It is dawn, and I stumble down the stairs after my blond-haired early-rising son. I settle him on the couch in front of the TV with some apple juice and goldfish crackers and make my way to the kitchen.
It's waiting for me there. That black, stainless steel appliance with the glass carafe. That bringer of my coveted caffeine jolt. My friend, the coffee maker.
I lift the lid and dump out yesterday's grinds. I open the cupboard door and fiddle with the stack of filters until I manage to get a single one off, and I carefully place it in the center of the basket.
My coffee maker has a temper. It's finicky. If you don't place the filter in just so, it will fold in on itself while the coffee is brewing, and I will end up with grinds in my cup. And I don't just mean a few. The coffee will be ruined, and I'll have to start the process all over.
I carefully measure out the coffee grinds, my special blend. I use a mix of regular coffee and flavored coffee. I pour the water into the reservoir, and I push the little black button to start the brewing process.
Then I sit down at the kitchen table to wait.
I can hear the grumblings of water making it's way through the insides of that black machine. It makes its way to the basket where it percolates through the grinds and the filter and begins dripping into the glass carafe. Delicious smells begin to fill the air, tantalizing me with the anticipation of that hot liquid soon to fill my cup.
I wait for it. In mere moments, I hear it. The beeps come, and I know that my coffee is finished brewing. Yes, that's right. My coffee maker beeps to tell me when it's finished. I love that feature. :)
I take out a mug, and I lift the carafe. I pour that rich, deep-brown brew into my cup. I confess, I ruin it a bit by adding milk to take the edge off the bitterness, but I've gotten used to the taste of it versus cream, and I add some sugar to sweeten it.
I sit down. I lift the cup. I smell that coffee goodness.
I take that first sip. And sigh.
Life is good with coffee.
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