The Proper Way to Revive an Insomniac

Ah, the ritual of morning. Get up to pee; cat comes in and puts her front paws on my knees while I'm sitting there. (More than you wanted to know, but it's such a funny habit.)

Put water on for coffee. Put music on (just got one of these for the Nano, so now I can have Lemon Jelly for breakfast. Yum!). Get out coffee grinder and jar of beans.

Cat flees behind television.

Grind coffee. Pour grounds into green bowl. Spoon, then scrape grounds into French press. Water boils. Put milk on stove in little white pot. Pour water over coffee. Bloom. Pour rest of water over coffee. Stir with wooden spoon. Put lid on. Milk comes to point of making light skin with tiny bubbles underneath.

Milk and coffee ready at exact same moment (I have this down to an art). Stir coffee again (if being anal about it, as I was today). Press down gently. Love this moment. Pour coffee, admiring the aesthetics of the press and the liquid itself. Then, favorite part. Pour milk from little white pot and watch coffee turn perfect color (not too far off from the skin of a certain boy who shall remain nameless, though he's a little darker than au lait).

Set pot aside for leftover milk to cool to kitten-safe temperature (some do not like it hot).

Sit down at computer to write this. Love mug. Love coffee. Love music. Love cat.

Get up four minutes later and pour remaining milk into jar lid for kitten, who is yowling all the while. She laps it up, then climbs happily onto back of sofa and sits looking regal like one of those Egyptian temple guards.

I actually love mornings. I just like them to come when I decide I'm ready for them. Today, that was about 12:45pm.

"All the ducks are swimming in the water." - Lemon Jelly