crazy about coffee

I like coffee. I really do. It's as simple as that. I’m not one of those people who hanker after that lovely liquid for the sake of the caffeine which it contains. No, I like coffee for itself alone. So many people in the world today drink it because they want the caffeine and then they get addicted and they’re body starts to scream at them, “MUST.HAVE.COFFEE. DO.NOT.DELAY!” Did you know that at my office the majority of people drink coffee and that the first 3 pots are gone by 9:30? And here’s the kicker: they drink over-roasted coffee. This is not tasty coffee that you want to sip and savor. It’s the kind that you put 5 french vanilla creamers and 3 sugars into. It’s the kind that you pinch your nose and gulp down, hoping that the scent won’t wither your nostril hairs for life. (Yes, I did just say "nostril hairs".) It’s the kind that makes you wonder, Who on earth would ever bother to make coffee this bad, and more importantly who would drink it willing? Bad coffee is like…well, it’s like drinking milk that’s gone bad or like nails on the chalkboard. But we're sort of getting beyond the point here. The point was: I drink coffee because I like it and not for the caffeine like too many of the masses (who sadly have no appreciation for the coffee itself).

A Personal History

At a young age (who knows how young) I was enticed by the aroma, that delectable scent, that cozy comfort, that...I'll stop with the rhapsody because you get the idea. In the village of Tectitan everyone drinks warmed over psuedocoffee that has more sugar than coffee and is diluted enough for you to see the bottom of your cup clearly. Talk about delicious! There's nothing like village coffee and some fresh bread from Dona Elda's. Everyone, no matter their age drank coffee, so Mom couldn't really tell me "No." All she could do was monitor my intake. Drinking coffee was definitely the number one advantage of being out in the village.

When we weren't in the village I had to sneak in whatever sips of coffee I could when my mom wasn't looking. I remember that after one Sunday night meeting at the Wycliffe center I went in for snacks. There was the coffee pot. I looked at it. It looked back at me. I looked to the left. I looked to the right. Mom wasn't looking. I grabbed a cup, poured me some coffee, poured me some sugar, and split. And being a 8, 9, 10, etc., year old I loved my coffee sweet. I didn't find myself to be affected by the caffeine, namely that I didn't feel the need to stay up late due to a caffeine kick. Through my middle school/high school years my love for coffee was ever present and as time went on I think Mom eventually gave up hope of monitoring my coffee intake. Of course, I wasn't one of those kids who thought they had to drink coffee every morning. I just liked to grab a cup every now and then.

In college, again, I wasn't one of those need-caffeine-now types and for the first two years or so didn't drink coffee consistently. (I still liked it plenty sweet and with milk/cream.) It was during my senior year that I got into the habit of drinking coffee everyday, never suspecting that I of all people would get addicted to coffee. After all I didn't drink it for the caffeine. Well, I found out the hard way that while I may not have mentally thought I needed it, my body literally rebeled when I randomly decided to stop drinking coffee for a while. It's not a pretty story. We won't go into the details. It may or may not include feeling horribly nauseated, sharp head aches, and...a trash can. (Warning to those who are thinking of cutting back on caffeinated bevarages: do it slowly!) Needless to say, I swore off coffee for a couple months after that.

Anyhow, let's fast-forward to the present. I used to bad-mouth decaf coffee because I never encountered one that had a smooth taste to it, but for the last couple months I've only had decaf when I've chosen to have coffee (generally not more than 2 or 3 times a week). Today I decided to make coffee to go with my breakfast. I scrapped the bottom of the decaf and so had to top of the with regular. A half-hour later my heart was beating noticably faster and I was just a little more excitable than I usually am at 8:30 in the morning. Thoughts were bouncing around my mind --- zing! zing! zing!--- and all I could think of was how I wanted to write a blog about coffee.

Conclusion

I still like coffee. I'm just going to have to stick to decaf or coffee that's not in the form of multiple shots of espresso. (Did I mention that when I make coffee at home I do it in a stove-top maker that makes about 5 shots of espresso? And I use it all up. Maybe that's why I was a little zippier than usual this morning.) I've learned that even I, yes I!, can be affected by caffeine. *sigh* Alas, I'm not as invincible as I thought I was when I woke up this morning. Oh well. Maybe instead of being invincible I'll just take over the world.

he, he.

Hahaha.

Mwahahahahahahahaha!

Ooops! Sorry about that. Sometimes I have difficulty containing my evil laughter.