Old Men & Coffee Shops—All-in-all I’d rather see flowers!

This is the city, Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was Tuesday, March 18, 2008. It was snowing. I mean—it was SNOWING! Wet, heavy snow. The kind weather professionals refer to as a “heart-attack-snowfall,” because of the actual risk of heart attacks occurring while trying to shovel this stuff.

The temperature was a mild +31ºF and the prediction was for up to 5” of snow, we ended up receiving about 3” of this “greasy skid stuff.”

I left a little too early for work, and decided a visit to Joe’s Café & Coffee (Pretty Good Food & Great Coffee!) and my ancient friends were just the thing I needed to lift my spirits this day.

My Codger Collectible (porcelain, not china, but made in China) Mug was already filled with organically & shade-grown, Fair Trade, Guatemalan-Roast coffee as I walked up to my usual place at the counter.

“G’Morning, Boomer,” Carl rumbled as I sat down—he always rumbles, his baritone voice incapable of anything less than a rumble, “lovely weather out there.”

“Yep,” Fred added, “A winter wonderland out there.”

“Easy for you two,” I replied, “You don’t have to go out in this crap all day.”

“Listen to you whine,” Fred rejoined, “You like to tweak our Southern-tier friends with our winter weather, and how hardy we North-Country residents are.”

“Winter ain’t for sissies!” Carl boomed, “Right?”

“True enough,” I smiled wearily, “But all-in-all, I’d rather see flowers!”