Happy Monday, blogfolk. I'm staying at Mom's house this week, while she continues to recover from bypass surgery. Not sure how much I am authorized to relate about her recuperation; suffice to say, she is doing well and is cheerful.
Bunny really misses me at home. We are hoping that text messaging, email and phone calls will get us through the week. BB has not had time to miss me yet, as his head is still full of my last-minute instructions about watering plants and freezing the hamburger.
Went for a walk this morning, as I do every morning I am here, to buy a cup of coffee at a local shop. I like this place better than the Starbucks half a block over. There's a big table near the front door that's always occupied by a loose confederacy of neighbors who read the paper and discuss all manner of things. If this were an episode of 'Friends', they'd be the stars and they'd be young, white and thin; as this is real life these neighbors are middle-aged and multi-ethnic, yet still obviously the stars of the shop.
This morning, I was reading the paper at a remote table when a guy dressed in power-casual (LLBean shorts, spotless white t-shirt, baseball cap, expensive running shoes, an assortment of keys, wallet and Blackberry in his hands) came in and addressed the Friends.
"I'll give any of you a $20 Starbucks gift card," he announced (instantly raising our hackles) "if you can solve the problem of the double-parking in front of Starbucks."
The Friends lifted their eyes from their newspapers and gazed out the window at Starbucks. The problem was that, beside the cars parked legally at the curb, other cars were sitting in the street, idling, waiting just to get in the drive-thru line. It was a mess. "Well," said one, "they're not our cars, and we don't know the customers. They're not breaking the law. I don't know what you expect us to do about it."
"There's no ordinance against stupid," said another. I closed my eyes in pleasure. This just might be my new slogan, now and forever.
LLBean man turned and left - without buying coffee. In the shop where he was standing. Where there was no line.
"The power of persuasive advertising," murmured another Friend as they all returned to their papers.
Now that is a beautiful story.
Posted by: dan | May 19, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Seconding dan. That story just started my day right, like a really good breakfast.
One question I must ask, though, one question that will pretty much point out the geographical/cultural gap between your mom's neighborhood and mine: Drive-thru Starbucks? Really?
Posted by: Bakerina | May 20, 2008 at 03:38 AM
Yes, really, a drive-thru Starbucks. Starbucks took over a building on a major street here, that for many years was a fried chicken place along the lines of KFC.
Posted by: pam | May 20, 2008 at 06:32 AM
Pam, I love this story. I love everything about it. Every single word.
It reminds me of a cafe we found when visiting Boston, when we were briefly in the US.
A local cafe, full of people being people, not rushing, not queuing. And a sign over the cash register along these lines: "Our coffee comes in one size. Thank you for supporting a local business."
Posted by: boot | May 24, 2008 at 11:30 PM