ANDRE BEGIN

Early in my career, one of my colleagues showed me a stocking stuffer she received one Christmas. It was a little coaster that you could place under a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate, containing a little heating element that would keep the drink at just the perfect temperature for hours.

I knew that she was the type of person who enjoyed savouring her tea slowly. This device sounded like the perfect tool to allow her to prolong the enjoyment of her beloved tea ritual.

While I appreciated the merits of the solution, the reason she needed one was not obvious to me at the time. What a difference a few years can make.

As I gained knowledge and experience, management grew to rely on my subject matter expertise more and more, especially in times of crisis. I interpreted this as a form of appreciation for what I brought to my team. The unfortunate casualty was the cups of previously warm drinks I would return to when the emergencies were over.

Sadly, there were many cups of coffee, left in a barely lukewarm state, with random streaks of cream floating on top, and not in a pretty way like the designs you’ve undoubtedly seen on Pinterest.

Of course there’s always the option to microwave it for a few seconds…. and I stress, a FEW seconds, otherwise a few seconds too many and a hot drink can reach temperatures that could melt metal. But a cup of coffee that has been sitting out for too long just doesn’t present the same aroma, flavour or overall experience, even when re-heated.

At first, the cold coffee conundrum was an occasional occurrence. But as time went on, the reasons for these losses started multiplying:

– A “quick” conference call that ended up expanding like gas and highjacking my schedule.

– Someone called in sick and I was needed as a replacement to cover an urgent commitment or meeting for them.

– A last-minute meeting in another office tower, for which bringing an open cup of coffee would be logistically challenging, not to mention risky for the dry-clean-only business suit.

– Stepping off the elevator and getting ambushed with the details of an unexpected emergency requiring my immediate attention for damage control or else risk escalation to the senior levels.

While I was always happy to step up to the plate, many cups of coffee lost their lives in the handling of these crises.

At one point, being called away before my first sip was happening so often, it seemed more than just coincidental. How did the powers that be know?

However, I will admit that some of the tragic losses of hot beverages were of my own doing. When working on a writing assignment, when I’d get deep into a thought bubble, I’d lose track of time pretty easily. That being the case, looking up from a masterpiece-of-corporate-literature-waiting-to-happen only to discover that my coffee was already cold happened more often than I care to admit.

Now, two years into retirement, you’d think that crises and emergencies would be a distant memory and that I’d be enjoying cups of coffee, tea or hot chocolate while they are still hot.

Guess again!

Between the hours of 6:00 am and 9:00 am, it is virtually impossible to enjoy a full cup of coffee in the presence of a strong willed, extroverted cat, whose routine can be subject to subtle daily changes without prior consultation or communication.

Times for feeding and for supervised leash walks in the great outdoors are generally standardized, but they can be subject to change on short notice. As a result, Ivy the Wonder Cat is not shy in meowing her disappointment in my not being able to accurately anticipate those changes. She’s a tough boss!

The strangest coincidence is her demand for a leash walk, often within a few minutes after I have made a fresh cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

Being called away before my first sip is happening so often it seems more than just coincidental… How does she know? Wait… has history repeated itself?

That being the case, my former colleague’s idea of that heated coaster is gaining interest with me, as I am now the one who likes to enjoy my coffee more slowly, to savour every drop through my writing sessions.

Until then, to drink a hot drink while it’s still hot remains a dream and a life goal.

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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André