May 1, 2017 3 min read

I was on my way to work when I remembered there was a problem at the store. Not with the actual store, mind you, but in the break room. It was a significant problem that had me questioning whether or not I could actually complete my day. You see, I had finished the bottle of coffee creamer in the fridge last week. Gasp!

I don’t drink much coffee; really only a cup or two a day. And I typically only drink decaffeinated. Some folks may ask me what the point of drinking decaf even is. For me, it’s the routine of the thing. I love to get up, drink a cup of coffee and read my Bible or the paper. Or, I will sip the warm liquid as I drive to work in the cool mornings. But excess caffeine upsets my stomach, so I drink the wussy stuff.

Also, I have come to enjoy my coffee more when it has flavored creamer in it. But not powdered creamer, because it gives me heartburn. And never hazelnut, rarely chocolate, and seldom the exotic flavors. Let’s get real for a second. I actually only like the family of caramel flavors. OK. I hear you. I’m a veritable coffee snob, and I’m not really even drinking coffee at this point, am I? I get it. I can take your judgment.

However, this is my morning routine, and I stick to it pretty regularly. Since I was running late this morning, I planned to grab a cup of the high-test stuff they make at work, but then remembered the sad story about my creamer being finished. I had to come up with a plan.

First, I asked Siri to find me the phone number of a store that I pass daily on my route to work. After repeatedly shouting the same phrase at her, she finally pulled up the information I was seeking, and I made the call. Unfortunately, the call was a dead end, as they don’t sell flavored creamer.

I turned my car a different direction and headed west to a grocery store only a mile or so off my route. Their abandoned parking lot suggested that they were not yet open. A quick drive past their doors confirmed they opened a half an hour after I needed to be at work.

Pluckily, I went to another store, sure they were open 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, I was wrong, and discovered their hours also began when I needed to be at work. Doesn’t anyone open before 8 a.m. anymore? Beginning to get desperate, I stopped at a gas station and purchased a cup of coffee so I could at least function. Sadly, I saw that my only choices for creamer included hazelnut, some exotic stuff and chocolate.

I sucked it up and drank the coffee with chocolate creamer. It was not the best cup of joe I’ve ever consumed, but it did the job. And maybe it will even spur me to stop somewhere on the way home for a new bottle.

Laura Zoeller can be reached at zoeller5@verizon.net.