FROM THE Editor’s Desk

BY SARAH NIGBOR

Bleary-eyed and sleepy, I stumbled my way to the kitchen at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, the day after Labor Day. I had been up pretty late the night before, as Mondays are always a late night for me. Mondays are deadline day and holiday or not, usually begin around 5:30 a.m. and end anywhere between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Needless to say, it’s a grind. We print the newspaper on Tuesday mornings, which are always filled with last-minute additions, edit – ing and sometimes finishing a story or two. By the time the paper is put to bed, I’m a zombie.

I felt my way down the darkened hallway and swore silently to myself as I stepped on a dog bone, which propelled me into a standup fan positioned in front of my daughter’s bedroom door. As the pain coursed through my foot, I silently prayed no one would wake up as I needed some coffee before beginning the morning ritual of rousting everyone from bed. This is never a pleasant task. My husband claims to be a morning person, but during football coaching season, that is not true. He’s too tired to be a morning person and I don’t blame him.

The puppy whined with what I chose to believe was apologetic sympathy for his offending bone as I passed his kennel. Darn it, now I’d have to let him out and give him breakfast because my yelp had woken him up.

When I, by muscle memory I believe, reached for the coffee filters that holiday dead – line morning, my hands flailed in empty air. The spot where the filters usually sit was empty. I feverishly patted around in the cupboard, hoping some would appear out of thin air, but none did. Fully awake in a panic now, I flung the cupboard doors wide open and scanned the shelves for a stray filter, hiding behind the cups. This can’t be happening, I thought. How did I let this happen?

I literally cannot live without coffee. Yes, I know a caffeine addiction isn’t healthy, but I figure I’ve given up almost every other vice in my life and this one I’m not willing to relinquish. There’s something so joyful about the scent of fresh brewing coffee. Even more delightful is the first stream of burning hot liquid coursing across my tongue and down my throat, like an IV of energy going into my tired body. A cup of good coffee can make even the most annoying things seem minor; it always cheers me up immensely.

But I was not cheery as my tired, burning eyes scoured the counters looking for a filter. Perhaps my dear husband had realized we were low when he took a few to school for his coffee pot there. Alas, the thought never crossed his mind and now it was deadline Tuesday with no coffee filters. He had taken coffee filters to school and not replaced them with more. Kind thoughts were not going through my mind as I sneaked into the bedroom to wake the slumbering suspect. I know, I know, I could have made due with a paper towel, but that never works well in our coffee pot and I was in no mood nor frame of mind for a substitute.

My voice screeched louder than an alarm clock as I shook Hubby awake and demanded to know what happened to the coffee filters. “Please tell me you bought some and they’re in your truck,” I cried as he cracked an eye open to look at me grumpily. “Does that mean there’s no coffee this morning?” he asked astutely as I proceeded to rip the covers off so the cold air would hit his skin. If I was suffering, he should be too. “By the way, it’s time to get up dear. Happy Tuesday!”

“Hmmmph,” he answered as he rolled back over. He wasn’t going to make this easy on me. He needs to leave the house by 7 a.m., so a surefire way to get him up is to tell him it’s later than it is. Mean, yes. Effective, yes. Would he rather be late or on time? I gleefully told him it was 6:30 a.m., to which he leapt from the bed and ran to the shower. One up, four to go. And guess what, no coffee for you! Hmmmmph indeed.

Somehow, I made it to Ellsworth that morning and the glowing yellow McDonald’s sign was a beacon of hope as I swung into the drive-thru lane for a large coffee. Until I re membered I forgot my computer charger at home. At least I had cffuee for the ride.