Up On the Roof

I didn't have time to post yesterday because I was too busy cleaning the house for the big roof-top sleepover. Our house was really really dirty... And it still is, because the thing about this old house we live in--no matter how long you clean it, there's always something else that needs to be done. It was built in the 1880's and hasn't been maintained very well, but we love it anyway. It's full of charm, even if it is falling to pieces around us. One of the best things about it is the big roof-top we have, perfect for parties, or just a place to go to get away from regular life. Summer is pretty much over, but we thought it would still be warm enough to have a sleepover up there last night.

So, around 10 pm there were about 8 of us four stories up on the roof in our blankets and sleeping bags surrounding a huge pile of cookies, chips, and soda. The moon, full a few days ago, was still big enough to give us light to see by. We played MASH and acted like middle school girls, talking about the boys we have crushes on, staying awake half the night just talking and laughing.

The day had been warm, but the night wind picked up and after we fell asleep we all sort of froze into little balls within our nests. It was surprisingly quiet up there except for the odd siren every now and then. Songs of the city. E. saw two shooting stars. The air was crisp and delicious to breathe. When I closed my eyes I felt like I was asleep on the Oregon coast tucked in a sand dune, with the wind whistling around me. It was cold, so I'd wake up every now and then to cuddle in deeper, and the moon stayed so bright, shining in my eyes when my head wasn't buried in blankets.

In the morning, the birds woke us up. Some girls had to leave for yoga or dance classes, but the rest of us waited in our blankets shivering until the sun rose enough to bathe us in light. Suddenly, we were baking up there, and had to shed our layers of wool and down. We went downstairs and made a feast for breakfast, with more guest showing up to see if we'd survived. More junk food was eaten, more middle-school-girl games played, more people came and went. Now it's 11 a.m. and I'm ready for a nap!