the exception of Dave and Alex. Dave is sticking around to help with all the work that needs to be done at James’ house before students can move in, and Alex got a job working for another month before he goes back to Korea. Around 5pm everyone packed up their stuff and sat and had a couple beers. I joined the group after Chris (the instructor) gave everyone their course completion certificates, and awarded Alex with the “prestigious” Golden Trowel award. We had a few more beers, then a fire was lit in each new fireplace, and everyone sat back and admired their work.

They did a really good job considering they had only 8 guys to start then one dropped out in the first week, then another was useless and refused to do any work. It looks professional to me, but I know dick about stone work. However, I would like to change that, and take one of Chris’ courses sometime. He’s a really nice guy and has a ton of knowledge when it comes to being a stoner (not the same type of stoner knowledge I already possess).

Eventually they all headed down to the Skoal Pub, and I was invited along for the celebration. I hadn’t eaten so, I got a burger and salad and it was amazing.  A ton of pitchers got ordered, and in no time people were getting wrecked. Alex was TRASHED – “falling asleep in his beer” trashed, so Dave took him home then came back for more. Then a bunch of us went outside to smoke a joint I had, and I might have ruined Ryan’s night by doing so. After the joint Ryan disappeared, and Zack and I just assumed he was off playing pool in the other room. We continued to drink, then last call came. When they close the bars here, the cops come to make sure everyone is gone. Zack is only 18, so he has to hide in the bushes whenever they come. He went and hid, and I went to Ryan’s truck and found him passed out. I asked if he was ok, he said “not really”. I asked if he would drive home, and he said “oh ya, I’m ok”. I said ok, then went to finish smoking a joint with Dave. 2 minutes later Ryan was throwing up everywhere. I told Dave he might as well head home without me and I would call and split a cab with Ryan and Zack. When the cab got there I woke Ryan up, and yelled to Zack to come out of the bushes. We piled in the car and before we got a kilometer up the hill Zack had to ask the cabby to stop. Him vomiting caused Ryan to vomit, and the cabby and I just sat their listening to heaving esophagus and The Doors for a minute. Luckily that was our only pause in the voyage back, and Ryan and Zack both made it home safely.

I had the cabby drop me at the school instead of the trailer, because I’d missed the driveway for the trailer, and I needed to get a sleeping bag out of the classroom anyway. That was a bad idea. I had to turn the lights on to find the sleeping bag, which caused me to not be able to see at all once I got back outside. I tried to stumble, slightly drunk, back to the trailer, but soon realized I had almost walked in completely the wrong direction. I found a lighter in my pocket and kept flicking it, and realized I’d walked back to the road. I finally got my bearings and made it back to the trailer, and I had a decent nights sleep, with a sleeping bag. I’m making a mental note to always carry a light on me while here. It gets too dark at night without any street lights (not a complaint).