Perigrinations

Strange start to the usual shopping while walking; on an impulse, decided to nip into a barber shop/salon for a pruning. The woman on duty started by making fun of hooded light jackets, such as I wear in the winter as a second layer - "A hoody? I don't even have a hoody! What are they FOR?!" Title Nine had some nice ones on sale last year around X-Mas, and I hardly ever remove it. This woman was "mutton dressed as lamb", as one of our relatives used to say. She was in her fifties, and trying for a sleek young look. FAIL. Oh, well, she did a good haircut, but I was subjected to her ramblings about her internet dating. Didn't even respond in revenge - "INTERNET dating? Who does THAT?!" Meanwhile, she was taking forever, fussing about, drying my locks, so I got out of there, damp hair, hoody and all.
At one of my usual stops, a coffee joint down in Fremont, a cluster of older men were camped inside, and as I walked in, one of them said loudly to me, "We're Swedes and Norwegians, and we're after the Finnish, we want their hats with flaps!" What in blazes can one respond to that?
I've got to ease up on being so inhibited about snapping back to people...
Found another Calvino novel, and started one titled The Baron in the Trees, which is most promising.