Survey: The Buzz on Coffee

     Some people might say we needed another poll like we need yet another Republican presidential debate. Nevertheless, I have the grounds to report on one survey. Because the results have filtered in -- from the most caffeinated poll in America!

     When I pressed the data, I found out that 51.5 percent of respondents to the coffee poll said they prefer regular home-brewed coffee. Just over 15 percent reported that their favorite drip is to be found at Starbucks.

Close-up view / of a Starbucks brew

     Almost 10 percent said that tea is their bag. Another 10 percent washed their hands of all of the above. These people (based on some comments I received) either prefer to sweeten the pot with hot chocolate (that's a good idea!) or else to bubble up out of bed by drinking a Coke in the morning. Coke? Never thought of that. But, yeah, I can see it, especially in the summer, or if you live in a warm climate. If I woke up in Phoenix, where my sister lives, and where according to her it's approx. 120 degrees, in the shade ... in January ... then I probably wouldn't want a hot drink in the morning. I'd quaff a Coke.  Especially since ... there IS no shade in Phoenix at any time of year.

     This poll has led me to make a few observations about the lifestyles of the retired and the blogging. But first ... apologies to Phoenix. This post is meant to be humorous. (We don't have to address the depressing economic situation in every blog post, do we?) So please don't be offended -- I'll be sure to make a New Jersey joke before it's over.

     Anyway, I'm surprised at how few retired bloggers live in the Sunbelt. As I've wandered around the blogs of Baby Boomers, I've encountered more people from Canada than I have from Florida or Arizona. Go figure. Maybe the people in Florida are too busy sailing their boats or sunning at the beach to stay at home in front of their computer. But then, Boomer Musings plays golf and he still manages to write a thoughtful and quite literate blog. So come on Floridians! If you're too on-the-go for blogging, then ... well, don't you have an iPad?

     I've also noticed that our retired bloggers do a lot of traveling. I mean, Thoughts from a Bag Lady in Waiting has traveled to every one of the 50 states, at least twice, and if we had 51 states, she would have gone there too. And I say: Good for her. A lot of people dream of traveling after they retire. And I salute anyone who follows their dream. We've had several bloggers, like Satisfying Retirement, go to Hawaii; while Retirement: A Full-Time Job air-mailed herself to Australia; and Retired English Teacher, right now, is trekking on a trip through New England to drink in the beautiful fall foliage.

     I, myself, also dream of traveling. But I have a problem. I don't like to fly. Oh, and I don't like to drive, either. So most of the traveling B and I do is close to home. In the past year we've been to Boston; Block Island; Cape Cod; Lancaster, Pa.; Manhattan; Montauk; Chincoteague, Va.; and Washington, DC.

     So we limit our drive time to just about five hours, or in other words ... just far enough to get past New Jersey.*

     I'm particularly impressed by people who have gone back to school in retirement. Schmidleysscribblings is my hero. So is my older sister -- not the one in Phoenix, the one who lives in Florida -- who is taking a course in statistics. (Why? We were brought up Catholic; I think she feels guilty for something.) Anyway, she was recently bemoaning the fact that she had to miss a class -- because she was getting a hip replacement! I remember when I went to school, I'd miss a class if I got chapped lips. Or a hickey.

     Gardening is certainly a common pastime among the retired. I'm not impressed with these people. I'm just jealous! I would like to be a  gardener, but as I've told B, it's a good thing I live in post-agrarian America because if I had to make my living as a farmer I would certainly starve to death.

     But I guess I follow a family tradition. Some of my ancestors tried to grow potatoes. Didn't work out for them. That's why they came to America in the first place.
   

No, you can't smoke this, it's parsley!

     Anyway, I've tried raising many different food crops, from lettuce to tomatoes to beans. Here's what I can actually grow:  parsley. And I don't even like parsley!

     As far as ornamental plants go, my expertise extends exactly as far as pachysandra. I can grow pachysandra. I can spell pachysandra. I'm a pachysandra kind of guy, because pachysandra is the instant coffee of backyard flora.

     Which reminds me. One last thing about the coffee poll. As I admitted from the outset, I drink instant coffee. (I have no shame.) I drink instant partly because B rarely drinks coffee (she specializes in decaf tea) and I'm too lazy to make real coffee for myself. The coffee pot; the grounds, the filters; the washing up. It's a lot of work! Besides, I like the taste of instant coffee. And I do not like the taste of Starbucks -- it's too strong, too bitter, too caffeinated for my delicate institution. Oh, and also, I'm too cheap to pay $4 for a single cup of java, even if they do list the cup sizes in French.

     But as the poll revealed:  there is at least one other person out there in the blogosphere who agrees with me, who admits to drinking instant coffee -- although, ahem, that person prefers to remain anonymous.



* There's the New Jersey joke.