Friday, October 12, 2007

Coffee, Coffee Buzz buzz buzz

It was Unthinkable. Another morning, early as usual, I come downstairs and grind my coffee, add my water and push the button. I go back upstairs and get ready, come down and...NO COFFEE. The pot is not even warm, nothing. I am very disappointed. When I say very, I mean VERY. Coffee is my favorite and in the morning- no coffee= sad sad Carrie. After an inspection of the problem I diagnose the coffee maker- failure to make coffee because it is dead. Related to: broken hardware, heating element, etc.

Okay, I roll with it. I start contemplating on Monday that is, what to do. I go online and look at new coffee pots. This is not horrible, I didn't really like my cheap coffeemaker- I bought it a year ago in a coffee emergency and have thought of replacing it. My dream coffeemaker: Cuisinart. They are online, but then you have to WAIT. I hate waiting. So, I go to my favorite (past tense now) store- Target. I looked at what they had online and saw that the one that was most like Cuisinart's new no carafe model is getting bad reviews. I go to Target, ever hopeful that they will save me from this bad situation- with no waiting. I find and buy a Kreug- do not do this. It is supposed to make coffee from little pre-made coffee containers- yuck. Now it is Tuesday. Mine has no pre-made containers anyway- they are missing. I call the manufacturer who tells me very nicely, although I insult their coffee pre-mades, that I can get an "adapter" and brew my own. They assure me I can get this miraculous device from Target (still my favorite at this point). I take the kids, go back to Target in search of the adapter. Nothing. Not any adapters. Turns out- they don't even sell them! I go home sad, several days are passing, and I have no coffee. My friend calls and I tell her the sad story- she brings me coffee (with an extra shot of espresso in it). Meanwhile, useless stupid Kreug coffeemaker is sitting on my counter with water in it that I cannot get out because it has moved from the reservoir into the machine- and there are no directions for getting it out. I decide on Wednesday now, to take it back. I pack it up, water still in it and go back to Target. They take it back and apologize for being such a disappointment to me. I don't know if I can forgive them for selling me such a crummy product, that has no attachment, no coffee servings and that will not relinquish its water. I leave Target. Knowing that coffee at home is a must and still not wanting to wait for shipping I stoop. Beyond my lowest standard, to the obscene- I go to Starbucks- desperate for a Cuisinart. They of course have nothing to offer me. Whew- I don't know if I could live with my coffeemaker if I knew that I gave Starbucks the money for it. In despair and desolation I begin the drive home.
Suddenly, the phone rings and it is my wonderful, wise sister! I tell her my plight and she gives me a suggestion- BED BATH and BEYOND!! Upon entering the store I find my dream coffeemaker, for the same price as online and it is right there on the shelf!! I buy it happily bring it home, program it, use it and clean the kitchen in honor of the beautiful new pristine Cuisinart DCC 2000!!

Although I am victorious, I cannot help but think of all those out there enslaved with bad coffeemakers, the tyranny. And even more disturbing, how a coffeemaker is so symbolic to me and can cause such a stir in my life. I am going to have a long, deep introspective talk with myself about the imbalance here- over a steaming hot cup of Cuisinart brewed Mill Mountain coffee.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I was sitting in the nurses station yesterday morning, thinking about getting a cup of coffee. Then my pager went off for a Delta Trauma < 10 minutes inbound.

For the next hour and a half, I worked my Paramedic ass off trying to save this patient's life... why do I tell you this? Because with every push of a drug or every fluid bolus, I kept thinking "[Patient] gets fluids, why can't I get some coffee?!"

Anyway-- at the end of this, when we were changing out trauma crews... I turn around to see three of my fellow medics, in their scrubs... each holding two cups of coffee. When I walked past that line on the trauma room floor, I was greeted with plenty of coffee, MM coffee from Nicole, and local brew from the other two.

Ahh-- good memories. I thought you were coming to visit this weekend.

carrie said...

MM coffee :) Tried to spend the weekend communing at the beach, but sadly, child sickness changed the plans.

Melissa said...

i'm glad that you have your dream coffeemaker...finally. =)