My name is Brad. I am a writer, I am awkward in social situations, and I spend a lot of time in coffee shops trying to escape all of the terribly distracting things I find at home (video games, movies, tv, cats, comics, vitamin water, robots, etc.). I rotate amongst local coffee shops throughout the week so that no single location becomes too familiar with my presence. Spending any appreciable amount of time in one place is bound to make you privy to the occasional odd situation, but I have come to believe that coffee shops are breeding grounds for weird. The following is my account of the wonderfully weird and horribly awkward situations I have encountered.

The Birth of an Internet Romance.

Dude: Yeah, and I also climbed Kilimanjaro.
Chick: Yeah…. your profile said you were athletic.
Dude: Sometimes you just get bored and gotta get out there, ya know?
Chick: Yeah.

A Thief In Our Midst.

This blog has a long standing relationship with the hobos of Starbucks.  Some of them are fairly harmless, some like to watch, others are paying patrons, and some dare to walk that fine line of what is considered legal.
While standing in line the other day, however, I saw a not-very-hobo-looking man walk up and grab [...]

Brad’s Quick Tip To Avoid Awkwardness / Getting Stabbed.

Frequenting Starbucks can sometimes put you in compromising situations.  Take, for example, what just happened to me a few moments ago.
A man who may or may not have been homeless had been wandering around outside of Starbucks since I’d arrived.  After a few hours of wandering, he decided to come into the virtually empty establishment, [...]

Madonna Probably Scared Them All Away, Bro.

When I get a phone call in Starbucks that I know will be more than a brief exchange of information, I tend to walk outside, or at least speak semi-quietly.  Some people, however, tend to raise their voices.  Take for example Excited Bro, on a call that he wanted everyone to hear…
Excited Bro: Dude, was [...]

It Was Awkward While It Lasted.

Note: This post breaches one of my cardinal rules about blogging; keep it short and sweet.  Still, if you’re truly interested in the depths of my awkwardness, this one is for you.  Trust me.
I’ve been keeping this story on the back-burner for a while because it was still simmering, but I’m pretty sure it’s done [...]

Afternoon Delight.

It’s the holiday season, and that means Starbucks has seasonal egg nog.  While standing in line, a woman behind me muttered to her friend…
“I wish they’d put some rum in that for me.”
I chuckled because I thought it was just a funny comment.  She took my chuckle to mean that she needed to justify her [...]

Staring Contest.

I’ve been branching out to new Starbucks lately (for a few reasons).  Yesterday I decided to join my friend Derek at the Crystal Cove Promenade Starbucks off of PCH.  Upon arrival, it was immediately clear that this was going to be an interesting Starbucks.
Two police officers were inside talking to a shaggy Charles Manson-looking fellow.  [...]

I’ve Been Called Out.

Let me start off by apologizing for the lack of posts.  I was out of town for a while, thus not following the regular Starbucks routine.
The other day at Starbucks one of the baristas finally decided to ask me what it is that I do.  She asked if I was studying, but I told her [...]