The Regulars
Did you ever see that movie Harriet the Spy that came out in the mid-nineties where the girl journaled about the funky individuals she came across in life? I found it hilarious the different story-lines she put to each of the characters that she "spied" on. I figured it'd be fun to give you my insight on some of the regulars that come into the coffee shop. (Note: I have changed their names to protect their personhood as this is a published website.)
Connie
Connie is one of my favorites. She comes in at least three times a day for coffee and a few other snacks Monday through Friday. Every morning she orders her usual coffee, toast, and a glass of water; in turn, we have labeled it "the Connie" for her coffee and "the Connie toast" for her toast. Her toast is SMOTHERED in butter and cinnamon and sugar... yet she is an absolute stick of a lady! When we asked her how she stayed so thin she said, "It's the fibre! I eat tons of fibre every day!" Shocked at this answer, I turned to one of my coworkers who has been at the shop for three years and she responded (after Connie had left), "Ya, she apparently just shits everything out." Oh I just had to laugh because of how frank her response was. I think there's more to it than just the fibre thought... Connie smokes quite a bit... She did, however, come into the cafe the other week and declared she was spending $250 on hypnosis to quit smoking. "They 100% guarantee it to work or your money back!", she declared. So... Connie is living it up with her ciggies until her October 12 appointment with the hypnosis where she will become cigarette-free... Hmmm. At least she wont be spending $20/pack on cigarettes anymore. If it does work out for her, maybe she should go back and get a hypnosis sessions to break her coffee addiction too... she mentioned to me the other day that she spends $80/ week with us just on coffee!
Kent and Michael
Kent and Michael are two gay guys that come into the shop daily as well. They both work as financial advisors in the floor above us. They are older, flamboyant men who just love to chat it up with us girls in the cafe.... absolute hoots I would label them. One is super spunky and upbeat and keeps the mood up while the other one can get a bit caught with his "nose in his navel", always worrying about his waistline and whether he should eat one of the treats we hold in the display daily. Kent and Michael could talk for hours to me if I let them. Sometimes, if the shop isn't too busy, I will go over and chat with them about meaningless information but they get a kick out of the attention I give them. One day, (this made my day), Michael came in and asked my boss if he could steal three straws from him. He grabbed the three straws, left for about ten minutes, and then came back with Kent and his personal assistant, Jane, holding three flags that he created from printing out three state flags off the computer and taping them to the straws. The three flags represented three of the home states for the three American girls at the shop that he loves: Michigan, Washington, and New Hampshire. He comes in the door flamboyantly waving his homemade flags with pride as Kent comes behind him sighing and rolling his eyes. What a gift! The flags now are stuck into the floral centerpiece behind the cash register for all to see. :) My boss said they have WAY too much time on their hands but I smiled from ear to ear that day.
Ron
Ron makes me laugh for the sheer fact that he is obnoxiously predictable. He comes in everyday, sits in the same spot, orders the same things, and chats to me about the same stuff. He is a very nice guy and I do like him. Without fail, we chat about church and how we thought the preacher did on Sunday and whether I had a good day the previous day. A very genuine man... just a creature of habit. I love going over to him, handing him a menu, asking him what he would like, and having him ponder a few seconds as to what he wants, and then having him repeat to me the same exact thing that he always gets! Why do you need to think about it? You should know this in your sleep! The other shocking part is that when he comes to paying, he never can remember the cost of his meal!
Tall man
This guy I actually don't know his name but is another favorite of mine. He is very tall in stature and comes across as very intimidating. When I first met him, he had come in with a few other gentlemen and carrying a cricket bat. It looked as though he were a part of the mafia, coming in all dressed up and proud like he owned the place. Deep down I think he is quite a bit of a softy though. He too is quite consistent, always sitting in the same spot and ordering his usual items-- a chocolate milkshake and fries with chicken salt... quite funny for the fact that he is a big-shot lawyer. One day, he came in and someone was sitting at his usual table.. He had the look on his face like... WHO MOVED MY CHEESE! I definitely used that opportunity to tease him a bit. Despite his harsh demeanor, I do think he really likes me. He has shared that I am far too smart to be working at a coffee shop and has told me he has "hook-ups in high places" and could get me a really good job working at a school. Unfortunately my visa doesn't work out for that and my credentials for teaching don't work here. Oh well. Deep down, I wouldn't mind working at his firm.I reckon it would be a pretty enjoyable environment to be in. Who knows.
I could go on and on with the characters that come into the cafe.. These should suffice for now though. Perhaps I can keep an ongoing blog about the usuals. We'll see.
