This morning Samantha and I packed up and went to Ugly Mugs for a few hours to enjoy the beautiful weather and to get our caffeine fix. The coffee shop has become a bit of a feature in our weekend routine, giving Samantha a chance to write (or at least, outline) and me a chance to goof around on my iPhone and people watch.
The crowd at this East Nashville locale is certainly an eclectic one. Young and old, men and women, tattooed and not. Folks bring their kids, dogs, bikes and computers in from various points in the neighborhood and beyond. It lacks the corporate styling of a Starbucks, so you get the "true" coffee house experience.
I watched young families with toddlers roll in with a red wagon in tow. The guy in a motorcycle suit sat ordered his mug and sat down to read a book. A couple behind me were discussing deep psychological concepts while other two guys on the patio conducted a business meeting. There was a laptop and/or college textbook on nearly every table while the baristas discussed politics.
We had the pleasure of seeing part of the Music City Unsigned mixer on a late afternoon visit yesterday (you should be catching on to a trend by now). Daniel Ellsworth (MySpace) performed a set. It reminded me of one of my favorite parts about calling Nashville home: even the guys playing the neighborhood coffee shops and downtown bars are extremely talented. The photo above is from his performance.