Outdoor Seating

One of the basic pleasures of being in Southern California is ubiquitous outdoor seating.  It seems to pop up not only outside of restaurants and coffee shops, but also outside of grocery stores, in alleys between clothing stores, and on sidewalks surrounding bookshops, department stores, and holistic health centers for cats and dogs.  

So after a couple more days of just barely making it to the library and feeling woozy, I'm now hungry for real food. I ventured out to engage with the teeming hordes in a space of public discourse.  I took it slow and opted for the Corner Bakery, a cute café I'd driven by a few times.  I had chicken salad with apples, currants, and almonds.  It was already dark and near closing time, but I sat on the patio with some other latecomers and chatted with an incredibly nice waiter.  As I sat there, with views of the cafe, the Anthropologie boutique across the street (when is it appropriate to shop there?), and a Macy's hovering above me next door, I experienced my first bout of cool fall air.  Refreshing!