I've been working in Caribou Coffee for the past couple of hours, doing things that don't require a huge amount of brain power....which is fortunate, because I absolutely can't stop myself from eavesdropping. In the space of the past couple of hours, I've overheard snippets about the following:
- Some doctors discussing issues managing a patient who had obsessive-compulsive tendencies that led him to drink enormous amounts of water (this was fascinating to me, since they were very concerned about the possibility of water intoxication)
- A pregnant woman arguing with her husband about whether they should hire an interior decorator, and which one they should choose - she pulled the "because I'm pregnant, that's why" trump card several times.
- A group of students trying to figure out how to do a market research group project, discussing whether they can just gather together a few of their friends and call it a focus group (I resisted the urge to intervene in the name of methodologically sound qualitative research, although I was severely tempted)
- A very old man, who seemed to be a professor emeritus, discussing a faculty controversy with a younger faculty member. The old man was very upset that the department wasn't listening to his viewpoint.
- A harried-looking grandfather attempting to negotiate with two grandchildren what they could and could not order (I believe they settled on cocoa).
- And, most detailed, a man talking on his cell phone about all aspects of diet, nutrition, and exercise. I couldn't figure out whether he was a nutritionist working with a client, whether he was just talking to a friend, whether he was doing an interview of some sort. In the course of his conversation, I learned that: (1) He likes to bike, but isn't fond of biking on the narrow roads around here, but is okay as long as he rides his mountain bike instead of his street bike; (2) He can lose 5 pounds in 5 days if he cuts back on carbs; (2) His blood pressure has gone up since he started exercising, but he attributes that just to the change in routine; (3) his cholesterol is 220, but his ratio of bad to good cholesterol is excellent; (4) that the person on the phone just needs to start doing some sort of activity every day, even if it's just walking for five minutes; (5) that UNC faculty can use the pool by the basketball stadium free of charge, and there's hardly ever anybody there; and...in addition, I observed that (6) he was (ironically) drinking some sort of calorie-laden coffee drink while having this conversation.
I'll be headed home soon. Friday has become pizza night at our house, particularly since DiGiorno pizza has been on sale recently. It's actually pretty good, and a heck of a lot cheaper than getting "the pizza man" to come (although Lea always finds it exciting when the pizza man visits).
Speaking of Lea, when I dropped her off at school this morning, Liam came running up to her shouting, "Hi Lea! Hi Lea! Hi Lea!" Lea's response? "I'm not ready to talk yet, Liam...okay?"
She's going to be fun as a teenager, no?
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