Chatter au lait … and Coffee, too

By Joanne Bender
Sun contributor
They meet daily at the Leelanau Coffee Roasting Company in Glen Arbor, winter, spring, summer and fall. Outside or inside, depending on weather conditions. “They” includes the “regulars” and most are “locals.” Why? To talk, to laugh, to chide one another and to have a cup of java.
The group has been meeting every day for a number of years … whenever they’re in town. On this particular Wednesday in mid-August, Mike, Morrie, Ken, Gretchen, Tom, Dick, Dan, Eunice and Jim were sipping and slipping into their day.
Camaraderie abounds!

Early morning arrivals choose the table, pull up chairs and someone begins talking. Others chime in and newcomers arrive, the circle widens and the new arrivals pull up chairs without any introduction. They are welcome.
Picking up fragments of many conversations is confusing at first. But soon one picks up a thread of interesting verbal exchange and joins in. Everyone is very comfortable with everyone else.
Ears buzz as chatter swings from talk of bikes, to books, then back to bikes, then on to golf and best courses, then back to bikes. In between one hears a punch line for a joke.
Someone has dubbed this gathering “a support group for those who don’t work.” They may not work anymore (though some still do) but most have enjoyed interesting and varied careers … from being a physician, an artist, a psychologist, a resort owner, an investment banker to a federal judge and many other occupations in between.
A varied and very interesting bunch they are.
Stuart, a retired federal judge, rides a recumbent bike, a “Tadpole” with two wheels in front and one in back, and has spread his love of riding this particular model to Dan and Mike. And Mike is looking for one to purchase. Mike now rides a tour bike, but is ready to move on. Someone chimed in with the fact that recumbent bikes can cost $2,000 each.
Quickly the conversation shifts to discussion of the Crystal Lake Golf course and what terrific shape it’s in. It’s also a good deal, according to Dick. He reports that it’s only $25 to play 18 holes Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and “$20 on Tuesday and Thursday, “though it’s crowded on those days,” he reports. He also mentions having hit the roof of a house with a golf ball recently after hitting an apparent errant shot.
Mike tells a story about scales and Dan compares it to a tale about a semi truck full of canaries that weigh less when flying around inside than when stationary, so the driver regularly bangs on the side of the truck to keep them air born. (This reporter misses a point somewhere … still, everyone nods heads and chuckles).
Back to bike banter … Dan has an Imron (which he bought from Stuart four weeks ago) and Mike is looking at Optimas (made in Holland), Green Speed (Australian) or Wiz Wheelz (manufactured in Grand Rapids).
Someone says recumbent biking is “an infectious disease” spread by The Judge, Stuart, who is also dubbed the group’s “resident liberal.”
The talk shifts to books. Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, and his newest novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns are recommended. Mike doesn’t think these are men’s books … he prefers Ludlum or Baldacci. Tom disagrees, saying he enjoyed The Kite Runner. Tom also recommends reading Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer’s non-fiction book about a radical Mormon movement. Gretchen suggests reading Three Cups of Tea.
Then Dan’s mother, Eunice, visiting from the Chicago area, speaks about Glen Arbor being a wonderful place in which to raise children. Dan and his wife Jan owned and operated a local resort for 20 years.
Eunice is in town to attend a conference at the Interlochen Arts Academy.
She plays the cello and will join musicians from all over the world this week to play in various chamber music groups.
Eunice mentioned having played her cello in the former Czechoslovakia in 1990 during a chamber music concert with the only other two English-speaking musicians in attendance and what a rewarding experience that was.
Tom, a retired physician, and his wife, Gretchen, will spend three months next winter in St. Martens with friends, where Tom will be teaching a couple of days each week.
Someone says something negative about presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, and another defends him and his health plan for Massachusetts when he was governor. Another speaks negatively about Hilary Clinton and then she is praised.
That’s it. Time for everyone to leave. And without any fanfare and few salutations, that’s what they do: all smiling, still good friends, already planning their next venture for the day.
Parting good-byes are not necessary. They know they will rendezvous again tomorrow. Same time (from around 8-10:30 a.m.), same place, but perhaps not the same conversation. And maybe Peter, Lois, Don, Marcia and Paul, regulars absent today, will join them, too.