coffee is my life

So coffee is now a key component of my life. It has become my best friend of best friends. When I am feeling alone I often find myself going to a Starbucks to sit down have a coffee and write a postcard. I look forward to my morning coffee...we are so spoiled we have an espresso machine at work that grinds the coffee fresh for the shots, and has a great milk steamer, and we also have a drip coffee maker that has cocoa. The beauty is that if you mix the two plus any of our flavorings like sugar free raspberry you have heaven in a cup. More like a sunshine to start the day. Then there is the afternoon one. I wish they had decaf in the espresso machine. I am thinking of making some ahead of time at home or something and brining it in for the fridge to make chilled coffee drinks. Wonder what the shelf life is....Anyhow and now I am meeting my dear friend, Mandala, for scrabble and coffee at Starbucks (nothing like Starbucks cards to tie one over during those lean days before payday). And yesterday I went down to the amazing coffee shop on the first floor of our building. It is amazing because the coffee is great. I love it. The atmosphere and such is okay, their seating could be a lot better, but I went there to get out of the office and proof an important doc. I saddled up to their exterior seating which was a tall table ledge and stools that faced glass which faces REI, its parking garage and environmental haven. How metropolitan of me. I for once felt like I belonged there and I truly enjoyed it even though the work was tough.

It was the creamy strong breve that made the work bareable. It was decaf and precious to the last drop. It isn't the caffeine that I am going for, well other than a bit first thing in the morning, but it is the flavor the texture, the socialness, the comfort, the friend within a cup, the reason to sit at a place that plays hip soothing music and do nothing or something or whatever you want as long as it is on the chill side.

How magical is the foam on top of a cappuccino, frothy and flavorful without being made from much. How refreshing an iced mocha is to stave of heat and humidity. And ah, how sinful is the cinnamon mocha that has a spicy kick to get you hot from the inside out and put a smile on your face. The magic is also in the mug. I love the mug in my hand. I love saucers to put my teaspoon on. Yes I use a teaspoon and I love them. There is something so zen about swirling the foam and cream in coffee. My favorite line in a song is about clouds in my coffee. When you first pour in cold cream in a dark cup of drip coffee clouds emerge, billowing out from underneath. It is only for moments but ah those moments can feel like you are transported into another world, on of dreams and hope and faith and where clouds mean warmth and comfort.