Late For The Train – Flagstaff, Arizona
“The powers of a man’s mind are directly proportioned to the quantity of coffee he drinks.” ~Sir James Mackintosh Dr. Steve Spence, my friend and former colleague at the University of New Mexico, probably drank more coffee than anyone I’ve ever known. Walk by his office at any time of day and you’ll hear the melodic, soothing sounds of his electric coffee grinder pulverizing roasted coffee beans into freshly ground coffee ready to be enjoyed. He grinds fresh before every brew and believes pre-ground (bagged) coffee is an instrument of torture. Unlike the rest of us who drink barrelfuls of coffee, he does not show or seem to feel outward worry, anger, or excitement. His calm, almost Vulcan-like demeanor exemplifies a composed, steady, and tranquil outward appearance, even in high-pressure or unusual situations. His calmness belies the stereotypical high-strung, high-stress stereotype associated with javaphile junkies. Admittedly I’m is a relative neophyte to the lure of the coffee sirens (and I’m not nearly as sedate as Dr. Spence). Only in the past fifteen years or so have I rekindled my appreciation and love for the nuanced depth of flavors conferred by this stimulating and satisfying elixir. Few things in life have…