Shut out at the Little Café Near Home

You know there’s not a lot happening in your life when not being able to go to one of your favorite spots is noteworthy. This evening I bundled up and made the short walk through light rain. There’s a definite chill in the air now that’s been missing so far this winter, and I was underbundled, but not too badly. I almost didn’t even walk into the LIttle Café; just a glance in the window showed almost all the tables to be packed full. There is one table in the corner not visible from the street, however, and I considered the possibility that the group gathered around the other tables might be scaring people away from that one.

The table was taken, of course, and once more I was adrift. I suspect this will become more and more common; even as the available seating in the café decreases (as opposed to the “club” downstairs which isn’t open yet), the popularity of the place is steadily on the rise. It’s not surprising; the place has a good atmosphere and people know each other there. It’s the sort of place that invites hanging out.

It’s like California — it’s a great place to be; I just wish not so many other people agreed with me.

9 thoughts on “Shut out at the Little Café Near Home

  1. Hey Jerry Beary,

    Congrats on passing 60K

    Please celebrate by NOT watching the Chargers manana.

    /Go Seahawks (just for Bob)

  2. Thanks SJ

    MOH 60K13 is from Kiel, Germany. I wonder if he or she has ever played Diplomacy.

    As for the state of the Litte Cafe, it reminds me of another favorite Yogiberaism: “Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.”

  3. Bob, we think alike. That quote popped into my head the instant I saw this post.

    Bob, Keith, et al., we’re working on Gerald’s education: Kingmaker last week, Illuminati the week before, Risk (with a 9-year-old friend) Christmas Day. We definitely need to get Diplomacy on his schedule.

  4. Hi Jer,
    Based on the weekend’s NFL playoff results, is it safe to conclude that you watched the ends of both the Chargers and Seahawks games?

  5. I listened to both games on the radio (via Internet). Twice during the Chargers game I considered turning the game off, but I reminded myself that no, I was merely being superstitious. The thing that killed me the most was San Diego wasting a timeout on a worthless appeal, compounding an already horrible error. In the end, that timeout could have bought a few critical yards, and turned the game.

    Seattle hurt less. Where San Diego had to be stupid on several occasions to hand the game over, Seattle played respectably. But yes, I was listening, and yes, I was pulling for Seattle, and yes, they lost.

    I suppose for the record I should say that the only team left I can get behind is New Orleans. Sorry in advance.

  6. On the aforementioned games, Kingmaker was always a favorite of mine, with a good balance between skill and luck. Diplomacy, on the other hand, is at another level altogether. There is no luck at all, and the players themselves must master the art of diplomacy to win.

    I’ve been pining for a good 1830 game. Any hope of setting one up online?

  7. In our house, Brad (the elder) has no interest in games (like his mother) while Doug (the younger) is always up for a game. I did break out the Kingmaker game for the first time in 20 years a couple of months ago when Doug and his friends were studying midieval England. We all enjoyed it, but it hasn’t reappeared since. I loved 1830 (and I own several of the other similar games: 1870, Silverton) but always felt the 6 hours could have been better spent elsewhere. High school was definitely the time to play 14 hours straight of Diplomacy with no worries of neglected worldly responsibilities.

    That said, I’m up for some online 1830. Doesn’t sound quite so time consuming. Maybe Gerald and Doug would enjoy it, too.

Leave a Reply to Jerry Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *