Coffee makes every morning good to the last sip

I greet most mornings with the same enthusiasm as a vampire.

Frankly, I am not, nor will I ever likely be, a "morning person." I moan, I groan, I whine my way into consciousness. I put off leaving my toasty covers until I realize that I have hit "snooze" on my alarm so much I'm left with 15 minutes to get to work.

Oh, how I adore my snooze button. I do believe it is the second most important invention of the 20th Century. The first being, of course, the modern coffeemaker.

If I'm cheerful, chipper, or sociable first thing in the morning you can be sure it's because I have a liter of coffee coursing through my system.

The one beautiful thing in the morning--besides the spectacular sunrise--is the coffeepot on my kitchen counter. With the touch of a button and some minimal fumbling, I can have a nice hot cup of Heaven's Own Elixir waiting for me by the time I get out of the shower. I pour myself a mug, load it up with cream and sugar and in a few sips I have enough caffeine in my blood stream to make the day more bearable.

I blame my coffee addiction on college. Granted, the K-State Union coffee left a lot to be desired, but it still was a warm crutch on those blustery cold mornings trudging to journalism classes at Kedzie Hall. I had a 32 ounce insulated mug that was my constant companion, and which was usually drained by mid-way through the first lecture. Sometimes the only thing keeping me awake during one particularly boring course was my caffeine-induced twitches.

Now that I'm in the business world, the term "coffee break" has taken on a who new social meaning. Anyone who works in an office understands the subtle intricacies of the mid-morning and mid-afternoon rite of office politics. If you want to know anything, don't look in the employee newsletter, go straight to the coffeepot.

And, when I'm on the road, there's no better place to get the real news of the day than from the coffee-drinkers at the small town cafe. My caffeine addiction comes in handy when I need to find out the general opinion of the local farmers on the news of the day. You can't fit in with the coffee crowd by drinking iced tea, that's for sure.

Now, most coffee purists shun cream and sugar and scorn those who use them to lighten their brew, like myself. I for one do not care. Let them drink what they want, how they want it. I'll have mine the way I like it. This is America and a free country and I'm pretty certain that cream and sugar in coffee are covered under the "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" clause. Just like interpretive hand gestures while driving in most large urban areas are covered under the concept of free speech. So, there.

And yes, I know that to have a dependency on something so mundane as coffee is in some cultures a sign of weakness. Believe me, I've tried kicking the habit. But, at the first hint of stress, there I go again, back into coffee's warm soothing clutches. I'm weak, I know.

I prefer to look at my little addiction in this manner, though. Historically, reporters have their crutches to deal with the stress of writing under deadlines. Some smoke like chimneys, others indulge in food, and still more have another more adult beverage they rely upon to get through the day. As for myself, my crutch happens to be caffeine and I think I can live with that.

And those around me can as well, as long as I have a steady supply.

Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807 or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com.

Date: 3/15/06

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