Several years ago I wrote a series of articles about professional clarinetists. It was really fun to interview masters of their craft, and one interview in particular led me to change the way I drink coffee.
The musician’s name is escaping me as I write this, but not because I’ve forgotten it, just because I’ve been especially forgetful in this later-winter-of-pandemic and also I’ve had some inner-ear-related dizziness which is a really great time let me tell you.
Anyway, in addition to being a clarinetist, this man is a big coffee aficionado, and we talked a lot about it. I drink a cup every morning, and I enjoy the ritual. After speaking with Richard (Richard! Eventually I’ll latch onto his last name…), I put my coffeemaker away, started grinding my own beans regularly instead of sporadically, and started making pour-over coffee instead of using the machine.
Eventually I did tire of grinding my own beans, and switched to buying ground coffee.
But in January, I tossed the whole coffee-making ritual out the window.
What had once been a relaxing way to wake up and make myself something that tasted good had become a chore, and I wanted those ten minutes back.
As well, I remembered that our old drip machine has a timer.
Which is why now when I wake up, my coffee is already made.
It is a damned fine thing to have my coffee made for me.
I can’t tell if it tastes any worse, because I don’t have a sophisticated palate. What I can tell is that every single morning, I wake up to the smell of coffee waiting for me, and I am so very happy for it. (My crude palate is what keeps me from buying a fancy machine that will grind fresh beans and make coffee while I sleep; why spend the money if in the end I’ll barely notice? When my old machine dies, though…)
This certainly has been the year when our robot overlords have made great strides, eh? In the absence of being able to be served by another person—or being able to serve another person—my ancient automatic coffee machine is a revelation.
Have you fallen back on any old habits lately? Or developed new ones simply because they make you feel special?
Onward!
Kim
PS Hawkins! Richard Hawkins. I couldn’t let it go. I had to take to Google. I found the profile I wrote about him, too. I really enjoyed his perspective on skill and art, and I suspect you will, too. Enjoy.
We’ve got March discussion threads going for deluxe subscribers (a day early, because March can’t come too soon):
One about books, and one about crafts.
Come hang out and chat!
Items of Note
We’ve launched a Community Calendar over at Digits & Threads. Canadian event and festival and workshop folks, go list your upcoming events!
This is gross.
This too.
These are delicious. Like, really really good. I made some this weekend.
I also (very badly) spun a small amount dog and cat fur into yarn this weekend, so that achievement is unlocked (and never to be revisited). Both the scones and the pet spinning were for GISH, which is everything I always wished existed in this world but I just didn’t know that it’s existed for like ten years 🤦♀️. Well now I know.
Our weekly video hang-outs are now held on Discord (instead of Zoom), on Thursdays at 1:30pm Pacific / 4:30pm Eastern Time. Simply enter the Community Hangout voice channel, and there we’ll be. Here’s how to join us on Discord
Head over to Discord and download the app or proceed to use it in your browser. Then click or enter this link to join our server: https://discord.gg/fRBx7ezRF7
What I’m making: Still a Pi Shawl and still loving it. Scones. A tiny bit of yarn.
What I’m watching: Pandora. It is the worst. It’s not so bad it’s good, it’s just bad, but we keep on watching it.
What I’m reading: Still Red Mars, by Kim Stanley Robinson, very slowly, but I’m intrigued. The kid and I are still enjoying the quiet pace of the third Anne book: Anne of the Island. But this book is not nearly as good as the others. It’s like, “Let’s do Anne’s whole undergrad degree in just a short while and try to make it not be about marriage but it’s totally about marriage.”
What are you enjoying (or hating) reading these days? Head over to the book discussion thread!