OhM Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Heh heh heh. I have no one IRL to call and share this with right now, and I have a down moment, so I'll inflict the story on all my "imaginary" friends. :D Dd and I do vocab and grammar lessons at Tim Horton's once a week. "Morning @ Tim's", we call it. We discovered it one morning last year when dh had his wisdom teeth pulled and I needed to stay nearby to take him home, but dd and I *had* to get some schoolwork done. It seems like the change of scenery (with donuts) enables us to get twice as much done in the same amount of time! Anyway...today we decided to try out a new venue. We have a recently-opened (but not brand new) Panera's nearby that we haven't tried yet. So dd and I had just procured our treats and were comfortably situated into a corner booth when we noticed a woman kind of wandering around among the tables. After several minutes of wandering in and out of our area, she settles at a table near us, and then makes a call on her cell. I notice the call because she is explaining to someone in a very loud voice how she is there, at Panera, but their regular table isn't available, so she's sitting by the fireplace. All of that was on the periphery of my attention. But when the same scene was repeated by a man and a teenage girl who both arrived carrying laptops, I started to take notice. They also sat near us, at a table adjacent to the first lady and proceeded to have a very awkward conversation about "can you get a signal here?" "I don't know if it will work." "How long will your battery last?" "Gee, I don't know if I charged mine." Etc. Finally, the first lady can't take it any longer, so she says, "There's an outlet over here if you'd rather..." but before she can finish her offer, the guy snaps, "Yeah, I know, we sit there EVERY Monday at this time." This causes her to snap, "Well, I sit THERE every Monday at this time!" and point at dd and I. Then they both huff to themselves, laptop guy doesn't move to the table w/the outlet, first lady sees her friend arrive and dramatically waves her to the table. So at that moment, I realize - this woman made a phone call to tell her friend that she was sitting 2 tables away from their usual spot. And laptop guy is one table away from his usual spot (maybe 6-8 feet total) and is gravely concerned that he won't be able to get a signal there. And he's torqued enough about it to ignore the offer to move to *his* table! Man, we probably threw off their entire week by sitting in that booth! Next week, it's back to Tim Horton's. (Dh says if it were him, he'd be in that booth every week for the rest of the year.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 (Dh says if it were him, he'd be in that booth every week for the rest of the year.) I agree with DH. But I'm just like that. :D We have planned on doing school at Panera bread but haven't gotten there yet. I think I need to pencil that in for next week. We have a fairly new Target with a huge Starbucks in it. Its always empty and it has a ton of tables, big window to daydream out of it and lots of natural light. Its also on my list of places to do "school". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I'd go back there too. I thought it was hysterical! Reminds me of people sitting in someone's "spot" on the church pew. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 :lol::lol::lol: I'm sorry that is hysterical. I would be there and see if the women arrived "early" to procure her spot. I would have probably started looking for her name on the table and then proceeded to teach my ds a life lesson about the very issue while sitting at the table. Very loudly. Sheesh. Get over it, lady, it's a public place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacie Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Oh how I wish I lived nearby! How much fun would it be to fill the whole seating section with homeschoolers and laptops next Monday? They sound a bit obsessive about their seating arrangements, and I'm getting quite a laugh out of it! Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 :lol: Too hilarious! How dare you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineFarmMom Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 That is so funny!!!!!!! Troublemaker!! ;) Honestly, it reminds me of a present-day episode of Seinfeld. I could so see George being the one angry at the woman and her innocent child for taking his seat and then him making a scene. "You took George's seat!! GEORGE SITS THERE EVERY MONDAY!!" Btw, I'm with your dh. I think y'all should go back next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Oh, people can be SO weird! I totally agree with your DH--I'd be there every week from now on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 That is too funny:lol: I too would be like your DH and would make sure I was parked there with my kids every week for the rest of the year. :tongue_smilie: I've never thought of doing school at Panera, but it's a great idea. I may just have to see what kind of Pandemonium I can start at our Panera :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 LOL, you troublemaker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 That also reminded me of someone sitting in "your" pew at church. Which happened this Sunday morning to me. A different guy (who usually sits in the back) sat in the 2nd pew on the end, which made the guy who normally sits in the 2nd pew on the end move to sit in the middle, which made the woman who usually sits in the middle have to sit in a different pew and I have no idea who she ended up displacing. I wonder how many people ended up sitting in different places yesterday morning, because that one guy decided to sit up front yesterday? (I managed to squeeze in between "new guy" and "guy who usually sits on the end." So I ended up in my usual spot.) I find that sort of stuff (like at church or what you had happen at Panera) very amusing. Shake things up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 Oh how I wish I lived nearby! How much fun would it be to fill the whole seating section with homeschoolers and laptops next Monday? They sound a bit obsessive about their seating arrangements, and I'm getting quite a laugh out of it! Thanks for sharing! Oh, that would be awesome! Wouldn't it be great to have a homeschooling "flash mob" to call up for situations like this? I forgot to mention - "pandemonium" was one of dd's words this morning. I was thinking as she was going through the list, "How perfect!" I knew you all would sympathize/enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 That also reminded me of someone sitting in "your" pew at church. Which happened this Sunday morning to me. A different guy (who usually sits in the back) sat in the 2nd pew on the end, which made the guy who normally sits in the 2nd pew on the end move to sit in the middle, which made the woman who usually sits in the middle have to sit in a different pew and I have no idea who she ended up displacing. I wonder how many people ended up sitting in different places yesterday morning, because that one guy decided to sit up front yesterday? (I managed to squeeze in between "new guy" and "guy who usually sits on the end." So I ended up in my usual spot.) I find that sort of stuff (like at church or what you had happen at Panera) very amusing. Shake things up! LOL - this has happened at our church, too. I sat on the other side one morning, and the couple who usually sit there greeted me with, "What are you doing here?" Good morning to you, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Oh how I wish I lived nearby! How much fun would it be to fill the whole seating section with homeschoolers and laptops next Monday? They sound a bit obsessive about their seating arrangements, and I'm getting quite a laugh out of it! Thanks for sharing! That would be hilarious! You could also go with some little "reserved" table tents and put them on the tables all around you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 (edited) See this is one of those situations where I can relate and I would have offered to move so that everyone could sit where they usually do. Of course, it would be an interesting social experiement to see if everyone would actually move. Kind of reminds me of the episode of Monk where two of the OCD patients show up at the same time and keep rearranging the magazines. :tongue_smilie: I also believe there is an episode of Friends that explores the same concept, although I think that one ends in a physical confrontation. Edited September 15, 2009 by KidsHappen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 I did something like that at Starbucks last week. The table is a bit out of sight of the door. Four separate people charged around the display and pulled up short when they saw me. I loved it. Great table with an outlet on the wall right beside it. I will be back. I would have loved to witnessed your pandemonium this morning. Do it again. It's GOOD for people to get kicked out of their ruts. When I change places at church, I meet so many new people. It's a good thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LND1218 Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 OH you must go back and wreck havoc in their lives!! They really need it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 I wish we lived near you, it would be fun to do a flash mob thing!! we homeschooled at Panera for the first time last week, funny you did too! 3 of my kids had a double art lesson, so I took my oldest to Panera to run through our Sonlight discussion for the week. I went only for the chocolate chip bagel, and they were out!:glare: I was very put out. but not as put out it seems as the people you dislodged!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 I'm with you, Kidshappen. I would love to say that I would just stay at that table and return often just to mess these people up, but, I guess I'm so set in my own ways that I kinda get other people's crazy moments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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