I hear people lament that as you get older, there are fewer and fewer pleasures in life. Some have the give up drinking alcohol, some give up the occasional smoke of tobacco (cigars and pipes), some give up less-than-legal pleasures that I really don’t want to get into.
For years I drank coffee. A lot of coffee! I was a pot-a-day kind of guy. And then one day I was getting a physical and the doctor noticed that my blood pressure was kind of high. He asked if I smoked, and I said I didn’t. He asked if I drank, and I told him I did, but only moderately. He asked if I drank coffee, and I said “yes.” When I told him that I drank about a pot, his eyebrows furrowed in that disapproving way and he said “Maybe you ought to cut back.” Well, I just decided to quit…cold turkey!
I didn’t tell J the day I quit drinking the old cup o’ Joe, and I became the biggest jerk as I went through withdrawals. A week later I was free of that drug, and a little sad, too.
From 1997 to 2004, I didn’t drink coffee or anything with caffeine at all. However, when I started my current job and had to get up at 4am M-F, that all changed in about a month. I started drinking a couple of cups in the morning and it helped a lot!
Pretty soon, I started getting back into my coffee snob habits. That is to say, I was only drinking the “high end” coffee from Peet’s (or Starbucks). And then when the owners of the radio station bought another station, I started working with Jeff — who hired me for my first radio gig over 20 years ago — and he liked the “good coffee,” too!
Happy to have a coffee soul brother, we took turns buying a pound of the “good coffee” each week for our morning fix. It was kind of fun to see what kind of coffees he would pick, and I think he was equally delighted when I brought something in that he had never tried. It was all moving along so well.
Then the drip coffee maker broke…
At work, in addition to the drip coffee maker, they have one of these “one cup” coffee makers that makes brown swill (left). No pleasure in that. So, I put on my grumpy face and pleaded with our office manager, Melissa for a new drip coffee maker. She said “Yes,” and I went off to Target to make the purchase.
And here’s what I bought (right):
Now I don’t know if this coffee maker is going to last a long time or not, but I’m just happy that I’ll be able to have cup of the “good coffee” again.
Well, this whole coffee crisis made me wonder what kind of “simple pleasures” my dear readers enjoy (Yes, all 7 of you!). What is it that you’re not willing to compromise on? Could be coffee, could be wine, meats, cheeses, clothes, whatever. The point is, we all have our snobby moments when it comes to something.
Ready? Set! Comment away!
–PK
Ml
September 24, 2006 at 3:38 amNot willing to compromise on:
Wine – has to be red and not from a box.
Coffee – premium, please, no convenience store coffee, thanks. I’m partial to SL Roasting Company. Their stuff is awesome. They roast their own beans right there. YUM!
Cheese – none of that processed stuff such as cheese wiz or velveeta.
Wrapping paper – I know people just rip it to shreds, but the wrapping paper that falls apart while you’re wrapping the gift makes me break out in hives. I’ve since switched to gift bags.
Fabric – the cheap stuff is cheap for a reason. It looks cheap, smells cheap and doesn’t last.
Shelliza Ragnauth-McCarville
September 24, 2006 at 3:39 amIronic, as I’m reading this, at 9 pm, EST, I’m having a cup o Joe. Here’s my list:
Prefer Hallmark cards
Eat only Godiva chocolates
Shoes – nothing like a comfortable pair of Birkenstocks
Jewellery – keep it real. no CZ or Diamonique
J
September 24, 2006 at 3:40 amYay! You got your coffee maker! I hope it serves you (and Jeff) well! I am picky about:
Husbands. 😉 Only the best there.
Steak. I love a good rib eye.
Wine. No boxed crap.
Clothes. I want quality. I’ll get less of it, happily.
Dog food. Gen’s tummy is too sensitive.
School for Maya. (Not really what you’re talking about, but she does go to a great school, mostly because we worked hard to get her there)
I know there are other things I’m snobby about…can’t think of them right now. Maybe I’ll comment again later. 😉
Ms Mamma
September 24, 2006 at 3:41 amI\’m snobby about toys, kids toys. I really only go for european wooden toys although I do admit Snowflake has some plastic.
Coffee, yes. Good to know the Keurig sucks because I was considering buying one. I just don\’t want to grind beans and blah blah blah.
Gadgetry… metal bodied anything, tiny, slim has my number.
Perfume…Only CoCo.
Lots more, but jeez, who wants to know!
LaLuna
September 24, 2006 at 3:45 amI Like Cashews, not broken peices but whole roasted non-salted cashews. I will settle for broken peices when there isn’t any, But I’m becoming a cashews snob.
Gina
September 24, 2006 at 3:46 amI am a full-blown make-up and perfume snob. No Britney Spears perfume for me, Escada will do quite nicely, thank you.
And oddly enough, I am a bread snob. For store bought I have to have La Brea or il Fornaio, or specialty German bread I buy at the German store.
I’m with J on the clothes, would much rather have quality clothes and fewer of them than the latest from Kathy Lee Giffford.
Oh, and I suppose I am a bit of a tea snob as well.
The only snag? I’m poor, so that makes the snobbishness a bit harder to pull off.
Lotus Blossom
September 24, 2006 at 3:47 amI’m right there with you on the coffee. I know people were staring to backlash on Starbucks but I like their coffee. Right now I alternate between Peets Colombian and Major Dickasons (Peets still does home delivery!!!!)
Coffee Creamer. No fake crap and nothing flavored. I don’t buy good coffee to make it taste like an overly sweet, chemically hazelnut drink.
Grooming Implements. Revlon’s high end tweezers or Tweezerman tweezers, german tooled cuticle pushers and under nail cleaners, Tweezerman scissors, really good fingernail clippers and cuticle nippers. I have tweezers all over the place, in my room, down stairs, in my car, in my tavel bag…
Vinegar. Real balsamic vinegar, really good champagne, sherry, or merlot vinegars…
Salt. Only kosher salt for everyday use or specialty salts for a interesting twist. You’ll never find iodized salt on my house.
Py Korry
September 24, 2006 at 3:48 amAll 7 of you who read this blog commented. Yay! A few coffee snob souls out there. Nice. A lots of food items that make me suspect there are some Food Network fans out there.
I’m going to add that I’m a curry and roti snob. 🙂
Oh, and I like gadgets, too!
Lalapunci
September 24, 2006 at 3:49 amAhh tools and old cars. I am the outsider here. I like a good quality tool, be it a wrench or a power tool. I also like old cars from the mid 1970 back. Oh yes I like a good chocolate bar, Cadbury from England.
C-Lo
September 24, 2006 at 3:50 amI see that you asked the question, “What are you not willing to compromise on?” Boy the 7 of us don’t follow directions very well. First of all, let me say this. I’m stealing this question for our show as a phoner, so “Thanks” 🙂
Second, here’s what I won’t compromise on:
1. A cheap bra.
2. Generic food from the grocery store…no “Safeway Select” for me thanks.
3. Care for my pet. I pay a lot for my vet and his services, but he’s the best because my dog deserves it. I have a friend who says, “Go to my vet, he’s cheap and blah, blah, blah”. I stop listening after “cheap”. My pet deserves the best.