School’s Out

 

11/6/26 Top Pot Doughnuts, Wedgwood neighborhood

The first hour I was at the Wedgwood neighborhood Top Pot, I had the place to myself – literally. Although several patrons came in, they all got doughnuts to go. As a solid introvert, this situation would usually suit me just fine; it was quiet and comfortable, and I had a good Americano to wash down my coffee-glazed fritter. I was disappointed, though, not to have even one or two people to sketch.

Around 2:30 p.m., the doors suddenly exploded with the after-school crowd. The volume increased significantly, and I became more interested in eavesdropping than in my still life of empty chairs. By then, I had to leave for an appointment, so I couldn’t sketch any of the kids and their parents enjoying Friday afternoon treats. I managed to record some of their comments, though.

The snippet of dialog here was an employee chatting to a co-worker about recent social activities.