I love my hot beverage.

Every morning, without fail, I wake up and am unable to officially start my day without my first hot beverage. Coffee. Similar to many people in this world, coffe is a staple in my home and life is simply not plesant with out it. I absolutely love it with my 8T of french vanilla, irish cream, or caramel creamer. (Preferenced in listed order.) After the first sip, I can face the world and life is good. **Excuse me while I go put my fathers "tea pot" on with some water to boil.** Now, I have come to the conclusion that life is just as good ending the day with a different hot beverage. I prefer hot chocolate. In the past, I was not hip to hot chocolate in the winter. While I enjoyed them then, I prefer to have a cup o' cocoa on a nice summer evening as a perfect end to a summer day. While most people have tea or a drink, I prefer the old stand by. I have discovered that it has become more of a habit this summer and it is a great way to relax for the evening. I love it almost as much as I love my morning coffee, actually. I guess it was a given since I don't mind my sodas warm and can drink on a 20 oz soda for the better part of my work day. Normally that starts out ice cold, right out of the cabinator, it is not necessary for it to remain ice cold. Are there benefits to drinking hot beverages? I would certainly like to think so. However, I put enough fattening junk in mine to warrant any healthy promotion off of such a waste of time. If I am out of creamer (or marshmallows) I will simply have my beverages just as they were conceived for. Plain, and black. I have even become accostomed to having my cocoa made with plain water. While the watery variety of even the top shelf cocoa varieties is less than brain sparkly, it will suffice just the same. I guess you can say it is the experience. (Yes, you can say the morning is more of necessity but the evening is truly the experience.) Conversely, I prefer my water to be ICE cold. I find water that is anything warmer than just below freezing to be absolutely awful. Not sure where that came from. I am VERY picky about where my ice comes from. So picky, in fact, that I refuse to take ice in my drinks at any restauraunt or fast food establishment. There is a story behind that. Let me explain. My first job that was working for corporate America was in one of the more popular fast food chains of the time. It was with in walking distance of my home and it was the perfect job. I was used to working for family and was exposed to so much more of what the very fabric of this country was made up of in the REAL working world. During my first few months of working at this wonderful establishment (at $4.25 an hours, seriously! A servers wage by today's standards,) I noted that the icebin that normally hangs on the side of the ice machine had a slanted flat bottom and would stand on its own were it left on the floor. (UCK!) One day, during a particularly busy Saturday afternoon, I noted that the ice bin was not hanging on the side of the ice machine but, on the floor. I then watched a co worker (who had worked there for at least 2 years) pick up the ice bin, scoop it into the ice and then proceed to walk it to the front counter and fill the ice pockets at the cash registers. Absolutely beside myself, I then looked at the floor which was slimy with grime and stamped gook from the grill area. I about croaked! I vowed from then on NEVER to get ice from a restauraunt. If I "accidentally" get ice, I will refuse it and make the person fix me another in a different cup. Mind you, I worked in food service and I know some things. If you allow the person to take the cup back, they will dump it out in the drain and use the same cup to fix your beverage with no ice. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. Ah, but I digress.... Back to my hot beverage. I now hear the water boiling happy in the tea pot. In reality that is simply a small sauce pan. Nothing bigger than to hold a standard can of green beans. Just small enough for an amount of water for an evening beverage. As I sit here and watch the steam come out the rim of my mug, my mouth anticipates the hot chocolatey goodness it contains. I fancy grabbing my mug, my King novel, and a blanket. I will curl up on the couch and wrap up another day. All with my hot beverage. Yes it is made with water today and yes, it is truly an experience... What do YOU think?