Stacey

i like food. om nom nom nom.

[NOBUNAGA🇯🇵🏯_夏樹蒼依 @japan_nobunaga]

In Cincinnati I walked into Skyline Chili and ordered chili.

Marlene, the waitress, smiled right away — the warm, easy smile of someone who already knows what happens next.

"You want that 3-way, 4-way, or 5-way?"

I did not know the numbers. I knew a ranking when I heard one.

Three was the gate.
Four was the courtyard.
Five was the inner hall.

I have always walked toward the inner hall.

My heart beat once, hard, the way it does before a vow.

"Five," I said. "I will take the full ceremony."

"You got it, hon."

She said it the way Ohio says good morning. Light. Easy. Already kind.

I had chosen the summit. She answered with a pen stroke and that same smile.

The plate arrived like a parade that had decided to sit down.

Spaghetti as the road. Chili as the procession. Cheese as confetti that refused to stop. Oyster crackers standing by like tiny guests of honor.

I whispered thank you to the plate. Earl, at the next stool, raised his coffee.

"First time?"

"First pilgrimage," I said.

He grinned. "Crush the crackers on top. That's how we do the blessing here."

I crushed them with both hands. The booth glowed a little. Or I did.

I ate.

In my land, abundance is quiet. A perfect bowl. Steam. Silence.

Here, abundance wears a cheese sweater and invites the whole table to the wedding.

Tea ceremony took me eleven years.

Bowl. Whisk. Bow. Sip.

Cincinnati taught me theirs before my water glass was empty.

Noodles. Chili proud to be exactly where it was. Cheese enough to make Ohio blush. Crackers as the final cheer.

A man in a Reds cap ate the same mountain with the joy of Sunday morning.

I finished. My mouth ordered a second while my soul was still applauding the first.

Marlene brought a cheese coney I never asked for.

"First-timer gift," she said. "Welcome to Cincinnati."

I have received gifts in temples.
I have received gifts at weddings.

I had never received a hot dog as a house key.

Next day she did not ask three, four, or five.

She said, "The usual," and wrote down five.

I came for lunch.
I was adopted by a plate.

America, I surrender.

So tell me.

What else have you covered in cheese that still has room for one more grateful stranger?

[Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster]

Why is it ‘cancelled’ in the U.K. but ‘canceled’ in the U.S.?

Because we gave them that L in 1776.

[WeRateDogs @dog_rates]

This is Fitz and June. Fitz just got here and thinks this place is pretty great. June was here first and thinks it's time to return Fitz. 13/10 for both

[Ask a Manager @AskAManager]

It's the annual Ask a Manager salary survey! Every year, vastly fewer men fill this out than women. Men, please share your salary info (anonymously) so we have concrete salary comparisons to inform pay negotiations and fight the pay gap

[MLFootball @MLFootball]

#TEXANS OWNER CAL MCNAIR WITH ONE OF THE FUNNIEST TIKTOKS OF ALL TIME AFTER CJ STROUD IGNORED HIM.

🤣🤣🤣

CRYING OF LAUGHTER WATCHING THIS. HE DID THIS ALL DAY LONG.

[PFT Commenter @PFTCommenter]

Flacco

[Stacey @StaceyH007]

@GeoffreyHoman @namoh21 Clinchmass and witnessing the Hubbard yard dash are my favorite cincinnati sports memories.

[Ohio Football @OhioFootball]

🎶 Country roads, send 'em home 🎶

[Jefferson Donovan @JDonovanWx]

I may have just stumbled upon the greatest YouTube comment I've ever seen 😭😂

@SickosCommittee @CFBHome

[Dexerto @Dexerto]

A Chuck E. Cheese mascot has been arrested while on the job

The Tallahassee Police Department arrested the employee for credit card fraud

[Stacey @StaceyH007]

@pbathgate Ordered!

[Barstool Sports @barstoolsports]

The Rangers just got walked off on in one of the most comical ways you could imagine @StoolBaseball https://t.co/eqRpFb86bT

[Sweet Meteor O'Death @smod4real]

Never realized how much the Chiefs depended on funding from USAID

[Midwest vs. The Rest @midwestern_ope]

It’s officially “why do I live here” season

[WCPO 9 @WCPO]

The Cincinnati Bengals are still alive for a postseason berth, but need plenty of help to get there. https://t.co/idjudj69zY

[Stacey @StaceyH007]

@GeoffreyHoman 35

[Stacey @StaceyH007]

@GeoffreyHoman You couldn't handle Athens.

[Stacey @StaceyH007]

@NWSILN Liberty twp, oh

[Midwest vs. The Rest @midwestern_ope]

No one is calling it that