I don't know if I could make it as a functioning member of society without coffee. At least not one that has to show up somewhere and do something at a certain time in the morning. Most mornings (this one included), I just want to go back to bed after waking up, and even if I am fully awake, my brain just doesn't seem to be capable of anything more complicated than reading the comics. Just the sounds of the coffee maker and the smell of the brewing grounds seem to give me a lift and make the day better. Usually half a pot is good to get me going, but there are some days I need a full pot, and some days that I want a full pot. More is better, right?
Notice that I measure my coffee intake in terms of pots, not cups. My coffee maker brews 12 cups. That 12 cup pot fills my mug exactly four times. So, when I tell you I drink half a pot of coffee most mornings, you know that I only have to fill my cup twice. But, when my doctor asks, I tell her I usually have only two cups of coffee per day. A politician's truth, if you will.
Even with that much coffee in the morning, I hate to feel rushed in starting my day. I like at least two hours awake before I have to leave the house. Most of that is because I like to read a lot of web comics and news, play games on Facebook, and catch up on a couple of message boards. A lot of it is the ritual of coffee drinking, though. It's too hot straight from the pot, so I just let it set for a bit while I take in the aroma. A sip every few minutes keeps me updated on the progress of the cooling, and when it's just right...I gulp down the whole cup. Not exactly the way a connoisseur of Coffea arabica would savor it, but that's the way I love it.
That much coffee hitting your stomach all at once is an incredible feeling, if your stomach can handle it. A big dose of caffeine begins to rush through my bloodstream and brings me to life, letting my brain fire it's synapses with reckless abandon. With out it, this post would be akin to something written by a low-grade Neanderthal; "Uhhhh,..Og mash button on magic computer box. Make sacrifice to interweb spirit." If you try to engage me in conversation before I've had my coffee, you'll mostly get stared at. The look on my face would be somewhere between confusion and indignation that you've tried to assault my frontal lobe with words that don't quite seem to make sense.
The bad thing about slamming down so much coffee on an empty stomach is that it kills my appetite. Looking at my gut flab, you'd think that would be a good thing, but it just winds up making me feel lousy if I'm having to work strenuously that day. Being by myself, I'm just not very interested in cooking this early in the morning, and usually don't care to go out and eat by myself. The only time I'll make myself eat in the morning is when I know I have to feel good and be in a good mood that day. Otherwise, I'll wait until lunch or later to eat. I'm not really a big fan of traditional breakfast food anyway.
That's pretty much my early ante meridiem ritual on weekdays. What's yours? I'm done with my second cup now, so it's time to get dressed and jump into the struggle for the legal tender, as Jackson Browne once put it.
In completely unrelated news, June is Goat Trauma Awareness Month...
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