Coffee Lovers Unite!

I started drinking coffee at the age of 26 when I was living in Thailand and there was nothing to do but hang out at the local Starbucks (yes, the real one). That and the fact that my coworkers drank it like water and they got me into it. Now I can't live without it. And I've gotten my husband hooked on his daily dose. So much in fact that sometimes he wants coffee morning AND night.

In my recent years as an accountant I met a coworker at my company who likes coffee, too. He liked it so much that he decided to learn about what makes a good cup of coffee. What is not a good cup of coffee? One that tastes burnt which you can find at your local name-brand coffee chain. He soon began to buy bags of coffee beans and roast them from his home. Roasting brings out the flavor in the coffee bean. Too much or too little can cause imperfection.

I, being the savvy coffee person that I am, started drinking his coffee. And now I can't stop. For those who live in the area where he roasts, he will hand deliver the coffee to your door. For those of us who worked with him, we would pick up the coffee at his cubicle. I made my way through the flavors to see which ones I liked best. I haven't decided yet so I have to keep drinking them.

But then a dilemma came. I moved to another office. Now my coffee was 30 miles away. I, being the cheapo that I am, decided not to pay for shipping. A couple of times I had to return to the main office to work so I would let him know and I would leave the office with a computer bag smelling of fresh roasted coffee. But then I didn't have to go there anymore. My beloved coffee and I were about to part ways.

Sure, I could go to the grocery store and purchase a bag of beans. Or I could go to Cafe Brazil and watch a guy climb a ladder to retrieve coffee beans from a bin mounted on the wall. But when have those coffee beans been roasted? How fresh are they or are they not? I don't know. I'm not a morning person and good coffee is my consolation for having to leave a comfy bed.

For my November wedding my hubby and I had bags of coffee beans to hand out as favors from my coffee guy. After the wedding, I was left with 3 pounds of coffee beans that I horded in my freezer. Then I ran out. Again. It was now January and news came that my coffee guy was leaving our company to pursue coffee roasting full-time. That's how good he is.

Now my coffee was even further away. But deliverance came in the form of a coworker who was still going to our old office every month. My coffee guy said he would still swing by our old office as part of his delivery route. Sigh...I can breathe again. And keep drinking my coffee. (We won't mention the fact that I bribe my coworker with cookies just so she'll pick up my coffee.)

Who is this coffee guy?