C-O-F-F-E-E

I have been drinking coffee (faithfully) for 4 years and 1 month (exactly). It all started on August 13, 2004 on a flight from Germany. This "sure, why not" acceptance of the free inflight brew began my "relationship" with the bean beverage. In this 4+ years relationship I have tried many a brew and have developed a refined palette (I submit) and am not too keen on gas station or in-flight varieties...even the green mermaid is often subpar (My favorite: Caffe Artigiano or when in the DR a blend of Santo Domingo+Travesia coffee). Beyond mere recreational sipping I have also worked in the industry as a barrista (barristo?) and in wholesale (Caffe Umbria). Now, living in the Dominican Republic I have watched beans through the harvest, drying, roasting, grinding, and sipping stages.

So, I say all this to set the stage for the big event to mark my 4 year-and-one -month anniversary as a faithful coffee drinker: Coffee Fest! Yes, I get to go to Coffee Fest Seattle for a full day of sipping & sampling (and the subsequent coffee-head and coffee-stomach). Stories and photos to come but for the now I share the following song from grade 4 music class (hmmm...not sure how to convey the melody) and hope that any non-coffee drinkers might fight the myths and perceptions and warm-up to coffee (it can even go with solitude).

C-O-F-F-E-E
Coffee is not for me
It's a drink that people wake up with
That it makes them nervous is no myth
Slave to a coffee cup, they can't give coffee up

(repeat...or even sing it as a round if you like!)

Cheers.