This morning I went to a coffee shop with my iPad to read various newspapers if I had no one to talk to.
I started with the New York Times and eventually found "Can a Jellyfish Unlock the Secret of Immortality?", Nathaniel Rich, New York Times, 2012-11-28. This is fascinating not only for a particular jellyfish to move between a young state and an older state and back but also for the description of the Japanese scientist who studies them without much funding.
The jellyfish story mentioned "The Remarkable Life of Benjamin Bottom" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I checked its availability at the public library upstairs and thought about borrowing it later. I also checked iTunes and found that it's in a set of six stories for only 99 cents. I downloaded the iBook and read "Benjamin Bottom" at my table.
As it approached noon, I decided it was time to go home. As I was leaving, not paying attention to the people I passed, a familiar voice greeted me. It was one of the couple I often sit with. I asked them why they hadn't joined me. They said that they didn't want to bother me as I was absorbed in my computer. I sat down with them and chatted on for another half-hour.
This was a more interesting and varied coffee hour than I had expected. Plus, by walking there, I had two miles of exercise!
