Saturday Morning Coffee

I slept in this morning. Allowing myself to stay in bed until nearly 7:00 on a Saturday morning is a rare treat. While I was not actually sleeping, I enjoyed just lying in bed listening to the occasional street sound, and letting my thoughts wander.

I enjoy Saturday morning because the pace of the day is so much slower, and I have much more free time to myself. I enjoy using this time to get out into the city to run an errand or two. Sometimes I just go out for a cup of coffee. These days a cup of Starbucks (double tall, non-fat, no foam, latte) coffee is a treat. I allow myself this indulgence no more than twice a week as I move about my routine. Starbucks coffee shops are fairly ubiquitous in our town and it would be easy to find myself drinking there every day. There are at least ten locations within five miles of our home.

On the weekend my cup of coffee is much more about the atmosphere and the experience than it is about the coffee. As much as I love the brew, I have a metabolism that is the equivalent of a gerbil running full tilt on a treadmill every day, all day. Caffeine does not serve as a stimulant for me. I just enjoy getting out in the morning and reading, listening to the music, or casually observing the people that come and go. Not too long ago I could count on a friend to meet me for morning coffee. My favorite location on Saturday is in a popular section of the city that includes other coffee houses, bars and restaurants. This is not a particularly upscale section of the city as there is also a guitar shop; several tattoo parlors, vintage clothing retailers, a popular diner (with the best blueberry pancakes) and a great magic shop. This eclectic little neighborhood is called the South Side.

The Starbucks in this neighborhood includes about twelve tables of various sizes, a brown velour couch, and four of those high back winged chairs grouped in pairs also in the matching brown velour. I am not sure exactly what the designer was going for with the decor here, but I am guessing that someone at Starbucks' corporate offices realized that any color other than brown would not do well for covering coffee stains. Still, the place is pleasant, the coffee is good, the baristas are friendly and they take the time to know what I like to drink.

This particular Starbucks opens at 7:00 AM on Saturday. Most days I am up early enough to be one of the first customers. Today, as I mentioned earlier, I slept in. So after ordering my coffee I became aware that the good seats are already taken. The couch is now occupied by a couple wearing running gear. It seems to me that at some point exercise might be on their schedule, but for now they are sitting close, giggling and displaying affection that appears over the top for this time of day in a public place. I deduce that they are having an affair and that running is their excuse for getting out of the house. The remaining two sets of velour high back wing chairs each have one occupant. In the first set the occupant thinks that Starbucks is merely an indoor telephone booth. He seems to be almost shouting on the telephone. I don’t attempt to follow his conversation but I do notice that he has his possessions sprawled out such that sitting in the opposite chair next to him is not really an option. The second set of wing back chairs are occupied by a guy inconspicuously reading the morning paper. Spying him I have two observations. The first is that I hope he plans to leave the paper behind. The second is that it looks like he is not really settled in as he is wearing his coat. I guess that his seat may soon become available.

I search the remaining seats with a quick visual survey and determine that the best vantage point from which I might observe the unsettled man is a small table with two chairs against the wall. I place my belongings at the table and wait until my coffee order is called. All the while I have my eye on the stranger. Just as my coffee order is called, the stranger puts down the paper and rises to leave. I must now make a strategic decision. In a public setting, which of my belongings am I prepared to separate myself from? Do I walk over and place my coffee on the table thereby holding the seat, or do I grab my other belongings and perch them there leaving my coffee for a second trip. I must act quickly, but this is an important decision. These seats are close to a doorway, and a new customer could easily walk in and snag the prized seats. An additional possibility is that leaving my journal, PDA and Swiss Army messenger bag so close to the door could result in an enterprising thief merely walking by the door and grabbing my stuff.

My decision as to how I should proceed is suddenly obvious to me. Coffee thefts in this neighborhood have dropped dramatically after the severe beating that was given to the one brave soul that last attempted to abscond with a Venti, skim, two equal, no foam latte. I pity the fool that would try this act again.

Having decided on how to proceed I still must work out the logistics. The barista with my coffee is to my left. My coat, and messenger bag are some distance behind me further on the left, and the now vacant chair is to my right and slightly behind me. I must deftly maneuver such that it is clear to other patrons that these two seats are mine. Perhaps the best move might be to first approach the seats, touching them so as to display ownership to the other patrons. Having already shed my coat I have nothing to drop on the chair thus making that clear gesture that says this is my seat. As I swing around I catch the faint glimpse of my wool scarf that I still had hanging around my neck. Perhaps hanging the scarf over the back of the chair will reflect a smooth move signifying both ownership, and a suave devil may care attitude. I walk over placing the scarf on the chair and can hear the hushed awe of the crowd as all eyes are on me. They settle back in their seats knowing that they have been beaten by my graceful move and keen sense of timing. The chair is mine.

Settling in with my coffee, I am now convinced that I can enjoy the comfort of a great seat next to the window. I spread out my notebook, the book I am reading, my pen, and my highlighter prepared to read and have a great cup of coffee. No one would dare to intrude on this moment. Just as I settle back a man walks up asking if the remaining empty chair is taken. I look up, smile, and politely tell him that it is available. At that moment I realize that I so much miss my friend that sometimes joins me on Saturday mornings for coffee and conversation. Life is different now without her. I must develop totally new strategies to preserve the peace. But for today, I share the space with the smiling stranger, who licks his coffee from his cup. Perhaps I should have stayed at home this morning and brewed it myself.