Once again, I have dropped the ball when it comes to blogging because life happens. I have had a lot of things I’ve been meaning to put down on words and I haven’t. Some funny, some not so funny, some just really ironic that it would only be funny to me, but as I say every time I write, “I’m making a serious effort at writing more”. With that said, have you tried the coffee?
That’s right, that lovely hot bean water that we all know and love. It gives us energy, hope, a reason to slow down and try to enjoy the moment? Yeah, all of that is bullshit, it’s the thing that gets us going. More so, I am utilizing this as a means to try and give myself the opportunity to take time to take it all in, and reflect on what is going on. I am trying to keep myself grounded, focused, and more in touch with the earth. However, I am here to announce that I have been having a real shit storm of a time with coffee lately. I don’t want to turn and blame the “Supply Chain”, or covid, or the president.
And if we could be honest, blaming the president for a
broken economy as if he is personally out there slashing truck tires and
locking warehouse doors to prevent employees from getting to work or doing
their jobs. The Businesses are playing hardball with the employees and using
the supply chain as a crutch to stop them from having to pay their employees a
separate wage. If you don’t agree you can fight me on it. But ill have you know
right now, its not going to be much of a fight, I do not care enough.
(Editors Note: I had to abandon a half cup of coffee to
complete a task whilst trying to write this.)
Back to the coffee… I do not normally believe in new year’s
resolutions, because I lack the willpower to complete these things and then
just have to face the embarrassment of my coworkers when I do not succeed. However,
this year I decided to set a reachable and achievable goal, “to finish my
coffee while it is still hot.” At the time of writing this, I am 31 days into
the new year, and I have yet to carry out this task. I drink coffee at a
minimum twice a day, some days 3 depending on my level of brokenness for the
day. I haven even been known to dabble with a latte from time to time if I’m
feeling saucy.
But here Is where my issue arises…
(Sips Coffee that is slightly too hot forcing myself to do
the “Open Mouth, FAA FAA FAA FAA under my breath” action to cool it as it burns
my mouth)
Finding coffee has become more of a daunting task now than
ever before. Living in northern New Jersey, there are more coffee joints than
you can shake a stick at, right? Right, there are, there is a Dunkin, or a Starbucks,
or even a locally owned coffee shop within eye shot no matter where you are standing.
This problem is none of them seem to be open after 3 PM, for what I feel is the
most important cup of coffee of the day. Now you may ask what is the 3 O’clock
coffee? It is something that I didn’t know existed until I started working for
the Paterson Fire Department, in which I was told when I first started, “There
better be a fresh pot at 3 O’clock, no questions, no excuses, Fresh Coffee at
3, Plan accordingly”. Being in a new job in a new place where I knew nobody, I obliged,
and if there is a fresh pot of coffee, you aren’t going to pass it up. But I
realized that there is a definite improvement to quality of life with this
simple cup of coffee, you have the energy to drive home, cook dinner, battle
road rage, finish out the race until dinner when you can relax.
Now knowing the importance of the 3pm coffee, you would be
in the same boat as me to be livid to find out that most coffee places have
been closing at 3pm, or just before. Sometimes 2, sometimes 230, sometimes they
just close for the day with no notice. But they are kind enough to not turn off
their mobile ordering system, so the order system continues to spit out a chain
of receipts that slowly crawls it way out of the printer, draping down and
touching the floor of the coffee chain that is the only one on your way to
work. Not even a drive through, a gas station. That is where if finally hit my
breaking point. I lost it. I had to send an email to corporate that was
probably laughed at because it is really none of their concern, they got my
coffee money, and left me to drive around looking for another one that may be
open in this sea of a tease.
This has not made my resolution any easier and has created nothing but tension between my love of coffee, convenience, and the desire to finish it while it is still hot. Not a great blog to come out swinging to, but the house projects have slowed down for the winter, covid is a bitch, I’ve lost any hope in humanity being that everything is so cut throat in politics. People you considered great friends for years have suddenly disappeared and moved on, leaving you wondering what happened. Is it me? Is it them? What could I have done? Maybe it was that thing I said that one time when were at that place?
Either way, I am going to keep doing my thing, keep moving it forward, keep longing to finish that cup of coffee while it is still warm... Fingers crossed.
(The cup of coffee made while trying to write this went cold.)
