Coffee, Tea, or?

My Love-Hate Affair with Each

Sometimes it’s hard to decide which to drink. There are three of us living in the house, and my roommates are generally up before me in the morning.

Arleigh, in particular, generally makes a pot of coffee before going back to his favorite spot on the porch.

Ed, on the other hand, sometimes gets up at 4 in the morning, makes a pot of coffee, and usually goes back to bed until 9 or 10.

Then there’s me. I recently changed my sleep hours so that my alarm goes off at 8 a.m. This morning I was so tired when it went off that I incorporated it into my dream, not realizing until five minutes later that it was indeed my alarm.

Most days, there’s coffee in the pot. Arleigh brews ours in a Mister Coffee (MC) that holds 12 cups, while Ed prefers his French press setup. If there’s enough left in the MC, I’ll pour myself a cup.

Otherwise, I’ll either recharge the MC with fresh grounds, a new filter, and fresh water, or I’ll treat myself to a cup of my own favorite specialty coffee. This involves a few extra steps, and the whole process takes about 10 minutes.

But sometimes, if there isn’t coffee made — and this morning was one of those times — I’ll switch to tea.

I’ve written about tea before, here, here, and here, among other places. For me, coffee is ordinary and tea is special. I don’t know how else to explain it. Coffee seems run-of-the-mill, while tea, tea sings birthdays, holidays, and so many other festive occasions.

Coffee says “work,” “the office,” and, well, “normal.”

Tea, on the other hand, conjures up images of monks meditating in mountain huts, Japanese tea ceremonies, patience.

In fact, even though it’s been almost 60 years, my favorite memory of a cup of tea is of one I drank in a mountain hut on the side of Mt. Fuji when I was 9 years old. The sun was just rising, and my aunt and I were joined by the proptietors of the hut. The experience was mystical

Years later, my when aunt gifted me with an assortment of teas, I knew instantly that the cup of tea in that mountain hut was Lapsang Souchan.

Coffee is “I’m in a hurry and I want it right now.” Tea says, “Shh. Slow down. Relax.”