Internet Poker at Panera

As any of you that read my blog on a regular basis know, I love to sit at Panera and do what I need to get done. Not only does it provide a change of scenery from my own house where I seem to spend a lot of time, it also provides me with endless hours of entertainment.

Tonite for example, I'm at Panera. Innocently enough, I am trying to study for my Spanish class. I choose a table in the far back corner, tucked away from everyone, fully anticipating the first sip of my Caffe Mocha and a few hours of uninterrupted study time. After spending nearly 10 years in college, I should know that the library would be a better choice.

I was not here more than 10 minutes when two couples with two small babies arrived....and promptly set up camp right next to me. No, I don't mean, like a few tables over. I mean, the entire restaurant was empty and they actually moved my laptop bag to sit down. Ugh. To make matters entirely worse, they were here, on vacation from somewhere in the deep south and one clearly has an internet gambling problem.

As their babies (whose names are Journey and Star) are screaming, the two women are casually eating their dinner while one bitches that she just had to transfer $600 out of her checking account to cover her husbands gambling debt. "I told him he needs to quit doing that...."

Here's an idea - don't take him somewhere that has free internet access and then allow him to bring his laptop to dinner. And, while you're at it, change tables and feed your goddamn screaming kid who is clearly hungry and wants his bottle back that he threw on the floor.

For whatever reason, the southern gentleman lost his connection to his poker game and has spent the last 5 minutes complaining to the management here at Panera that their internet connection sucked. Geez....I never lost my connection. Maybe the poker people kicked you off because you owe them money????

As his wife tries to pacify him by telling him she'll call the people tomorrow and straighten it out, I fight my overwhelming urge to tap her on the shoulder and say, "Look sweetheart, cash in now while you've still got the trailer and the cinder blocks it's sittin' on."

Anyway, I must get back to studying my espanol....even though after 4 weeks, I still don't understand a damn word except Hola.