"Conscience keeps more people awake than coffee"

"We came down from the north
Blue hands and a torch
Red wine and food for free
A possibility"

This is the first Saturday I've had off in ages. I thought I'd try a car boot sale, I drove out to where I thought it was but simply couldn't find it! So I instead went to the town centre - as you may remember, I've made this mistake before!

Saturday afternoon in this place is a nightmare, a human ooze, moving around primarily by osmosis, and strangely almost all dressed the same, or at least in several distinct sub castes (er no, caste implies an hierarchy, maybe species would be a better term?).

We are having, a last, a touch of an Indian Summer, and although not hot, it is very pleasant. That of course gives everyone one last excuse to get the summer clothes out and about. Shorts , vest tops, shorts (it's nearly October! what are you thinking?). Oh well they all seemed happy (but I suspect like most of us were completely miserable underneath).

Oh, did I mention we got our very own Starbucks? (what? only one you say? there were at least 50 in downtown Vancouver alone, well maybe 20). This city is very much a backwater, we look up to Mos Eisley, and that Starbucks looks so out of place, tucked away between the sportswear and pound shops. The strange thing is it's always full. The place is not exactly cheap, lets be honest. The "type" occupying it's strangely ready worn sofas, are the usual suspects I'm afraid, Students from the local University (silly thing to say really of course they are from the local University, what other university would they be from? - rambling). and the dreaded teenagers, usually with those rather silly floppy hats that make them look like a french revolutionary in skinny jeans and a Ramones T-Shirt. Interestingly Starbucks has placed itself right next door (it's all indoors so you can literally lean around and look in) to an established Coffee Shop that serves a less poncey clientele. That says a lot about Starbucks I suppose , it's less refreshment (at least here) and more about making that £5 cup of coffee last all afternoon, and hopefully getting spotted by that goth girl you fancy.

“When I wake up in the morning, I just can't get started until I've had that first, piping hot pot of coffee. Oh, I've tried other enemas...” - Emo Philips