Cafe

I should preface this article by stating that I am not really much of a coffee drinker.  There is; however, a cafe + bakery right next to my office that sells delicious coffee.  I also only tend to drink coffee that has chocolate in it... so your mochas and such are the fondest choice for yours truly.  Since said cafe is right next to my office, my co-workers were tempted into going there everyday for their ritualistic cups of joe.  They would drink anywhere from one to four cups per day per person... that's some serious java imbibing!  Well, since the economy is so fickle these days and no one is really sure what tomorrow brings in terms of work and income, my co-workers have ditched the 5$ per cup habit and gravitated toward brewing their own coffee here in the office.  It's a smell I am not particularly adverse to, and I can see how the addicts of today are drawn to the aromatic temptress.  

I was walking Jake the dog yesterday, and I caught a hint of the smell of freshly brewed coffee emanating from one of my neighbor's front doors.  I thought, "Mmm, that actually smells pretty tasty, chocolaty or not!"  We don't drink or brew coffee at home (unless Kristen grabs one from QT and it has chocolate in it) so the feeling sort of passed.  Well, that was all until I got to work and the brewing was under way.  In the office, they choose a deep roast that is rich and tickles the nostrils.  That strong of a coffee smell tends to waft amidst the air.  So after a while I was tempted to have a cup... but to my dismay the hotplate was turned off and the coffee was too cold to enjoy.  This is a testament to either A) how deeply roasted those beans are to have such a strong smell after not even being warm or B) our office ventilation system that circulates the air such that it lifts the smell from the coffee urn and carries it into my office 10 yards away.

So this morning I came into the office and they had just brewed a fresh pot.  Since I was so tired this morning and ready to get wired, I decided to indulge.  I grabbed one of the 10 million porcelain coffee cups we have in the cabinet (slight exaggeration), and filled it half way.  I added a packet of Equal just so the bitterness wouldn't knock me on the floor.  I drank it down and it was actually tasted as good as it smelled.  I was pleased with myself that I didn't even need chocolate swirling around in the cup to make it worthy of drinking - I was drinking like a grown-up!  

I should note that this is not Folgers we are talking about... these people are serious about their coffee and it's subsequent caffeine rush.  It doesn't really affect me much unless I drink more than 20 ounces.  This was pretty smooth and I am ready to tackle the rest of the day now because of it.  Don't worry, I'm not going to become a junkie or anything...