Me and My Laptop

It’s happened. Now that I’ve a laptop AND my Internet connection at home has shit the bed (SUCH an attractive phrase), I’ve become one of those veddy, veddy serious, grottily kitted out freaks that you see in coffeehouses (and bars!), tippy tapping away. Yes, I’m the one who may just be a bit whiff-ish, still wearing my bedroom slippers with shocks of hair standing up at…ahem…rakish angles (that's it—I'm all rakish and shit NOT disheveled and slatternly! Got it?) Yes, that’s at five in the afternoon as well as seven in the morning. OK, except, in the PM, I’ve had my tryst with the shower so am sans stench.

You really wanted to know that, right?

Am I all keen on this roving blogger/design/layout queen deal-io? I surely enjoy hanging in coffeehouses and pubs and best yet—being able to chill for an hour or more, engage in wanton people watching while sipping a fine espresso roast or the house plonk—all from behind my Macbook Pro’s protective screen.

I’m a voyeur at heart. Yes, I’d love to spark a convo with every third person—find out their stories, no matter how bleak, tragic and/or dull they might be. Frankly, few people have dull tales to tell. Now that I’m deaf and all awkward and shy about that though, I’m not quite as quick off the mark to drag folks into hobnob city (Jen disagrees but, hey, this is my narration here!). The Apple provides a curtain—I look like I’m working so folks don’t want to interrupt. OK, I am working but am always up for a fresh yarn.

There are downsides to this roving biz.

What could they be? Why don’t I always want to be working on the go-go?

A) There’s only so much coffee/wine a girl can can ingest.Yep, even yours truly has limits.
B) Home—I like it. I have cats there. The Amazing Bob is there. HELLO, there’s an ocean across the damn street! I’m rather keen on home.
C) I feel funny, sitting for hours—nursing one small cuppa joe or one glass ‘o’ vino. I’m not spending big and I’m occupying prime space.
D) TAB’s not all better yet. I get fidgety/nervous/worried when away from him for more than an hour. OK, I’m like that even when he’s in tip top splendiferously wondrous health. Oh, sue me—I’m madly in love with my old man.

So then, I want to blog/design/layout on the go when I’ve an urge to do so not because I've no choice. What to do then? Jen’s trying to nail down our IT wizard (recently MIA) to come in to rework the sigils and spells that keep us online. If her calls yield no joy, I don’t know. I suppose I’ll have to find a new wizard and, probably, expensively upgrade my connection.

*sigh*

OR I need to learn to enjoy being seen at Starbucks in my pajamas. Em…OK, that could def happen but probably better that it doesn’t.

What are my local haunts besides Starbucks?

Coop's down in Quincy Point—I could totes see myself being a regular here, dashing away on the keyboard like some Internet Hemingway in a colorful dive. Sadly, though they advertise free wifi, I was unable to connect last night. I had the password but got some error message about needing an IP address. I'll check in with the manager next time—the bartender didn't have it.

Coffee Break Cafe—this is a local caffeine emporium and very much on the hippy groovy side. The beat couches, rickety tables and chairs all look like they were scored from parental basements or curbs on trash day. LOVE this place! I had similar, sad connectivity probs here though.

Panera—haven't frequented the local one yet but it seems inevitable.

I've also got to check the pub down the street from us, Louis. They don't advertise free wifi but, maybe babies, they have it or will start or something. Jen has doubts—they don't have veggie burgers on the menu (despite us requesting them for a decade now) AND not all the barkeeps know how to brew a cosmo. OK, wifi's a long shot but I gotta try—they're within walking distance after all!