Suits and Scruffs And Other Folk - Fast Times at the Local Coffee Shop

As I've mentioned in the past, I live a short block away from the nearest TH coffee shop/ice cream emporium. While I have limited my visits (cut back on my habit), I still go there once or twice a week, okay, sometimes three times a week. The experience varies.

During work hours, I often see lawyers, judges, police officers, and "the accused," because the Provincial Offences Court house is across the street from the shop. It's amusing to see young men who are totally uncomfortable in boring clothes with no street cred, and hair that has obviously been chopped off only hours before. I imagine their lawyers have counselled them to shape-up and behave with discretion in court. I wonder what they do after their cases are heard. Do they rush home and stash the offensive clothes at the back of the closet, or throw them on the floor, or are they magically changed by their new apparel ? I'll never know, but I like to speculate.

A lot of seniors frequent the TH coffee shop too. One man, staff have told me he comes in every afternoon, orders chili and coffee every time. I'd like to know his secret. How can he eat chili, top it off with strong TH coffee and avoid heartburn? Maybe if I offered him a small bribe, he would tell me. Yes, there are antacids and Beano and so on, but I have a sneaking suspicion he uses none of those remedies. Maybe he has a magic amulet.

I'm most fascinated by the snippets of conversation I overhear without trying. A couple of examples from the many:

"I told him, don't ever, EVER do that again, or I'll ...." and she drifted out of earshot.
I wanted to follow her and say " What? You'll do what? I have to know. It could be a story"

"And she was all, like, you know, Miss Innocence, and I said, like ...." and I couldn't hear the rest. I'm nosey, but I couldn't ask her, that would be rude. Maybe I'll make up a story instead because I rather like "Miss Innocence" it would work as part of a title.

I'd better go now and find my Christmas sheet music. My "magic fingers" have been asked to play at the annual condo party and if they are going to be magical, they had better practice.

Till next time.