A Tale of Two Tuesdays

A Tale of Two Tuesdays

It has been suggested by one of my readers that I should make mr regular tuesday night, Brownie-meeting induced, observations from the loacl Border's Bootstore cafe, a regualr feature here... In the spirit of trying just about anything once, I decided to give it a go.

The reason for the title of this particular post is that although I did write a post while I was at Border's last week, I never posted it, so here is the post from last week & last night.

Aren't you glad about the glimpses into my life, and the really odd stuff that rolls through my head?

I'm sure you are.

Ahem.

Well, whatever your interest was/is, here we go!

GF From last week:

Tuesday Night AT Borders - 2-19-08

I'm just a little behind schedule tonight because the Brownie Troop Leader needed me to fill out permission slips and pick a time for SG and I to work the cookie sales booth at the local Wawa station on Saturday, March 1st..

By the time I arrive at Borders, some blockhead was sitting at my preferred table in the corner of the café, so I am sitting at t table in the center of the room. No matter, I can swivel around in my seat and see my co-patrons anyway. Additionally, I can see down the aisles in the newsstand area. There I see bald guy, who I am certain shaves his head… he has that intense look of the martial artist or the street fighter who knows how to handle himself in a fight… he also has the requisite mustache/goatee combination. He reminds me of so many of those guys you see in the newspaper whenever there is as story about Blackwater mercenaries. Is he one? There are no small number of them in the area where I live.

There is a white guy sitting at the table next to mine… he is probably in his early 30's and has that preppy sort of hair parted-on-the-side sort of haircut, and Jake Gyllenhall-like beard…. The major difference is that this guy looks like he probably stands about 5'6" at his full height.

The guy who is in *MY* seat (yes mine, damnit!) is about 10 years older than me, and seems a rather studious chap. He is using a laptop (excuse me for a minute while I rock out)

"*I got Loooove! I got love, love! I got love, love, love!…." *Sing it Lenny!

So… this guy is wearing a light jacket that has a university emblem on that I can't see. He is wearing glasses and has a slender build, and has salt and pepper hair, slightly longer than mine.

To my immediate front are three chaps, one white about 50ish, the other two are black, and in their mid 30's, they are talking about business now, but earlier they were talking about a local politician that recently retired *(who, by the way, gave SG a cute yellow Onesie when she was born)* I can't really hear them now, because I am rocking out with my ipod to Lenny Kravitz.

To my left front, there are two women who look too old to be undergrads who are clearly working on some sort of class project. Ah, adult education… a wonderful thing. I assure you that I am not mocking, because if I wasn't so damned dumb, I'd be in school, too.

To my immediate left, in the easy chair against the wall is a young black soldier bedecked in digital camouflage, reading a 2008 Buyer's guide for watches.

To my right and rear, there appears to be a husband and wife team that are sitting side by side, with matching laptops, chatting away and looking at whatever website the other is pulling up as they surf companionably.

I wish IAG were here, maybe I could see if she was still behaving the same way.

No matter. I think have some fodder to work with here.

The three business men are now poring over spreadsheets and taking copious notes.

I suspect that the young soldier is an officer… I'll try to confirm.

Here comes an old duffer wearing a Georgetown Crew windbreaker. He walks like I did before my knee surgery. I hope that you don't hurt like I did, you poor bastard.

You know what's sad? The kids working in the café look like they are younger than my oldest daughter.

Ha! I was right about Gyllenhaal-dude. He just stood up, and he can't be taller than 5'4"! I'm going to end here, because I am working on a post on an entirely different subjact, and I need to get started. See you next week. __________________ *****LAST NIGHT*****

I'm here at Border's anyway, and as has been the case the past two weeks, I have been thwarted in finding my usual corner table… which irritates me more than it probably should. So many of the seats are full in the café, that I have to sit at one of the outer tables, looking IN toward the rest of the people, with my back to the door of the store, which is something I pretty much never do. It's almost certain that after I write about these people tonight, that I will sit at the other side of the table so that I won't feel quite so paranoid.

There are some regulars here tonight, I see.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a family of three that were working on their son's reading skills… well they are back tonight… the kid is reading a book called "*Diary of a Wimpy kid"*. I recognize it since ScoccerGirl has the same book, and loves it… it is part of a series. Did I mention that the parents are interracially married? Well, they are, if that huge, asteroid-sized diamond on her hand is any indicator. Tonight, mom is still doing the homework with Junior, and dad is surfing on his computer. This family is sitting at the table that is against the wall, to my right front.

Also at tables against the wall are the following: directly to my front is a middle-aged couple that seem to be perusing cookbooks…. Dude, you are balding… lose the pony-tail, you look like a long past-it hippie who hasn't gotten the idea that the seventies are long over.

Next to them, at my left front are two young women who appear to be studying. One looks intent on what she is reading, the other looks bored out of her skull. Their books appear to have been carried in a pink, hello Kitty back pack *(addendum… one of them is older than the other, and appears to be the other one's mother)* *No wonder the younger one looks bored!What teeneager wants to hang with mom???*

What? The old dude sitting next to me has decided to start talking to me even though I am rocking out on my ipod! He wants to talk about guns! He is an old Navy vet… I recognized his old fading SEAL team tattoo… he was really appreciative of talking with another (not quite as) old veteran. He was delighted that my service was in the Marines, paritcularly that it was Marine Infantry... *"The tip of the spear".* We shared about 5 minutes of conversation about the Remington 700 rifle and using it in in arctic conditions. I think the poor old guy is lonely.

Look! hippie couple have gone… and I couldn't get that table without being rude and disrespectful to my new pal. Shit. The girl at the table is a young asian woman with a laptop, who looks like she doesn't want to open that calculus text sitting next to her.

There is on older woman sitting in the corner who is reading a roamnce novel… and at that round table at my right there are 5 women in their 40's playing some sort of card game that is making all of them laugh. They seem to be having a good time.

To my right and rear, there is a 30something woman reading bridal magazines. My advice to you, miss is to not waste your time. Go to a shop pick something that you like and can afford withut going into debt and buy it if it fits. No Bridezillas!

There is a student/teacher duo behind me, tutoring time, I suppose. I can't see the text. Wow, the teacher is really stretching her sweater to it's limits.

Hey!, that lady at the coffee counter was staring at me. I caught her and held her gaze. She smiled. I've *still* got IT, by God! *(even old and fat! Take that, brad pitt! Gunfighter rocks, dude.)*

OK, writing that last part made me laugh aloud, and caused romance novel lady to look askance.

Reading family are now talking animatedly. Dad is wearing a Yankees cap… I like that guy already…. (no world series for the BoSox next year!)

I have to stop now, because I have to head back to pick up Soccer Girl.

Asian girl is talking on the phone and smiling.

See you next, Tuesday.