The "Max" of Albany

Bruegger’s Bagels

1160 Madison Ave Albany, NY

January 31, 2008

2:40pm-3:40pm

I sit in the window seat, right of the front door at Bruegger’s Bagel’s. My friends and I have a nickname for Bruegger’s we call it “Bruegs.” It is located on the corner of South Allen and Madison. This part of Albany is not bad compared to other parts. This spot was kind of random; it was a place in Albany that I knew and felt comfortable sitting alone for an hour. Sitting at Bruegger’s reminds me of high school. Almost every day during high school my friends and I (and many other people from school) would go to Bruegger’s in Latham for lunch. To this day I can’t walk into Bruegger’s without seeing someone from high school. Gathering every day at Bruegger’s reminded my friends and I of the Max on Saved by The Bell. Much like the Max, we would come to Bruegger’s to catch up on all the latest gossip around school.

I am at Bruegger's sitting alone at the corner table. I isolated myself from other pedestrians because I wanted to concentrate on all different thoughts going through my head as I watched and listened to people. I see a few people come in and out of the two doors. Most of the people are walking outside. The few people who are in Bruegger’s are speaking over the music playing. There are a couple of ladies sitting over in the opposite corner. They obviously know each other. One of the ladies is selling her daughter’s Girl Scout cookies and asks the lady if she would like to buy some. Two gentlemen walk by the window, one carrying groceries and one smoking a cigarette. A car pulls up behind mine and tries to parallel park. The back of her tan Mitsubishi Gallant is dented, which makes me nervous for my car. She pulls up a tiny bit, and then pulls back; she comes very close to hitting it. I turn my head quickly to look the other way. Two girls get out of the car and walk into Bruegger’s. One of the girls is wearing the same exact Adidas black running pants that I am. They order food quickly and then leave.

Another car tries to parallel park; this time it is a mini school bus. This driver pulls up a little and then back, pulls up again and slams on the brakes. A woman wearing all black and bright red high heel stilettos walks into Bruegger’s talking loudly on her cell phone. From where I’m sitting, I can see the Albany police station, and Variety Pizza, Deli, and Bakery-which is located right next door to Bruegger’s. There is a reflection on the window in front of me, which I can see the man smoking a cigarette is stand on the corner peering over the corner looking for someone. He walked by about five minutes after I sat down, and stood at the corner the entire time I was sitting in Bruegger’s. Every couple minutes I would look and he would be peering over the corner. He was wearing a tan golf hat, and a matching tan trench coat. I know if I was sitting at the Bruegger’s in Latham that man on the corner would be someone I know.