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!