From Tea Tottler To Coffee Addict

I am an addict. I need my coffee.

I admit it. It's the first step on the road to recovery, they say.

My fall wasn't pretty. I never HAD to have coffee every day. A very long time ago, my English / Irish family were tea tottlers. It was quite a treat having a cuppa Red Rose with my parents when I was young. Made me feel real grown up.

My decent into addiction began when I entered the workforce and the oh-so-gawd-awful-boring world of business meetings. In the early 80's there were no Starbucks or even Tim Horton's. Coffee at meetings were usually made by some Java Pusher who added crystalized 'coffee' flakes to hot water, powdered whitener* and sugar.

Lots of sugar.

"Take it" they would insist. "We all drink coffee". I shook my head and searched in vain for ANYTHING else to drink. No tea, no juice, heck ... even bottled water was years away into the future.

I tried my best to resist, but after one too many boardroom time-wasters, I finally succumbed to temptation and filled my styrofoam cup with the vile brew. I choked it down, burning my tongue which actually helped tolerate the caustic taste.

But it didn't take long for the habit to take hold.

I was done for. Finished.

I soon began actually buying coffee for home, moving up from crystals to the real stuff. I purchased a coffee bean grinder. Then "flavored coffees" entered the scene... not that coffee didn't already have a flavor, but these were heaven compared to the bitter brew only available until then.

And now, here I sit in my office, my personal coffeemaker percolating my Irish Cream, Vanilla Maple, or Butter Pecan stimulant. On weekends I get my "fix" at Starbucks.

Yes, it's been a swift and slippery slope, one that I will surely continue down, at least until I retire.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to a meeting. Where's that Starbucks travel mug at?


* If we were REALLY lucky, instead of whitener that floated and gelled into globs of lumpy chemicals, we would get those mini-tubs of creamers; aka "an edible oil product"...yes, in fact, that WAS written on the label.

4 People would rather be commenting:

Maureen said...

Jill said...
I guess a tea tottler is different from a teetotaler? :-) :-) :-) Well, it's all yummy stuff!! I think I'd prefer a tea tottler to a teetotaler anyway. :-)

15/6/07 15:52

Maureen said...

Ingrid said...
I can't even remember when my addiction really took hold. I remember thinking as a kid that coffee made peoples breath smell GROSS and that I would never, ever drink it.

Now as a mom that works overnights it's an absolute necessity. In fact, I would main-line the stuff if I could.

15/6/07 21:29

Maureen said...

HAH! That's great! I always knew I wasn't alone in my addiction...

16/6/07 00:39

Maureen said...

Curly Glamour Girlie said...
Oh see, I LOVE coffee breath. I took private lessons on Saturday mornings and my cello teacher would always have a cup of coffee while I played and he'd have the best coffee breath.

I'm not doing the coffee these days unless I hit 7-11 for a decaf, and I've acclimated well enough, but I do miss the caffeine.

And the last time I tried to get a decaf mocha from Starbucks I think they messed it up and I got a regular which I tossed.

16/6/07 07:07

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