The loud talkers aways find me

What do these things have in common?

• A soft seat
• A steaming cup of hot coffee
• A good book and a great magazine
• Free wifi and my Dell Mini 9

All these things were in place for me to enjoy a quiet and fine evening at the Starbucks on Century. I have been looking forward to this all day and now finally the time has arrived. Wait, I forgot to add one more item:

• 8 - 10 teenage girls talking, giggling, and squealing over one another to share who said this, and what he looks like, and what makeup she wears, blah, blah, blah...

Now don't get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against teenage girls, in fact I have one in my house whom I love dearly and enjoy being with. Often teenage girls are more pleasant to have around than teenage boys. However, in this case, I simply wanted a quiet evening. I know, I know, Starbucks is a public place and you should expect people to talk and share, and have fun. It is just that this always seems to happen wherever I plant myself. Last time it was the ladies book club gathering to discuss the latest novel. The other time it was the fellow who blathered away on his cell phone for over an hour. He must have enjoyed listening to himself because I find it hard to believe that anyone on the other end of the line could have withstood that conversation for that long! Perhaps an investment in some noise canceling headphones or industrial strength earplugs might help next time.