Yuck.

Just before Christmas, Betsy's Back Porch Coffee, the coffee shop where I write closed. I noticed it on my way to drop Éiden off at school. On Wednesday, the lights were on and customers sat at the tables. On Friday, it was dark and empty. A letter was taped to the inside of the front door telling whoever cared to read it that the shop was closed after seven years of operation because sales had dropped by fifty percent over the past year.

I hadn't been writing there in a couple of weeks because the demands of Christmas preparations had taken over my schedule. Today, I got back to writing but in a new coffee shop -- Anodyne. It's okay but very busy, and the tables are crammed tightly together so that it is difficult to get in and out from your chair. It's also not as close as the other one. Still, it's better than the Starbucks I could have gone to or the Caribou Coffee I went to and quickly left because the only table with an outlet anywhere near was directly under the speaker which pumped out horribly drab music at a rather loud volume.

In time, I suppose I'll get used to the new place. They play decent music but not too loudly, and most of the people there seem to either be working or, if they're talking, keep their voices at a polite level. I do miss my old coffee shop, though. The barista knew what I drank and would happily pull down a mug for me when she saw me enter the store. And I'd gotten used to seeing all the regulars come in and out at their usual times. it felt comfortable and familiar. Oh well.