Metros and breakfast at Metro Cafe: in search of the invisible Carmen

When I am batching it, as I probably will be most of the time for the 6 next weeks or so until the baby who has not yet arrived is able to fend for him/herself, I can hardly bear to eat breakfast at home. Of course, if you have been reading this blog for awhile, you already know that. But I can't afford to go to the restaurant and have ham and eggs or omlettes every day, either, plus, I am told that it is not good for one's health to eat eggs every day.

Metro Cafe is not really a breakfast restaurant, although you can get a ham and egg or bacon and egg sandwich there, plus they now carry cups of various oatmeal blends that you add hot water to, just like with Cup o Noodles soup. This does not cost as much as a full restaurant breakfast.

So that is what I did this morning - I went to Metro Cafe and got me a cup of oatmeal and a 16 oz. Americano.

I sat by a window through which I could see these old Metro vans, waiting for Scot to restore them.

It occurred to me that, all summer long, I have not taken a photo of the restored Metro Van and Metro car that Scot parks out front in the summer time, kind of like a marque to draw customers in.

So I turned around, looked through the window behind me, and shot the restored Metro van. From this vantage point, I could not see the little Metro car.

Nicole was running the store by herself. Besides, me, there were three customers inside, but there was a constant flow of drive-through traffic.

I hardly see Carmen anymore. As regular readers know, I tend to come to Metro Cafe for my afternoon coffee break, which I usually take at 4:00 PM, to coincide with NPR's All Things Considered.

Now that Branson is six and in the first grade, Carmen is always off picking him up at that time, so I do not see her when I pull through.

Metro opens at 6:00 AM and Carmen usually comes in about 9:00. I thought about coming in at 9:00, just so I could say "hi" to her, but I did not want to wait that long before I ate my oatmeal and drank my coffee.

Carmen has a high level of energy and vivaciousness that her customers, both male and female, like to experience. Aside from the fact that she provides the best drive-through coffee in the valley and also has a pleasant, walk-in coffee shop like none other, I think it is Carmen's magnetism that has won over many of her customers.

"Tell Carmen 'hi' for me," I told Nicole as I left.

"I will," she said.

Then I stepped out the door... and there was Carmen. In her car. Bringing in a fresh load of supplies. So I was able to say "hi" myself and to begin this day with a little extra charge of energy.

As I drove out, I passed by the tiny Metro Car, which will soon be driven away and parked in a sheltered place for winter.

Perhaps some of you have noticed that as of late, I seldom post a truly sharp picture.

I call this "The Jobe Effect." Jobe is drawn to my camera and sometimes I just forget to set it down out of his reach. He likes to use the camera as a hammer to pound upon the floor. He likes to run his fingers all over the glass.

It's not his fault, its mine. But the fact is, this lens that I use for 80 percent of my pictures, and probably 96 percent of my daily, just kicking around blog pictures, is just not sharp anymore.

And here I am, about to go to New York City with my number one lens out of tweak.

I am pretty sure the Canon factory can put it back in order, but I need it, and can't send it in.

So I just keep taking pictures that are not as sharp as they could be.

And I will do so in New York as well.

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Comments

[OmegaMom]

Very good pic of Carmen!

[Rocksee]

They all are so nice at the metro! Carmen was very sweet!