The Morning Ritual

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A couple of weeks ago at work we were talking about drinking coffee and tea, and one of my coworkers, a very calm, serene lady, talked about how drinking her morning coffee is like a ritual. I knew exactly what she meant. For me, it's lining up all the little events in a morning that calm and center me for the day, and it goes a little like this:
After the kids are off to school and the dog is walked and taken out ("the World is Jasper's toilet"), I get in my car and go a couple of blocks to the corner gas station where I get my 20 oz cup of Green Mountain Coffee. The mixture is always the same: 1/2 decaf hazelnut and equal parts for the other half, which consist of some combination of Wild Blueberry, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, and a wildcard flavor (according to the season) like Gingerbread, Southern Pecan, Peach, or Tropical Coconut. [These coffee combinations will probably make some readers gasp in their craziness but they are OH SO YUMMY.]
Then, I come home, pour a little of the coffee into a small glass to make room for my fat-free half and half (and lots of it - I like my coffee "light"). Next, I fire up the computer, put my toast, wheat roll, or "everything" bagel into the toaster oven, and wait. Once the toast (or whatever) is done, I sit down in front of the computer and check my email, my Facebook, and catch up on all the (celebrity and national) news. I also check my bank account and a couple of blogs I read. About 7:30, I head upstairs to finish getting ready for work, then I head out the door.
Variations on the morning ritual might include a trip to Canaltown Roasters in the Village of Pittsford, or a stop at Panera Bread. In either case I bring along some reading material for some calm, quiet time before work.
Does that sound a little OCD to you (especially the coffee mixing part)? Maybe so, but it's the quiet time I need to get ready for the rat race of a day that's usually ahead. And, in case you're wondering, my weekend routine is pretty much the same, except that in nice weather Mark and I walk Jasper down to the corner gas station to get my coffee. That make the routine even better!!

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