Surfing the orange couch

[batskeets]

The last few days have been sprinkled with CouchSurfers, which is pretty cool. It's basically a community site where people can find temporary homestays and people to show them around while they travel, and it looks like it's growing up fast! We've already met several cool people just this past week or so, and it might be fun to try it out later this summer, once the UberProject at work launches, and I can actually think about taking a bit of vacation time. :)

A small contingent of us went to Escape From New York Pizza yesterday, after I heard about their free slice celebration (thank god for damnportlanders), so the Surfers got a glimpes of Trendy-Third, and we all got a slice of very yummy pizza. That joint definitely makes my top 3, but it'll have to duke it out with Mississippi Pizza and Hot Lips.

We've had a guy on our couch for a couple nights who's from Wales, and in addition to traveling all over the States, he's making a documentary about the whole CouchSurfing phenomenon. He seems equal parts amused and confused by our slang (haha), but he's a neat person to have around! I think he's probably on his way North as I type this, but hopefully he got some good footage. :)

The only unfortunate by-product of this: we had another guy staying over last week, and because I hiding upstairs being sick, I didn't really know it until I came down to make coffee one morning and there he was, asleep on my couch. Then, we watched Half Baked maybe 24 hours later, which has a similar instance of the main characters waking up from a haze to find a random dude on their couch.

So now, even though I know the name of the guy that stayed at our house, I can't stop referring to him in my mind as, "The Guy On The Couch." (skip to 3:30 on the clip) Blast you, pop culture references!

Comments

[sarapada.livejournal.com]

First off, I love you for making a Half Baked reference - that's one of my best-loved movies of all time.

And Peter's sister Melissa has been really interested in the whole CouchSurfers phenomenon - I'll have to tell her about your experiences!

[tothemaxcola.livejournal.com]

Whoa! Just wanted to say that that site is one of the coolest ideas I've ever seen. Makes me want to have a place of my own so I can host people! (Or go traveling myself, of course)... And props to you for being so open with your place :) Must be great getting to know some people from all over the place.

moot point since i'm out soon, but...

[halfempty.livejournal.com]

Oh that's who they are. I had no idea, since I wasn't asked whether I was okay with having various strangers sleep in the living room of the house I live in, and leaving their stuff lying all over the place when they're gone for the day. (For the record, I'm not.) I know Dan was caught unawares as well. That's half the household that whose input was completely overlooked. This is another example of what I meant by consideration for the people you live with, and is why I'm leaving.

Re: moot point since i'm out soon, but...

[skeets.livejournal.com]

You know, I can relate, since I was basically in the same boat with you and Dan. Seeing some random dude on my couch through a haze of snot was NOT fun, but I decided at the time that I trusted everyone else's judgement on who they bring into the house, so I let it go. I'm ultimately ok with it as of the past 24 hours, now that I know what's going on, but I get why you wouldn't be.

I *can* say that certain members of the household are total ditzes, and don't even remember to tell ME things that might be important, and it sometimes makes me want to kick them in the nuts, HARD. (example: "oh, you know that 10-day road trip I said I might go on? [Friend] and I leaving like, tomorrow. Bye now!") But, I also share a bed with said member, so, yeah, more inclined to put up with it. :/

Thanks for bringing it up and not just grumbling about it silently to yourself. I'll have to instigate a stern discussion about this stuff, or at least warn your successor(s) about the state of things. I hope Dan isn't all pissed off and just not saying so. (our hours don't seem to coincide much, so I don't know) And I hope that the comments or behaviors of other folks aren't being taken as representative of my views, because they aren't.

Re: moot point since i'm out soon, but...

[halfempty.livejournal.com]

Actually in light of our current visitor, forget everything I just said. If any other poor, cute girls need a place to stay, I can even sacrifice a bit, myself. Since I've packed some stuff up, there's space in my room for at least 2-3 more guests.