Coffee

I drink my coffee black with a few exceptions.  Also, while people tend to assume I'm a coffee addict (and probably rightly so, since I've been hooked since middle school), I generally only drink one or two cups first thing in the morning.  I'm not a six-cup-a-day kind of girl.  That being said, I have what I think of as a negative response to caffeine: negative meaning that I do not get all fidgety and jittery with my morning cup, rather I feel quite normal.  It is the lack of caffeine that does me in: a negative response in that I literally cannot function like a normal human being until I'm adequately caffeinated.  I'm not ashamed. 

The occasions where I do alter my virgin coffee with a little milk and sugar (or honey, but never artificial sweetener, which does weird things to me), are of somewhat great significance because they signify certain things about my day and mood.  So, I will mention them briefly here.
1.) If the coffee is bad.  This refers to the standard gas station cup of coffee, as well as Starbucks.  As popular as it is, I just don't really like Starbucks coffee, without milk and sugar to hide its burned taste.  I am a fan of their frothy milk drinks, however.  Chai tea latte, anyone?
2.) If I drink coffee past noon.  I'm not sure why this is.  It might have something to do with lack of access to a toothbrush later in the day.  Coffee diluted with milk leaves less of an aftertaste and is less likely to turn ones' teeth yellow.
3.) If I drink iced coffee.  Unless my morning black coffee turns cold before I can finish it, I think the idea of iced black coffee is kind of weird.  It's essentially the same as warm coffee left in the fridge.  I don't know.  It just needs something additional.  And really, iced black coffee is definitely not thirst quenching; whereas, iced coffee with milk and sugar is kind of thirst quenching.  In the middle of summer, when iced coffee is appealing, isn't this what one is looking for?  And, while I'm on the topic, I have a few issues with iced coffee. 1.) It's a rip-off, especially from Starbucks, where the ice to coffee ratio is far too high. 2.) Drinking coffee through a straw just doesn't seem right. And, 3.) It's ICED coffee, not ICE coffee, however complicated this may seem to the people who make cafe menus.  Adjective, not noun.

Ok, I'm done with my little tangent/rant.

Anyway, coffee is part of who I am, part of my routine, and crucial to my overall well-being.  I'm fortunate that "meeting for a cup of coffee" is a huge part of our culture.  Not only does it make us feel energized (or human, in my case), it's a great excuse for a little social interaction.  With that said, first thing in the morning I drink my coffee in silence.  I consider myself a morning person, but I am not a conversation starter during that first cup.  In fact, if you attempt to speak to me during that first cup, I may not fully comprehend what you are saying.  Please don't be offended; I simply must bask in the comfort of my morning caffeine fix.

And so, I have finished my second cup of coffee this morning.  Time to start my day!   

I've had a song stuck in my head, and it's a good one.  It's one of those songs that ironically the only way to get it out of your head is to listen to it over and over again, preferably with the volume up.  I guess maybe this eliminates the novelty for a little while so another song can creep in there and take its place.  It's on repeat in the background right now.

If you'd like, you can listen to it too: "All U Can Eat" by Ben Folds.  I think I like it because it's about the gluttony that perpetuates American culture, but it's still satirical as many Ben Folds songs are.  SUVs, Wal-Mart, the irony of an "asshole with a peace sign on his license plate giving me the finger and running me out of his lane," are all things we see on a pretty regular basis.  Consumerism is the basis of narcissist America. 

While I do believe there are fewer places more irksome than Wal-Mart, I myself am guilty of purchasing more than I truly need, as I think a large percentage of us are.  The unfortunate thing is, there are many that cannot even fulfill their basic needs.  And there, I believe, lies the problem with Consumerism -- not the fact that we overeat at restaurant buffets or feel the need to buy everything from an automatic car starter to a mood ring -- but the fact that there so many people who don't have access to the basics like clean water, medical care, or food.  We pop hot-pockets into the microwave with a mid-afternoon stomach growl, and there are children throughout the world and in this country who are starving.  I don't bring this up to make those of us who are able to live comfortably or affluently feel bad about their good fortune.  I bring it up to remind people the importance of giving back.  Have your mid-afternoon hot-pocket, but donate to your local food shelf.  Buy that warm winter jacket, but give your old one to charity.  Volunteer.  Don't be selfish.  And listen to "All U Can Eat," but only if you're prepared to get it stuck in your head.

I probably should have written this first

Consider this the introduction.  This is a blog I'm creating simply to write.  There is no theme, no hidden message.  I'm not committing myself to posting daily, weekly even.  I'll add to this when the mood strikes, whenever I encounter something write-able.  So, readers, enjoy.  And, please let me know what you think!

This evening I put on my slippers: old man slippers for that matter, the kind with the fuzzy wool on the inside that overflows onto the sides, the kind that nearly outwardly brag about their extreme warmth and comfort.  If these slippers could talk they'd certainly be superfluous in all they say.

What is it about foot comfort that is so satisfying?  Pedicures, foot baths, massages, warm socks, and old man slippers.  Not to mention pumice stones, toe separators, and minty lotions that stain your socks with their pungent odor.  Now, I don't take my foot comfort to the extreme; I prefer warm socks and slippers to a stranger poking and prodding my misformed toes anyday.  But, I still see the value in these tiny indulgences, little creature comforts as they are.

Personally, I am a foot destroyer.  I've figure skated since I was old enough to walk, I run barefoot on a pretty regular basis, and I have not once in my life had a pedicure.  The only extent to which vanity stretches to my toes is in the form of Barbie pink nail polish, applied mostly in order to create the illusion that my pinky toe is more than a misformed stub sans toenail.  Foot destruction aside, I still enjoy the warmth and comfort provided by my slippers.  They've held up for years.  They're indestructible, and in that way they're like my feet.  Tough and weathered, but still holding me strong.