Goodbye?

            This week it was pretty cold when I arrived at my location. I noticed the parking lot was a little empty when I got here. I wasted no time getting my food and finding my seat. In the restaurant today is the girl I have seen working the counter. There is also a man and woman sitting with two kids, a boy and a girl. The kids and the mother look sad, I can see their faces. I’m assuming they are family. I can’t see the fathers face. The girl is teenaged and has her arms crossed. Also in the room is what looks like a couple with a teenage boy. The boy is too old to be their kid, and the couple looks too old to be parents, anyway. The three of them are all talking and laughing together. Also in the restaurant is an elderly couple. The man has grey hair and glasses, while the woman also has glasses, she is carrying an oxygen tank as well. They are holding hands and talking to each other. As time goes by I have finished my meal, and the older woman goes to the restroom. The woman with the two kids also goes to the restroom as well. As the mother goes to the restroom, I noticed the father talking to the two kids and shaking his head, while the children’s expressions do not change. While they are gone another family walks in. This family consists of two parents and two boys. One of the boys is actually taller than the rest of his family, while the other boy is actually really short and small. They both seem to be rather young. They all take their time at the counter and then stand and wait for their food. Now the older woman is coming out of the bathroom. Her and her husband are now leaving the restaurant, quietly making their way out the door. From my seat I can see them walk to their truck, and the old man helping his wife into the cab. The mom that went into the restroom emerges from the bathroom a few minutes later. The family with the two boys are now eating and talking to each other. They are talking about several sports the boys play. Apparently between the two they play soccer, football, and basketball. The younger boy has just had a soccer game that his team won. The father of this family seems strict, as he is continuously telling both the boys to eat instead of talk. The couple with the teenage boy seem to be finished with their meal and are preparing to leave. As they are leaving and walking outside I notice that they have all stopped at a truck in the parking lot. They are standing their talking to each other. Now the oldest boy in the family with the strict dad is laughing loudly, and even his parents join in. I think they are laughing at something the youngest boy did or said. The family with the son and daughter are still sitting down waiting for the son to finish eating. A few minutes go by and the couple is still outside talking to the teenage boy. A little while later the couple take turns hugging the teenage boy, and the couple drives away. The boy walks away and I’m assuming he also leaves. Soon after the family with the teenage girl and boy leave, the mom being the first one out the door. Now the family with the two boys and I are the only customers left. I decide to leave as two men walk in talking loud and laughing with each other.

Anyone there?

            This week as I made my way to my spot, it was clear the weather is starting to change more drastically. The atmosphere of my location is pretty average today. There was no one in line when I walked in, so I made a quick trip to the counter. I’m sitting down now, observing. There is a group sitting in the far corner. In the group is a boy with a skateboard propped up next to him. There is also two girls, both blonde, sitting with him, looking quite interested in what he has to say. Also with them is a tall looking boy who is also looking at the other boy with an interested look on his face.

            Also in the restaurant are two different families. One family is made up of a mom and a dad, and two girls. They are all eating, but the older girl looks bored. The other family looks older, the older man and woman are mostly quiet. Looking at each of the other adults who look like they could be college-aged people. They could easily be in their twenties. The two woman look older than the man, who may be the youngest of them all. Also here in the restaurant are two people sitting alone. The lone man is keeping his head down, and is not looking around for some reason. The lone girl is eating and looking at her cell phone.

            After a while of sitting here I notice that the group in the corner are each going around the table telling stories and exchanging personal experiences. I am curious as to what this group is. The older family seems to have been apart for some time. They are also exchanging stories with each other. The girl sitting alone is now putting earphones I her ears and is holding her phone sideways, probably watching a video. The lone man is rising now, rather quickly, and is leaving. The place seems slow for a while with not much excitement. After a while the woman working at the counter walks back to the kitchen area. I have a feeling I have seen her working here before.

           Now there is a woman walking in with sunglasses on and her purse tucked under her arm. She is standing at the counter now looking around. She turns around glances out at all of us sitting down. I can tell she is confused by the situation. After about a minute the worker comes back out apologizing. The woman seems to just wave off the apology and orders, still probably upset. The older couple and family seem to be leaving now as the woman is finding her seat. The family makes their way outside, still all talking to each other. The family with the two girls leave and the older girl still looks bored, but slightly glad to be leaving, while the younger girls is barraging her with a chatty voice asking questions and just talking loudly.
           
           The group in the corner finally leave after their group has said all they needed to say. They all say their goodbyes and one by one are leaving. The woman with the sunglasses is sitting alone and looking not too impressed.  She may just be having a bad day. A man and two boys walk in and the two boys immediately run to find a spot to sit. They have picked a spot near me. As they sit and talk about a T.V. show their father is ordering at the counter. The lone girl has apparently spent enough time alone and is going to the restroom, probably about to leave.
          
           The lone girl has left the restroom and is leaving a few minutes later. By now the two boy and the day are enjoying their meal. My hour is nearly up now and I decide to leave.

Indecisive

As I entered the restaurant this week I noticed it was pretty busy. I sit down and notice several people sitting down. There is an older woman sitting down close to the door. She is on her cell phone talking quietly. There are also six children sitting at a table with only one woman. I don’t think she could be the mother of all of them. Also sitting down is a couple with a young child in a carrier. They look very young. Near them are somewhat older looking teenagers. There are four of them at a table, each with a laptop. There are three boys and one girl. The boys seem to be enjoying each other’s company rather than working, which is what the girl seems to be doing. Near me is a girl with earphones in eating alone. Also sitting down is a man with three kids at a table. There is an older boy talking to what I’m assuming are his siblings. His sister who is somewhat younger than he is smiling occasionally. The youngest boy is smiling and giggling at the older boy. The older boy seems to be trying to make his siblings laugh.

Standing in line are two women at the front, an older man with white hair and a white beard behind them. Behind the old man is a young man with a backpack on. This man is also wearing a hat. When everyone in line has ordered and sat down I get up and go to the counter and order. As I am sitting down again and pretending to look busy another couple with two young kids are walking in. As they are in line the woman that was sitting alone on her cell phone gets up and leaves, throwing away balled-up wrapper as she goes.

The room is somewhat lively with all the children and people here. The majority of the noise is coming from the six children sitting with the lone woman trying to control them, and the teens with laptops. The three siblings will laugh occasionally but the father doesn’t seem very entertained. The young couple with the young baby have to quiet their child when it starts to cry or make loud noises. The young baby seems to be upset over something now, it is making crying noises and the parents are trying their best to quiet it. The old man with the beard looks like he may be annoyed at the couple and the baby. He keeps glancing over at them and glaring. The two women also seem annoyed at the couple’s baby, and they leave after a while.

After a while the five children and the woman leave while the woman still tries to keep them quiet as they make their way out the door. The woman and the young baby go to the restroom. As they are gone the girl sitting alone with her earphones in leaves. She throws away her trash and exits without taking out her earphones. The woman and the baby come back and she sits down at the table. She talks quietly to her husband and they both stand up and leave taking the baby with them. Later a man walks in and straight up to the counter. He may still be wearing pajamas. He stands at the counter looking over the menu without talking to the man working the counter. As he decides his order the father and three kids get up to leave. The daughter and older son walk towards the restrooms as the father and younger son walk outside. All of a sudden someone’s phone starts ringing. It is the man with the backpack and hat. As he talks on the phone he gets up and leaves throwing away whatever food he had left.

After I get up and throw away my trash the two siblings come back and leave the building. As I am preparing to leave the teenagers also start to pack away their things. The old man with the beard gets up abruptly and leaves as well. I stick around for a few more minutes to see any other exciting occurrences, and leave.

Running Late?

As I walk in I immediately recognize the woman working behind the counter. I know I have seen her working here before. I have ordered and sat down. I am looking around and notice a teenage boy with a laptop, and I’m pretty sure I have seen him here before as well. He is sitting alone and eating while looking at his laptop. Also in the building are two women sitting together and talking. They are talking excitedly with each other. And the one woman I can see is smiling a lot. There are also two adults sitting with two children that appear to be in their teens, one boy and one girl. I’m assuming that the older man and woman are the children’s parents. Based on this family and other families I have seen I can tell that this establishment is family friendly and appropriate. In line are two young men standing are the counter.

            Behind the two men in line are three young adults that all seem to be about the same age, two boys and one girl. They aren’t talking at all and are all focused on the menu. They may be related, but I can’t really tell. The teenage boy that was sitting alone that I may have seen before is now getting up and gathering his things. As he exits the two men are taking their seats they aren’t really talking as much as they are eating. The two women are still talking with each other and laugh occasionally. The three teenagers that were in line walk to a table and settle down to eat. The older boy looks sort of angry, if I had to describe his attitude, and none of them are really talking to each other. A young woman walks in and walks up to the counter. The woman seems to be very friendly and the worker smiles and nods. The woman gestures towards the menu and the worker nods again.

            After a while the two women leave and take their conversation elsewhere. Then, a few minutes later a lone man with a mustache walks in and looks around as he makes his way to the counter. He talks quietly and orders quickly, which is apparent based on the short exchange between the woman behind the counter and himself. The two men are still sitting down, one has finished eating and is on his cell phone. The woman that came in is sitting now. She is alternating between eating and looking at her cell phone. The family of four have finished eating and seem to be getting ready to leave. The mother has gone to the restroom, and the father is typing something on his phone for some reason. The two teens stand and walk over to the door, talking quietly to each other. They all eventually walk out. The lone man has gotten his food and is sitting down now, looking around the room.

            The two men both stand up and the one that finished first walks out the door while the other one throws away his trash and follows his friend out. The three teenagers are all talking now, and they seem to be getting along. The lone man with the mustache is still looking around the room, kind of like me. I get up and throw away my trash and sit back down. As I start to gather my things another woman enters and scans the room. When she notices the lone man she immediately walks over to him. He has already seen her and they hug and exchange a few words. The woman is walking over to the counter. I pack up my things and I am on my way.

Rainy Days

It is raining today. As I entered the restaurant, I noticed a woman with to slightly younger looking teenagers, a boy and a girl. They are all talking with each other and smiling. I have ordered my food now, and I am sitting down. A few tables away from them is a boy that is probably high school aged or older sitting alone on his laptop eating. There is a man with two boys and one little girl sitting two tables away from me. The man seems to be considerably older than the children, with his graying hair and glasses. He may very well be their grandfather. In line now, there is an older, teenage looking couple holding hands and talking quietly to each other. Behind them are two women that seem a little overdressed even for this weather, wearing large coats and boots. There is an older woman coming in from the restrooms she has taken a seat with the older man with the three kids. One of the boys has just called her “Grandma”. The young couple have left the counter and have decided to sit on the older side of the grandparents and their grandchildren, near the door.

            After a few minutes the two women in the large coats are at the counter now as a lone woman walks in. She has walked towards the counter and is standing behind the two women. She is focused on the menu with her arms crossed. The older couple and their grandchildren are getting up to leave. The grandma is holding the hand of the little girl and leading her outside. The old man and young boys are right behind them. The lone boy is still on his laptop and occasionally types something. The woman and the slightly younger teenagers are rising now, and making their way to the door. The overdressed woman have taken their seats, and the lone woman is now ordering. The time she has had to look over the menu has helped her make up her mind as it takes her no time at all to order.

            A few minutes have gone by, and the lone has already taken her seat and the young couple are making their way out, holding hands. The two heavily dressed women are having a loud conversation about the rain and hail. The lone woman has received a phone call. She is talking quietly and looking around to see if anyone is paying attention to her call. She is laughing now, rather loudly. The lone boy is putting his laptop away into a backpack that I did not notice before, and I’m assuming he is getting ready to leave. He puts on his backpack and throws away his trash as he leaves. The two women in raincoats are still talking to each other as they finish up and make their way outside, taking an unnecessary moment to brace themselves before they open the door.

            A little while after the women leave a man and a teenage boy come in, clearly wet. The storm is getting somewhat worse. As I am getting ready to leave more teenagers walk in, two boys in jackets and caps, and one girl who looks like she may be related to one of the boys. I decide it’s time to leave as the teenagers start ordering.

Back At It

I entered the restaurant this time and made my way to the counter. The girl working the counter was cheerful and took care of my order right away. I found my regular seat and sat down. Sitting near me is a girl on a laptop. She seems to be intently ready or watching something. She has papers and a pen laid around her table. Across the room there is a teenage boy eating alone with earbuds in his ears. A family is seated a few tables away from him. There is a mom and a dad and two young girls. The girls are talking happily with each other. There are two older men sitting together near the door that are talking and eating together. There is an older man and woman walking in together. They are both dressed in sweat suits, they are probably a married couple getting their exercise. The cheerful worker is taking care of their order.

            The older couple sit near me. They are talking about jogging and walking around town. As the couple has their conversation another family is walking in, this time a woman and her three kids. The tallest, and oldest I’m assuming, is a girl that is probably in high school. She is holding the youngest child’s hand, who is a girl probably three or four years old. The second tallest is a boy that has his arms crossed for some reason. They all take a few minutes to finish ordering. The two young girls with their parents are laughing loudly for some reason. The two men are standing up and are throwing away their trash, getting ready to leave.

            A few minutes has gone by and two teenagers, a girl and a boy walk in. They join the boy with the earbuds. The family with the loud young girls are leaving now. The old couple are getting up to leave not long after. The girl sitting near me is still focused on her laptop, she is probably watching videos or a movie. We just made awkward eye contact. The family with the older daughter have already gotten their food and are eating a few tables away from me. The cheerful girl working the counter has walked back into the kitchen area. She is walking back out right as a single woman is walking in. The woman is taking her food to go, and exits when she gets her meal. The girl with the laptop is gathering all her things and is making her way to the door. The teenagers are all standing now and talking with each other on their way out.

            Two high school aged boys are walking in they are chatting loudly with each other and are laughing at a joke told between the two. They order their food and sit in the corner across the room and continue to talk and laugh. The family with the older girl and the little boy and the youngest girl are slowly throwing away trash and getting ready to leave. I decide to leave and make my way outside to my car.

It's Fall?

As I walked into the restaurant I notice that it is slightly more populated than it usually is. First off the line is long and has twelve people in it. I find a seat across the room from my usual spot. In line there are four teenagers in a group, two guys, each with a backpack, and two girls. Behind them is an older woman and a somewhat younger woman talking. At the end of the line is a mom and dad with four kids, an older sister, two younger kids probably around the same age, and a young boy standing with the mom. There is an older man probably in his early fifties eating at a table near me. There are two girls sitting together near the door. A man dressed in sweatpants and a sleeveless shirt just walked in and is standing in line behind the large family. The group of teenagers have sat down across the room. The older woman and the slightly younger woman have sat down at the table in front of me. The teenagers have gotten out books and a laptop and are talking amongst themselves. The family of six are ordering when I get up to go order my food. I have my food and I am sitting down again, and the older man has left the table, and I guess the building. The man in sweatpants didn’t hang around long. The family of six has sat near the group of teens doing homework. The restaurant is somewhat colder than I remember, and the menu is advertising the seasonal drink and food items that accompany fall. The two girls eating alone are getting up and getting ready to leave. The teens must be having an amusing conversation, because they are laughing now. The family of six have started cleaning up their table and are leaving. The older woman and her younger friend who is probably her daughter are also getting ready to leave, and I notice that the hour is almost up. I take care of my trash and start to get ready to leave, myself. The two girls by the door are still talking, even though they no longer have food to eat. As I leave the teens are still talking at their table and a couple walk in and make their way to the counter.

Alright I Guess

This time when I entered the eating establishment I went straight to the counter and ordered a sandwich before I sat down. Now that I am sitting down I can observe without looking unusual. Honestly, there is not much going on today. There is a family of four; a mom, dad, a young boy and a younger girl at a table next to me. They are talking about seeing grandma and grandpa later. Across the room there are three teenage girls eating and using their cellphones. There is a teenage boy on his laptop probably twenty feet from the girls. Right now there are two men walking in dressed like joggers, or like they had been exercising. They are ordering their food now. An older couple just walked in and are waiting to order. The two men got their food and are leaving the building. The family of four are still enjoying their meal and talking amongst themselves. The boy on the laptop has probably left for the restroom, because he has left his laptop behind on the table. The three teenage girls are still eating and are still stuck on their cell phones. The older couple have sat down and started eating and talking with each other. Now a woman has just walked in and is approached the counter. The boy is back and is putting his laptop into a backpack and is leaving. The small family have started to clean up their area and leave. The older couple are still eating and are talking and smiling at each other. A man and a teenage girl, who I am assuming is his daughter have just walked in, just as the family of four is leaving. The three teenage girls are still all sitting quietly for the most part, aside from the occasional glance and nod that they exchange. The father and daughter have taken their seats and are enjoying their meal. The older couple have finished and are getting up to leave. After they leave the teenage girls are not far behind them. It’s been about an hour and I am getting ready to leave, hopefully next week will be more exciting.

Hold the Sandwich

I entered the sandwich shop around 12:30. As I walk up to the door I notice an older woman and what I am assuming is her daughter walking towards the door as well. I opened the door for them and they expressed their gratitude for my kind act. As I walk in and sit down at a corner table I scan the area. I notice a teenage boy laying in a booth near me with his eyes glued to his cell phone. There is a long line leading to the counter where you order that consisted of three men that are probably construction workers, I gather this from the way they are dressed, the women that I held the door for, an older gentleman on his cell phone, a father and his two children, and several teenagers in a group chatting amongst themselves. The father and kids are at the front of the line. His children, a young boy and a slightly older girl seem to be having trouble deciding on what to order. Already sitting down around me are two college-aged girls on laptops probably doing homework and taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi. There is an old man across the room with his own laptop and notebooks and wrappings of whatever food item he ordered strewn about his table giving the impression that he does not want company. The line is slowly moving as the man and his kids seem to have reaching a decision on lunch. The older man on his cell phone is next and judging by the brief words he just exchanged with the shop worker I am assuming that he has been here many times. As the older man starts to leave the three workers start placing orders. They seem to be in a hurry as they all take their food to go and leave the shop. During this time a young couple have made their way in to the shop and are having a quiet conversation between themselves as they wait in line. The father with his kids have found a spot near the teenager who was laying in the booth. Apparently the teen was not alone, a woman who I can only assume is his mother has come from the restrooms and joined him at the table. The group of teenagers in line have almost finished bombarding the shop worker with their various orders. At this point I realize that being the only person here without food may seem strange so I get in line behind the young couple. As my turn arrives I order a sandwich and a large drink. After I have paid I return to my seat and continue watching other customers. The teenager and his mother have left and the group of teens have taken a large table near the older man about halfway across the room. The groups’ conversation has escalated to a loud discussion on a new movie in theatres that they are apparently going to go see sometime this weekend. The old man is clearly annoyed by the teens as he cleans up his area and decides to leave the establishment. The father and two kids seemed to have finished their meal by now and are gathering up sandwich wrappers and disposing of them. The young couple have also finished their food, but are still sitting down talking. A woman dressed in athletic attire walks in and goes right up to the counter orders her food, pays, and leaves. By this time I have finished my food and continue to try to look busy. The girls on their laptops are suddenly met by a boy whom they apparently know very well. I start to gather my things to leave when the group of teens decide to vacate. On my way out another couple are making their way in. I hold the door for them and make my way to my car.