It will surprise you not a whit, I should think, to hear that my primary Lenten penance involves coffee. As in, (I told myself at the start of Lent), I just wouldn’t have any.
Coffee, that is.
As in, I would instead start my day with tea.
Given that the drinking of tea is firmly associated in my mind with a 4:00 p.m. teatime and not a 5:00 a.m. get-out-of-bed time, I quickly saw the need to switch to Plan B.
Which is: as long as the coffee tastes like cr*p, it’s still a penance.
I have switched to Folger’s half-caff instead of this brand and am using milk instead of cream. Trust me, it tastes like cr*p.
(The half-caff idea, by the way, is both a penance and a better health thing. Am I healthier? I don’t know. When I wake up I will tell you.)
Now I’m thinking that this recent time change has been especially hard on many of us. In fact, I know it has. My big mistake today was to attempt to run a couple of errands.
In the morning.
Big mistake.
It didn’t take me long to see the error in my judgment. Given that I was a sleep- and caffeine-deprived driver behind the wheel of 15-passenger van, I figured I’d better augment the situation and fast.
As in: Caribou drive-through, here we come.
I placed my order and was true to my Lenten penance (don’t even worry): A small decaf with an inch of regular, please. 2% milk, not cream.
(And I also got a bag of Caribou decaf for my Easter basket. Sh! Don’t tell myself!)
As I waited for the frustratingly perky and—dare I assume it?—awake employee to fill my order, I saw the notice on the window: In honor of Daylight Savings Time, we would be happy to include one free shot of espresso in your coffee drink. Offer good Sunday and Monday.
Free espresso.
And I can’t have any.
As I drove away, I looked like this.
Ad majorem Dei gloriam (even when it’s hard),
You are just SO funny, God Bless You!!
I’m giggling at us Margaret. I ordered some yarn last Sunday for MY Easter basket. The order arrived far more quickly than I anticipate and it now sits in my dining room tempting me.
LOL – Margaret, you made me smile – again. 🙂 But I have to say that I completely understand, I don’t even remember driving this morning, and I know I did. Isn’t that awful?! To make things worse, I was up and down all night with one of my boys and woke up 20 minutes before we were supposed to be walking out the door to go to piano lessons!!!! Not a fun way to “wake up” – and I had to convince a couple of very sleepy boys they had to get up and get ready to leave right away. The boy who was up and down all night immediately started crying (he might be almost 7, but he’s still a little boy) – it was NOT a good way to start the week. I didn’t even get a chance to think about making coffee… of course, I’m so sensitive to caffeine I probably would have been driving and shaking so much the van would have been shaking while sitting at red lights… 🙂
~Jenny
Poor Margaret. 🙂
Today was just hard all around, wasn’t it? And I even had my coffee!
I am blaming it all on DST… and maybe a tad bit on the “we’re almost there” attitude that this time of Lent brings. (“Almost” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, though.)
🙂
Thanks for the funny post.
Can I just tell you how hard I freakin’ laughed reading this post today? Would you still be my friend if I told you I had a massive Grande Latte from Starbucks on Sunday, even though I gave it up for Lent? Would it matter that my power was out for over 24 hours and I decided my Lenten sacrifice was no heat or water so Starbucks was a go? You love me, so I know you won’t hold it against me. I drink the half-caff because I’m nursing (with the exception for the massive coffee drinking from Starbucks on Sunday), and I got used to it. It’s good, and doesn’t make me jittery. Unless you like jittery. Which I’m thinking you might. 🙂 I also have had a hard time with today. I walked into the grocery store with all four of my grumpy kids (because they hate the store) and realized just how tired I was and thought “I must be crazy”. I was very tempted to get another latte, but didn’t. It was a hard shopping trip. Man, all this coffee talk makes me want another cup. But it’s almost 10pm. I’ll hold off until tomorrow. Hang in there! (P.S. I’m not much of a tea drinker myself either)
Oh my goodness…my DH and I gave up coffee for Lent two years in a row and we’ve both vowed never to do it again…far too many mistakes and bad attitudes to outweigh the penitential benefits! Sorry, but Earl Grey just doesn’t cut it. The following year we gave up the cream and sugar in favor of at least having our caffeine fix. Then, what does my dearly beloved DH do? Easter comes and he’s embraced his cross so well that he’s never gone back…he now won’t have his coffee any other way but black.
You are hysterical, Margaret! You certainly tell it like it is!
Have you ever heard the thought that your penance shouldn’t become other people’s penance too? Meaning, is it loving to make your kids and husband have the penance of a decaffinated, sleep deprived, and potentially cranky mama inflicted upon them? (I’m not saying that you ARE cranky) 🙂
That’s what I’m telling myself here while I sip my coffee. I’ll admit it’s half-caf. But really, it’s for my family’s sake.
Then I won’t tell you what I’m brewing in my Cuisinart Coffee Friend (he’s not a machine, he’s my friend). I’ll tell you after Lent.
Thanks for the great story!!! You are such a great writer! God Bless you today, hope it’s better than yesterday!!
I gave up cheese one year for lent. That was the hardest thing ever! After Lent I was told that Sunday is a day of celebration and I did not need to do penance that day! I have not given up coffee but it has to be just as hard if not worse! By the way it is Tuesday and I am still suffering from the time change.
Maybe God can part this 1/2 Scandanavian from her coffee, but it will be a struggle! I can give up soda for Lent, but not coffee. How sad am I? I tried to give up complaining this year . . . to no avail. The point is to try and try again.
Love this post! Stay strong!!
Not taking up an offer for free espresso? That has got to be worth at least one less day in purgatory, even with the complaining on the blog.
Impressive will-power, Margaret! I couldn’t have done it.
Oh Margaret! How I love your blog. My DH is a Caribou fan as well, and my mother absolutley loves coming over, because he stocks our cabinet with decaf, just for her! If you were closer, I would include you in the invitation!
You are admirable!!! My DST solution? Just stay in bed a little longer – haha! we pay the price at bedtime, though, with little stinkers who aren’t tired enough to go to sleep. Hang in there!!!!
I am proud of you Margaret! Especially since Folgers Coffee is Naturally decaffed! (Ha Ha is that a real word LOL) You wouldn’t want to be putting awful chemicals in your body like in those “other” decaff brands.
That is great! I totally know what you mean about “crappy” coffee. Ugh. I love Caribou. There’s one right down the way from my office and it is so hard not to have a great Northern Lights Latte everyday.