BLOG POST YUCK!

BLOG POST                    YUCK!

Within half an hour of awakening this morning, I had had two cups of coffee. It came about this way.

I made a single cup of coffee with my Keurig. When it was done, my usual mug was less than half full.

I was baffled, but I simply put in another pod, and made a second cup of coffee that I added to cup number one. Even with the second cup added the liquid just barely reached the rim of my red coffee mug. I note that because I like to drink low volume, so I generally choose the small cup setting.

     I do a lot of puttering in the morning on my way to my writing desk, and MANY mornings I have to nuke my coffee again… and again… before I finally finish my first cup. I limit myself to 2 cups coffee per day and if I need more caffeine later in the day, I drink tea.

     So, I was puttering I put a load of clothes into the washer; emptied the top rack of the dishwasher and went through my home gathering up items that were not in their “home.”

     I find that I like very much being able as my mother used to say, being able to “put my hands on something.” By that I mean knowing where something is and being able to locate it right away. Being able to find things right away, THAT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY.

For example, years ago, I  used to see someone lose their keys when they visited my home. This happened very often.

I decided that I would have  designated place for MY keys. When I come in the door, I put my keys, now, in a shallow cut-glass bowl that, in its other life, I think, was an ashtray.

I believe in re-purposing things, using them to do a new job, to contain a novel item that is different than their original or intended purpose. I put my keys in that cut-glass ashtray/ key holder; and I do it ALL THE TIME, EVERY TIME.

I have not lost my keys in DECADES. That makes my life work: that eliminates the frustration of lost keys from my life.

Back to the coffee:

As I returned things to the kitchen that “live” there, I took a sideways glance at the coffeemaker as I put something on the counter. I did a double take.

There, in the water reservoir of the Keurig, was a grey cloudy substance floating in the water! I picked up the reservoir and examined it with better light: MOLD!

There was mold floating on the water in the reservoir of my Keurig… the one I had just drunk TWO cups of coffee from!

I did not panic. I took the reservoir, moldy water still in it, and I squirted four squirts of foamy germ-killing Dawn liquid soap into the container. 

I filled it to the brim with water. I left it to sit, while the Dawn killed and destroyed the mold.

The thing is, while it was yucky to realize I had drunk water drawn from mold, that was actually not the nastiest water I have drunk before. Understand now, I do NOT make a habit of drinking NASTY WATER.

I know you are saying, “Well , I would never do that.” I understand;  but, read on.

I was stranded on a small desert island, offshore from a larger, but still small, desert island. Islands, as you know, are surrounded by water. This water was exquisitely beautiful: the Caribbean Sea. Turquoise crystal-clear water.

When you stand in it, the white sand contrasts to the clear water , so clean, so clear you can see  your toenail polish color; or, if you are a  guy, you can count your toes.  BUT…it is salt water. So, while it is lovely to look at and swim or splash or play or float in, you cannot drink it.

You have heard the saying somewhere,

“Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink”? Well, that was my situation.

We had been hiking on this desert island. I was completely unfamiliar with islands in general and desert islands in particular.  So, unlike my usual tendency, on this occasion I was so excited to be on this adventure that I left any thought of preparations for the journey to my companions.

We walked and explored, and I might as well have been on the moon! I was in awe of everything I saw.  There were herds of goats running wild; and squat, fat cacti with what looked like red hats on their round heads.

 They are called “pope’s head” cacti, as the red had looks like the head gear of a bishop.  Do not ask me why they are not called “bishop’s head cacti”: I did not name them, and I do not know.

There was a bay, with turquoise water, shallow inside the reef, excellent for swimming or sunning.  There  were no trees, except a rare, occasional grape tree. Grape trees are squat, and largely round but not tall.  You cannot get under them. They provide no shade.  There were low shrubs, scruffy and grey brown. I do not remember any coconut trees on the small island.

It was August. It was sunny and hot.

After some time, hiking, I became aware of becoming quite thirsty. Only then did I realize, I had nothing with me to drink.  I was not worried, though. Even though this was my first trip of this kind, my companions had made this trek many times over decades .

I turned to them and said, not as eloquently as our Savior did, but I said, “ I’m thirsty.”  When is the last time you have said that? Think. Ever?

         They said to me, “Oh.”

I asked, “What do you mean? I want some water to drink.”

Answer: “Er, well, we don’t have any.”

This came as a shock to me. Here we were, on an uninhabited desert island with only wild goats and sea gulls and an occasional lizard on the land, and, while there were literally plenty of fish in the sea, I was not hungry.   

I WAS THIRSTY. And, there was no water!  The hike went on. 

I tried to ignore my thirst as it would be some time before the boat returned for us.  

The heat and the brilliant sunshine, beating down on my head, with no shade anywhere, began to take their toll. We had been walking and walking, for at least , perhaps, two or more hours.

Now, the scenery was not so attractive. Now, I saw dry grass and scruffy cacti and goat droppings.

It was no longer exotic and fascinating. I was on a DESERT ISLAND with no water! This was no longer fun.

When I could stand it no longer, I complained to the leader of the expedition.  “I have GOT TO have some water. I am really THIRSTY,” I said.

“Well, honey,” he said, “There IS NO WATER here.” 

I began to do a slow burn, and not because of the sun.  I do not do well with frustration.

 I will admit that up front. I like control .

That is why I designate a place for my keys. I pack my purse and my car, like a girl scout, with everything I think I MIGHT need.

But, in this instance, I had abdicated all responsibility for my personal needs. I did  have even a drop of any liquid to drink.

By the way this happened in 1983 : water in plastic bottles? Not a thing then.

We walked on further. I began to feel faint.

I was lightheaded and the sun was unrelenting in beating down on my uncovered head. I vaguely became aware that my skin was tingling.

Sunburn was happening; but I could think of nothing-- except my parched throat and dry tongue. I did not even have spit.

When would that boat get back to get us? No, there was not a cell phone to call the boat. It was 1983, remember?

I sat down on something, a rock, I think, and I said, “I cannot walk anymore. I have got to have something to drink.”

“Well, … there is SOME water, a little way up the path… but, you won’t like it.”

“Where?”

“See that rock wall in the distance?”

“THAT far?”  Still, if there was water there…

 “Let’s go.”

With the little energy I had left, but with the desperation to quench my thirst, I reinvigorated myself. I got up and followed.

Finally, we reached the wall. On the other side was indeed water!

I was saved! Or was I? The water was a watering hole… for the goats!  

You have never been in my position: I know you have not. Maybe, if you’re a vet, who in war time was on a mission in a desert location… or, if you were a hiker who got lost and had drunk all your water… but most of you, for sure, have never been where I was. 

I could not see or think, I was so  thirsty. Every cell in my dry mouth was screaming-- for water!

I am fastidious. “Cleanliness is next to godliness,” I grew up with that. I wash my hands all the time. I inspect everything before I eat or drink it.

BUT… this was the only water around.   I looked at the goat watering -hole water closely.

The water itself was clear. But, the ground, and the rocks around the pool, were decorated with…goat droppings! 

Oh, you do not know what it took for me, using my hands, to scoop up water from that pool to drink. But… I did it.

That was the best water I had ever drunk in my life!  I do not know if it had a taste.  I know—surprisingly-- it did not have a smell. THAT would have been a deal breaker-- even in the desert!

My companions drank as if this were the most natural thing in the world, to drink water from a goat pond. I was too thirsty to be judgmental. I was parched and I did not care about anything but satisfying my thirst.

Eventually, the boat returned, and we went back to the larger desert island, where people lived and where there was CLEAN COLD FRESH water to drink. Ahhh!

Do I need to say that was the first and last hike that I took without bringing my own supply of something to drink? Soda in cans, beer, SOMETHING liquid.

And, because I like drinks COLD , when I could, I brought ice. This was, as I said, the desert.

Folks there did not generally drink things cold. They did not have ice, for example, in the small freezer inside the fridge.

No, Virginia, there were no ice-makers there. There were, however, ice companies where you could buy bags of ice. When I discovered them, I bought bags of ice.

I was looked at as  a crazy American. I heard them muttering, “She is spending MONEY on ICE!”

I did not care. Cold lemonade, cold iced tea--COLD anything liquid-- was refreshing and essential to me. I bought bags of  ice -- over and over.

There were very few insulated coolers of any type available.  So, in the desert heat, what do you expect?  You had to get the ice to a refrigerator quickly and you could not generally transport it without having some percentage of it to melt.

“More wasting of money,” my associates muttered under their breath. But--so be it.

Now then, my coffee this morning? Yes, there was mold in the water.

No, I did not see it till I had drunk the coffee. I am fine.  I do not expect any ill effects. Indeed, I feel fine.

Now that I have shared this adventure with you, I will return to my coffee maker, scrub the now disinfected water reservoir, and make a CLEAN cup of coffee.

And, I will be even more grateful: for CLEAN water, for ice, for bottled water, if need be; for insulated mugs and insulated boxes to carry bottles and bottles of : water, soda, mocha, beer, wine, and yes, water, water,  water --everywhere I go.