Women don't get it

At the coffee shop this morning I glanced up at the Fox and Friends program. The blonde anchor, E.D. Hill, is sitting between The Judge (the guy whose hairline starts at his eyebrows) and Brian. She is wearing white (or cream) jeans, a pattern blouse and necklace, and the men both are wearing dark suits as though they expected working Americans to pay attention.

I asked the lady next to me (on her laptop) if she were employed, and she said yes. I pointed out to her my observation about the casual, leisure wear of the newsbabe. She said, "Well, I don't usually watch Fox and Friends," totally missing my point. Then I repeated it (slowly and carefully just in case she was a Democrat), that for some reason working women demand to be taken seriously while looking like they are meeting a girlfriend for lunch at the golf club.

She nodded, and said yes, that's how women and men dressed where she worked. There are some things Title IX can't fix.

Coffee Refills

At the end of the season 2005 in Lakeside, the owner of the coffee shop asked me if I had any suggestions. I suggested he stop charging for refills, because they cost him very little, but promote good feelings for customers who then drop the difference in the tip jar for the staff. It's cheaper to give free refills than to hire new staff.

So when I saw him this week-end he told me that he'd taken my suggestion, and they are no longer charging for refills.

I've been fiddling with my blog template. First, I ran the coffee cups down the side, but that looked a bit busy, so I put them at the top. Let me know if you like it.

BYO Library

The man outside my window at Caribou on Saturday piled 5 books, a WSJ, 2 brochures and his laptop on the table, then came inside to get his tea. Then he went back to his SUV and got a stuffed briefcase. When he sat down, he wired himself up for his i-Pod.

Infophobia is n. fear of having nothing to read or do while you drink your coffee/tea. I get that--so the floor of my car is covered with old magazines and newspapers and CDs.

Happy Father's Day

My regular Sunday coffee shop [Caribou] had a newbie on duty, and at 6:35 a.m., the coffee still wasn't made, so I hopped back in the car and went to another Caribou about a mile away. While sitting by the window I overheard the two guys behind the counter who were making the coffee and waiting on customers:

Clerk #1: "There was a guy in here yesterday--had four kids and his wife is pregnant with the fifth. All girls."

Clerk #2: "Oh God. I'd have to shoot myself."

Cross posted at my regular, all-topics, no-holds-barred, but always clean and tasteful Collecting My Thoughts.

coffee shops

Southwest?

Today I saw a bright pink notice on Panera's bulletin board:

"SW Christian Upper Arlington Mom, 40s and her 2 fabulous sons would like to meet a similar super nice UA Dad."

My mind wasn't in gear, so instead of "single white" I was thinking "southwest." I was trying to figure out where southwest Upper Arlington was.

I hope she finds someone. Probably too old for my advice on how not to marry a jerk.

Body of 40, face of 55

It's getting hard to find a place in Columbus, OH to smoke. Or even see a smoker. But there was one outside my window at Caribou yesterday. Coughing as she took a deep drag. Her skin looked so awful. I know it's an addiction, but I think a good look in the mirror without make-up would jump start the resolve.

Waving to a former neighbor

We often see each other across the room at the coffee shop and wave. He was our neighbor about 25 years ago--he and his gorgeous third wife. Then they divorced and it was he and his fourth wife--much younger and also quite attractive. They moved after their first baby, who I think is in college now. They too are divorced, and I'm not sure where he lives, but he doesn't look any different. Marriage keeps you young, I suppose. All that adjusting.