Hanging out

So here I am at the Starbucks in Brenham while our neighbor burns off his fields. Yes, that's right--a controlled or prescribed burn. Very thoughtfully, considering how close the two properties are, he has waited for a south wind, so the smoke will waft elsewhere.

I'm taking no chances. Little computer and I are off to the big town nearby, where we'll sip coffee and work.

Well, the first part is fully accounted for. Coffee. You bet. And there are a couple of people working on laptops over in the corner. I take my drink and sit down, near enough to make clear we're a laptop area, but not right on top of them.

Open the screen and start reading. I want to see if my character Paul’s internal musings make any sense. To do that, I need to hear him.

One of the nearby laptops leaves. Tapping away, I scarcely notice.

Latino dance music comes on the loudspeaker. Very nice. Lively, lilting.

The remaining laptop person starts to talk. "Dude," he says. "You all want mountain view or ocean view?" The venue is Hawaii.

Ocean, I think.

Meanwhile, my character Paul is putting away his lawnmower and wondering if the garden rake could fall off the wall.

The music grows livelier. I can see flashing feet and bodies whirling, not the garden shed where Paul is wondering if the rake might stab his four-year-old in the heart. Paul is about to turn the rake to the wall, where its long tines will do no harm.

“Dude! Ocean view for $199. Five nights...Yeah, dude, if you can book it through Expedia for cheaper, do it.”

An old Beatles song comes on. "Blackbird flying..."

"Why don't you take my code and check it out for yourselves...Here you go."

He gives the full code, too, complete with passwords. I thought about writing it down to warn him that he shouldn't do that kind of thing in a public place. His boss might not approve. But I didn't.

I'd never do a thing like that.