Teachable Moments

I know, I know. I've been gone awhile. Let's see, where to start?

I have simultaneously developed a sweet tooth and dropped 10 pounds.

Oh, and this weekend, I'm taking a knitting class right before I'm having dinner with a bunch of nuns. I'm also eagerly awaiting a sprout from some avocado seeds in punch cups, but I still haven't gotten a new camera, so you'll have to settle for a crappy cell-phone picture.

Grow on with your bad selves.

Yeah, it's wild in Ohio.

There's a wonderful little coffee shop a few blocks over from the house. Among other fine offerings, including an invitation to "bring your own wine," it has a coconut tea called Coconut Breeze, which I always saw on the chalkboard menu and thought, "Oh, God. That sounds just awful. Barf."

But, I got some by accident the other day and it seems that Coconut Breeze is really quite magnificent.

I ordered a medium English breakfast and somehow ended up with Coconut Breeze at the pick-up counter. Unawares of the mix up, I added my Splenda and cream as per usual, and found a pleasant surprise.

As with all "accidents," it wasn't really an accident. I credit Coconut Breeze with opening up a whole bunch of new horizons for me.

See, I figured if my perceptions were wrong about something as a benign and inconsequential as tea, what else have I been wrong about?

Turns out: quite a lot. A whole big crap load of things. Some of them big, some of them little.

For instance, I am a good dancer (not the awkward, drunken flailing kind but, like, actual dancing.) And, I've realized a microwave is not a necessity. I really don't find cockiness and condensation to be attractive qualities. And also, I don't have all of the answers.

And that's been kind of freeing, you know? To have my entire world turned upside down by a cup of tea.

But, there's at least one thing about which I've been proven correct time and time again: All dogs like their butts scratched.

I wonder why that is.

In the Comments section, tell me about your favorite hot beverage and/or if you know a dog who might prove me wrong.