Coffee Klatch

I have actually made it more than a week without reading the newspaper more than once. It was a little scary at first but, surprise to me, it hasn't really been that big a deal (question to self: maybe changing most routines isn't that big a deal??) The sky has not fallen, the seas have not parted. And I'm feeling happy to have made the change, for now.

Something else a little different for me.....I went around the corner on Sunday morning to pay my last respects as Lady Bird went to Johnson City for the last time. I was one of thousands lining the streets of downtown Austin to say a last good bye to a neato woman.

That is one thing I love about Austin, people around here care about things and they are active about that caring. Whether it's turning out at City Council meetings in droves to protest something or organizing neighborhood parades or participating fully (how do people have the time? :) in the neighborhood listserv, people act on their convictions. It certainly can be hard to manage from a governing standpoint but it is part of the unique personality that is Austin.

Anyway, I"ve beaten the newspaper routine for the moment. My housemate has had lots of family and friends in the past week....that was after a week of painters. So, it's been a little challenging to focus although I've done pretty well considering.

In response to finding a way to add structure to working, I tried another something new. I went to a coffee shop to do some work on my website idea. Using a coffee shop for a workspace always seems so appealing in theory. People always look so cool there with their laptops sipping a latte. I always believe they are working on profound and important things.

I rarely go though, I think because I'm afraid I won't measure up to the weighty things they are all working on, good grief! Could I possibly reach cool-dom on a level with that? But today I thought, maybe I shouldn't succomb to performance anxiety about going to a danged coffee shop. I told myself, I'M working on profound and important things too!

Besides, if I were to saunter around sneaking peeks at their screens, they're probably cleaning out their email or playing solitaire. Come to think of it they are probably like those folks who wear Blue Tooths (Teeths??) in their ears at all times. I mean REALLY! If one isn't Secret Service one mostly look silly with those things. Who are we kidding? Is a regular Joe Schmoe so important that he or she can't lose a minute connection with the outside world.? Talk about being a slave to something.

Anyway, I did go, I did work, I only felt a twinge of performance anxiety once or twice and it did help me focus. Am I cool or what?