Ummmm, are we all there?!

A few weeks ago, in Nevada City
Two people were in the same coffee shop as I, looking at a painting on the wall and commenting on it. I looked at the man, who had blood on his chin and forehead. I also looked at the painting. When I looked back at the man, he caught my eye.
"I'll fight you! I'll fight you over the loveliness of her!" he said, gesturing at his friend at the table with him.
"Oh, time to move on!" I thought, walking away. I wasn't worried, but didn't want to stay in the situation.
"Yeah, you run! You run!" he exclaimed, rather lackadaisically, after me.
I didn't run, but I didn't make eye contact again, either.
See, Nevada City is known for hippies, druggies, and other interesting characters. Another local stopped Amos and I in October, trying to explain to us where some interesting houses were:
"Yeah, you go down this street and that street and then this street, and there are houses built on rocks."
Hmmmmm...Thanks buddy. We'll try to find This Street and That Street, but in the mean time, you might want to move so you don't get run over. You're standing in the street.

A few days ago, in South County
Mom wanted a book of stamps, so I headed to Longs before going up to Grass Valley.
"Do you have a book of stamps?" I asked the cashier, who was tall and had very curly hair.
"Mmmm, yes we do. Do you mind holiday stamps?"
"No. How much are they?"
"$8.40."
"Okay, I'll take one."
"You want one stamp?" He seemed surprised.
Trying not to smile, I said, "No...I want a book of them."
"Oh, okay."
Glad we clarified that one.

Yesterday, in Roseville
After visiting the mall to spend some of the money on a Christmas gift card, I headed to Panera Bread to use the free wifi. I decided to get regular house coffee and asked the cashier for a regular cup, rather than a to-go cup.
He searched for a few moments before finding a mug that looked too small to be the size I had ordered. I took the cup and glanced inside, just to be sure.
I was amused and a little shocked to find not dust, but a few chunks of something in the cup.
"Uhhhhhh," I said, tipping the cup back toward the man.
He took the mug and looked inside.
"Uhhhhh, do you want me to wash it?" he asked, as if I had just requested for him to wear it as a hat.
"Ya know, I'll just take a to-go cup. Thanks!"
The sad thing was, I'm pretty sure he was the assistant manager, if not the manager. I wish I had thought to tell him that I was a secret shopper, and his shop had just failed. Big time.