February 7th, 2018:

	There's nothing like getting your morning coffee *just right*.  
I've been on a real coffee kick since I got back from my work trip to 
Puerto Vallarta a few weeks ago.  There was a small cafe at the resort 
that, unfortunately, I didn't discover until the day I left.  Sad, really.  
They brewed the best coffee I've ever had.

The beans were locally sourced, freshly roasted, and ground immediately 
before my cup was brewed.  It was steamed Espresso-style and served piping 
hot, and had the most gorgeous crema.  I'm not a coffee snob by any 
stretch (will even drink Folgers if need be), but this stuff was heavenly.

Suffice it to say, every cup of coffee since has tasted like swill in 
comparison.  I chalk that up to my own laziness and habit, as I tend to 
use cheap coffee and cheaper filters.  My current brand is Lavazza Crema e 
Gusto, a vacuum-packed brick made in Italy for the export market.  For a 
supermarket coffee, it's not bad... decent flavour for a low price.

My usual brewing method is a 20+ year old Melitta pour-over coffee maker 
I've had since I moved out.  It's quick and relatively low-maintenance 
(having no moving parts or electronics), but the paper filters tend to 
filter out much of the flavour.  Great for coffee on the go, but lousy for 
coffee to sit and enjoy.

If I want to sit back and relax, I'll use a moka pot if I'm only making a 
cup or two, or my french press if we have company (or if the missus and I 
want a few cups).  These methods brew better tasting coffee, but require a 
more thorough cleaning...

This morning's coffee was from a freshly opened pack of Lavazza.  I was in 
a hurry (overslept again), so I brewed enough to fill my travel mug, with 
enough left over for a demitasse.  I had just enough time to enjoy the 
small cup before I bolted out the door, but it was absolutely *perfect*.  
Somehow, magic happened in that old Melitta carafe...

In other news, I'm glad the SDF Phlog listing issue has been sorted out.  
I was concerned that I was doing something wrong and my posts weren't 
propagating!  I thought it might be a timestamp issue, so I used touch to 
change... sure enough, this was the recommended solution.  It's nice to 
discover something independently, especially when you have no idea what 
you're doing half the time.