National Coffee Day was... YESTERDAY?!

Yes, loyal readers, your source for all the things that matter has let a hot one slip by. (Not that I haven't before, it's just I've never used it as a point in my writing.) September 29th, of every year, is national coffee day. Whether it be mocha, espresso, black, or two creams, September 29th is the day to come together and celebrate. Hell, if you don't like coffee, I'm also writing about tea. Just keep going.

My earliest memories of coffee, of course, extend from my dad making it every Sunday morning. He'd let me grind the beans and pour them into the filter and then clean out the coffee grinder. I loved that coffee grinder, and I honestly can't remember what we did with it when me moved. Of course throughout the entire process I'd be taking in the incredibly good smelling coffee beans and grinds, knowing that the beverage it produced tasted like crap. My dad drank coffee black. I didn't even know you could add stuff to it! Since my mom drank tea straight, also hating coffee, I grew up finding the hot stuff on the table on Sundays incredibly bitter always wishing I could partake in the act of drinking coffee like I saw on TV or in movies.

Finally, I turned 18 or something and I figured I'd try cream in my coffee. "Wait a second, this cannot be the same drink. Coffee is supposed to suck. This tastes good." Yes, I am a convert but not a purist when it comes to coffee. Sorry. However, figuring out that I really did like coffee led me to grow in my enjoyment for tea, which I had slowly been working into for the last two or so years. Once I found out what Asian teas were like versus the Lipton stuff my mom always rocked, I was hooked. What was once bland and bitter in my mind led to the exploration of orange, jasmine, peppermint, peach, and green and white teas. Good stuff. No fat, no filler, no chemicals. All goodness.

So let's just take a moment to reflect on the importance of coffee in our lives. Coffee is one of the few beverages that shaped the face of the world. Trying to understand its full impact on global economic development would lead you down a path of non-stop research and remarkable discovery. Or you could read a book. Anyway, I love coffee and I hope you do to. If not, try a mocha or espresso or latte or some flavor syrups or a machiatto. If not coffee then try tea.

Chai tea lattes, green tea fraps, iced Asian oolong, and white tea are all as different as their names. While coffee always tastes like coffee, tea never always tastes like tea. Lipton is doing some serious work to expand their lines too with the introduction of whole leaf bags (only settle on ground leaf bags if you're on a budget or really don't care). I have a great white-peach mix from Celestial Seasonings. They also make a great, great peppermint tea. My favorite is my loose citrus oolong that I have a special metal holder to steep in so I a) always get fresh tea, and b) never use more than I have to. Try an iced white tea. It might be the most refreshing thing you could ever drink on a summer day. It has no sugar or calories and is lightly and naturally caffeinated (same as coffee). Just make sure to pace yourself.

One time I drank a venti double-bag "calm" herbal tea from S*bucks. You can get two bags for no extra charge and at $1.45 it's the cheapest thing on the menu. So I like my tea strong and the water is really hot. That means I let it steep for a long time before I actually drink it. By the time it got cool enough to drink, after ditching the outer cup and blowing on it for 20 minutes, I downed the tea in about 5. That led to a massive amount of strong tea hitting my system. It wasn't but 10 minutes later that I had a very light cold sweat and was really jittery. My heart was definitely beating above normal and my body felt lighter. The one thing I did notice was heightened senses and mental activity. My eyes were focusing like crazy and my brain was working faster than it had ever before. I ate some food to "bring me down" and it was only 20 minutes later that I was back to normal. I was kinda scared because I had never done that before, but at the same time it was exhilarating to be jacked up on caffeine. A legal high if you will. Now tea, when drank slowly, is a great stimulant. Natural, slow, paced, and gentler than coffee while being strong. The ease of getting such beverages has created a nation dependent on coffee. Thank god I've never drunk coffee and tea consistently enough to have to go through caffeine detox like some of my friends do when they don't get their coffee. They miss one day and they get headaches and weird deprivation symptoms. I enjoy my drink, not depending on it everyday, MIKE. (That's right, I'm busting down the fourth wall and comin' in through your monitor.)

What I say next is a rant and may not be especially relevant to the previous writing done in this article: WARNING! Think about how much money you blow and calories you take in at S*bucks for a $4 and 100-250 calorie drink every morning 5-6 days a week for your entire working career for a stupid "specialty" drink! G*ddamn "baristas" and their g*ddamn tip jars. Ooh, barista. They're the yuppie equivalent of "sandwich artists" at Subway. Listen: GET A COFFEE MAKER OR A STEEPER AND TAKE YOUR STUFF STRAIGHT! OR AT LEAST DOABLE AT HOME! Take some pride and stop dishing out money at places that make your favorite drink the wrong way some days but you keep coming back and want to be a good customer and not complain, oh and you're in a rush because stopping there takes too much time out of your commute but you assume it'll be good tomorrow again so you'll just be back again to be disappointed, again. Making coffee and tea yourself is incredibly rewarding, so do it yourself some time!

Anyway, there are an incredible amount of ways to enjoy it, and it's all good. No, it's great. And it can get you jacked up without having to deal with the fuzz!