Espresso

I got one of these for Christmas and I will refuse to drink coffee any other way.

The little stovetop espresso reminds me of my first ever food service job. It was at a coffee shop right out of college and they had on their form a little set of six lines to say "What does coffee mean to you?"

I typed my response and printed the copy at the Ulysses Public Library and then stapled it to the application. Everything else on the application was in my horrible hieroglyphic handwriting but this I decided to type out. I mentioned how my parents had a stainless steel stovetop espresso pot that was only used on "special occasions" This being the early 90s (The time of the story, not when applied) my parents had lots of decorative "for guest" things like embroidered towels and even custom print shower curtains. 

I don't recall how my father took his coffee. I assume black and my mother drank only instant, save for the special occasions and the coffee pot. They would serve the coffee in slick 80s mod stainless steel cups the size or shot glasses. They had two thing sheets for the handle that curved from the top lip and did not come to a close. Like a tiny set of rings you wore around your finger and drank very hot and very syrupy sweet with cubed sugar. So the pot reminded me of my parents and the first ever idea of coffee as something salient. Still something only for adults but they would make me help with dishes while they entertained. And, I would sip the sweet oil barrel slick dregs at the bottom and think that maybe this was all it was meant to be.

That question came up in another job interview. Well, that type of question. 

"What is your favorite piece of technology?"

I could be clever and use the answer I used to give when I worked my own little ersatz helpdesk "Well, technology is just a tool to solve a problem. A sharp stick to poke at an anthill is technology!"

But, instead, I went for the practical and went with the USB-C charger. "I can use it on my phone, and my laptop, and my son's Nintendo Switch!"