Most people dread Monday mornings....time to go back to work after an all too short weekend. For me, though, Monday is very relaxing...it's my day off! Since I work on Saturdays, my weekends are Sundays and Mondays....^-^ And I find it's more convenient that way as the banks are open, the stores aren't crowded and neither are the roads. Trust me, there are many weekends when you do not want to be on the beach road that runs by my home...the traffic can be horrendous at times!
Got up this morning to clouds and wind...oh, and don't forget the moisture and salt the wind carries along. You should see the windows on the beach side of my apartment...almost opaque from the salt and practically dripping from the moisture. A good day to go out for breakfast..right?
Recently I've become a regular customer at the Starbucks in Hayama (葉山 = leafy hill), the town next to Akiya (秋谷 = autumn valley) where I live. I needed to get to the supermarket nearby today, so off I went for a lavender tea latte and a cinnamon roll...took my book and a scarf (can't stand A/C) and was happy to find my favorite corner table open...perfect!
I'm always surprised by the number of elderly customers...something I've never really seen much of in Starbucks in the States..or at least the ones I've been to. However, there aren't any other coffee shops in that neighborhood, so maybe that's why.
This morning, a couple of elderly ladies came in together...they spent a good 5 minutes asking the barista questions about the best drink, then the best size for them. Once they sat down and got comfortable, the conversation turned to none other than cell phones! I looked over to see both phones on the table as they spent some time showing each other all the things they've learned...I had to chuckle when one of them piped up with 'I finally learned how to find my own phone number!' Both had lots of gray hair, and one was wearing hearing aids...it was really quite cute!
On the way home, it was a battle with the wind...in my little car, you need to have both hands firmly on the steering wheel, especially when you hit the area with open ocean on one side of the road. There's this long curve where the winds from Hayama hit the winds from Akiya, and it's almost like being in a whirlwind...you definitely have to pay attention or you'll wind up loosing control. I don't recommend trying it on a motorcycle or bicycle!
And now I have the rest of the day (it's only 11am) to read, play on the internet and, later on, watch some TV...may even take a nap after lunch...^-^
