Memories for a quarter ...

Sitting ... simply sitting ... enjoying the moment with a cup of coffee at one hand, and the lap top opened on the table before you ... in the background music if playing on the juke box.

Some music is soft, romantic ... other selections are harder, louder and rocking ... the sun is shining through the front windows ... it's a beautiful day ...

Kriss strolls over to the juke box and drops in a couple of quarters ... First Boney M warbles over the speaker singing about Rasputin and his exploits with the Russian Queen. Next a Beatles tune carries across the room ...

"Hmmm," Kriss wonders to herself, "maybe I should punch in The Twist by Chubby Checker, maybe Bonnie would show us how to do The Twist properly again ..." She smiles as she leans over the machine.

What to choose ... so many selections to chose from ... Elvis, The Beatles, Billy Idol, the selections range from classic rock through to those bands who released thier tunes on the last of the once ubiquitous vinyl 45's ...

Now the stack of 45s sits waiting in a machine, tucked in a corner of a coffee shop nestled in slow paced town lying in a valley in the middle of the vast Canadian prairie ... the stack of vinyl waits to be played ... it waits to echo forth from the juke box, filling the space of the shop with a joyous cacophany of sound and music that helps to call forth glorious memories ...

Memories of moments in time ... a summer of our mis-spent youth ... a school dance ... a movie ... a date ... sitting enjoying a soda in a cafe ... The memories that are sealed with music ... Memories made sweeter by the sound track of our lives ... and all those memories may can be unlocked with the thunk of a quarter in a coin slot ...

It can be shiny and new ... or it can be old and covered with dirt and scratches ... it makes not a whit bit of difference to the machine ... 25 cents is 25 cents ... for a mere quarter a memory can be recalled through music:

... a first date ... a first dance ... a first kiss ... a first boy or girl friend ... with the drop of a quarter in the coin slot you can be transported back to those firsts ... those moments when life was fresh and new and being experienced anew for the first time ...

For a quarter you can call up the sound track of our lives ... a few notes and we can remember and find ourselves transported back in time and space ...

For a quarter we can play the music of our lives ... relieve and remember the moments ... we can laugh ... or cry ... or just smile as we remember ...

At Chipperfields' over coffee, you can recall alot of memories for a quarter ... it is still a bargain at twice the price ...

Overheard at Chipperfields' ... Part XXXIV ...

The early morning crew were camped out on the sofas at the front of the store, Jay-Dee was busy behind the counter getting things ready for the day. She looked up when the door opened. She was suprised to see Bonnie strolling in.

Jaydee looked up at the clock on the wall, it read 8:00 am. She was sure that the staff list said Bonnie wouldn't be in until 3:30 today. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the girl who used to work in a less friendly environment cried out in warning.

When the boss shows up unannounced, at a time when you're not expecting her, that can seldom be good. Jay-dee's mind went back to the day in a place of previous employment when the boss showed up unexpectedly, a half an hour after lunch was supposed to be over and found a number of the staff still off. He had not been pleased and by week's end a number of folks had been let go.

"Hi Bonnie," Jay-Dee offered as cheerfully as she could muster given the nervousness that just gripped her soul.

"Hi," Bonnie replied as she rounded the counter and headed into the back.

"What's she doing her?" Jay-Dee wondered to herself. She watched as Bonnie picked up an apron and returned to the front and began puttering behind the counter, "She's just messing with me," she thought. Then a more ominous thought popped into her head: "Did I do something wrong?"

Just then the front door opened and Dani strolled in. She greeted the early morning crew on the couches at the front, and turned towards the counter. She saw Bonnie behind the counter and her footsteps faltered slightly, she looked at her watch then the clock on the wall, then back to her watch, her face blanched slightly as nervousness gripped her too. "I'm only two minutes late," she thought to herself glancing again at the clock, "Bonnie can't be here because of that ??" Then after a pause she let out an audible gasp as she thought to herself, "Oh my gawd, she knows about that time last month that I was a half an hour late unlocking the store ..."

At the gasp Bonnie looked up and a confused look crossed her face. "Good morning Dani," It was more of a question then a statement. Bonnie then looked at Jay-Dee who was standing by the sink tryng not to stare back at Bonnie, but clearly looking nervous.

"What the heck is going on?" thought Bonnie.

Then she broke the silence that had settled in behind the counter, "Why are there three of us here this morning?"she asked.

For a long moment neither Jay-Dee nor Dani answered. Taking thier silence as a clue Bonnie turned to the cooler where the staffing timetable is hung and read it ...

"Damned," she whispered, then her voice took on a deeper throatier tone, almost a growl, "ROSS!" She said loudly. Without saying a word she snatched up the portable phone and punched in her home number ...

"Ross," Bonnie's voice was level and calm, "what day is today?" She paused for the answer before continuing, "and what does it say there for my work hours?"

"Yes," said Bonnie after a moment, "and what time is it?"

Again there was a pause. Jay-Dee and Dani looked at one another, neither feeling adventurous enough to speak in this moment.

Bonnie's voice took on a sharper tone, "Sorry won't cut it Ross," she snapped, and then after a pause she continued, "Don't tell me you fell off a ladder and hit your head. I was there remember. I saw it happen and I know you didn't hit your head ..."

Jay-Dee's eyes began to glint, and Dani was fighting back, unsuccessfully a smile as Bonnie continued, "You are in some serious trouble with me," she continued, "I could have slept in this morning, but you told me I was down to work at 8 am ... you read the wrong day again Ross."

Bonnie paused to listen to Ross' pleas before concluding her side of the conversation, "I will NOT give you a two minute head start before I come home. I'm coming home right now !!" With that Bonnie pushed the disconnect button and slammed the phone into it's cradle.

She turned to Jay-Dee and Dani, "I'm going home, I'm not supposed to be here ..." she said as she turned and headed towards the door. Her head held high.

The two women watched her go and offered a faint, "Good bye," to her ... as the door closed they looked at each other and collapsed into peals of laughter.

"I wouldn't want to be Ross about now," laughed Jay-Dee.

"Poor guy," agreed Dani.

The early morning crew were shaking their heads as they came up to the counter for refills.

A Tip of the Cap ...

Chippie is back from his grand adventure, and what an adventure it has been !!
He's been to the beaches of BC, to the Glaciers of Jasper and Banff.
He's watched whales and eagles.
He's played.
He's flown in the wind.
He's been swimming, albeit briefly.
He's ridden in a car for days, and sat in the sun for hours.
He's been to and fro ... and it's been good.
It's all been good ...

And so today, I offer a tip of the hat to Ross and Bonnie and all their staff, and some of their customers too, for letting me continue to play and to tell stories spun from the place on Main St that has become so much more then just a coffee shop ...

Chipperfields' is a coffee shop ... but it is a place filled with laughter ... a place filled with friends ...
And for the record, the real flesh and blood Ross is not the incompetent fool I've portrayed around here ... he's a good guy, and a better friend, and he has my respect for letting me use him as my favourite literary foil ... and having shoulders broad enough to take a little good natured teasing ...

The others here ... well, in every good story there is a tiny pinch of truth tempered by alot of love and respect and admiration ... My characters are simply that - characters ... but the real people are so much more wonderful then the words on the page ... and I feel privileged and blessed to call them friends ...

So, Ross, Bonnie, and all those who pop up around here ... I tip my hat to you, and say - "thanks for letting me play ..." You're the best!!!

Thanks ...

Overheard at Chipperfields' ... Part XXXIII ...

Anna was getting an order for an iced latte ready when the lights and power suddenly flickered out ...

"Oh, Oh ..." Ross' voice carried from the back of the store.

"Ross !!!!" Bonnie;s voice boomed like a tolling bell through the store, "What did you do??"

"Um," Anna, who for the first time looked confused and uncertain of what to do next flashed a very brief smile at the customer in front of her and then said, "I don't think I can finish your order right now." As she spoke, she began regaining her composure and continued, "If you want to have a seat I'll bring it right out to you when we get our current problem fixed ..." She ended with a charming smile.

"Sure thing, and um ... thanks," said the customer as he and his wife headed to the sofa's at the front, he seeming to shepherd her out of harm's way as they both of them glanced back nervously to where Ross was still standing on a ladder in the back.

"Ross," Bonnie's voice was a tad above a hiss, "What did you do?"

Before Ross could do any more then open his mouth to speak, Bonnie continued, "I was in the middle of month end reports when you do SOMETHING to cut the power to the whole building ..." she paused very briefly, "what did you do?"

Ross opened his mouth to speak, then glanced up at the flourescent light fixture over his head and back down at Anna who was standing at the front counter looking up. "Is she laughing at me?" Ross thought.

"Ross," Bonnie's voice had a level almost ominous tone, "Ross, what did you do?"

"Um," Ross gulped and then started to speak, "I was trying to fix this light fixture, and I noticed this loose wire here and ..." as he spoke he absent mindedly reached up and touched the wire.

In an instant four things happened ... First there was a blinding flash of light ... Second Ross was flung from the ladder as though a fusillade had suddenly been unleashed over the kitchen and he had become it's unwary victime ... Third, Bonnie gasped in horror as Ross flew over her head and landed with a thump on the floor behind her ... and fourth, Anna burst into an uncontrolled fit of laughter watching Ross flung haphazardly from the ladder ...

"Oh my gawd," Bonnie whirled to look where Ross had landed, "Ross are you alright?"

A loud groan was the only sound Ross could manage.

"Ross?" Bonnie kneeled beside Ross, though she was careful not to touch him for fear that some lingering electrical current might still be pulsing through his prone form, "Ross, are you okay?"

"Ooooohhhhh," Ross again moaned.

Bonnie looked up and cast a withering glare at Anna who was standing in the door way, smiling while at the same time looking somewhat concerned, "Can I help?" she offered cheerily, "should I call an ambulance?" As the last syllable left her mouth Anna burst into laughter. She covered her mouth and beat a hasty retreat saying "Sorry ..."

"Oooooohhhh," Ross repeated, "that really hurt ..."

"Yes, dear" affirmed Bonnie, and again she asked, "are you alright?"

By this time the few customers who were in the store on a Sunday afternoon were crowding in the doorway of the kitchen to get a better look at the tableau before them ...

"I'm okay," Ross moaned as he started to sit up.

"Should you sit up?" asked Bonnie visibly concerned, "that WAS quite a fall?"

"And spectacular," said a young boy in the door way excitedly, "could you show us again Mister?"

Bonnie glared at the boy. Ross grimaced as he tried to smile.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie again repeated.

Ross was sitting up by this time, "I'm fine, just a little winded is all ..."

"So, what did you do?" Bonnie asked as she ran a hand down Ross' back, partially out of affection, and partially to see if there was anything visibly out of place ...

"Well, I was trying to fix the light fixture up there, and I guess I hit that wire and ..." Ross pauses as he looked up, his neck creaked to the action, "I guess that blew the breakers ..."

"Oh Ross," Bonnie shook her head. Her hand was moving across his shoulders, again checking for obvious injuries, "Didn't I say to get someone to look at that?"

"Yes dear, but I thought I could do it myself," Ross said still looking up at the light fixture where there was now a dark black smudge where the tiny wire protruded, "but I thought I could do it myself." Ross' tone sounded hopeful almost childlike, "I'm sorry."

"It will be okay," said Bonnie as her hand moved slowly down Ross' arms, still assessing him for injury, "I'll take care of it ..."

"Okay," said Ross softly as he gingerly stood up and moved out of the kitchen. As he approached the door, the people clustered there moved back slowly, not moving their eyes from him.

As Ross left the Kitchen, Bonnie looked up at the light fixture above her head and sighed, "I guess the month end reports will HAVE to wait now ..." she picked up a pair of pliers and a screwdriver and began climbing the ladder, " ... I'll just have to do it myself."

Ten minutes later, the light fixture was back on, the power was restored and Bonnie was punching in the selection for Helen Reddy singing "I am woman" on the juke box.

"Do you have to?" asked Ross, his voice a whine, as he sat at the table beside the juke box, "that's like pouring salt in my wounds ..."

"Yes, I have to..." answered Bonnie as she punched in a dollar's worth of the song ... "Yes, I have to ..."

Overheard at Chipperfields' ... Part XXXII ...

When J-- walked in the front door of the store, there were no other customers. Dani was working behind the counter, while her youngest daughter Karen was busily working at her colouring book in the corner by the jukebox. Anna was busily wiping down the tables and gathering the cups and debris from the customers who had just left.

"Morning Ladies," J-- offered cheerfully, "Hi Karen," he called as he waved to her.

Karen looked up and smiled, but turned back to her colouring.

"Good Morning MISTER J--," Anna offered, stretching out the 'mister' with a smile, "How are you today?" She glanced out the front window and noticed that J--'s car wasn't in its usual place by the curb out front. She looked around and didn't see his car or his Harley anywhere nearby, "You walking today J--?"

"Oh, I'm okay, I guess," J-- said as he crossed the floor towards the counter, pausing briefly before continuing, "and yeah I'm walking today."

"How come?" asked Anna, again busying herself cleaning the tables.

"I got a problem with my car port," answered J-- as he stood at the counter.

"What's the problem with your car port?" Dani asked as she turned to face J--. As she turned she gasped, "Oh my God J-- !!"

It was in that moment that she had noticed the bandages on J--'s hands and neck, and the obvious red welts on his cheeks and forehead.

Her attention drawn by Dani's gasp, Anna rounded the counter and looked up at J--. It was then that she too noticed J--'s battered appearance.

"What happened to you??" Anna asked, her voice also a gasp and her mouth hanging open slightly.

"Oh just some wasp stings," J-- answered cheerfully.

"That's more then just some wasp stings," replied Dani, "what happened?"

"I tried to be funny," said J-- as he took the cup of coffee Dani slid across the counter to him added cream and continued speaking, "and it kind of back fired."

"What did you do?" Anna's eyes narrowed as she looked at J--, "Is it connected to the problems with the car port?"

"Well, Yeah it is," J-- began, "This morning my son came over with his kids to pressure wash my drive way and the deck and patio furniture and so on. We were busy doing it. I would get the kids to carry the stuff out on to the lawn and he would clean it. Things were going along just fine all morning, and then I made a comment about the damned wasp nests I had in the yard. There was one on the peak of the house and another one under the eave inside the car port."

"So, what happened?" asked Anna, her face softening out of concern.

"I'll get there," said J-- as he took a sip of coffee, "So I mention those nests to my son, and he says 'No problem Dad, we'll just hit them with the power washer and knock 'em down and they'll be gone.' It sounded good to me, so I showed him where they were."

"And the wasps stung you when you tried?" said Dani, interupting him.

"Oh, no nothing that simple," said J-- with a laugh, "if we had just hit them with the power washer and left it at that it would have been fine. But I had to try to be the jokester. Just tried to be funny ..." J--'s voice trailed off as he laughed quietly at the recollection.

"What did you do?" said Anna, now leaning on the corner of the counter, her chin resting in her hand.

"Well, my son went over to the first wasp nest, the one on the peak of the roof and turned the power washer on," J-- continued, "and poof it was gone ... One good blast of the power washer and the nest was just gone. So then he goes into the car port. He has to squeeze past the car and manouver his way underneath the stupid thing. He gets in a good spot, he can get a clear shot at the nest and knock it down. And the wasps are just doing their thing, so he gives the hose a tug and gets ready to spray it, and I decide to make him laugh ..."

The two women stood silently, waiting ...

"Just as he pulls the trigger and starts blasting the nest with the stream of water, I decide to take the hose and fold it over to cut off the water supply." J-- says with a smirk.

"NO?" gasped Dani in horror, her eyes widening, "you didn't?"

"I did," laughed J--, grimacing in the pain it caused the stings on his face.

"You're horrible," said Anna, clearly delighted in the tale.

"I had to really reef on the hose to double it over and cut off the water supply," said J-- taking another sip of his coffee, "But I did it, and it leaves my son standing there with a tiny dribble of water coming out of the end of the power washer wand ... He clicks the trigger a couple of times and says 'Huh?' as he looks at the wand in disbelief. And then all hell broke loose in the garage. "

"No!!!???" said Dani now clearly horrified.

"So what happened?" asked Anna, now completely delighted by the story.

"The wasps were roaring out of the nest, like a tornado, " said J--, " and they were making a straight line for my son. So he starts waving the wand around trying to beat them off. He kept pulling the trigger trying to get the water going, and was swinging the wand around and screaming 'Run !! Run !! Run!!" all the while he's caught by the car and can't just run out of the garage. And I'm standing in the doorway of the garage laughing and laughing at the sight of him waving the wand around desperately trying to beat back the cloud of wasps ..."

"Did you let go of the hose?" asked Dani.

"Oh no," answered J--, "I was laughing so hard I just forgot ..."

"Is your son alright?" asked Anna.

"Oh yeah, he's fine," answered J-- as he continued, "we both got swarmed by the wasps and we got stung a few times. And in all the confusion with all the swinging and waving, he had broken the end off the wand by hitting something. But, fortunately, we managed to get away from them ..."

"Oh my God," uttered Dani in horror.

Anna was laughing, and saying nothing.

"Yeah, I guess it was a good joke idea that went kind bad," offered J--

"You think?" sputtered Anna amid the laughter.

"Yeah, I guess so," said J-- sipping from his coffee, "but it could have been worse ..."

"How?" asked Dani.

"I dunno," offered J-- with a sly smile, "Isn't that what you're supposed to say when stuff happens."

"Only if it's true," interjected Dani.

"I guess you're right," agreed J--, "the worst part of this though, is that my power washer is busted, my son isn't talking to me, and I still have that damned wasp nest in my car port ..."

"And you have to walk?" stated Anna as she wiped away tears of laughter from her eyes.

"Atleast until the wasps calm down," observed J-- as he picked up his coffee and took another sip and walked over to his usual table and sat down.

Visitors both in cyber space and for real ...

I find it fascinating to hear people's reactions to this place, this blog, and the stories we share over coffee both in cyber space and around the tables in the Cafe ...

There are hits from all over the world on this blogsite, and recently one of our cyber visitors from Victoria stopped by to visit the real life Chipperfields' ... he noted that it IS everything I have described here ...

Now that was an incredible compliment ... couple that with an email from a friend who said - "your writing reminds me of John Irving" (I LOVE John Irving's writing ... from Hotel New Hampshire to The World According to Garp to Widow for One Year and my personal fav: A Prayer for Owen Meany - I count Irving as my favourite author. To be compared to him is quite a compliment ... I was awed.) It is such moments that make all of this worthwhile ...

Many times I wonder - "is anyone reading this?" or "does anyone really enjoy this?" and suddenly I hear from one of those who sign on and read my words and I think - "wow ... people are reading this ..."

And then yesterday I had the delight to be in the store, the real Chipperfields' when the real life Anna, took the binder filled with my entries and showed it to a friend with the words, "you should read this ..."

A visitor from afar ... a comparison to Irving ... and having someone say of my writing to another "you should read this ..." It's been a good week ... it makes all of this more fun to do.

Thanks to my readers, whoever and WHEREVER you are ... you're the best ...

Overheard at Chipperfield's ... Part XXXI ...

The other evening, Ross was sitting at the tables in the corner of the shop, before him were spread a variety of glossy catalogues and pamphlets. The jukebox behind him was playing some 60's rock music.

"What are doing?" asked one of the regulars as he sat down with a cup of coffee. He picked up one of the pamphlets and looked at it. "Playground equipment?" he enquired.

"It's for my grandchildren," offered Ross, "you know we have new twin Grandsons don't you?"

"Yeah," offered the regular hesitantly, "aren't they a wee bit young for this kind of stuff," he was holding up a pamphlet on wooden play houses with swings and slides.

"It's never too early to plan," said Ross hopefully, "besides there are the older grandkids to think about too ..."

"You planning on building a play ground in your back yard?" asked the regular as he set down the pamphlet and sipped his coffee.

"Well, getting it built ..." said Ross as he looked around nervously, his voice lowered to a whisper as he continued, "Bonnie doesn't like me messing with power tools, especially after the incident last summer."

The eyebrows of the regular arched in wonder. He wanted to ask about the incident, but thought better of it. Instead he changed tack slightly, "Did I ever tell you about the time we built the swing set in our yard?"

"No?" Ross' eyebrows arched, "what happened?"

"Oh nothing happened," said the regular, "I'm just really proud of the good deal I got on the slide I put on the play structure."

"Really?" said Ross, not intrigued.

"Well, I went looking for one of those fancy twirly slides," said the regular, "and at the big retail outlets down in Brandon they wanted 5 and 6 hundred bucks for the stupid things. I looked at them and thought 'they're nice and all, but I'm not paying 6 hundred dollars plus tax for a slide.' So I gave up."

"Then what?" asked Ross, eagerly.

"Well, I needed to pick up a couple of things, so I went to that little out of the way lumber place out in the south end -----&------." said the regular.

"I've been there," interjected Ross.

"So anyway, I'm in there picking up some other stuff," the regular continued, "and I see a pamphlet lying on the counter with pictures of playground equipment. I ask the guy serving me if they carry any of it. He says they do. So I ask about slides. He punches in some stuff on the computer and says 'the slides are regular $375, plus tax.' I do a quick calculation in my head and think - 'forget it'. Then before I can answer he says, 'you need it in a box?'"

"A box?" asked Ross.

"A box," answered the regular, "the guy asked me if I need it in a box. 'What do you mean?' I asked. And so the guy answers me saying, 'Well, the boxed one we have in stock is $375, but we have one that was on display out in the entrance way for $250 tax included.' I was shocked. I asked him, 'what's wrong with it?' The guy answers, 'Nothing, it just was out and assembled and we lost the box, so we can't sell it as new.' I asked if it had the manual, all the parts and so forth. The guy says it does, so I said 'sure I'll take it' and in blink of an eye the deal was done. I drove around to the back of the store and three guys loaded all the pieces in my van one at a time, and when they finished the first guy handed me the bag of nuts and bolts and things, and I drove home to put it all together."

"So?" Ross asked as the regular sipped his coffee.

"So, nothing," replied the regular, "I got a good twirly slide for real cheap."

"That's it??" asked Ross exasperated.

"That's it." said the regular smiling, "isn't saving money enough?"

"Hmmm," replied Ross looking at all the pamphlets before him ... "I guess it is ..."