Coffee, etc.

I was reading The Butterknife today, and noticed what she wrote about coffee. Like her, I also have a great fondness for coffee. I've often referred to it as the nectar of the gods.

I am so not a morning person at the library, and I have to open up the library one day a week. My dean frowns upon drinking coffee at open work areas (e.g., the circulation and reference desks).

However, I'm well known at the library for not being a morning person. Whenever one of my colleagues mentions that coffee isn't allowed at the reference desk, I simply mention that if I don't have coffee then I would be a mean grouchy librarian who isn't all nice to the students. Since librarians are supposed to be nice to students, I am allowed my coffee.

Yes, coffee is my opiate.

When I have the opportunity, I usually go to Cups (either the one in Fondren or the Quarter) and relax. Coffee time away from work is a time to get away, a time to socialize if a friend is there, and a time to unwind. When I go to Cups, usually I'll get a flavored coffee or perhaps a latte-- unless it's summer, then I'll tend to order frappes.

When I earn enough points on my Cups card, I usually cash in to get a pound of Snickerdoodle, which I bring to work. Sometimes I like mix in a half scoop of Snickerdoodle with a full scoop of whatever store-bought coffee (e.g., Folgers and Maxwell House) is available when I make coffee at work.

Yesterday, I attended the MHSAA state championship football games. As my more frequent readers know, I help out a couple of friends who have a high school sports newspaper covering schools in the Hattiesburg-Laurel area. I attended the afternoon game-- I wasn't planning on it-- but my mother had told me that the daughter of one of her oldest friends is married to one of the football coaches. I went to the game. I spoke to my mother's friend and her daughter for a while. It was fairly cool, not quite as cold as the night game would be, but still.

After the game, I went to Que Sera Sera. I had some gumbo, relaxed, watched the last portion of the USC-UCLA game, and before I headed out the door to go to the Wayne County-Clarksdale game, I had an Irish coffee.

After the ballgame, I went to Fenian's. I was wondering why it was so packed on a Saturday night. I found out. Cary Hudson was performing. I had forgotten about that. I remember reading an email message, but with so many things going on, it completely slipped my mind.

I went to the bar. I sat next to one of my friends and ordered another Irish coffee. We talked for a few moments. I also recognized someone I knew, but couldn't place him-- as it turns out he's a student who attended an Anime Club meeting last month, which was his first meeting there. It was good to chat with him too. Pretty soon, my friend had to leave, and at that point, I ordered a Guinness and went to the back to listen to the music and chat with more friends and acquaintances.

I purchased a couple of albums from Cary when he finished his set and chatted with him for several minutes about several things including south Mississippi as well as Victoria Bynum and her book on Jones County. He's a really nice guy. He performed some more songs and finished up his singing at around one o'clock this morning.

Shortly afterwards, this guy approaches me and mentions that he had heard me mention Jones County to Cary. We talk. After all, we are in Mississippi, and in Mississippi, Mississippians are wont to make connections. As it turns out, he's the baby brother of one of my high school classmates. He had said he was six years old when his sister and I graduated in 1985. I ask how his sister is doing. I'd not seen her since I had been working at the public library in Laurel.

I visit with more friends and acquaintances. People begin to leave Fenian's. I leave at a quarter 'til two and drive to my house in Clinton.