Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Servicing an Addiction

Normally I find my caffeine addiction a great joy. I look forward to my morning coffee every day - sometimes I even think about it the night before and a smile comes over my face. The zing I get from it never gets old. It's an addiction that just keeps on giving.
It becomes a problem when camping. There is no easy way to make decent coffee. I've tried all the substitutions (instant coffee, coffee bags, cowboy coffee) and none of them work for me. Bad coffee leaves me almost as irritable as no coffee.
It will be even more of a problem this season as I will be arising before dawn. (Songbirds put on their best shows right around dawn.) The idea of trying to boil water and measure out coffee grounds in some cold, predawn light makes me shudder. A reasonable person would probably just forgo the caffeine, but any true addict can understand why this is, well, ridiculous.
Last year I stumbled upon the perfect solution - chocolate-covered espresso beans. Imagine my dismay when I went to Trader Joe's this morning to get all my beans and I couldn't find any. There was a long moment of sheer terror - sweat breaking out on the brow, talking to myself in the store, and panicky moves of the shopping cart.
But, I emerged successful.
I present you with the fuel for my every step:

Rejoice.

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