Per the wifes request I broke my usual self-imposed restrictions and paid something over $4 for a cup of coffee for her. (Technically Tea, but that's really neither here nor there).
I was out and about, a simple trip to try and pick up some DVD-Rs and made the stop for her. No big deal (aside from going against my very nature to pay that much for a non-alcoholic drink, but its a holiday).
As I'm waiting I start looking around at the other people who visit Starbucks on Thanksgiving, complete with their coffees and laptops wondering if that's what its like all the time?
Out of nowhere, some older gentleman begins talking to me at random.
For some reason, this has a tendency to happen to me quite frequently, though usually its some drunk guy at the local bar. It's never anything generic or passive like "how's the weather"...its usually much more random and involving. So while this is somewhat odd, it's not peculiar. I'm not quite sure what started the conversation now, but something intrigued me enough to sit down with him while I was waiting.
We talked for a bit, about the state of the world and whatever we felt was important in life. (Somewhere in the midst of this, my wife's order came out.)
As I'm about halfway or so into her Chai tea, this guy asks me if I have a keychain. Well, sure...I have keys, key rings, and those annoying plastic tabs to get me discounts at various stores; that counts, right?
So, out of nowhere, this guy gives me a Opinel #7 folding knife. Pointing out to me that the blades under 4 inches and therefore perfectly legal to carry on me.
I know they're made in France, and he seems to have had it for a while. Light wood, lock ring at the top, carbon steel blade. I don't see any date codes anywhere, so I'm not sure how old it is. I do know that they're still in production.
So we talked a bit more, the knife just came up out of nowhere, was given to me. That's about it.
We talked a bit more, as I ordered a second Chai, one that I could take home to the wife, and went on my way.
So, to you "LizardSkin" (as he introduced himself), thank you for the Opinel, the good conversation, and perhaps my strangest trip to a coffee shop yet.
I was out and about, a simple trip to try and pick up some DVD-Rs and made the stop for her. No big deal (aside from going against my very nature to pay that much for a non-alcoholic drink, but its a holiday).
As I'm waiting I start looking around at the other people who visit Starbucks on Thanksgiving, complete with their coffees and laptops wondering if that's what its like all the time?
Out of nowhere, some older gentleman begins talking to me at random.
For some reason, this has a tendency to happen to me quite frequently, though usually its some drunk guy at the local bar. It's never anything generic or passive like "how's the weather"...its usually much more random and involving. So while this is somewhat odd, it's not peculiar. I'm not quite sure what started the conversation now, but something intrigued me enough to sit down with him while I was waiting.
We talked for a bit, about the state of the world and whatever we felt was important in life. (Somewhere in the midst of this, my wife's order came out.)
As I'm about halfway or so into her Chai tea, this guy asks me if I have a keychain. Well, sure...I have keys, key rings, and those annoying plastic tabs to get me discounts at various stores; that counts, right?
So, out of nowhere, this guy gives me a Opinel #7 folding knife. Pointing out to me that the blades under 4 inches and therefore perfectly legal to carry on me.
I know they're made in France, and he seems to have had it for a while. Light wood, lock ring at the top, carbon steel blade. I don't see any date codes anywhere, so I'm not sure how old it is. I do know that they're still in production.
So we talked a bit more, the knife just came up out of nowhere, was given to me. That's about it.
We talked a bit more, as I ordered a second Chai, one that I could take home to the wife, and went on my way.
So, to you "LizardSkin" (as he introduced himself), thank you for the Opinel, the good conversation, and perhaps my strangest trip to a coffee shop yet.