I’m back at the Coffee Nut in Buda waiting for an email from Lisa and enjoying the townfolks. If you’re not interested hit delete but be warned that today’s conversations lead to tomorrow’s and you could wind up not knowing what’s going on.
Kathy, the woman who works days, just finished sharing a hamburger from Dan’s with her 18 year-old daughter who I understand is breaking her mother’s heart by dating an older ‘ner do well. The girl thinks her mom is totally deranged and Kathy is about to have a stroke over what to do with her. The girl seems sane to me but of course she’s not my daughter. Kathy’s friend Beverly has arrived with her two granddaughters who are having chocolate milk and going through the older one’s box of valentines she got in school. Beverly brought a huge box of chocolate-covered cherries to share with everyone and I promptly dripped mine on my sweather. Kathy’s just shown off a picture of her son as a baby and a picture of his baby that look exactly alike. Everyone has oohed and aahed appropriately.
T.J. is here and reports he’s lost 45 pounds since December 3rd because the doctor said he was going to croak if he didn’t. He’s wearing tennis shoes for the first time in his life (cowboy boots are hard to give up) and finally has enough energy to walk to the corner and back. He and Beverly are swapping cooking methods for beans and rice and other non-fattening things but both report cheating now and then.
Amy was supposed to meet me here for a knitting lesson but she’s come down with a fever and is home in bed so in keeping with her spirit I’ve been looking up recipes for making butter and cheese. She tried to tell me how yesterday and although I was inspired I couldn’t remember the directions. Of course I’m inspired sitting here in this coffee shop but when I get home I’ll be wondering what planet I was on.
Jack (a new character) just walked in and was promptly introduced to me – I’m one of their own now even if only temporarily. Everyone is debating about who might have been better to play Judge Roy Bean than Paul Newman in that movie from years ago. I totally missed how that conversation got started but before I could jump in to defend Paul Newman everyone was talking about cell phone plans and Texas Red’s Steak House in San Marcos – it’s died and gone to heaven good. Jack just learned that I will be returning to Vermont next week and expressed his sympathy. They all wonder how I managed to land up in Vermont when I’m from Fort Worth. Who the hell would want to leave Texas – especially someone who was lucky enough to be born here?
