December meme, days 22 & 23

Busy, busy. I missed answering yesterday's question from aerynsun5 - What is your favorite thing about Dean?

Well, I think a qualifier for that question would have to be, what vintage Dean are we talking about? Season one and two Dean would be his snarky sense of humor and eternal optimism, despite the grim knowledge of the realities of his job. His ability to fully experience joy in snatches, wherever he finds it, and for it to power him through the dark moments. His family loyalty and utter devotion to his brother and dad and the memory of his mom. For all his knowledge and expertise, he's still a kid at heart, and heartbreakingly positive and hopeful, given where life is going to take him.

As it does us all, life and experience age him through the following seasons, sometimes almost unrecognizeably from who he was when we met him. As fascinating a journey as it's been, I look back to S1 & S2 Dean with a special fondness and affection.

I also have a big old competence kink, and I like watching Dean handle weapons, because Jensen always gives Dean an expertise and familiarity with them that inspires confidence.

And today, wendy asks, How do you drink your coffee?

In a perfect world, breakfast coffee would be strong, black, with two sugars. In my world, after the first ambrosial sip or two, coffee gets neglected until it's lukewarm, or cold. And to me, there's little more vile than cold black coffee.

Working at B&N, it was my regular pleasure to tutor new barristas: Yes, I know you have frappuccino mix, that isn't what I want. Read my lips: blended iced mocha latte--extra shot of espresso, chocolate syrup, skim milk, no sugar, no whipped cream. Pour over ice. Now, blend it--air will increase the volume so you'll need to use a larger cup, and no, you don't get to charge for an extra large because of the cup, the contents are still only a large.

So, being aware that my coffee, however delicious, will cool before I finish half of it, I take it with half and half and two flat sugars. That way it's still nummy when it's cold.

Decaf upsets my stomach, so I finish my coffee ration for the day before 1PM, and though once in a while OH buys hazelnut chocolate flavored beans, or I add a dash of pumpkin pie spice, or a squirt of chocolate syrup, or a sprinkle of cinnamon, daily morning coffee should be fresh-ground beans--at the moment we're using Kivu's Seattle-style roast--made less than paint-stripper strong, decanted immediately into a thermos. No sitting on the burner! We use a small electric drip machine, or water from the kettle and a Melitta filter. I can't discern any special qualities of a coffee press, and they're a bitch to clean, so we profligately use and dispose of paper filters.

About 24 oz of the magic beverage per day, and I'm all good. Less? I'm a slug. I've given up smoking, I've given up whole food groups, I've just about given up alcohol--caffeine will be pried from my cold, dead hands, I tell you what.