10:01 p.m. | 2006-03-09 The Many Ways I Pay. I went to a local coffee shop today with a few of my caffeine-addicted friends. I walk for the exercise, they go for their drug of choice. I suppose. (Don�t get me wrong, I was addicted to caffeine for many a years, but once I broke that addiction? Yeah, no reason to go back to it. Do I miss it? Absolutely.) Anyway, we all went for coffee. Only to hit a couple of snags along the way. Blonde wanted to stop by the bank to break a hundred dollar bill but Tanner volunteered to pay for the both of them. Myself? Merely along for the ride. So I thought. Once Tanner got to the register, he realized that he hadn�t brought his wallet with him. I stepped up, of course. (When your friends rely on caffeine? Don�t deprive them.) But, I have to back up a bit. See where we went? Just a local coffee place. However, the coffee guy � the server guy... Baristo? � is a huge guy with a seductively deep voice and baby face. Typically, it�s a pleasure to do business with him. Not so much today. The money madness, combined with Tanner trying to order food at the coffee only line made it not so good. And, it came down to me. This is that. (CoffeeGuy:) (To me.) What can I get for you? (CI:) Oh, nothing. Apparently, I�m just here to pay. (Ha, ha, ha. Echoed by my companions. Unappreciated by CoffeeGuy.) (CG:) You don�t want anything? (CI:) Nope. Just paying for these yahoos. CoffeeGuy actually shot me a look. Not a nice look. I go there often... or well, I accompany my friends there on a regular basis... so I fell a little out of love with him today. Trust me, his voice is dreamy as is his normal demeanor. Just not so much today. It might be tomorrow though. If my friends can manage to fund their own addiction in real time. Well, and not order food in a beverage only line. But that whole bit today? Funny as hell. To me. Perhaps only to me. The �I only have a hundred� versus � I forgot my wallet�? So very classic. It not often that all the stars and moons align up in that particular fashion. That�s irony at it�s best. your thoughts? seed flower