Sterling Terrell

smart ideas from books (mostly)

Cafe Energy

Cafe Energy

Uh, yes, please. We need more of this sitting in front of cafe energy.

More loafing at lunch.

More wasting the afternoon in airports lost in thought and leisure.

More going for six-mile walks down the beach.

See, I have a sense that, if we wanted, life could be a lot more simple and cheap than we think.

Libraries are free, walks are free, swimming in the ocean is free, bird watching is free, people watching is free, and spending the afternoon in a cafe with free refills might cost as little as a few dollars.

Good grief, the best evening I had all week was last night. And do you know what I did?

I sat in a lawn chair in my driveway for over an hour during sunset. I smiled at people as they walked or drove by, I watched the birds come and go, I listened to the leaves dance in the wind, and I enjoyed the last wisps of the day’s light before they were gone forever.

Avoid that Friday conference call if you can.

And let’s do more of this 👇

Cafe Of The Pink Turtle

Cafe Of The Pink Turtle

I am sorry but, Cafe Of The Pink Turtle is just a fantastic name for a restaurant.

It’s memorable and it’s visual.

I can almost see a bustling counter with plates pilled with homestyle food being plopped down.

Some talent agent would come in – and everyone would roll their eyes.

Someone else would be talking too loud and there would always be tension in the air that felt like the next deal.

The scene reminds me of this passage from Tough Jews (Amazon).

Of course, simplicity, I would have gone with: Pink Turtle Cafe.

In the 70s and 80s the Beverly Wilshire had probably the best coffee shop in Hollywood, the Cafe of the Pink Turtle, whose counterman at the time I think was named Mike, though I’m not sure. Mike was the best counterman bar none I’ve ever met. At the Cafe of the Pink Turtle the action was always fast and furious, mainly because all three of the major talent agencies were nearby. ICM down the street, CAA up the street, and William Morris just out the back door. All those agents needed a little protein before launching into deal making. Mike and the other counterpeople fed them quickly and well and sent them out into the world of sham and hype.

-Larry McMurtry, Hollywood (Amazon)

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