2000-10-06

Diner Coffee

For as long as I've worked at the theatre, we've had a coffee maker, sitting unobtrusively in the copy room, virtually unused. Unused, because of the fact that directly across the street, we have not only a Dunkin' Donuts, but a hoity-toity purveyor of Writer Coffee (the kind that comes in one of those trendy big-assed mugs, and has a name like "Incan Burlap Roast," and is consumed by very serious po-et types who apparently never learned how to use capital letters).

I usually head over to Dunkin' Donuts around mid-morning, and have made it a habit to peek into the offices around my own and take orders from anyone needing a "fix," as it were. The other day, one of the women I work with, recently hired into our merry little hive, asked me, "What's the deal with the coffee maker in the copy room? Does it not work or something?"

"I'm pretty sure it works."

"Because, I mean, you're always going across the street for coffee, or Josh goes across the street for coffee, and that's, like - what - a couple of bucks a day? Five bucks a day? I mean, if we have this coffee maker, shouldn't we use it?"

"I guess."

Here's the thing about coffee consumption in this office: we all know that we can make the coffee here. We all know how much money we spend per week going across the street to Dunkin' Donuts. We all know how much money we'd save by using the coffee maker in the copy room. I speak for myself here, but I suspect I also speak for several of my co-workers when I say that the whole point of going across the street to get coffee is to go across the street and get coffee.

Nevertheless, my new co-worker went ahead and made coffee.

It was amazing.

You know what Diner Coffee tastes like? That sort of bland-yet-bitter, dishwater-metallic taste? Like Church Basement Coffee, only better. You know you're drinking real coffee when you can see grounds at the bottom of your cup. Elated, I tracked down my new co-worker and effused, "Damn if you didn't just make a whole pot of Diner Coffee!"

I think she's scared of me.

Still, Josh and I did go over to Dunkin' Donuts later to get more coffee. We're creatures of habit, after all.

lisamcc at 19:45:53

previous | next