When you've imposed a strict budget on yourself, spending free time in the suburbs becomes a pretty difficult game of finding something to do that won't stick a shiv in your wallet. Even defaulting on Alpharetta's great teenage past-time--loitering in the North Point Barnes & Noble--becomes problematic because you need an expensive espresso drink in hand to complete the experience. Now that I'm getting the hang of avoiding all that, I'm finding that living without money in the suburbs is a rare existential experience. Outside the economic structure, it's like I'm hanging around in the cracks of civilization. Unless I buy an overpriced pair of jeans or a nutritional muffin, do I really exist?

I'm at the Spruill library, and this Philipino woman at the computer nexts to me keeps asking me adorable questions, like how quickly she has to double-click to open an application.