An Afternoon at Vero Cafe

It's quiet except for the comforting sounds of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald singing overhead and the occasional rumble of the espresso machine. Students sip their coffee over crowded tables filled with laptops, books, and papers. A professor works on his lecture in the corner while another man reads the newspaper at the other end of the table. Coming here is like going to your parents' house; it's warm and cozy, smartly decorated, and has the familiar smells of good food and music from a bygone era. I would live here if I could; it's my usual spot on Mondays and Wednesdays. A place that feels like home, but has few of the usual distractions: roommates, your favorite television show, the dog, a bed....

My latte is now cold. Something that should usually happen after sitting here for two hours working on a media analysis (something I am now distracted from because I'd rather be writing this) for a class about gender and diversity in the media. Somehow watching a music video some students made about our football team and discussing the presence of gender and racial issues when there really aren't any doesn't strike me as being productive.

Luckily, the atmosphere at Vero keeps me from getting too angry about it. How could someone be mad while listening to Michael Bublé? I could also be down about the stormy weather outside, but it only makes being inside a warm coffee house that much more enjoyable.

The leaves outside hang on by a thread while the blustery wind continues to use all its might to tear them off the branches. Autumn in Oregon is the most beautiful of autumns, even when it's pouring rain. You get to see every leaf turn from green to red to orange to yellow, and then fall to the ground, covering the streets and sidewalks. Students slip on wet leaves on their way to class, adding a little humor to my walk through the rain. Everyone is happy to see the humid nights of summer go to allow for the chilly days of fall to come, the smells and sounds of the holidays.

And then winter comes.