Upon Occasion

My first christmas with Makal, my mom really spoiled me with presents. Some of you might recall that one of the larger gifts she gave me (large in size and value) was a side-by-side coffee maker; drip pot on one side with espresso drip and steamer on the other. It's a fairly large kitchen appliance, about a foot and a half by 10 inches or so, but we don't mind its size so much since it gets used quite frequently. We run pots of water through the coffee drip side several times a day, not to make coffee but just to have perfect-temperature hot water on hand for teas and cocoa.

Since I'm lactose intolerant (damn that milk!) we don't have much occasion for making our own fancy coffee, or coffee in general (that's why we drink tea). I mean, I could steam soy milk, but the steamer isn't that great and its position makes it kind of awkward to use. But sometimes, the espresso drip does get used. We do have a small can of coffee kept on hand, in the freezer since it doesn't come out much. It's a basic coffee, but using the grinder that my mom also gave me that christmas, it makes a fine powder for espresso.

Now, imagine the effects of a fresh hot shot of espresso combined with a fresh cup of black chai tea. Add a bit of vanilla creamer and some sweetener, and voila, you've got a thoroughly caffeinated Merrick. Throw in some repetitive techno, and I won't be stopping any time soon.

I love legal, socially acceptable drugs. ^_^