Mar10

searching.

Posted on by
Standard
 
 

 

 
on a recent visit to see my family in northern Michigan 
i was excited to wake up early
enjoy my usual vacation routine
have some quiet morning time
easing into the day
reading, writing
looking out over the beautiful lake
while enjoying a delicious cup of fresh morning coffee
 I was staying upstairs 
with its own tiny kitchen
 had everything set up to brew the coffee
ready to go 
the only thing missing
was the actual coffee
but could not find it anywhere
even after checking every cupboard, drawer, and shelf
I quietly ventured downstairs
searched the big kitchen
in the heart of the house
no luck 
just decaf, not real coffee at all
now that I couldn’t find the coffee
I so wanted it even more
I opened every drawer and every cupboard
checked high shelves
checked low shelves
looked where the teas were
looked on the countertops
checked the refrigerator and freezer
nothing
tried to figure out
their organizational/logical system for where they kept things
went in the laundry room checked all of the cupboards high and low
now I was even more determined to find it
went into the garage in my pajamas with bare feet
opened the extra refrigerator
the extra freezer
nothing resembling coffee in either of them
finally decided to brew myself a cup of decaf
to at least have a morning coffee-ish experience
when my family woke up
the secret location I hadn’t considered was quickly revealed
it was on a shelf at the bottom of the basement stairs
aha!
the basement
who knew?
I forget they had a basement
even if I had thought of it
it wasn’t a place I expected to find the coffee
but no worries
I was now fully awake
even without the caffeine 
powered by adrenaline 
and almost sweating
after my whirlwind of a treasure hunt
 now if anyone needs to find anything in their house
I can help
having learned what’s in every cupboard, drawer, or on a shelf. 
 
—
‘searching is half the fun:
life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party.’
 

-jimmy buffett

—

photo image: zoe coffee company

Discover more from I didn't have my glasses on....

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

73 responses »

  1. you have my full understanding. my morning is not complete w/o a big mug of tea, with my breakfast, swiftly followed by a killer of aromatic, strong, black espresso. when i lived in Toronto, i drank granule-awful (Nestlé Gold) coffee, the flashiest places had drip coffee makers looking like laboratory equipment but the coffee was still terrible – and coming back after 2 years i swore that i wouldn‘t ever, ever dring freeze dried or any other coffee than the real thing.
    i did hear however that keeping coffee in the freezer, together with vodka (my German boss at my Canadian employers taught me that – I‘m NOT a ‚hard stuff‘ drinker!) is a good thing – so searching in the freezer was a good move.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply ↓

  6. We all have different places around the house to store extra supplies of things. They make sense to us, but can mystify guests and visitors. Perhaps we should consider
    ‘Labelling’? 😊
    Best wishes, Pete.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  13. So weird. My email notification of this post brought me to the 404. I clicked on your blog name and here was the post. The joys of WP.
    So. Ummmm… why, pray tell, would the coffee be stored in such a bizarre place? At least you know your following mornings will start right!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  15. I’m sipping fresh coffee today, Monday, but getting it was an ordeal getting here. The grocery store nearest me kepps rearranging its shelves and packaging, so finding my favorite items becomes a time-consuming ordeal. Time pressure makes me anxious.

    Like

    Reply ↓

  17. The same thing happened to us visiting friends in Lake Tahoe. We woke up early and wanted coffee. They had a “tree” for K-cups that was empty. We had never been to their house before and didn’t find the coffee. I felt your pain!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  22. “I so wanted it even more” That! 😄 I didn’t realize the cap on my water flask was loose and water spilled in my backseat a few hours ago. I suddenly became thirsty when I discovered this. 😂 Your funny story is a good reminder to travel with instant coffee and tea.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  26. I panicked when you found everything except coffee, Beth! I followed you everywhere to look for the coffee. When you found it and were all awake without coffee, I laughed. What a funny but not so funny experience! Enjoy your family on your vacation.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

Leave a reply to Dave Williams Cancel reply