Monday, October 18

cute as a button

Our Peet's Coffee opens at 5 am. I am floored by this fact. It's one bit of insanity that I move back after 3 years of Italian soaked paradise and set myself to commuting across the bay at 5 am... quite another to discover that there is a stirring of activity at this hour. Human activity.

I'm humbled by the guy who shows up on his bike and stands there sipping coffee from his travel mug. Eyeing me hello while I sleepily fumble with my bag ticket coffee and try to punch my ticket without spilling the whole lot. He's managed to not only get himself to the train platform on time, but to do it well. He is clearly in control of his life.

This morning I am cheered though. I got out the door those 10 crucial minutes earlier that draw the line between feeling frantic and cool peace. Time to not feel compelled to speed through the streets. To return the smile from the girl working at the coffee shop. She, btw, is quite simply cute as a button and complements me in a different way every time I see her. Small things. Today she said my wallet was cute... She liked the birds on it.

I think we're all doing ok with 5 am. Like camping or tornadoes, it seems to bring out the best in us.

- Christine

4 comments:

  1. 5:00 a.m. is an inhuman hour. You have my condolences. :-)

    Pearl

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  2. I don't seem to have a problem waking at that hour and getting to work. It's the crash an hour later that gets me.

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  3. I know what you are talking about ! I know the tornado it unleashes. It does the same to me every other day !

    I didnt realise you were in Italy for 3 years ! I thought it was much lesser... Time flies. Especially at 5.00 AM, these day !

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  4. No one can believe it was three years. The only ones who can are the punks.

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...and you may ask yourself, well...how did I get here?