a bit of an epic... but fun none the less...

so last night was the Stumptown holiday party.
and it was as one would expect, excellent. as with previous years, there was tons (literally i think) of fabulous food (including excellent porchetta), some wonderful Barbarescos and Barolos and stylish Stumpies sporting vintage finery. in addition, there was dancing, DJs and karaoke. but unlike other such events, this time there was no vomiting or bad behavior.
and then this morning i worked downtown.

in retrospect it was really really fun. but fun in that sick "we survived together" kind of way.

you see... i had an unfortunate allergy attack yesterday before the party and pretty much forgot about what happens when one combines wine (even in "moderation") with allergy medication.
and the rest of the crew had equally good excuses for the general low level of brain activity.

but we pulled together and got through it in good spirits. thank god for caffeine and for AC/DC.

i made some good drinks - which is so rewarding for me. we played some good music, we talked to some good customers (and had to kick a junky out of the bathroom)... it was really fun.

i love working bar shifts and really miss it.

and then i had to rush out to the roastery to do an employee cupping.
needless to say, despite the 10 shots of espresso and five coffees cupped, i'm feeling rather worn out (to say the least).

thank god tomorrow is a day off for me.

oh - cupped the Cantagallo again today and it continues to amaze me. also cupped a new batch of Sumatra that is really quite good - one of the best Sumatras i've ever had.