Simple Things

As my current boss alluded in a phone conversation late yesterday, I am really quite a simple creature - made most happy by simple things.  Leave me alone.  Don't complicate my way.  Be considerate.  Let me do my job, and I will be happy - and so will you, if I work for you. 

Yesterday, he caught me in the middle of a hunt for brightly-colored socks.  And I was happy in the hunting.

This morning, happiness was found in a simple coffee-maker.

For many, many years, I had a very simple, originally very cheap, black 12-cup Black & Decker coffe-maker (probably made-in-Asheboro - before the plant closed - for all I know) . . . one bought when I lived in abject poverty and massive debt-that-I've-yet-to-stop-paying-for as a medical student & resident at NCBH/Brenner's.

Back in those days, I was known to drink up to 30 cups of coffee a day.

These days, I try to limit myself to 2 or 3 cups in the morning.

Alas, after many years of faithful service, my B&D died a few years back, and I decided to upgrade to a fancier model . . . made by another American-company-that-shall-not-be-named-but-I'm-pretty-sure-it-got-bailed-out.  It was bright red - and came with all of the bells and whistles . . . bells and whistles I never cared to use much.

Alas, the thing took only two years to die - and this week, it almost took a favorite carpet runner in front of my sink in the kitchen with it.

On Thursday, I went out and bought a very simple, fairly cheap (it was on-sale) black Black & Decker coffee-maker at (horrors!) Wal-Mart (after looking at Lowes Hardware).  No bells.  No whistles.

And this morning, it very quickly made the best cup of coffee I've made in my own home in two years.

Simple things.