It’s cold again today in Omaha. Actually, it hasn’t been really what I’d call warm for a good while, but there’s due to be snow (a small amount) again today, as well. Then, that’s going to stop, but only for a day, or two, and then we’ll have more snow. I confess that I’m getting tired of having an inch, or two, of snow every two, or three, days even if it is mostly just the light, fluffy stuff. It’s enough that one has to shovel it in order to keep the driveway and sidewalk from becoming a sheet of ice, so it has to be done. I AM getting tired of having to do this every few days, however. So, anyway, I’ve been trying to keep warm and that has led to a lot of coffee drinking. That got me to thinking, which led to this post.
Those who know (or have known) me, know that I have been a fairly heavy coffee drinker for virtually all of my adult lifetime. I’m not sure what it is about coffee which has appealed to me for all of these years, but I’ve enjoyed it at least since I went to college, I think. I’ll confess that, for much of my life, I have had a tendency to drink at least partially decaffeinated coffee (what Steve Ayers used to call “low test”) much of the time, but since I’ve retired (which has cut into the amount of coffee I drink a bit), I find myself drinking “regular” coffee more often, although a bit less of it. This may be the result of Bonnie having taken up drinking coffee after she started working for the Honors College at Western, at least in part.
You see, she now drinks several cups (mugs) of coffee a day, as do I, but since she never cared for my “special” blend (the one that so many students said smelled so good in my office), we both tend to drink from the same pot, which, more often than not, is made with Archer Farms Candy Cane Coffee which we stock up on during the Xmas season when it is available at Target and stretch to last as long as possible. There ARE other options, of course, but that’s the one we both like the best. This holiday season, I found that Dunkin’ Donuts White Chocolate Peppermint was available in a couple of stores around here, so I thought I’d try it and I liked it a lot, although Bonnie doesn’t care for it, as she isn’t fond of White Chocolate. So, I have a few bags of that stored away for my personal enjoyment, and I drink it some of the time.
Still, nothing is quite as good as the original “RSB” blend which I came up with in Sylva all those years ago. I probably shouldn’t give away my “personal” blend, but it was: 1-part Chocolate Raspberry; 1-part French Vanilla; 1-part Southern Pecan; and 2-parts Folgers Decaf. I’d mix that together (it made a LOT) and store what wasn’t to be used quickly in as air-tight a container as I could find. Since 1 “part” usually consisted of a “bag,” (what in those days was about 1 pound) that was a LOT of ground coffee, but I’d keep it tightly closed and would work my way through it, even if I didn’t tend to make it too strong.
Nowadays, I have found both the Southern Pecan and the Chocolate Raspberry can be hard to find, so I tend to use a local brand of Vanilla Hazelnut (available in both regular and decaf) to mix with the Chocolate Raspberry (when I can find that), so I’m less likely to have the coffee that I’d really like, but I won’t complain. I still do get my daily fix.
Anyway, I’ve run across several “coffee-related” jokes and cartoons recently, so I thought I’d see if I could put together a posting about coffee stuff. Here’s a quote that I ran across:
“Don't worry about my coffee consumption. Worry about what I would be like without coffee!” After all of those years of being a coffee drinker, this is probably much truer than I’d care to admit.
I really liked this quote from Stephen Hawking: “When the going gets tough, the tough take a coffee break.” (This just may explain why I found coffee a necessary ingredient in the scene shop….)
I think that one of the most enjoyable things about coffee (and coffee drinkers) is the humor people find in believing that it’s not possible for them to survive without coffee (or, perhaps, until coffee). I’ve not found that to be really true, but I will admit that that first cup does get the day off to a better start than not having it would. That was the real reason for my getting to school before 8 o’clock in the morning. It was NOT because I wanted early morning classes. I really wanted to have a little time for a second cup of coffee and to get my head together before I had to actually get to work. Still, I do sympathize with Garfield…
Those who know (or have known) me, know that I have been a fairly heavy coffee drinker for virtually all of my adult lifetime. I’m not sure what it is about coffee which has appealed to me for all of these years, but I’ve enjoyed it at least since I went to college, I think. I’ll confess that, for much of my life, I have had a tendency to drink at least partially decaffeinated coffee (what Steve Ayers used to call “low test”) much of the time, but since I’ve retired (which has cut into the amount of coffee I drink a bit), I find myself drinking “regular” coffee more often, although a bit less of it. This may be the result of Bonnie having taken up drinking coffee after she started working for the Honors College at Western, at least in part.
You see, she now drinks several cups (mugs) of coffee a day, as do I, but since she never cared for my “special” blend (the one that so many students said smelled so good in my office), we both tend to drink from the same pot, which, more often than not, is made with Archer Farms Candy Cane Coffee which we stock up on during the Xmas season when it is available at Target and stretch to last as long as possible. There ARE other options, of course, but that’s the one we both like the best. This holiday season, I found that Dunkin’ Donuts White Chocolate Peppermint was available in a couple of stores around here, so I thought I’d try it and I liked it a lot, although Bonnie doesn’t care for it, as she isn’t fond of White Chocolate. So, I have a few bags of that stored away for my personal enjoyment, and I drink it some of the time.
Still, nothing is quite as good as the original “RSB” blend which I came up with in Sylva all those years ago. I probably shouldn’t give away my “personal” blend, but it was: 1-part Chocolate Raspberry; 1-part French Vanilla; 1-part Southern Pecan; and 2-parts Folgers Decaf. I’d mix that together (it made a LOT) and store what wasn’t to be used quickly in as air-tight a container as I could find. Since 1 “part” usually consisted of a “bag,” (what in those days was about 1 pound) that was a LOT of ground coffee, but I’d keep it tightly closed and would work my way through it, even if I didn’t tend to make it too strong.
Nowadays, I have found both the Southern Pecan and the Chocolate Raspberry can be hard to find, so I tend to use a local brand of Vanilla Hazelnut (available in both regular and decaf) to mix with the Chocolate Raspberry (when I can find that), so I’m less likely to have the coffee that I’d really like, but I won’t complain. I still do get my daily fix.
Anyway, I’ve run across several “coffee-related” jokes and cartoons recently, so I thought I’d see if I could put together a posting about coffee stuff. Here’s a quote that I ran across:
“Don't worry about my coffee consumption. Worry about what I would be like without coffee!” After all of those years of being a coffee drinker, this is probably much truer than I’d care to admit.
I really liked this quote from Stephen Hawking: “When the going gets tough, the tough take a coffee break.” (This just may explain why I found coffee a necessary ingredient in the scene shop….)
I think that one of the most enjoyable things about coffee (and coffee drinkers) is the humor people find in believing that it’s not possible for them to survive without coffee (or, perhaps, until coffee). I’ve not found that to be really true, but I will admit that that first cup does get the day off to a better start than not having it would. That was the real reason for my getting to school before 8 o’clock in the morning. It was NOT because I wanted early morning classes. I really wanted to have a little time for a second cup of coffee and to get my head together before I had to actually get to work. Still, I do sympathize with Garfield…
This strip made me think of Bonnie (in more recent times):
The funny thing is that both of our daughters said that exactly the same thing had occurred to them when they saw this strip.
I have to admit that coffee IS something of a necessity, even if I probably could survive without it. And, more IS, probably, better, but I’m not sure that even I would go this far…
I have to admit that coffee IS something of a necessity, even if I probably could survive without it. And, more IS, probably, better, but I’m not sure that even I would go this far…
Not having coffee would probably make me grumpy, but I don’t think it would reach this level unless it went on too long.
I also have to admit that I really don’t like the super-strong, burnt-tasting coffee one finds at many of the “barista” shops which have appeared on every corner. The reaction below is NOT one which I enjoy, although Garfield seems to think it’s okay.
Still, I have to admit that a day without coffee is a bit like a day without sunshine, although I hope that I’m not quite as vehement about it as this:
Oh, well, good luck and good coffee to one and all. It will help you to “live long and prosper.”
LLAP
LLAP
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