I really like the pictures of the dogs. Django is almost as big as Sam. When did that happen. The deck looks so different w/o anything on it.

I applaud your efforts with the coffee drinking. It's about 2 months and I have had only one cup of coffee. I started drinking coffee very young and remember the days when we were younger and brewing a pot of coffee after dinner was routine for us. I don't regret my coffee days but now my body tells me that I can't have it any more. I'm still looking for the best substitute - I like Green tea but I drink it b/c it's good for me, not necessarily b/c it tastes good and I really enjoy it. Have a good day. B

I was in Ikea the other day, and, well, they have this self-service thing going on. If you don't know: you grab a cup, a small cup that is, and pay at the till, and then go to the hot liquid dispensing machines.

I normally drink tea. I drink it all the time. Assam, darjeeling, ceylon, english breakfast, etc, etc. I never drink coffee.

So I was going to get tea. But they don't have tea pots at Ikea. Just cups. Small cups. Cups so small, in fact, that dunking a tea bag in one, would be ... perverse. There'd be barely enough water left once the tea bag's taken out with whatever amount of water one of those things can absorb, to put a match out. Pointless, really.

So I had a cup of coffee instead.

(Actually as I stood there, letting my (tiny) cup fill, a woman came along from my right, and stood looking at me. She wanted to get to the packets of sugar, or whatever, on my left. There was plenty of room to just walk around me, but ... there she stood. Staring at me as I stood there waiting for my (miniscule) cup to fill with coffee: expecting me to move out of her way for her, so she didn't have to make the effort to move around my immobile, standing, all-ready-there self.)

Anyway, I really quite enjoyed the coffee, and had a free refil as a consequence.

I enjoyed it so much I considered buying an espresso machine, so I could enjoy coffee at home.
I'm not sure I want to be an addict, though. :)

Tea is good thing (drinking it right now), but I really like good coffee. Unfortunately it has become a vice and even an addiction. So if you get an espresso machine for home, take my advice and only use it for special occasions, not several times each day like I did. Mmmmm... this Earl Gray is so fine!

Hey Dan. Thought I'd check out your blog and stumbled on the coffee entry. Try giving yerba mate a try. You have to use a bombilla and gourd to get the maximum benefit. The tea bags are pretty lame. Mate is packed with antioxidants, minerals and even some amino acids. It also packs a tonic herb effect. I got turned onto it by a Tri freak from Cali. Good stuff..
Of course I never drank coffee so....
www.ma-tea.com