More coffee talk

Writing the last blog about coffee got me thinking about the entry I was planning on coffee-drinking habits. When I was formulating this a long while back, I took the above photo of my basic coffee-making tools.

Well, I've dropped my original ideas because I found the picture telling of my recent state of affairs.

First, I don't drink "creative" coffee. No double lattes with a sprinkle of fairy dust and an extra whisp of dreams for me. Coffee. Straight. Black as the heart beating in my chest. Nothing in it. I always figured that, if you don't like the taste of the coffee, why drink it at all? Kind of boring.

Second, no fancy coffee maker. Just the standard model. It is minimum input, maximum output, a model of simplicity that just needs to be cleaned every couple of months with vinegar. It's the uncarved block theory with a buzz. Actually, it's just boring. And cheap.

Third, a coffee grinder. I am a bit of a snob and like the taste of freshly ground beans. Note it's kind of old (about 14 or 15 years) and works by hand. No batteries. No electricity. It just keeps plugging along. Another uncarved block, but this one from Germany.

Fourth, look at the mugs. A mug from my parents from the city of Buffalo (old city, kind of blah); a mug from my wife with The Beatles on it (old music, kind of blah, blah, blah); and mug from a good friend with Charles Dickens on it (old guy, the best of blah, the worst of blah). Nothing hip. Nothing young. Nothing the modern world seems to want.

It all makes sense now.

Next, I'll show you my sock drawer.