Welcome to the March 2026 edition of the Ultimate Coffee Date link up Deborah and I host the first Friday of every month. Today I’m making small talk—join in and share whatever’s on your mind.
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Making Small Talk At The March Coffee Date
If we were having coffee, I would ask if you are good at making small talk. I enjoy long heart-to-heart conversations and can chat for a few minutes with anyone about anything, but I have my limits. At networking events I can “make the rounds,” but long, seated dinners are another story. After an hour of small talk with the 2 or 3 people I can converse with, I’ve got nothing left to say—but they haven’t served the main course yet! With four networking events coming up, I need to up my game and have a repertoire of conversation starters—that sounds like a perfect job for ChatGPT
If we were having coffee, I would tell you I had a great time skiing and love the accommodations at Jackson Gore Inn—especially the gas fireplace—but some of the kitchen utensils were not satisfactory. I can’t be the only person who needs to measure coffee, and was glad to find measuring spoons until I realized they were virtually flat. I managed to make a decent pot the first morning, but picked up a real set of measuring spoons on our next grocery store run.
Can you tell how flat the metal one is?
If we were having coffee, I would tell you how much I love the little light-up tree my husband got me for Valentine’s Day. It looks so pretty when I come into the kitchen at dark o’clock in the morning—it definitely sparks joy!
Now I understand why people keep holiday lights up year-round.
If we were having coffee, I would ask if you have a collection of hotel key cards. I don’t mean to keep them, but I almost always find a key somewhere in my clothes or luggage when I get home. Often I’ve “lost” my key and had to get another one from the front desk. I’m lucky they don’t charge for them!
Most hotels have “keyless” options using an app, but I always want a key card too.
Do you measure the coffee to make a pot?
Do you have a good conversation starter?
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I can do small talk but can’t say I enjoy it all that much either. (I usually try to make my escape after a while, haha.)Food is a great distraction/excuse to stop talking though! :D..
Christmas lights bring me joy too! That little tree is so cute!
I’m sure you’ve got a lot of fun stories to tell!
Oh, yes, drawn-out small talk can be awful, but I also remind myself of the saying that “boring conversations usually have two contributors.”
I like it when the conversation suddenly takes a turn and someone says something real or unexpected. That’s when it gets interesting.
Let us know if you discover any tips!
Hah! That’s a good quote to keep in mind, although I’m not sure it’s true. Some people have a way of dominating a conversation and droning on.
What a cute Valentine’s tree! Until yesterday, I had a lighted winter display on top of the fireplace in the basement and it brought me great joy when I’d walk into the basement to workout in the early mornings.
I am terrible at networking events – getting better as I get older – but it’s still not my thing so I’ve got no tips for you especially on a longer time spent at a dinner table. I agree, it sounds like task for AI.
I love that light up tree!!! Where did he get it?
I’ve gotten good at making small talk over the years, but the events you’re talking about sound exhausting to me. To make small talk with strangers for that many hours… it’s too much! I would be interested to hear what ChatGPT has to suggest.
I’m sure he found it on Amazon—he’s a good on-line shopper.
Yeah, there’s no escape at a seated dinner. Wednesday’s lasted 3 hours!
Small talk is tough at large events, especially because it tends to be loud and I can’t begin to hear people across the table. Yes I would definitely need to measure coffee. Looks like they gave you some good coffee options though. That light up tree is fun!
Networking event small talk can be such a drain! ChatGPT could be just the right call.
I really like your light up tree. Would you believe I have a neighbor who still turns their Christmas lights on every night? And, I must admit I smile every time I see them.
Hah! That’s amazing.
Yes, I am good at small talk at those types of events. My husband often leaves me alone to fend for myself lol. When we travel and I have to make my own coffee, I just wing it and skip the measuring!
You must be good at eyeballing the amount to use!
Small talk doesn’t bother ne as I’m a chatty gal by nature, LOL. The frustration with being the “talker” is being around others who aren’t talkative. It does get tiresome having to carry the conversation, but that’s life. Conversing with strangers is definitely not a joy for everyone.
I struggle with small talk after like 10 min or so. So I totally get it. I really hate the standard small talk like the weather, holidays, etc. Not so much online as it’s a way to engage but in person I find it tough. Oh and the worst is when you are at a party (for example) and people ask either what you do for a living or what school you went to. I’ve literally had people walk away from me because I *didn’t* go to university (gasp!) and so they have now no idea how to engage with me. Weird.
haha the coffee situation would have gotten me as well! we were just away for one night for our anniversary and they had literally the *worst* coffee machine possible in the room. The one everyone makes fun of here. That one. We suffered through it in the end.
Love the light tree!
Well, I walked away from a conversation where a woman stepped in b/c she heard the woman I was talking to went the same Ivy League college 10 years ago. If that’s all you’ve got to talk about, I’m out!
Oh my gosh! I am terrible at small talk. It doesn’t make sense to me.
I have so many hotel key cards I can’t even keep track of them all. I try to leave them or return them to hotels but it doesn’t always work out that way.
That’s a super flat measuring spoon! I don’t usually drink hotel coffee, so I never noticed what they offer.