Friday, February 19, 2010

First Cup

On average I drink about 10 cups a coffee a day. I need the first two, maybe three, cups. The rest, well, I just like coffee. I really like coffee.

I drink coffee black and I always find that the first cup of coffee of the day is the best. Not because my body craves caffeine or that I need the coffee to wake up, it is just the first cup always tastes the best. Every cup after that is, like, tainted by the taste of coffee already on the tongue.

I still remember my very first cup of coffee ever. I had slept over my friends house and I was the first to wake up. I always was and still am an early riser. I fumbled my way down the steps to the kitchen to get something to drink. I was not too familiar with my friend's house and while looking for a glass I opened and closed several cabinets which woke Mr. Wheeler, my friend's dad. He entered the kitchen, asked me what I was doing and he looked disappointed when I told him I was up for the day. Mr. Wheeler sighed and then proceeded to make coffee. I sat at the kitchen table reading the comic section of the paper and we made small talk.

When the coffee was finished brewing Mr. Wheeler handed me a cup of piping hot coffee and asked me how I took it. I told him I never had coffee before. He poured a little bit of cream and two scoops of sugar into my cup.

"Here, try this." he said and slid the cup in front of me.

That first sip was delicious. I was hooked. I was eight years old.

I don't think Mr. Wheeler knew at that moment that he was creating a great memory for me. Every now and then I put a little bit of cream and two scoops of sugar into my coffee and I think of Mr. Wheeler.

My dad was not happy about Mr. Wheeler giving me coffee. My dad did not care that I actually drank the coffee, my dad was more upset with the fact that he now had to share his coffee with me every morning.

Every now and then I like to treat myself to a good cup of coffee so I go to Saxbys. I go to Saxbys coffee for two reasons; one, my brother Anonymous is part of the Saxbys' organization and two, every cup of coffee they serve is like the first cup of coffee of the day.

Do you drink coffee? How old were you when you had your first cup? How do you like your coffee?


Saxbys gave me three $5 dollar gift cards (you are all singing that Subway commercial now aren't you?) as part of my "Poop and Boogies Turns Five" give-away month. Go their website Click Here and see if there is a Saxbys in your area. If you would like a chance to win one of the gift cards please leave me a comment and include the word Saxbys. I will select three random winners on Sunday.

30 comments:

Alisha said...

No Saxby's in FL, but there is a Zaxby's which has amazing chicken...

I love love love the smell of coffee, but can't stand the taste. In middle school sometime, my dad (who makes coffee on a regular basis and knows I sit there and just smell it) poured me a cup with cream. GROSS! I poured it out and made hot cocoa instead.

Recently, I've become an iced coffee fan, which apparently is bizarre to a lot of people. Or I have a 3-1 ratio of cream in my hot coffee.

Susie said...

Saxby's has by-passed Maryland entirely! If I win, I'll give it to my niece who lives near the one in DE. I love coffee, but have an off/on relationship with it. I don't know when I started, but I know I was a child, maybe 8 or younger. Then, it was a lot of milk and sugar, and a little coffee. No one talked about it being a bad idea to give kids caffeine. My daughter is almost 14, and she can occasionally have a TINY bit. I don't know when it's considered PC to let kids drink coffee, these days. Now I drink mine with just cream, and I prefer Dunkin' Donuts coffee to Starbucks, any day.

Anonymous said...

Go Saxbys! I used to drink coffee. Lost my taste for it. Back then there was no Saxbys. I am a tea drinker. If I do drink an occasional cup of java, it will be Saxbys. Ever notice in restaurants how coffee drinkers are offered another cup, or a refill? It is RARE that a tea drinker is offered the same courtesy. Just thought I'd tell you that. Observe!

Anonymous said...

William, are you going Commercial on us?

Anonymous said...

The Mr Wheeler story brought back memories of the Little League Hill and He and Dad having their coffee and watching 2 games at one time. The Hill gave that advantage. Plus it was close to the refreshment stand, so the coffee refills were easy to get. The Old Days... what a fun memory!

Anonymous said...

To the "other" anonymous. When you make that trip to Florida to introduce Saxbys coffee to the Sunshine state, I am in for the trip.:) :) :)

Autumn said...

None in my neck of the woods either.

I savor that first sip every morning though. I avoid Starbucks, in favor of local mom and pop shops.

I'm 'late' to the coffee drinking crowd. I was 24 when I had my first sips of REAL coffee. I used to drink the instant crap in a can. I'm 27 now, and no coffee snob, but I can not handle my day with out it!!

I just wanted to stay how touching I found your story of Mr. Wheeler. I'm glad he helped provide you with such a positive memory.

SciFi Dad said...

I love my coffee black now, but when I was younger it was always with sugar (no cream/milk). Then one day my office was out of sugar, and I was desperate; now I prefer it without sugar.

Anonymous said...

Can't remember how old I was when I had my first cup. Must have been in my teens. I know it's been a looooong time. I mostly drink it with flavored creamer at home, powdered at work or just plain old milk. Never sugar. It just so happens that Saxby's took over a Starbucks at the end of my street. Haven't tried it yet, but on your recommendation, I definitely will. Mrs. P

teri said...

I don't drink coffee. at all. never have. sometimes I wish I did just for the different flavors that are out there.

More for you, Bill. Enjoy!

BUT 10 cups a day? Really? you must we wired beyond belief.

Anonymous said...

My first cup of coffee ever... I was in my late 20's and I was with you. That was when a $5 gift certificate couldn't even get you in, or a parking spot from LW for that matter.

Jeanneen said...

I just stoppped at Saxby's yesterday on my way to the turnpike. They have the best carmel lattes! I was running late but I thought what is another two minutes. Started drinking coffee and tea around the age of five --
coffee ~ black ~~tea~ sugar and milk! Thanks, Jeanneen

Katie said...

I love coffee. I especially like funky coffee mugs. :) I don't remember when my first cup was - sometime in high school, I believe when I started as a server at Frisch's at 16. I used to take it black with sugar, but I now like it with a little shot of caramel syrup and a touch of milk. :)

I'd never heard of Saxby's - but there happens to be one close. So whether I win or not, I'll probably go try them out since my favorite coffee shop closed and while I've found good coffee, none have replaced my go-to coffee shop.

Gratz on 5 years, by the way!

xxxxxx said...

Yay! Says Saxby's is coming to Jersey. I'm Cuban, we're brought up on coffee. As kids we have 'cafe con leche' for breakfast - lots of milk, with some espresso.

My favorite memory is from my last trip to Cuba when I was 5 years old. My grandfather on my father's side would roast and grind his beans in the barn. What a heavenly smell! And whenever I have the opportunity to smell freshly roasted beans it's a time warp right back to 1961.

maria from nj said...

Hmm, xxxxx is Maria from NJ
maria.perez@yahoo.com

DGB said...

I don't know Saxby's. But I miss Dunkin Donuts coffee.

I drink a cup to 2 cups a day. Black. I like strong, rich coffee. Grew into that taste. I used to like to sugar and milk it up. But I weaned myself off of sugar in my joe, cause it was one easy place to eliminate it.

That reminds me, need to fill up my mug.

Melissa said...

hmmm...none around me...but oh well...i LOVE LOVE LOVE the smell of coffee, especially first thing in the morning.

but i sure can't drink it! i drank it every day for a week trying to learn to like it...i hated it more at the end of the week than i did when i started...LOL


happy b-day P&B

RVVagabond said...

My grandmother gave me my first cup of coffee at age 6. She used heavy earthernware tan and brown mugs, poured in about half a mug of evaporated milk, three heaping sugar spoons of sugar and topped it off with coffee. I was HOOKED, because I was drinking coffee with my grandparents at 6AM! I long ago weaned myself of the milk and sugar and prefer French roasted Arabica bean coffee--and as strong as I can make it!
Unfortunately, even traveling as a fulltime RVer, we're not near a Saxby's.

Anonymous said...

You sir, are an addict. And yes, it takes one to know one.

Anonymous said...

And so the brands have found their way to you...or with you. Let me know if you need help controlling them. I speak their language.

BTW, good thing Mr. Wheeler wasn't a Bloody Mary in the morning drinker. Think we'd have a much different blog here.

Bridget Callahan said...

I don't know anything about Saxby's, cause I live in Ohio, where good coffee is a 4 letter word. But I remember my first taste of coffee, which was some of my dad's in the morning before school, and I hate it so muchn I didn't touch it again until I was 15. Which was when the only real form of bar-like socialization I could get was hanging out at the coffee shop late night. Every night. Spending way too much on mochas.

I don't know that I'm crazy for the taste of coffee, but I am crazy for the speed rush. Which is why I stick to espresso.

Anonymous said...

I can't say I'm a coffee drinker... but I'm freakin' hooked on AMP energy drink. Since I'm catholic and it's lent... I gave it up. For forty days it's not going to be good. I need the caffeine....

James (SeattleDad) said...

I mostly drink it with cream and chocolate syrup cause I want a treat that wakes me up too.

Shannon said...

I came late to the coffee drinking game. Didn't start drinking it until I was 35- but boy, now I can't get started in the morning without it! But NO WAY can I drink it black! If there's no cream and sugar to go with the coffee, I'll go without, thank you very much. I always joke that I like "a little coffee with my cream and sugar". Therefore, I only drink about two cups in the morning, so as to avoid a serious weight problem.

Anonymous said...

I started drinking coffee in mid 20s, was working in corporate america... found a SAXBYS near my house so I bought it and left corporate america... haha

Bogart said...

Sixth Grade...woke up every morning 1 hour before everyone else so my mom and I could sit and drink coffee. Brought us close and to this day it is one of my most cherished times...bad part is now I am a coffee snob and I can't stand bad coffee.

So I buy coffee for 14 bucks a pound...I have problems.

Do you think your bro's company could fix that?

Anonymous said...

I agree about that first cup of the day being the best one. I also find that coffee tastes better if someone else makes it for me. I drink Saxby's everyday, but that is because I am married to Anonymous (and it is good coffee!)

The Absence of Alternatives said...

First of all I love how you call your brother "Anonymous". Please may I steal it to call my husband?

The Absence of Alternatives said...

Coming back to finish my comment because I like to believe that what I have to say is really really important... LOL. I laughed at the fact that your dad wasn't mad 'cause you had caffeine. Are you sure it's not because you were all jacked up and hyper and talked like Beavis when he had too much candy & Cornholio came out? Ok. Maybe it's not you. My oldest son is like that when he has just a little bit caffeine so he's not allowed to have caffeine. And we'll know if he does.

Anonymous said...

I've been giving my son a serving of milk with about 1/8 cup (or less) of coffee-with sugar-free vanilla creamer since he was one-year-old or so. When we transitioned over to regular milk after age one, he wouldn't drink it as well, as he had the formula and breast milk before. So, one day I mixed in a little of the coffee-creamer mixture and he's downed two servings of milk every morning since. He wakes up every morning eager for his "coffee," and will even demand it by yelling "Coffeeeee, mommy" if I don't get it quickly enough. Needless to say, he has to wait patiently, (I don't respond to demands from my kids), but is very happy once he gets it.
I figure with the little amount of coffee he actually gets (just enough to tint the milk a very light tan), it can't hurt him, and he's getting his necessary servings of milk.
He is now almost three and is in no way hyperactive or inattentive (as some claim coffee consumption in kids causes ADD/ADHD) and has a great personality and is of average to above average development in all areas (I'm a teacher and believe I have a pretty good understanding of child development, but by no means consider myself a foremost expert). He is an awesome sleeper, 2-3 hour naps per day, bedtime at 7:30, sleeps through until 6:30 am.
So, all in all, I've seen no adverse effects of the small amount of coffee my son consumes almost daily. There are days where he'll drink his milk just fine without the coffee too, so I don't think he's become addicted to it either. I guess time may tell if there are any consequences, good or bad, from his earlier-than-usual introduction to coffee.