a coffee press is probably still the best way to make coffee. a basic bodum model can be had for $20 (the drawback? cleaning out those damn grounds!)

 

...and for the record, the best coffee available in NYC currently is Mud Coffee. They have a storefront location in the East Village on E. 9th St. nr. 2nd Ave; also a coffee bar in Kiehl's on 3rd Ave. nr. 13th St (this is an historic store dating back 150 years and known for all manner of facial lotions and other overpriced goop alleged to enhance one's physical appearance); and two conspicuously orange trucks--parked usually on Astor Place in the E. Vill and the other on Sheridan Square in the W. Village--on weekdays. It is also sold prepackaged in some supermarkets. (This being said, I'm still reguarly drawn to Starbucks due to convenience; even though their new Pike Place/Pike's Peak everyday blend sucks half the time! This is one enterprise that jumped the shark at least five years ago. And thank you Starbucks for driving out my onetime favorite coffee chain--New World Coffee--they had the best iced coffee ever!!))

 

yes, a coffee press is the best.  I have a french coffee press.  love it!

 

Mud Mojo coffee....ummmmmmmm

 

Now don't be dissin' Kiehl's, I swear by Creme de Corps and the Superbly Restorative Body Lotion & Salve (keeps my cuticles and hands all nice and pretty)

 

 

Now back to my coffee issues!

a coffee press is probably still the best way to make coffee. a basic bodum model can be had for $20 (the drawback? cleaning out those damn grounds!)

 

...and for the record, the best coffee available in NYC currently is Mud Coffee. They have a storefront location in the East Village on E. 9th St. nr. 2nd Ave; also a coffee bar in Kiehl's on 3rd Ave. nr. 13th St (this is an historic store dating back 150 years and known for all manner of facial lotions and other overpriced goop alleged to enhance one's physical appearance); and two conspicuously orange trucks--parked usually on Astor Place in the E. Vill and the other on Sheridan Square in the W. Village--on weekdays. It is also sold prepackaged in some supermarkets. (This being said, I'm still reguarly drawn to Starbucks due to convenience; even though their new Pike Place/Pike's Peak everyday blend sucks half the time! This is one enterprise that jumped the shark at least five years ago. And thank you Starbucks for driving out my onetime favorite coffee chain--New World Coffee--they had the best iced coffee ever!!))

 

yes, a coffee press is the best.  I have a french coffee press.  love it!

 

Mud Mojo coffee....ummmmmmmm

 

Now don't be dissin' Kiehl's, I swear by Creme de Corps and the Superbly Restorative Body Lotion & Salve (keeps my cuticles and hands all nice and pretty)

 

 

Now back to my coffee issues!

 

okay, I'll defer to your wisdom on the issue of Kiehl's, but even if I had the $98+ needed to buy a 3oz. bottle of whatever there, I'd probably still stick to Lubriderm (well, not even--I'd still buy the Rite-Aid knockoff!)

a coffee press is probably still the best way to make coffee. a basic bodum model can be had for $20 (the drawback? cleaning out those damn grounds!)

 

...and for the record, the best coffee available in NYC currently is Mud Coffee. They have a storefront location in the East Village on E. 9th St. nr. 2nd Ave; also a coffee bar in Kiehl's on 3rd Ave. nr. 13th St (this is an historic store dating back 150 years and known for all manner of facial lotions and other overpriced goop alleged to enhance one's physical appearance); and two conspicuously orange trucks--parked usually on Astor Place in the E. Vill and the other on Sheridan Square in the W. Village--on weekdays. It is also sold prepackaged in some supermarkets. (This being said, I'm still reguarly drawn to Starbucks due to convenience; even though their new Pike Place/Pike's Peak everyday blend sucks half the time! This is one enterprise that jumped the shark at least five years ago. And thank you Starbucks for driving out my onetime favorite coffee chain--New World Coffee--they had the best iced coffee ever!!))

 

yes, a coffee press is the best.  I have a french coffee press.  love it!

 

Mud Mojo coffee....ummmmmmmm

 

Now don't be dissin' Kiehl's, I swear by Creme de Corps and the Superbly Restorative Body Lotion & Salve (keeps my cuticles and hands all nice and pretty)

 

 

Now back to my coffee issues!

 

okay, I'll defer to your wisdom on the issue of Kiehl's, but even if I had the $98+ needed to buy a 3oz. bottle of whatever there, I'd probably still stick to Lubriderm (well, not even--I'd still buy the Rite-Aid knockoff!)

 

That bottle of lotion is worth the $70 bucks.  It's a whole liter. Try it once, you'll be hooked!

 

Now maybe I'll celebrate by going to Zibetto Expresso Bar....ummmmm  the foam.....

This is the stuff I drink every morning.  I have my parents ship it to me when I'm away, although my sister was able to find it in LA.

 

http://www.frankenmuthcoffeeroasters.com/

 

This stuff can turn coffee haters in lovers, and it actually leaves a good after-taste in your mouth. 

That bottle of lotion is worth the $70 bucks. It's a whole liter. Try it once, you'll be hooked!

 

Now maybe I'll celebrate by going to Zibetto Expresso Bar....ummmmm the foam.....

 

Kiehls is the only shaving cream I can use that doesn't cause my face to get razor rash. That and the blue astringent are musts for me. Worth the money, no doubt.

 

On the coffee front, I bought an espresso pot a number of years ago and forgot I had it. I just rediscovered it. The problem is I don't know how to use it right. The espresso always tastes burnt. This is just one of the basic pots where you put the water in the lower chamber, the grounds in the center and it percolates into the upper chamber.

 

Any tips?

On the coffee front, I bought an espresso pot a number of years ago and forgot I had it. I just rediscovered it. The problem is I don't know how to use it right. The espresso always tastes burnt. This is just one of the basic pots where you put the water in the lower chamber, the grounds in the center and it percolates into the upper chamber.

 

Any tips?

 

What kind of coffee maker is it?  that would help

Myself? 1 cup of coffee, about 3 days a week. And because like beer, I don't drink the cheap stuff, it's a 100% Arabica Hawaiian Hazelnut blend, with a little sugar and a dollop of Cool Whip.

 

Take that Starbucks.

On the coffee front, I bought an espresso pot a number of years ago and forgot I had it. I just rediscovered it. The problem is I don't know how to use it right. The espresso always tastes burnt. This is just one of the basic pots where you put the water in the lower chamber, the grounds in the center and it percolates into the upper chamber.

 

Any tips?

 

What kind of coffee maker is it?  that would help

 

Sorry, wasn't clear enough. Not an automated coffee maker, it's one of the pots you put on the stove.

 

Something like this...

 

 

 

On the coffee front, I bought an espresso pot a number of years ago and forgot I had it. I just rediscovered it. The problem is I don't know how to use it right. The espresso always tastes burnt. This is just one of the basic pots where you put the water in the lower chamber, the grounds in the center and it percolates into the upper chamber.

 

Any tips?

 

What kind of coffee maker is it?  that would help

 

Sorry, wasn't clear enough. Not an automated coffee maker, it's one of the pots you put on the stove.

 

Something like this...

 

 

 

 

I can’t give you any tips on how to use a stovetop espresso maker, but I’ve been thinking about buying one for a long time. A while back Lidia Bastianich demonstrated a few models on her show and it looked easy enough (then again, I’m no Lidia Bastianich—except for the fact that maybe I’ve gained a few lbs over the years…though not yet in Mario Batali territory…where was I?). I guess Bialetti is the best brand? I’m sure I would probably screw up the whole process and end up regretting the purchase. AJ93, as a public service, why don’t you do some more experimentation with it and give us your findings when you have a chance.  Thanks.

On the coffee front, I bought an espresso pot a number of years ago and forgot I had it. I just rediscovered it. The problem is I don't know how to use it right. The espresso always tastes burnt. This is just one of the basic pots where you put the water in the lower chamber, the grounds in the center and it percolates into the upper chamber.

 

Any tips?

 

What kind of coffee maker is it? that would help

 

Sorry, wasn't clear enough. Not an automated coffee maker, it's one of the pots you put on the stove.

 

Something like this...

 

 

 

 

I cant give you any tips on how to use a stovetop espresso maker, but Ive been thinking about buying one for a long time. A while back Lidia Bastianich demonstrated a few models on her show and it looked easy enough (then again, Im no Lidia Bastianichexcept for the fact that maybe Ive gained a few lbs over the yearsthough not yet in Mario Batali territorywhere was I?). I guess Bialetti is the best brand? Im sure I would probably screw up the whole process and end up regretting the purchase. AJ93, as a public service, why dont you do some more experimentation with it and give us your findings when you have a chance. Thanks.

 

I'll be happy to. I couldn't tell you what brand it is, as I bought it on clearance when some store in Beachwood Place was going out of business.

 

That said, I've learned a few things in my trials. 1) you have to have the right level heat. Too hot and you burn it, not hot enough and it won't percolate. To that end, it's better to have a gas stove than an electric, the latter being what I have :-(

2) Obviously you want to use espresso beans, but the grind is important. I haven't figured out what grind to use yet. My thought is that a finer grain makes stronger espresso, but it also slows the brewing, and the result is mud.

 

Maybe I should just spend $500 and get myself one of those fancy machines. Now, if anyone wants to lend me $500, I'd be happy to post the results on this thread!

Sorry, wasn't clear enough. Not an automated coffee maker, it's one of the pots you put on the stove.

 

Something like this...

 

 

 

 

Oh honey, thats a real coffee pot.  There are not buttons, so I can't help you.

Sorry, wasn't clear enough. Not an automated coffee maker, it's one of the pots you put on the stove.

 

Something like this...

 

 

 

 

Oh honey, thats a real coffee pot.  There are not buttons, so I can't help you.

 

but you do :wtf: know how to turn on the burners (those round panels--usually four of them--that get hot with fire or by an electric coil) of your stove (that large squarish object in the kitchen*) (*the room where people generally keep food and cooking supplies). just guessing.

Sorry, wasn't clear enough. Not an automated coffee maker, it's one of the pots you put on the stove.

 

Something like this...

 

 

 

 

Oh honey, thats a real coffee pot. There are not buttons, so I can't help you.

 

but you do :wtf: know how to turn on the burners (those round panels--usually four of them--that get hot with fire or by an electric coil) of your stove (that large squarish object in the kitchen*) (*the room where people generally keep food and cooking supplies). just guessing.

 

He likes his steamer and his microwave, not his stove ;)

but you do :wtf: know how to turn on the burners (those round panels--usually four of them--that get hot with fire or by an electric coil) of your stove (that large squarish object in the kitchen*) (*the room where people generally keep food and cooking supplies). just guessing.

 

Yes.  I know my way around the kitchen.  As much as I love coffee, I couldn't make it in a basic coffee pot to save my life.  The Irony!  I've always has a "machine".  Sometimes I want a coffee, sometimes espress, sometimes latte or a cappuccino.  I press a few buttons and the machine does it all for me.  Damnit...why did I gave that thing to my cousin!

I recommend this one from DeLonghi - http://www.amazon.com/Longhi-10-Cup-Stainless-Coffee-Thermal/dp/B0013CEW94/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1213819232&sr=8-4

 

Its the one I have - I like it quite a lot.  Getting hard to find though.  Although, its listed there for like 50% of what I paid.

 

If you are looking for a solid reasonably priced QUALITY espresso machine, this one is the one I bought for my parents - they love it as well.

http://www.amazon.com/FrancisFrancis-201033-espresso-machine-orange/dp/B000U01GV2/ref=sr_1_135?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1213819552&sr=1-135

(its the only machine under a grand thats worth a damn for espresso as far as I am concerned)

 

Both, are good choices :)

 

I recommend this one from DeLonghi - http://www.amazon.com/Longhi-10-Cup-Stainless-Coffee-Thermal/dp/B0013CEW94/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1213819232&sr=8-4

 

Its the one I have - I like it quite a lot.  Getting hard to find though.  Although, its listed there for like 50% of what I paid.

 

If you are looking for a solid reasonably priced QUALITY espresso machine, this one is the one I bought for my parents - they love it as well.

http://www.amazon.com/FrancisFrancis-201033-espresso-machine-orange/dp/B000U01GV2/ref=sr_1_135?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1213819552&sr=1-135

(its the only machine under a grand thats worth a damn for espresso as far as I am concerned)

 

Both, are good choices :)

 

Or you can buy a machine that does it all.  he he he he

I don't go in for the combo machines, the combo machines may do drip coffee well, but they rarely do espresso well.  I am way too much of a coffee snob for second rate espresso... if it doesn't do it better than the schlock they serve at the bucks, it ain't for me :)

I don't go in for the combo machines, the combo machines may do drip coffee well, but they rarely do espresso well.  I am way too much of a coffee snob for second rate espresso... if it doesn't do it better than the schlock they serve at the bucks, it ain't for me :)

 

Mine does great espresso.  hohum we'd get along well!

Hrm, well I've gone through lots of combo machines and never found one that really did both well...

 

But then again, I'm also the guy that orders custom roasted coffee!

MTS you're not back on the juice are you ?!?

MTS you're not back on the juice are you ?!?

 

No, I don't think I'll ever be "free" from wanting it.  Keep in mind, I drank 9-13 cups of coffee a day, since '97.

MTS you're not back on the juice are you ?!?

 

No, I don't think I'll ever be "free" from wanting it.  Keep in mind, I drank 9-13 cups of coffee a day, since '97.

 

9 to 13 cups?! I didn’t think it was humanly possible to ingest that much coffee in a single day! Your nervous system must be made of titanium. I love coffee as much as, perhaps more than, anybody (at least until now, apparently), but I can recall only a handful of occasions when I drank so much coffee that I began shaking involuntarily—and that was after probably six or so cups. But 9? 13?? Huh?? (one time I had a temp McJob at the Guggenheim Museum for one day and my only perk –ha ha—was access to the coffee in the employee lounge. Those were pre-Starbucks & coffee bar days, and I don’t recall every having coffee in a workplace environment this good. I must have had a cup every hour on the hour. I don’t think I slept for the next 48 hours)

 

A note: I heard the sad news last week that Greenwich Village institution Café Figaro has bitten the dust. This place had been around for 50 years at the corner of Bleecker & McDougal –one of the few places to get espresso in the old days (along with a handful of other Italian coffeehouses in the area). Not having been there for a long time, in recent years it had become extremely touristy, and I think they had more of a full menu. Whatever, it’s sad when long-time businesses go under. Gee, one can only hope for another CVS at that historic location.

 

9 to 13 cups?! I didn’t think it was humanly possible to ingest that much coffee in a single day! Your nervous system must be made of titanium. I love coffee as much as, perhaps more than, anybody (at least until now, apparently), but I can recall only a handful of occasions when I drank so much coffee that I began shaking involuntarily—and that was after probably six or so cups. But 9? 13?? Huh?? (one time I had a temp McJob at the Guggenheim Museum for one day and my only perk –ha ha—was access to the coffee in the employee lounge. Those were pre-Starbucks & coffee bar days, and I don’t recall every having coffee in a workplace environment this good. I must have had a cup every hour on the hour. I don’t think I slept for the next 48 hours)

 

A note: I heard the sad news last week that Greenwich Village institution Café Figaro has bitten the dust. This place had been around for 50 years at the corner of Bleecker & McDougal –one of the few places to get espresso in the old days (along with a handful of other Italian coffeehouses in the area). Not having been there for a long time, in recent years it had become extremely touristy, and I think they had more of a full menu. Whatever, it’s sad when long-time businesses go under. Gee, one can only hope for another CVS at that historic location.

 

 

I love coffee.  It all started when I would go to Arabica on Shaker Square to do homework and look cool.

 

Next thing I know, I was drinking 4 or 5 cups a day.  I really started drinking coffee in heavy amounts after the Ex and I broke up.  I just threw myself into work so I wouldnt have to think about him. 

 

I love coffee so much I complained to my boss when we moved into the new building that the coffee machine on our floor wasn't good enough!  I remember I was yelling at him in his office and told him, "your the damn chairman...just approve my coffee machine".  When I told him I stopped drinkig coffee, he gave me such a hard time.  When ever he would come to my office, he had coffee in his hand or whenever I came to his office, he would just have cups of coffee on his desk.  :whip:

9 to 13 cups?! I didn’t think it was humanly possible to ingest that much coffee in a single day! Your nervous system must be made of titanium. I love coffee as much as, perhaps more than, anybody (at least until now, apparently), but I can recall only a handful of occasions when I drank so much coffee that I began shaking involuntarily—and that was after probably six or so cups. But 9? 13?? Huh?? (one time I had a temp McJob at the Guggenheim Museum for one day and my only perk –ha ha—was access to the coffee in the employee lounge. Those were pre-Starbucks & coffee bar days, and I don’t recall every having coffee in a workplace environment this good. I must have had a cup every hour on the hour. I don’t think I slept for the next 48 hours)

 

A note: I heard the sad news last week that Greenwich Village institution Café Figaro has bitten the dust. This place had been around for 50 years at the corner of Bleecker & McDougal –one of the few places to get espresso in the old days (along with a handful of other Italian coffeehouses in the area). Not having been there for a long time, in recent years it had become extremely touristy, and I think they had more of a full menu. Whatever, it’s sad when long-time businesses go under. Gee, one can only hope for another CVS at that historic location.

 

 

I love coffee.  It all started when I would go to Arabica on Shaker Square to do homework and look cool.

 

Next thing I know, I was drinking 4 or 5 cups a day.  I really started drinking coffee in heavy amounts after the Ex and I broke up.  I just threw myself into work so I wouldnt have to think about him. 

 

I love coffee so much I complained to my boss when we moved into the new building that the coffee machine on our floor wasn't good enough!  I remember I was yelling at him in his office and told him, "your the damn chairman...just approve my coffee machine".  When I told him I stopped drinkig coffee, he gave me such a hard time.  When ever he would come to my office, he had coffee in his hand or whenever I came to his office, he would just have cups of coffee on his desk.  :whip:

 

 

and it was probably a Bunn-O-Matic!  :x

9 to 13 cups?! I didnt think it was humanly possible to ingest that much coffee in a single day! Your nervous system must be made of titanium. I love coffee as much as, perhaps more than, anybody (at least until now, apparently), but I can recall only a handful of occasions when I drank so much coffee that I began shaking involuntarilyand that was after probably six or so cups. But 9? 13?? Huh?? (one time I had a temp McJob at the Guggenheim Museum for one day and my only perk ha hawas access to the coffee in the employee lounge. Those were pre-Starbucks & coffee bar days, and I dont recall every having coffee in a workplace environment this good. I must have had a cup every hour on the hour. I dont think I slept for the next 48 hours)

 

A note: I heard the sad news last week that Greenwich Village institution Café Figaro has bitten the dust. This place had been around for 50 years at the corner of Bleecker & McDougal one of the few places to get espresso in the old days (along with a handful of other Italian coffeehouses in the area). Not having been there for a long time, in recent years it had become extremely touristy, and I think they had more of a full menu. Whatever, its sad when long-time businesses go under. Gee, one can only hope for another CVS at that historic location.

 

 

I love coffee.  It all started when I would go to Arabica on Shaker Square to do homework and look cool.

 

Next thing I know, I was drinking 4 or 5 cups a day.  I really started drinking coffee in heavy amounts after the Ex and I broke up.  I just threw myself into work so I wouldnt have to think about him. 

 

I love coffee so much I complained to my boss when we moved into the new building that the coffee machine on our floor wasn't good enough!  I remember I was yelling at him in his office and told him, "your the damn chairman...just approve my coffee machine".  When I told him I stopped drinkig coffee, he gave me such a hard time.  When ever he would come to my office, he had coffee in his hand or whenever I came to his office, he would just have cups of coffee on his desk.   :whip:

 

 

and it was probably a Bunn-O-Matic!  :x

 

It was one of those machines that had two slots and those little packs for coffee.  I was like, that is not coffee.  Then I just started whinning and my boss was like "fine" you can have what you want.  I always get what I want her, except for the bathroom.  ugh!

So, I just found this article in the NY Times, and had to share. MTS, it's time to get back on the sauce!

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/health/research/24coffee.html?em

 

Coffee Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Published: January 23, 2009

 

Drinking coffee may do more than just keep you awake. A new study suggests an intriguing potential link to mental health later in life, as well.

 

 

So, I just found this article in the NY Times, and had to share. MTS, it's time to get back on the sauce!

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/health/research/24coffee.html?em

 

Coffee Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Published: January 23, 2009

 

Drinking coffee may do more than just keep you awake. A new study suggests an intriguing potential link to mental health later in life, as well.

 

A team of Swedish and Danish researchers tracked coffee consumption in a group of 1,409 middle-age men and women for an average of 21 years. During that time, 61 participants developed dementia, 48 with Alzheimer%u2019s disease.

 

After controlling for numerous socioeconomic and health factors, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure, the scientists found that the subjects who had reported drinking three to five cups of coffee daily were 65 percent less likely to have developed dementia, compared with those who drank two cups or less. People who drank more than five cups a day also were at reduced risk of dementia, the researchers said, but there were not enough people in this group to draw statistically significant conclusions.

 

Dr. Miia Kivipelto, an associate professor of neurology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and lead author of the study, does not as yet advocate drinking coffee as a preventive health measure. %u201CThis is an observational study,%u201D she said. %u201CWe have no evidence that for people who are not drinking coffee, taking up drinking will have a protective effect.%u201D

 

Dr. Kivipelto and her colleagues suggest several possibilities for why coffee might reduce the risk of dementia later in life. First, earlier studies have linked coffee consumption with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, which in turn has been associated with a greater risk of dementia. In animal studies, caffeine has been shown to reduce the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer%u2019s disease. Finally, coffee may have an antioxidant effect in the bloodstream, reducing vascular risk factors for dementia.

 

Dr. Kivipelto noted that previous studies have shown that coffee drinking may also be linked to a reduced risk of Parkinson%u2019s disease.

 

The new study, published this month in The Journal of Alzheimer%u2019s Disease, is unusual in that more than 70 percent of the original group of 2,000 people randomly selected for tracking were available for re-examination 21 years later. The dietary information had been collected at the beginning of the study, which reduced the possibility of errors introduced by people inaccurately recalling their consumption. Still, the authors acknowledge that any self-reported data is subject to inaccuracies.

 

 

Dementia or Heart Attack?  Tough choice!  :|

 

I'm going to show this to my doctor.

 

I must admit, I feel better and now sleep more than a couple hours and I'm over the withdrawl and severe mood swings.

 

I still crave my cafe and some days it's really bad.  I empathize with smokers.  I totally understand how hard it is to quit/limit intake. 

 

When I have a coffee it has to be super strong to do anything but I'm learning to limit the intake of it and none after 3 PM.

I think they have the relationship backward. People with dementia simply forget to drink coffee.

 

Actually, I think it is effective. I drink 8-10 cups a day, and look how sharp my mind is.

 

Oh, and did I mention that I drink 8-10 cups every day, and my memory is just about perfect.

 

I remember stuff well, too. Probably because of drinking lots of coffee. ...

I think they have the relationship backward. People with dementia simply forget to drink coffee.

Actually, I think it is effective. I drink 8-10 cups a day, and look how sharp my mind is.

Oh, and did I mention that I drink 8-10 cups every day, and my memory is just about perfect.

 

I remember stuff well, too. Probably because of drinking lots of coffee. ...

 

Dementia, i no laughing matter, but that was funny! 

 

I didn't know you drank that much coffee.  I was drinking anywhere between 10 and 15 cups a day when I was heavily drinking.  I do feel I was more alert back then.

Dementia, i no laughing matter, but that was funny! 

 

I didn't know you drank that much coffee.  I was drinking anywhere between 10 and 15 cups a day when I was heavily drinking.  I do feel I was more alert back then.

Even with the coffee consumption, I was barely getting through the day. A couple of months ago, I got confirmation that my thyroid had just about completely shut down, and since I started taking synthroid I'm getting some improvement in my energy levels. I'm due to test again next week, and my doctor and I both expect that I'll need my dosage increased.

 

Yeah, I know about dementia. I've been dealing with it in my mom for eight years. She still knows who I am, but her short-term memory is just about zero and her long-term memory, which was once very good, is slipping. She's a retired Registered Nurse who once ran the OR in a local hospital, and was a very sharp woman. She's been in a nursing home almost 4 years, and fortunately, I guess, she's no longer ambulatory so we don't need to worry about her wandering. She'll be 98 next month. Her sister, a retired M.D., is 95 and still mentally as sharp as she ever was.

Dementia, i no laughing matter, but that was funny! 

 

I didn't know you drank that much coffee.  I was drinking anywhere between 10 and 15 cups a day when I was heavily drinking.  I do feel I was more alert back then.

Even with the coffee consumption, I was barely getting through the day. A couple of months ago, I got confirmation that my thyroid had just about completely shut down, and since I started taking synthroid I'm getting some improvement in my energy levels. I'm due to test again next week, and my doctor and I both expect that I'll need my dosage increased.

 

Yeah, I know about dementia. I've been dealing with it in my mom for eight years. She still knows who I am, but her short-term memory is just about zero and her long-term memory, which was once very good, is slipping. She's a retired Registered Nurse who once ran the OR in a local hospital, and was a very sharp woman. She's been in a nursing home almost 4 years, and fortunately, I guess, she's no longer ambulatory so we don't need to worry about her wandering. She'll be 98 next month. Her sister, a retired M.D., is 95 and still mentally as sharp as she ever was.

 

Weird we both drink coffee and have had thyroid issues.

 

Between the ages of 8-12 my thyroid went nuts and grew a 14" inches.  Nothing like being a 6' foot tall 4th grader!  I had the worst growing pains.  The pain would be so bad my arms or legs, they would go numb and I would pass out.

 

I hope all works out next week!

[quote author=MyTwoSense 

 

 

 

Between the ages of 8-12 my thyroid went nuts and grew a 14" inches.  Nothing like being a 6' foot tall 4th grader!  I had the worst growing pains.  The pain would be so bad my arms or legs, they would go numb and I would pass out.

 

I hope all works out next week!

 

no, you were not 6' tall in the 4th grade!! you have to post a picture...

[quote author=MyTwoSense 

 

 

 

Between the ages of 8-12 my thyroid went nuts and grew a 14" inches.  Nothing like being a 6' foot tall 4th grader!  I had the worst growing pains.  The pain would be so bad my arms or legs, they would go numb and I would pass out.

 

I hope all works out next week!

 

no, you were not 6' tall in the 4th grade!! you have to post a picture...

 

Yeah I was. :-(  The kids called me learch!  It was horrible.  My parents would take us to the pediatrician and ask, "Why is my older son so short and my younger son so tall?  What's wrong with my kids??"

 

Kids would think I was retarded, although the school was going to skip me a grade.  The weird thing is my brother, who is 11 months and 1 day older than me, was more than a foot shorter than me.  I didn't grow between 4th and 9th grade nor did I gain much weight, then I hit puberty and grew 4 more inches.  My brother seemed to grow overnight.  He turned 13 and over that summer it was like he grew like 10 inches which sucked, because up until then I could physically kick his azz. 

 

Pictures??  Oh no.  MTS has never been a picture taker.  I hate being photographed.  I never did school pictures or anything.  I would make my mother come to school and get me out of pictures.  I would burst out into tears whenever I would have to take a picture.  My mother would fall for those crocodile tears every time.

^you mean you don't have any school pictures?!? that's funny! They couldn't have been as bad as mine (I found my fat 4th grade pic recently--and that was back in the day when kids weren't as fat as they are today! I didn't start losing weight until jr. high). But surely by the time you got to HS you had a senior picture taken, no?

^you mean you don't have any school pictures?!? that's funny! They couldn't have been as bad as mine (I found my fat 4th grade pic recently--and that was back in the day when kids weren't as fat as they are today! I didn't start losing weight until jr. high). But surely by the time you got to HS you had a senior picture taken, no?

 

Nope!  No pictures.  None in High School or college.  I even have a no pic clause in my contract.

^you mean you don't have any school pictures?!? that's funny! They couldn't have been as bad as mine (I found my fat 4th grade pic recently--and that was back in the day when kids weren't as fat as they are today! I didn't start losing weight until jr. high). But surely by the time you got to HS you had a senior picture taken, no?

 

Nope!  No pictures.  None in High School or college.  I even have a no pic clause in my contract.

 

that is very extreme, and although I really do understand it, I can't believe your parents weren't totally pissed. School pictures are for them to show to other people!

^you mean you don't have any school pictures?!? that's funny! They couldn't have been as bad as mine (I found my fat 4th grade pic recently--and that was back in the day when kids weren't as fat as they are today! I didn't start losing weight until jr. high). But surely by the time you got to HS you had a senior picture taken, no?

 

Nope!  No pictures.  None in High School or college.  I even have a no pic clause in my contract.

 

that is very extreme, and although I really do understand it, I can't believe your parents weren't totally pissed. School pictures are for them to show to other people!

 

We have family pictures and I'm not smiling in any of them.

 

I knew what I was doing, I never wanted my mother to do the "look at mts when he was two". 

Dementia, i no laughing matter, but that was funny!

 

I didn't know you drank that much coffee. I was drinking anywhere between 10 and 15 cups a day when I was heavily drinking. I do feel I was more alert back then.

Even with the coffee consumption, I was barely getting through the day. A couple of months ago, I got confirmation that my thyroid had just about completely shut down, and since I started taking synthroid I'm getting some improvement in my energy levels. I'm due to test again next week, and my doctor and I both expect that I'll need my dosage increased.

 

Yeah, I know about dementia. I've been dealing with it in my mom for eight years. She still knows who I am, but her short-term memory is just about zero and her long-term memory, which was once very good, is slipping. She's a retired Registered Nurse who once ran the OR in a local hospital, and was a very sharp woman. She's been in a nursing home almost 4 years, and fortunately, I guess, she's no longer ambulatory so we don't need to worry about her wandering. She'll be 98 next month. Her sister, a retired M.D., is 95 and still mentally as sharp as she ever was.

 

Weird we both drink coffee and have had thyroid issues.

 

Between the ages of 8-12 my thyroid went nuts and grew a 14" inches. Nothing like being a 6' foot tall 4th grader! I had the worst growing pains. The pain would be so bad my arms or legs, they would go numb and I would pass out.

 

I hope all works out next week!

 

Make it a three-fer. My thyroid is basically dead. Maybe that's why I started drinking so much coffee...to make up for the lack of energy.

 

I don't know if this happened to you, Rob, but I had to cut back drastically on my caffeine intake until my body got used to the synthroid. Too many stimulants made my heart pound.

 

Years later it's all regulated and I can drink coffee fine.

Make it a three-fer. My thyroid is basically dead. Maybe that's why I started drinking so much coffee...to make up for the lack of energy.

 

I don't know if this happened to you, Rob, but I had to cut back drastically on my caffeine intake until my body got used to the synthroid. Too many stimulants made my heart pound.

 

Years later it's all regulated and I can drink coffee fine.

So far, no problem with heart pounding. I have felt a reduction in my craving for caffeine, though. I think I've cut back about a third.

 

Today I shoveled snow for about five hours, digging out sidewalks and a driveway. My heart got going pretty good but I didn't experience any problems. I can get it up above 120 and hold it there for fairly long periods, and it was stable at 140 on a stress EKG a couple of years ago.

 

I know what happened to my thyroid; it got wiped out by radiation. I went through two bouts with head & neck cancer in 1994 and 1996, and had a total of 85 radiation treatments. CT scans ever since 1997 showed my thyroid gone, but my TSH always came back in the normal range on my labs. I've puzzled my doctors more than once.

 

In December, though, my TSH was high. About time; I've been complaining of lethargy and being cold for about 3 years. They started me on a minimum dose, 25mcg daily, but I think I'm due for a step up; sometimes I suddenly run out of gas in the evenings and get shivers.

 

The doctors at U of Chicago Center for Advanced Medicine say they don't know anyone else who has had as much radiation as I have, and is still able to live independently and do a full day's physical work.

Make it a three-fer. My thyroid is basically dead. Maybe that's why I started drinking so much coffee...to make up for the lack of energy.

 

I don't know if this happened to you, Rob, but I had to cut back drastically on my caffeine intake until my body got used to the synthroid. Too many stimulants made my heart pound.

 

Years later it's all regulated and I can drink coffee fine.

So far, no problem with heart pounding. I have felt a reduction in my craving for caffeine, though. I think I've cut back about a third.

 

Today I shoveled snow for about five hours, digging out sidewalks and a driveway. My heart got going pretty good but I didn't experience any problems. I can get it up above 120 and hold it there for fairly long periods, and it was stable at 140 on a stress EKG a couple of years ago.

 

I know what happened to my thyroid; it got wiped out by radiation. I went through two bouts with head & neck cancer in 1994 and 1996, and had a total of 85 radiation treatments. CT scans ever since 1997 showed my thyroid gone, but my TSH always came back in the normal range on my labs. I've puzzled my doctors more than once.

 

In December, though, my TSH was high. About time; I've been complaining of lethargy and being cold for about 3 years. They started me on a minimum dose, 25mcg daily, but I think I'm due for a step up; sometimes I suddenly run out of gas in the evenings and get shivers.

 

The doctors at U of Chicago Center for Advanced Medicine say they don't know anyone else who has had as much radiation as I have, and is still able to live independently and do a full day's physical work.

 

It's the gay x gene at work!  :wink:

 

Honey, it sounds like you've lived a blessed life!

Make it a three-fer. My thyroid is basically dead. Maybe that's why I started drinking so much coffee...to make up for the lack of energy.

 

I don't know if this happened to you, Rob, but I had to cut back drastically on my caffeine intake until my body got used to the synthroid. Too many stimulants made my heart pound.

 

Years later it's all regulated and I can drink coffee fine.

So far, no problem with heart pounding. I have felt a reduction in my craving for caffeine, though. I think I've cut back about a third.

 

Today I shoveled snow for about five hours, digging out sidewalks and a driveway. My heart got going pretty good but I didn't experience any problems. I can get it up above 120 and hold it there for fairly long periods, and it was stable at 140 on a stress EKG a couple of years ago.

 

I know what happened to my thyroid; it got wiped out by radiation. I went through two bouts with head & neck cancer in 1994 and 1996, and had a total of 85 radiation treatments. CT scans ever since 1997 showed my thyroid gone, but my TSH always came back in the normal range on my labs. I've puzzled my doctors more than once.

 

In December, though, my TSH was high. About time; I've been complaining of lethargy and being cold for about 3 years. They started me on a minimum dose, 25mcg daily, but I think I'm due for a step up; sometimes I suddenly run out of gas in the evenings and get shivers.

 

The doctors at U of Chicago Center for Advanced Medicine say they don't know anyone else who has had as much radiation as I have, and is still able to live independently and do a full day's physical work.

 

I think I know what happened. Do you find that you black out after you get angry?

 

Make it a three-fer. My thyroid is basically dead. Maybe that's why I started drinking so much coffee...to make up for the lack of energy.

 

I don't know if this happened to you, Rob, but I had to cut back drastically on my caffeine intake until my body got used to the synthroid. Too many stimulants made my heart pound.

 

Years later it's all regulated and I can drink coffee fine.

So far, no problem with heart pounding. I have felt a reduction in my craving for caffeine, though. I think I've cut back about a third.

 

Today I shoveled snow for about five hours, digging out sidewalks and a driveway. My heart got going pretty good but I didn't experience any problems. I can get it up above 120 and hold it there for fairly long periods, and it was stable at 140 on a stress EKG a couple of years ago.

 

I know what happened to my thyroid; it got wiped out by radiation. I went through two bouts with head & neck cancer in 1994 and 1996, and had a total of 85 radiation treatments. CT scans ever since 1997 showed my thyroid gone, but my TSH always came back in the normal range on my labs. I've puzzled my doctors more than once.

 

In December, though, my TSH was high. About time; I've been complaining of lethargy and being cold for about 3 years. They started me on a minimum dose, 25mcg daily, but I think I'm due for a step up; sometimes I suddenly run out of gas in the evenings and get shivers.

 

The doctors at U of Chicago Center for Advanced Medicine say they don't know anyone else who has had as much radiation as I have, and is still able to live independently and do a full day's physical work.

 

I think I know what happened. Do you find that you black out after you get angry?

 

 

LMAO.

I think I know what happened. Do you find that you black out after you get angry?

 

 

No, I don't think so. At least, I don't remember blacking out.  :angel:

More evidence that coffee is actually a good thing (not that it really matters!)

 

full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/nutrition/26best.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

 

PERSONAL BEST

It’s Time to Make a Coffee Run

By GINA KOLATA

Published: March 25, 2009

 

WELDON JOHNSON first tried caffeine as a performance enhancer in 1998. He was not a coffee drinker but had heard that caffeine could make him run faster. So he went to a convenience store before a race and drank a cup of coffee. For the first time in his life, he ran 10 kilometers in less than 30 minutes.

 

“I remember being really wired before the race,” he said in an e-mail message. “My body was shaking.”

 

From then on, he was a convert.

 

Mr. Johnson, a founder of LetsRun.com, would avoid caffeine, even in soft drinks, for a few weeks before he competed in a race, wanting to have the full stimulant effect.

 

“It may have been a huge placebo effect, but I swore by it,” Mr. Johnson said. “Having a cup of coffee exactly one hour before the race was part of my routine.”

 

Or maybe it was not a placebo effect. Caffeine, it turns out, actually works. And it is legal, one of the few performance enhancers that is not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

ummmmmmmmmmmm coffee

this is funny even if you don't drink coffee:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/nyregion/thecity/26coff.html

 

NEW YORK OBSERVED

 

Wake Up and Steal the Coffee

By PABLO ANDREU

Published: April 24, 2009

 

I WAS nearly charged with petty theft for pilfering coffee at the illustrious Hippodrome Building. But lest I be judged too quickly, I must convey the sublimity of the fourth floor’s coffee machine.

 

Harry Houdini performed at the Hippodrome, at 1120 Avenue of the Americas near 44th Street. Many of the best and most famous performers of the time appeared there. It was one of the biggest and most successful theaters of its time, capable of accommodating 5,200 people.

 

After several iterations and a complete interior overhaul, the Hippodrome now features a resplendent two-story lobby of Italian marble, limestone and silver leaf. But in spite of its historic past and grandiose first impression, its best quality is without a doubt the coffee machine on the fourth floor.

 

Our office (whose floor I will not divulge for fear of legal recrimination) did not have a coffee machine. It had a coffee maker. Although some people might consider this a trivial point, any pencil pusher working in a Manhattan cubicle or office understands the distinction between a coffee maker and a coffee machine.

 

A coffee maker is a near-medieval contraption that uses primitive semipermeable barriers called filters to capture the grounds while the coffee-infused water passes through. A coffee machine is nothing short of a magic device. A near equal to the voice-activated food synthesizer from “Star Trek,” the coffee machine gobbles up a packet of coffee and in seconds — presto! — a cup of steaming coffee is produced.

 

I first caught wind of the fourth-floor coffee machine from a colleague who had a friend on that floor. One day, he approached me and said, “Want to see something awesome?”

 

“Sure,” I said.

Surpassed only by its coffee machine, the fourth floor is an egalitarian utopia with no central authority. There is no main office, just a wraparound hallway lined with offices, all home to different companies. Because the receptionists work for the floor, they cannot keep track of individuals. Instead, they smile absently as you saunter by.

 

My colleague led me around the winding corridor until we reached an immaculate kitchen brimming with provisions. Beyond the kitchen was an area outfitted with tables, couches and wall-mounted flat-screen television sets. This was truly a better place.

 

And that’s when I spotted it.

 

Futuristic and sleek, the coffee machine offered a plethora of options: Colombian coffee, French roast, Italian roast, hazelnut, French vanilla. But it offered far more than the standard fare. There were several brands of cocoa along with English breakfast tea, Earl Grey, standard Lipton and an array of herb-infused flavored teas, in case I was feeling particularly New Agey.

 

I never got to meet that friend from the fourth floor, and eventually he moved to another office, no longer leaving my colleague and me any excuse to go down there. In spite of that, we became well acquainted with the coffee machine.

 

At first, as with any addiction, we started slowly, taking the elevator down a couple of times a week. Soon, it became a daily ritual. I almost felt as if it was rude not to introduce myself to the receptionists. When I walked those corridors, I eyed their inhabitants arrogantly, even suspiciously, as if they had no right to be there.

 

EVENTUALLY, we introduced other colleagues to the wonders of the fourth floor. We were traveling in packs now, like marauding bandits, cackling at our easily won spoils.

 

On one especially raucous outing, I noticed a curious figure, a man in a black suit who had trailed us back to the elevator. I thought nothing of it at the time. I should have known better.

 

The first warning bell sounded when he entered the elevator with us. It was odd, I thought, that someone from the fourth floor would be taking an elevator up. But the mystery didn’t last long.

 

“You can’t keep coming down here and taking coffee,” he informed us. “They’ve got you on video.”

 

At first I thought this man was a territorial employee from one of the companies on the fourth floor, kind of a hall monitor. I later found out that he was one of the building’s security guards.

 

In any case, I debated whether to hand him my cup or dump it in the elevator. I settled on giving him a solemn look that was meant to convey, “I’ll dump this in our kitchen; you can count on me, pal.” A couple of my colleagues managed barely audible apologies. Pleased with our contrition, the man nodded and went back down.

 

  “You think they really have us on video?” I asked my colleague.

 

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I mean, he said they did.”

 

“I don’t think they do,” I said. “He was just trying to scare us. Where the hell did he come from, anyway?”

 

“He followed us from the kitchen. I saw him come out of the office when we walked away.”

 

“So you think he works for the building?”

 

“Yeah, I think so.”

 

“Look, we’ll give it a few weeks, let it cool off. Then we’ll go down, just you and me.”

 

“Yeah, we told too many people.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

An e-mail message sent soon after that conversation put a definitive end to this plan. It was from my company’s general manager, and it went something like this:

 

“I am appalled and disgusted that there are people in this office who would steal coffee and breakfast from the fourth floor. The culprits have 30 minutes to turn themselves in.”

 

I heard from multiple sources that the building was threatening charges of petty theft. My colleagues and I turned ourselves in. One person was even forced to write a formal apology. It turned out that it was enough to mollify the building, but we had been sufficiently intimidated that we would never venture onto the fourth floor again.

 

The jungle of gray cubicles that I inhabit became all the more drab. Work seemed interminable, the coffee on our floor tasteless. There were no more extended breaks, no more jaunts, no more magic.

 

Eventually, our company purchased a similar coffee machine, but something was off. It had pods instead of the familiar packets, and the machine rumbled profanely instead of whirring elegantly. It was a travesty.

 

When I’m having an especially bad day at work, I imagine walking the corridors of the fourth floor. I imagine helping myself to the plentitude of its kitchen. And that’s when I realize that there is nothing better than a stolen cup of coffee.

 

 

 

LMAO!

OMG what a story.  CULPRITS have 30 minutes to turn themselves in?  Can you say PETTY?  I think a note going out telling people they can't do that anymore would have sufficed.  Jesus.

OMG what a story. CULPRITS have 30 minutes to turn themselves in? Can you say PETTY? I think a note going out telling people they can't do that anymore would have sufficed. Jesus.

 

Ha! I'd agree, except it sounded like the problem escalated from 2 guys grabbing the good coffee to a full on office offensive. I can see one of the 4th floor employees walking into the breakroom full of employees he doesn't recognize going 'WTF?!'

 

Hilarious. And the story is delivered in the voice of a truly remorseless addict. I'd have done the same, especially since they serve prison coffee at my office.

OMG what a story.  CULPRITS have 30 minutes to turn themselves in?  Can you say PETTY?  I think a note going out telling people they can't do that anymore would have sufficed.  Jesus.

 

Ha! I'd agree, except it sounded like the problem escalated from 2 guys grabbing the good coffee to a full on office offensive. I can see one of the 4th floor employees walking into the breakroom full of employees he doesn't recognize going 'WTF?!'

 

Hilarious. And the story is delivered in the voice of a truly remorseless addict. I'd have done the same, especially since they serve prison coffee at my office.

 

Prison coffee!  LMAO!  What is that?  I'm a coffee vet, but I've never heard "prison coffee".