An Ocean tip: where to find the free stuff

A conversation with a chatty barista:

Everyone is in such a good mood! Beautiful outside, isn’t it? [leans out of drive-up window, inhales with pleasure – I wish my car fumes weren’t so in his face…]
Don’t you have people grumbling about taxes?

Took forever this year! I couldn’t believe it! Last year it was so easy!
You’re telling me…

You know, I don’t know if you remember about the Boston Tea Party? [how old do I look anyway??] Well, we’re offering tea free today – our calming brew. You know – taxes, tea, get it?
I get it.

But no one has taken us up on it yet. All day! Free calming tea!
I’ll spread the word. I still need to stay tense, however. A few more forms to go over…

Here’s your latte! I hope you have a splendid week-end!
Yes, well, sure, me too. I mean you too.

A dinner of bloggers and various and sundry others

You just never know what people are thinking sometimes. You have an image. You think to yourself – this guy’s funny, she’s witty, he’s clever, etc. Good thoughts, kind thoughts.

But is it always thus? Do our minds sometimes spin in directions that are imperceptible to the others? Studying some of my photos from last night’s delicious dinner (prepared by the author of Marginal Utility and his wife), I got to thinking – man, I’d give a lot to know what was going through these heads. Consider just a handful of random shots:

Author of JFW: he’s plotting something, isn’t he? Pensive, but you can almost see the train of thought spinning in some unknown to the rest of us direction.

Jeremy 

Wife of Marginal Utility: maybe she’s wondering: should I open all three and let them get drunk as hell, or should I hide these and pour grape juice? And will they even notice?

Suzanne 

Author of Marginal Utility: [thinking] See this pie? It is indeed a yummy pie. What if I just raised my pitching arm, reached back and let it fly right into the face of [insert name of person who is secretly irritating the hell out of him– perhaps the person with the camera?]

Tom 

To the author of JFW: No, Jeremy, no! You’ve made your point about feral cats! We know – they kill baby lambs and birds too! Down with feral cats! Only – this isn’t a feral cat! [BTW, are we all clear on the definition of a feral cat? Do they have to be ratty and bony and menacing, or is it enough that they are just out there on the loose? Does a feral cat do more damage than a regular “I belong to someone” cat?]

Jeremy: 

Author of the Tonya Show: She must be thinking – they are all so hopeless! I can’t think why I hang out with them…

Tonya