A serious coffee habit

My regular morning coffee shop latte: Espresso Avellino

Yep, this is where I usually start my day after the bus ride to town. I've got about a half hour to caffeine up before the class at the gym. I read the paper at Avellino's and chat with the other regulars before heading out to the YMCA, a couple blocks away, to change into my workout clothes and make my way to the class of the day.

The only other place I get my coffee is from the Food Co-op. On Thursdays (when I'm going on my Senior Trailblazers hikes) or on the weekends, I stop by this place and get a soy latte. They use organic and non-sweetened soymilk, and the other places don't. I like my coffee with milk or soy but without any sweetening or flavors like vanilla.

Jessie at the Food Co-op making my soy latte

Bellingham, and indeed Washington state, knows how to make a good cup of coffee. Something I never saw before coming here are little independent coffee stands on corners, with totally cool names. They are either drive-up or walk-up, and they almost all use Free Trade coffee, at least here in Bellingham. And the coffee is almost always great. In the Midwest, coffee is often brown water with little flavor. Not here, and this Senior Citizen with a serious coffee habit is in heaven.

In 2006, we stayed at a hotel with the little coffee stand called Brewed Awakening right across from us, and I was there every morning to get my latte so I could have it with my electronic morning papers. I got quite fond of my "brewed awakening." I have never before lived in a place that has as much excellent coffee, my favorite beverage.

I used to think being in Boulder, with its incredible number of microbrews, couldn't be beat. Now that I'm retired and drinking more red wine and less beer, my favorite beverage has moved to the beginning of the day. Since caffeine still affects my sleep, however, by 3:00 in the afternoon I stop drinking coffee or tea and focus on more relaxing activities and beverages. Do you have a coffee habit? If you do, does it affect your sleep?
:-)