Coffee and Tea and New Car

COFFEE and TEA

Why do people drink Coffee and Tea? What made them start to like it in the beginning and why do they continue? For instance, for as long as I can remember my mom and dad have drank coffee completely black. In fact, if someone were to leave the pot on and let it sit all day, my dad would still pour a cup of coffee and say it's the best cup he's ever had. Seriously. He loves it that strong (nasty). Mom likes McDonald's coffee best. I think it's because it is cheap and always fresh. I like both tea and coffee. Usually I will switch out certain times of year that I drink them. I'll go on a tea binge or just get a coffee kick.

This morning as I fired up my Keurig I though about why I wanted to drink coffee in the first place. It has a bitter flavor that is actually not that tempting unless I cover it up with sweet-n-low and cream. So why do it? There are times that I actually drink it every morning and tell myself that it is the best drink I've ever tasted, when I know that there are far better ones out there. . I'll tell you why my friend. It has all to do with that great big word CAFFEINE.

My love affair with caffeine came about many years ago when I started drinking hot tea as a teenager. I had hoped to be able to stay awake longer with it than with Coke because I figured it had more caffeine in it than Coke. I just couldn't stand the thought of drinking coffee at that time. For years I went on drinking only hot tea, or in a pinch, cold tea, to get my caffeine. I knew it didn't compare to coffee in caffeine but the bitter taste of coffee just didn't appeal to me at that time. Ironically I still put sweet-n-low and milk in my tea, to enhance the flavor of the tea, of course. It was said to be the "British"way of doing tea.

Then for a very short time I became a barista at a coffee joint, of all things. I learned a little about the ways that lattes could be made and voila! I now could love coffee! As long as it was milked down enough I could have caffeine all I wanted! But my love waned. Lattes became passé and I was bored of them. Besides my latte maker broke I used it so much.

I really became a friend of coffee when I joined AA. That group of friends really know how to love their coffee. The first thing you do before an AA meeting is get a cup of coffee. That's the ice breaker. It's not always the best cup of coffee in the world but it sure can be a good conversation starter.

There have been times for me that coffee was one of the highlights of my entire day. No joke. Whether or not the coffee was any good in the morning could mean the difference between a good or a not so good day. During those days I also had to make do with whatever I had available to put in my cup of coffee. I might have a little sugar or milk, or if I was lucky that week I had some sweet-n-low and creamer. Coffee can truly be "the best part of waking up" whether it's Folgers in the cup or not.

So now I look at coffee quite differently from when I first began drinking it. I am grateful for having it now when I didn't think about it much before. I don't mind that it might have a little bitter taste because I know I like the caffeine and I sugar it to death anyway. I am thankful that I can do that too. I drink my coffee and I like the stuff. It is what it is and I'm just darn lucky to have it.


NEW CAR

Ken and I got a new car on Saturday. It is a Nissan Versa. A few weeks ago I took the time to research the type of car that would suit our family's needs regarding gas mileage and interior leg room. Also, the price had to be right for our budget. I didn't want a domestic car and I was tired of driving a stick shift so those things were out of the question. The Versa is what I came up with. After looking at the car Ken agreed. It took a little bit of haggling with the dealer but we got the car at the price we wanted and now it's ours! The car has the most backseat legroom of any compact car on the market. It also beats out most mid-size sedans in legroom, including Toyota Corolla and Nissan Altima! I was shocked. THAT, my friends, is why I chose this car. I don't need a sedan as nice and as expensive as the Altima since I can't afford it. Plus, Bob Allen Nissan went all the way to give us the best deal. I really put them through the wringer. I'm pretty good at negotiating a deal and they worked well with me. So, if you want a car and they have it, go there.