What about Coffee Grounds. For a drink that is so magical and marvelous, it sure does leave a pile of crap behind. Coffee grounds are kind of gross, really. As a sidebar, I know you can throw them on your compost pile. But this is only useful if you have a compost pile. And most of the time, it only works in the warmer months. With that covered, it is apparent that they serve one real purpose only. So there they are. All sludgy. Sitting, collectively, in their little basket. Huddling. I made the mistake once, of emptying some coffee grounds, while in a mode of absent-mindedness. I missed the waste can with the entire discarded filter of coffee grounds. I have not repeated that episode, since that very dark day. But sometimes, when I do toss it in the trash, it gets everything else sludgy — the egg shells, the Ho-Ho wrappers, the discarded paper towels. And I have immediate remorse, for not being more careful. That’s the thing about coffee grounds. They are vengeful. They lie in wait. They think that just because we have bled them dry for our morning elixir, they can cast their wrath upon the unsuspecting. And they do. Sometimes, if you are not careful, they will steal away in the bottom of the cups. Incredulous. They call them Grounds because they come from Coffee Beans, and we grind those beans up, to make the coffee juice. I think it would be better if we could just put the beans in the basket. But it doesn’t work that way. Instead, we get the grounds. Not like the “grounds” of an estate. Or “grounds” for a divorce. “Ground” like you’ve been grinding. Like grating. On one’s nerves. Even before they are wet, they are persistently irritating. I use coffee from a large can. But I make a “Mix.” It contains about a third of Decaf, and then two other “regular” brands. Once a week, I have to fill that big can. I can never, ever, ever, ever, do it, without spilling a few specks of the coffee on the counter. Sometimes more, depending on my personal awareness. Yes. Dealing with coffee puts you in the moment. Every morning when I make the brew, and I scoop the scoops, I have to be very careful not to bump that little scoop-cup of java. Which brings me to another point. Are they called “grounds” when they are dry, or just when they have taken a hot bath? Sometimes, when the Universe lays out its little scenarios here and there, I think, “There has to be a better way.” Like Colonoscopies. You would think we’d figure out some greater solution for that activity, wouldn’t you? Well. You know. At any rate. Sometimes we have to make trade-offs, I suppose. There are many things in life where you have to take the good with the bad. Peeling avocados. Changing a diaper. Brushing a cat. We have to endure a certain part of the activity, to get to the delicious candy center of life. How many licks do we have to take? Oh, those. Coffee Grounds. The price we pray for morning bliss. If we dare enough to enjoy the Coffee, we have to accept the Ground Rules. ============ “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” ― Nikola Tesla ============= “We are all connected; To each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe atomically.” ― Neil DeGrasse Tyson ============== “As long as there was coffee in the world, how bad could things be?” ― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes ===============