31 Days of Journaling: Day 3

 

I swear ... I need to get this put on a shirt 😄😄😄

Hello everyone! 

Today was that type of day where the alarm rang, my eyes opened, but my body said, "Nope, not yet." We weren't in agreement until six AM. For the majority of individuals, that is still too early. However, according to my usual routine, I am behind schedule.

Despite that, I opted not to stress about it. I'm still on a "staycation", so I just accepted and improvised.

I started my day in the normal fashion: having a cup of coffee with Jazz. This would normally be her day being at home, but she had to swap out her days for this week. I often joke that she never savors her coffee, just chugs it down before speeding to get to work before everyone else.

Jazz mainly drinks it for the caffeine. I don't depend on it for caffeine as much. I have been able to go without coffee. I have even adapted to drinking half-caff on occasion. So, the sipping of coffee isn't as much a need of energy as it is other things.

For one, it takes me back to a special ritual I would share with my grandma. We would have coffee together each morning as she sat and listened to the radio. Even if it was a situation where one woke up before the other, we always waited on each other before having our cups.

Folgers Special Roast was our flavor. If that wasn't available, some Community Coffee. Maxwell House, if in a pinch.

My coffee needs became more sophisticated once I moved to NJ. That was when I discovered Dunkin' Donuts. Having someone make the coffee to one's specifications was a new concept to me. Somehow, Dunkin' Donuts made me coffee just right, and I didn't mind paying for someone to make coffee that seemed just for me. 

Note 1: Yes, I've heard of Starbucks. I've even tried Starbucks, but something about their coffee doesn't agree with me. Plus, with all of the questions they ask about how you want your coffee, it sounds more like you're ordering custom perfume or receiving a science experiment than coffee. Also, in my opinion, it's overpriced.

I really started to branch out of my Folgers/Dunkin' Donuts coffee zone after Jazz arrived in NJ. 

Now Folgers Special Roast doesn't seem all that impressive. I still love Dunkin' Donuts, but since I no longer require as much sugar, I just order it black (when I do get it) and add my own creamer and sugar (which most days now is Splenda with Stevia).

My favorite ground coffee thus far is Ethiopian. Bob Marley brand, as a matter of fact. However, my first experience with Ethiopian coffee was when Jazz, Gino, and I traveled to southern NJ to have some Ethiopian food. What impressed me so much about the coffee was that I was able to drink it and not any stomach upset.

Note 2: When my stomach experiences high discomfort after consuming coffee, that's a coffee fail. Starbucks coffee, no matter which roast, always does it to me. Plus, I don't like any of the flavors.

I also like Sumatran, Guatemalan, Jamaican, Hawaiian, and Brazilian. Columbian is hit or miss. So far, mostly misses.

I can drink any of the roasts, but I do like the dark roast more than the medium or light. Jazz is different than me in that regard.

It is nice that she is now willing to wait so we can drink coffee together. Before, she would have not have given it a second thought. I believe the only exception is if it's past 8:30.

As far as flavored coffee, it's only within the past couple of years I've delved into those. However, those aren't the types of coffee I would drink to start or jump-start the day. They are for leisure sipping, which is the same way I perceive tea.  The only two flavors I've liked thus far are the hazelnut (which Jazz cannot stand) and pumpkin spice.

Flavored liquid creamer is a realm I've dipped in just this year.

One downside to liquid creamer is that it makes the coffee colder quicker. I like mine's very hot and tend to savor it for an extended period of time. Also, it has more calories than the standard creamer. 

My recent favorite is the Fairlife Sweet Cream liquid creamer. I don't have to use much to get the right amount of color for my coffee. Plus, it doesn't overpower the natural flavors of the coffee I'm drinking. I still believe that too much flavoring in a creamer overshadows the coffee to the point where you are tasting more creamer than coffee.

Jazz disagrees, since she is unable to drink her coffee without flavored creamer whatsoever. In addition, she also switches up her flavored creamer constantly, based on mood, craving, even season.

Note 3: For me, my coffee tasting like mocha or a mint peppermint patty will not be a thing. For Jazz, it can be a thing and oftentimes is a thing.

The biggest fail in our coffee adventures was our endeavor with the Death Wish coffee. It is touted as the "World's Strongest Coffee". I kid you not.

Perhaps our K-cups had a bad batch, but Jazz and I debated back and forth as to whether to get the ground. Jazz's theory was that if we didn't like the K-cups, at least we weren't stuck with the whole bag. I acquiesced to her logic and just got the box of K-cups.

We waited with bated breath while waiting for our cups to brew. After Jazz seasoned (that what she calls the flavoring process AKA adding creamers and sugars) the coffees, we sat down, silently counted to three, and took a sip.

I did a small smack. Maybe I didn't take a large enough sip. I sipped again. I did feel a tap of energy that tapered off a few hours later. As far as the flavor profile, it didn't stand up to any of the other coffee brands I tried. In many cases, the previous brands surpassed this one.

For Jazz ... she didn't get the surge of strength at all. She claims the Death Wish made her wish she was back in bed asleep.

Needless to say, we found the Death Wish coffee a new home for those who believed it was the next great Coffee Messiah ... if there is such a thing.

Well, the fact that I adore coffee so much is prevalent in this entry. I have spent a whole day just sharing this with you.

With that said, catch everyone tomorrow.

Deuces.