Lonely Planet Los Angeles sits to my left. To my right a blender is churning. In front of me in the next booth, a young lady in sweats waits for a friend. At 10 o’clock, three people sit. Mother and her two college aged sons. One is in jeans and yellow polo. His Denim is ripped. Don’t think that it was ripped on purpose. He’s eating a soup of some sort. Hungry he is because does not put his spoon down after each bite. Shoulder is hunched over and he brings his face to the soup, unlike the Japanese that brings the soup to their face.
His brother is wearing a grey Hollister hoodie. Can’t tell what he is eating. His back is to me. Black vans, darker blue jeans. Ooops, is it a woman with shaved head. Bulky the SHIM is. His/ her jean bottoms are rolled up. Her/ his mother wears a purple sweater. She has her white leather purse around left arm. Maybe she had her bag stolen. Maybe she is in a hurry to leave. She is eating her food like a cow. Her jaw rolls to the left. Her arms are guarded. Maybe she is cold. Can’t guess at the moment.
The son in yellow keeps looking my way. Maybe he is sensing I am writing about them. He already eaten half of his sandwich. He has only taken one bite. Guess, his mom doesn’t feed him.Grey Hollister hoodie, sits with shoulders hunch. No back straight. Just head down, slurping at his food. I going to say it’s a him, by the jutting adam’s apple.
Behind them sits two ladies. One older and the other really old. Both are wearing hats. Can only see a part of the heads. They each sit at opposite ends of the black couch. Both are Hispanic. She has the Janet Jackson Black Cat video cap on. She has a small diamonds in her ears. They are partially facing each other. Must be familiar. Maybe mother daughter. Its not a deep conversation. They would be sitting face to face and the conversation would be more animated or intimate.
The other lady has pink finger nail polish. She’s wearing a white hat. A rolled up summer hat. Reminds me of a can of white can of Cool aid with a circular rim around it. Not a glorious hat, but something to keep her warm. Style, I am not sure she has any. She is wearing a white leopard print. Isn’t that an endangered species? Both of the ladies are staring into the fire. Maybe they are cold.
Next to them is an older couple sitting across from each other. The husband is leaning in and his wife has her arms across her dress. She seems bored. Both white haired. Husband is wearing a green sweater of a place he has visited. Probably picked it up at some gift shop. The wife, maybe in her sixties, maybe retired. I sense she is bored. They have flag on their table. Flag has the number eight. They haven’t gotten their food yet.
Never mind, the service with the brown baseball cap is walking their way. A sandwich and a bread bowl soup. I am guessing Clam chowder. I never hear anyone order the Black Bean or French Onion or Brocolli Cheddar. Its Friday and it looks like it’s on special.
Server has a green Panera apron tightly wrapped around his waist. Skinny kid. Glasses. His neck reminds me of that dopy vulture on those Buggs Bunny cartoons. No that is not nice. I guess I will live being mean.
Across the way, at 11:30 is a man in a green zippered sweater. A grandpa methinks He is playing with his phone. He wears glasses. Far sighted I think. His arm is straightened out as he dials his phone. It’s a flip top so I am guessing its not the I phone or Blackberry. My observation is that the numbers are enlarged screen so as to dial easier. Do people still call it dialing. Dialing is supposed to be for a circle, like a sundial. Pressing the numbers, but that doesn’t sound right either. Dialing!?@$ His back is against the wall. A giant painting of bread sits above him. This the signature formula of Panera’s. Paintings of bread. It could be worse. It could have been doughnuts.
A tall man, maybe kid is leaning to my right. 5’10” or 6”. Can’t tell. Both of his elbows are leaning back against the wall. He’s about to order. It’s a kid. He has an aquamarine shirt over a purple zipper sweater with a goofy checkered hat. He’s playing on his phone. His dad is three or four inches taller than him with his wallet out. Dad is wearing a brown leather jacket. Mustache. Maybe Irish. I get the Boston vibe. Face is a ruddy red. He hands his wife the receipt, I assume, his wife, goofy kid’s mom. Older lady with a pooch. Maybe pregnant or just fat. Can’t really tell. She looks in late forties early fifties. Don’t think she is pregnant, lets say the pooch is . . .There is no smiles on their faces. All are drinking tea. Ice tea. They, too, have a flag. Their number is 047. Haircut is a little shorter than shoulder length. They are sitting side by side. They seem tired. Maybe they are on a trip. Their son went to the bathroom. I wonder if he will wash his hands. You can tell by the reactions. Let’s see if he’s hygienic. The family is sitting where the yellow polo, grey Hollister, and purple sweater used to sit.
Panera boy is walking quickly around. Oh oh. Aquamarine, purple sweater boy did not wash his hands. His hands are not glistening. Did not hear the air dryer go off. Gross. I’m thinking freshman or junior high eighth grader. He has a goofy look. He constantly checks his phone. Must have done it five times in the last 10 minutes. Plus, I think the kid would be wearing something more stylish, more coordinated. Plus that hat has got to go. Vans sweater, purple zip, and goofy white hat.
It’s getting busier now here in Panera. A line is forming up front. Well, my time is almost up. Gots to get me another carrot and walnut muffin.
