Coffee

I am one of the millions of coffee-drinkers in the world. And no, I'm not proud of it.

From Wikipedia:
Coffee as a drink, usually served hot, is prepared from the roasted seeds (beans) of the coffee plant. Due to its popularity, coffee is the second largest traded commodity in terms of dollar value in the world (after oil). It is one of mankind's chief sources of the stimulant caffeine. Because of this, coffee's nutritional benefits are disputed, sometimes labeled a cure-all, other times labeled a health hazard (see caffeinism).

There is absolutely no nutritional value to coffee. That's why there are no nutrition labels on coffee cans. The only value is added when I drop in my one sugar cube (1/2 tsp.) and a dollop of 1% or 2% milk (depends on whether I bought it at Safeway or Giant). My coffee is a nice beige, like a toffee-brown color and still bitter since the single sugar cube doesn't quite add any sweetening power (although I like to think it does). My coffee seems to be right in the middle, like my taste is an equal blend of my parents':

My mother: Three parts coffee, one part evaporated milk, and two heaping spoonfuls of sugar; a creamy color.

My dad: Coffee, black. But with one- third of a packet of Sweet-N-Low.

I drink coffee five days a week; one cup every weekday morning at work. I don't drink it on the weekends for fear of becoming hooked--which may be happening anyway since it's become a part of my work-routine. But here's my dilemma: I can't for the life of me make a good cup of coffee. I use a four-cup coffee maker at work (Mr. Coffee, clock, automatic shut-off in a sleek black color) and I can't get the ratio of coffee-grounds to water just right. It always ends up too dark, too thick--no matter how little grounds I put in the top. McDonald's makes a better cup of coffee than I do.

But I drink it anyway. Thinking that somehow, my hot, semi-drinkable pick-me-up in its red mug will help my day go by. And somehow it does.