Coffee Addled

 

Since Covid started, I have learned to enjoy instant coffee.  We do not own a coffee pot at home as I am the only soul in my household that likes coffee.  I have liked coffee ever since I started my doctoral program where we had free coffee daily and also had donuts provided by our research mentor at each lab meeting.  

• I took my first hankering to coffee by dipping my donut into the coffee at these lab meetings.
• Eventually, after a couple of months, I began to drink the coffee (after letting it cool to room temperature ahead of the meeting) while I ate the donut during the meetings... because dipping my dount proved messy, and the coffee mug would look rather unappealing because of all the donut crumbs floating in it.  
• Then, another few months passed, and I grew to especially enjoy the bitter flavor even by itself, not only when mixed with the sweetness of the donut.... and started to drink room temperature coffee daily in the lab. 
• I did this.... and learned to enjoy coffee.... because it was FREE and available.  It was cheaper than my buying and bringing in soda or iced tea or whatever on my way into the lab.  
• But, for a sizable number of years, if FREE coffee was not available, I did not bother.  
• When I got my job at the U, free coffee WAS available.  So, I again would let it cool and then drank it.... every day.  
• Our U perhaps about 15 (maybe 20?) years ago acquired a Starbucks franchise on campus.... and I tried it and found it wonderful because it was stronger in regards to the wonderful bitter flavors.  
• BUT... Starbucks was TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE for my penny-pinching mindset, so I had it perhaps once or twice a semester.  
• UNTIL... I figured out I could use a REFILLABLE CONTAINER and get Starbucks coffee for only 50 cents!  In my penny pinching way, I found a very large refillable coffee cup (24 ounces (~ 3 cups of coffee)) and started to pay 50 cents each weekday morning for a 24 ounce cup of Starbucks coffee (DARK ROAST for more bitter flavor if available).  But, I went without coffee on the weekend (no coffee maker/coffee pot).  

This was a routine for a number of years.  It felt extravagant.... but at least somewhat frugally extravagant.  After the first few months, growing impatient in the morning for the big 24 ounce coffee to cool to room temperature... I began to drop ice cubes into the coffee..... and that eventually grew to the point where I transitioned over to ICE COFFEE.  I fill my 64 ounce cup with ice cubes (provided FREE by Starbucks), and then pour my 50 cent, 24 ounces of Starbucks DARK ROAST coffee over the ice.... and get 64 ounces of ICE COFFEE!!!!!!!  And, ICE COFFEE is even better than room temperature coffee (In case you forget, I dislike hot beverages).  I had been doing this for probably at least 10 years. 

When Covid happened in March 2020, it shut everything down... and by this time, I began to miss having coffee (no coffee maker/coffee pot at home).  In one of the early forays (very frightened and nervous and masked, etc) to get food at the grocery store during the pandemic, I was rushing about getting things when I saw a jar of instant coffee, and threw it in the cart.  I had no particular thoughts about it, but had always associated instant coffee with bad jokes about it being "terrible".  

Well, for me, it was not bad at all.  With it being the easiest thing to get during the lockdown, I grew quite fond of it.  Even though I can get Starbucks again now that things are all open (and even just 50 cents and again the giant ice).... I have only done so perhaps 3-4 times, in favor of instead making the same giant iced coffee at home by making instant coffee in the microwave and pouring it over a big container of ice. 

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PCS = 7.5... seemingly stuck in this zone.  Meaning I am hankering for a pipe.

Ran 10 miles (~16 km) starting at 6:01am when the track opened.

My MIL is seemingly fully back to her old self... in terms  of the healing of the injuries from her fall.  We are all glad.  

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This was not too bad for a quick post.  I believe I should have more time to write more interesting things tomorrow or at least by Friday.  

PipeTobacco