coffee shop life

i feel like whenever i spend extended time in a coffee shop, i inevitably encounter the following types of people:

-The Overly Cheerful Barista. today i met seth, my barista. i really really think he loves his job. maybe a little too much.

-The Loud Talking Self-Important Couple. they may or may not be an actual couple, but it is invariably a man and a woman, having an extended coffee date, speaking with elevated volume about their important lives and the important people they know. it might be about the dinner party they attended last night or their recent trip through India by railway. they have no need to speak in hushed voices because they are obviously the most important people in the room.

-The Worker. sometimes this is me. this person takes over at least three tables with their laptop, paperwork, planner, five cell phones, PDAs, pens, highlighters, and multiple cups of coffee. usually not a student.

-The Real Student. the guy sitting across the aisle from me is a real student. i see him here often. always has stacks of books on his table and a notebook. doesn't bring a computer with which to pretend to "study" while actually reading blogs and chatting with friends.

-The Fake Student. the opposite of the guy i referenced above. also the two people sitting next to me. books in hand, but have yet to open, read, or discuss literature in the 45 minutes they've been present.

-Bored High School Girls. never boys, always girls. they get dropped off by their parents and end up watching loud youtube videos instead of doing any actual schoolwork.

-The Odd Ball Regular. today it is a guy who has been online shopping for the past hour. a few days ago it was the woman who was doing cross-stitch while singing along to her ipod.

i do love the coffee shop life. where else can this eclectic group of people find a place to do what they need to do? while simultaneously distracting themselves from what they need to do?