Garbanzo Toons

Coffee, The Wonder Drug

I never wanted to be a coffee addict. Like millions of others, growing up, I loved the smell but hated the taste. In college I only drank it when I needed a boost. And that was rarely.

After college, I worked a lot of restaurant jobs, sometimes late mornings, but mostly at night. I developed a taste for cappuccino during a bartending stint, where I had to learn to make cappuccinos. They were exotic, visually appealling, and offered more sensory experience and layers of taste than a simple cup o' Joe. Learning the art of cappuccino (and it is an art when done correctly) helped me worm my way into the affections of a lovely coworker who is now my wife, but that's another post.

Years later we bought a little home cappuccino machine. I used it occasionally, but it was too time consuming for one or two cups. I got lazy. I don't even know if we still have it, but I may look for it.

Now, as a teacher, I'm up and going early in the morning. Instead of going to bed at sunrise, I'm getting up before sunrise. Even so, I rarely want coffee in the morning . . . until around February. That's when my energy level starts to wither. I still avoid it most mornings because those times when I've given in, I hated the headaches when I stopped.

In addition, my doctor has advised me to stay away from caffeine. I haven't had a cup of coffee in weeks, but my wife drinks it every morning. Other teachers come in with their cups from Dunkin' Donuts, 7-11, Caribou, Panera, Starbucks. There's coffee brewing in the office, the teacher's lounge, and in one or two classrooms around the building. I can taste it every time I look at it! I want some.

Tonight we switch our clocks ahead an hour for daylight savings time. Monday morning I will actually be getting up an hour earlier than I have been. It's going to be even harder because we're coming off of Spring Break, so I've been sleeping in for the past week.

That Monday morning cup of coffee is going to be so good. I drink it so rarely, I usually get a small buzz from it. And I might have one Tuesday. But no more after that. Really!

Labels: coffee, daylight savings time

posted by Harry @ 12:20 PM