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Wednesday, August 04, 2004

Post number 80...

Coffee and nicotine. I never thought they'd become so routine to so many. I walk out of the newsroom; cigarette in one hand, coffee in another as they walk to the designated area. Fifteen minute break means grabbing the smokes or grabbing a cup of joe. Driving means a swig of caffeine and a few puffs.
The room is dark, filled with college-aged hipsters playing pool over cigarettes, workers yelling out "small, light whip!" over blaring rock music. What are they saying? The bass drowns out the deep screams of the lead singer.
Light from a lowly hung, tiny lamp brightens the green and purple table, empty coffee cup nearby. There's a guy in the corner who casually sips his joe and watches the table from beneath his baseball cap. Now a cigar.
Darkness floods the other side of the window, plastic tables and chairs crowded on the small sidewalk outside of the cafe. A large safe door is behind the pool players, one of them has a dark mop of hair draped to the side of his long forehead. I wonder if this is the life...
"You and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals.." the song I hate more than anything is playing loudly over the speaker system now. A winding staircase is to my right and it leads upstairs to who knows what. There are neon lights up there, a few tables and chairs.
Is this a 'safehouse?' Yes and no.
I still haven't gotten my share of coffee. Then again, I had some earlier in the day. Another little habit I picked up at the paper. Caffeine...hopefully nicotine is not soon to follow, but I've seen the ill effects so it's highly unlikely.
Smoke drifts across the room. How did I get so used to this smell, this feeling around my lungs? Maybe it's all of the reporters I've been hanging out with...and the college-agers...and the bars...but there haven't been that many; bars that is. It's an interesting phenomenon. You think all that goes on at "those sorts of places" is just drunken debauchery, but it's not true. It's all about socializing, though some do choose to get hammered.
The beat is melodic and has an 80s feel to it now. My eyes burn. Maybe I'll go get a cup of joe...

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