The Hunt for Caffeine and Free Wi-Fi

Since Grinders is temporarily closed, Michelle and I are looking for an interim hang out. Well, actually, I am looking for one since she is actually in school. The kind of place we seek will be first and foremost a coffee shop. It will be a sit-down type place, not just a drive thru. Not a jazz club, or a place that thinks its an Italian restaurant. The place will have free Wi-Fi available. The atmosphere will be relaxed, but not dead. The prices will be reasonable. The people that work there will be friendly and knowledgeable. The people that hang out there will have above average intelligence, and will be able to converse on any number of subjects.

Anyway, here are the results of my hunt:

Lassiter's (Riverside Dr.): Drive thru only, plus the owner is a jerk. Scratch it.

Cafe Paradiso (North Second St.): As soon as I walked in, I choked on the haze of smoke that was 3 feet thick. At 9:30 in the morning. I thought I had stumbled into a bar. No Wi-Fi. The waitress told me that they had it at the old location, but that "it never quite worked out"...whatever that means. She was quick to point out a power outlet under my table, in case I needed to plug in. Maybe she thought I could miracle myself onto the web. Nice touches were the lender's library (leave a book, take a book), and the magazine/newspaper rack was extensive. House guitar hanging on the wall (with pick) for anyone who wants to play. However, the prices were too high. If there were ever a cafe for bikers, this is it. Clientele (and staff) seemed quite "rough around the edges". Example: the girl behind the counter was smoking Camels.

Three Girls cafe (Wilma Rudolph): No Wi-Fi (girl behind the counter said they hoped to have it running my mid-summer). I resisted the urge to say that humans may be living on Mars by mid-summer, and that they should move into the current century. Prices were reasonable. Decorations were great. Clientele seemed to be classy. 3 semi-private rooms for meetings and such. That was cool.

Franklin Bean Company (Franklin St.): No longer in existence. I had never been there, and apparently not many other people had either.

Cafe 431 (University Ave): Is it a cafe that thinks its an Italian restaurant, or vice-versa. Anyway, they scored in the 40s on their health dept. exam. Ouch. Note to self: Salmonella sucks. E coli too.

Mugsy's (Ft. Campbell Blvd.): I have never been there, so I called today and asked the girl on the phone if they had wireless internet. Her response was, "Do we have what?" I repeated my question, and she said she would have to ask the manager. I knew I was in trouble. She comes back to phone after she popped her gum, and said, "No, but they hope to have it in a couple of weeks". I resisted the urge to say that people may be living on the moon in a couple of weeks, and that they should move into the current century.

Java City (on campus): Staff are all bartending school dropouts. Prices are too high, and service sucks. 7,000 students attend APSU and JC seats about 40. You do the math. Often there are at least 3 TV going full volume on 3 different channels. Mass confusion reigns. Occasional live music or movies on the projection screen, which is cool. The bands almost always seem to play on nights that I cannot be there, though. Wi-Fi and ethernet ports (about 5). A little too dark for me to do any real reading.

So, I am in a real quandary here. I do not know what I am going to do, other than maybe drive to Nashville to a Panera bread store. I don't see that happening, though. I will keep you posted. Peace...