coffee, tea or me?

I'm seriously fascinated by the coffee world.  I've given the concept some serious thought and i can't recall when it all started.  Sure, I remember my parents drinking coffee at home.  At first from their old fashioned and basic drip machine and years later from their super duper JURA hot rod.  I'll never forget the day my dad came home with that $3000 beauty.  My mother swore up and down that she'd never use it.  She was convinced she'd never figure it out.  After all, it was nearly a computer with way too many bells and whistles.  Then she gave up her fight and became obsessed.  I swear she pays more attention to that machine than she does to her kids.  These days the JURA sits beside her distant cousin, the Nespresso.  My mom has a need for both, or so she claims.  I am not a fan of that little pod machine.  Seems like a short cut that's not quite worth taking. Also, i've done the math, and those little guys cost a ton per cup.

My mom has passed her obsession for coffee right down onto my two kids.  From the time they could speak, she'd have them smell the fresh beans and then press the buttons to create the perfect cup.  My four year old can nearly pass as a barista.  He's mastered the whole event and even chooses to wear an apron around his waist.

I do remember coffee at our home.  Everyone who walks into my parent's house is offered a cup.  From close friends and family to  guys who come to do yard work or plumbing.  My parents treat everyone equally.  LOVE that about them.

As a small kid, I recall spending copious amounts of time in a place called DUNKIN' DIP.  If i had to guess this place pre-dated Dunkin Donuts, but i haven't checked google on the dates just yet.  My mom used to meet her lady friends there and together they'd enjoy, get this,  a muffin and a cup of coffee.  If they were feeling particularly hungry, they'd have a tart frozen yogurt too.  The year was 1983.  Obviously.  Muffins were considered "health food" in that era.

I can still smell that shop.  They also had killer mousse in edible chocolate cups.  I was thrilled when my  mom allowed me to have one of those puppies.  Mmmm.  I can still taste that waffly cup today.

And i remember coffee in diners.  Real NYC and NJ diners.  Where the take out coffee came in those retro blue and white patterned cups.  I love those cups.  My parents used to let me indulge in the stuff.  Starting from a really young age, I think.  They'd call it "coffee milk" and my mom would add a couple of drops of sweet coffee to my 2%  milk.  Back in the 80's, it wasn't organic.  But i digress.

When we'd go out for lunch or brunch, my parents would always order coffee.  I loved the establishments that served their cream and milk in those small tiny plastic cups.  My favourite was to open a teeny cup 1/2 way and then dribble some coffee right in.  Then i'd gulp back 5 or 6 minis and i'd be good for the day.  I must have been 6.  The neatest thing is that BOTH my children do this today.  Must be genetic.  They also live to eat butter straight from those plastic pads.  My kids rock!

So, coffee has become quite the thing.  Back in the very early 90's, my parents took a trip to Alaska by way of Seattle.  They came back raving about the coffee.  Coffee shops on every single street?  Coffee?  And there was born Starbucks.  Who would have known?  Sadly they weren't wise enough to invest that year.  Not in Apple stock either.  What did they know?

I've always considered myself someone who drinks the stuff for the "taste".  I never actually needed the caffeine and I was always fine with decaf.  I couldn't even tell the difference between the two.  That was pre-kids.  Now i feel lost and foggy without a dose of caffeine before 10.  Sadly, it seems the more i drink, the more i require.

We have a lovely coffee machine at home.  Not quite a JURA, but a pretty sweet piece.  We buy great coffee.  No starbucks allowed.  At present, we are good with Ezra's pound.  Delish.

Strangely, as much as I claim that it's economical to use my home goods, I find that i'm drawn to coffee shops.  I meet friends to chat at different shops.  Business meetings are always easier with coffee.  Today i even interviewed a potential baby sitter at my favourite local spot.  This felt easier than cleaning the kitchen for her.

Most days i go for coffee alone.  It's my treat right after i drop off the kids.  I run down the street on autopilot and the baristas always know what i want.  Iced americano with room for cream.  Lots of ice.  Take-out cup and a straw.  I guess it's nice to be a regular.  Makes me feel sort of warm and fuzzy inside.

Lately, i seem to be spending a lot of time at one particular establishment down the street from our house.  The owner is a young Jordanian guy.  Coffee is his passion and its awesome to watch him prepare a drink.  He jokes that my americanos are made with love, but i don't actually think he's kidding.  I also don't think i'm the only recipient of his amor.  The guy just loves coffee.  He loves every part of it, and he won't serve a less than perfect cup.  Sometimes his love causes a bottleneck in his production line, but his guests love his coffee and his smile isn't bad either.

Sometimes when i sit at this said shop, I watch the other consumers.  Everyone has a style.  Each person has what i believe is a coffee ritual.  Some people prefer decaf others like 2 shots of espresso.  Fat free milk, soy milk, almond milk?  When did milk becomes such a difficult situation?  And then there's the issue of cups?  I can't drink out of a "stay in" mug.  Not sure why, but i prefer to sip from a to-go type.  Maybe i always want to keep my options open?  My mom assures me that I learned this thing from HER mom.  She didn't believe that a cup of coffee was a cup of coffee until it was served in a TO-GO cup?! Family ties.

I'm not super picky about the brand of coffee I'll drink.  For a dollar, I'll swallow down a medium iced from McDonalds (hold the sugar please!).  Lately, however, I'm learning that i'm becoming more of a connoisseur.  Last week I had to spill out a perfectly good iced coffee from both Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts.  I'll never be a fancy wine drinker, but i think this CUT COFFEE stuff has me converted.