Barnes & Noble

My family go to Barnes & Noble a lot.  And by a lot, I mean enough that people have started to recognize us, and in return, we've started to regconize them.

I usually write these posts after-the-fact, looking back on my memories of an occasion.  But I didn't feel much like reading tonight, so when we made our weekly trip to the bookstore, I decided to bring my laptop and do a bit of 'live' posting.  Of course, I'm not really posting this live; you're reading this through the magic of the internet and writing.  Cool, isn't it?  So let's harness that magic a bit:

I'm sitting in the back corner of the cafe, and from here, I have a lovely view of the sleepy people that trail in on a Tuesday evening.  To the right of me is my father, back against the wall as he types wildly (looks like he's writing an imporant email, judging by the way he keeps sighing and rubbing his forehead).  There's a pretty girl a couple tables down with her headphones in and a highlighted book in front of her; she looks like she's been here a while.  A water bottle, mug, and laptop are strewn across the table in front of her.  Her bangs keep falling in her eyes as she reviews the pages.

To my right is a guy with a coffee and a stack of books that he's not reading.  He's scruffy, a bit of beard sprinkling his chin as he focuses on his phone.  I'm not one to judge; I'm surrounded by thousands of books and I'm writing, not reading

There's a busty woman with hair like a volcano made of fluff walking off, a lanyard in hand, and another man ordering at the cafe (hopefully he's not trying to use a starbucks giftcard.  PSA:  B&N doesn't accept starbucks giftcards.  Save the card, save a barista's life)

A man with silver hair, librarian glasses, and shorts that are just a bit to short just lumbered down the side aisle.  He looks friendly, like he just came from the beach (his flip flops attest to that.  Life that party life, man).   He crossed paths with a woman with a ponytale and gum I can hear her chewing from twenty feet away.

The only other occupied table is claimed by a tutor with the patience of a rock and a student whose study habits are so bad they simultaneously horrify and impress me.  They've been here multiple times, and as far as I know, no studying has occured yet, though they seem to be getting along well, dicussing politics and facts.  Still, the tutor remains patient, calm.  It's honestly impressive.  If I were a little bald guy with bifocals and a student like that, I'd have strangled them long before today.  The student and I have chatted a few times, just the normal 'hey how's it going, have a nice day now'.

Those are the only people in the cafe, but more people are filtering in as the evening picks up speed; there's a few more hours of business time, after all.  This is my world, right now - and you saw it all, through magic.

Who did you meet today?