The Covid Coffee Club

Because pulling down your mask to take a drink of coffee is not a simple task. 

Team meetings are important. One thing I have learned over the years is the value of snacks and coffee at important team meetings. Some people like to enjoy a donut with their coffee. Others, a bagel. It’s not uncommon for someone to enjoy their ‘cup of Joe’ black. Some people like theirs sweetened  with sugar or creamer. Everybody has her own way to drink coffee. 

Early on, I was a coffee novice. When I arrived for my first teaching job, one of the teachers told me that my predecessor was the one who made coffee for everyone every day. I simply said, “I don’t know how to make coffee.” And just like that, the coffee making went to someone else. 

Today, a lot of people call me a coffee snob. Lori and I grind our own beans in a Cuisinart Burr Mill grinder and always use filtered water to ensure the best flavor. I’ve tried many different coffees but really like to keep it simple. I’ve tried several different kinds from Higher Grounds in Traverse City, but none of them really grab me. I do enjoy a few different blends from Leelanau Coffee Roasting Company. We have also tried the current popular mud on the market, but I often find myself drinking Starbucks Pikes Place. It’s a great flavor. Starbucks also does an annual Winter Blend, which I stock up on during the season in Michigan. It has a simple, light flavor.  

So you would be surprised to know that besides a couple of Tim Hortons mochas in the early ‘90s, I never drank coffee. It didn’t appeal to me. I didn’t like the flavor, even though I hadn’t really tried much. While working on my Master’s Degree at Central Michigan University in 1997, everyone would have a coffee late at night during our evening classes. I decided to have a cup one night, and it wasn’t bad. It seemed that people in groups liked to bond over coffee. I don’t know why I never realized it until then! 

Yet, I still didn’t know how to brew my own pot of coffee, nor did I own a coffee maker. I worked with people who loved coffee, raved about it. An occasional cup was fine, but I wasn’t sold yet. I guess it started when I would grab an occasional cup of Tim Hortons coffee. I would stop at the Waterford, Mich., store and others when I encountered them. Then, when Tim Hortons opened in Mt. Pleasant, I started to buy their coffee to brew at home. And Lori even bought me a Tim Hortons coffee maker for Christmas one year! And then I morphed to better coffee … We grind our own and brew it in a quality coffee maker; it makes for a delicious cup (or three) every morning! 

The past ten months during the pandemic have been tough on everyone. One thing that has disappeared is enjoying a cup of coffee during an important meeting. We can call it the Covid Coffee Club. It’s important to drink your coffee before you arrive at work. Or simply in the privacy of your own office. Because pulling down your mask to take a drink of coffee is not a simple task.