@kuben123,
"like it happen3d just yesterday" is a cliche . The rest can tke a healthy edit to remove a lot of the awkward phrases.
"We were all poised IN our front veranda"???(you were sitting outside)
"Sipping away on grandmas old and well kept secret "..(unimportant unless gramma solves the case and youre just introducing her" fussy" habits)
"attention was diverted to me"
"my unusual behavior"..
The lab rat thing is ok but you can make it punchier.
Its not really wrong, its just uncreatively wordy,
"As we drank our coffee, all eyes were on me and I quickly felt like a lab rat sporting a new disease".