Black as Midnight on a Moonless Night

Jenny’s mom is visiting from Oregon for about 10 days...and while the highlight of her visit is the, y’sknow, visiting, part, we’re sorely glad for the haul of loot she brought with. A lot of this stuff is from our storage cache in her garage, some she thoughtfully provided new: shoes, jeans, books, climbing gear, oatmeal bars, hot chocolate and fifteen pounds of whole bean coffee. And a french press.

So last Thursday I brewed my first cup of coffee in China. Yes, I’ve had espresso drinks at the local (overpriced) java shack, but I can’t get it immediately upon rising, in my own kitchen, while I do my daily sudoku. Like so much I’ve missed from Oregon, I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I had it again. (This is why I don’t want to visit Oregon for the Christmas holiday.)

Funny how this little helping of stimulants can affect me. Life seems a little bit brighter now.