coffee coffee buzz buzz zzzzzzzz

Let me be clear: I love caffe. Pound for pound, there's no doubt that Italians know their coffee better than Americans do. I've had espresso that was absolutely ethereal: smooth, full of richness without a hint of bitter, the sort of coffee that fills your mouth and wraps your tongue in a loving embrace that tastes as wonderful as this metaphor I'm writing is turning out to be disgusting. Anyway, I'm not knocking what the Italians do with the bean.

Still, I miss American coffee. That's probably what I'm missing the most from the US: not good Chinese food, not the ability to easily to go to Target and buy stuff for the house without it being a huge hassle: just having a nice mug of coffee at my right hand, a trusty, constant companion against cold and fatigue. As fall is coming on, I'm wishing more and more for the good ol' travel mug; making a run to the corner bar when I need caffeine just isn't cutting it. Whether it's a desire for a more efficient caffeine-delivery system or just an oral fixation, I don't know, but there it is.