i'm in far less pain -- in fact, i've cut back to only one or two prescription painkillers per day as of yesterday.

this has resulted in my being able to get up off the sofa at last.
and that has resulted in my being able to get out to the coffee bars again. very nice indeed.

after a couple of days without espresso i've had a couple really good macchiattos in the last two days. yesterday's (at Belmont) had lovely dark malted chocolate notes and a very heavy mouthfeel. today's (Downtown) was softer, with fantastic sweetness and a milk chocolate caramel finish.
in a sense, it was really good to get away from the cafes for a couple days. i don't know how or why, but i'd lost the ability to just experience the cup and instead was dissecting and evaluating it for flaws all the time. i'd lost the ability to enjoy the espresso.
those couple drinks were so enjoyable it is crazy.
it makes me really really proud to be a part of Stumptown when i get drinks like that.

at a certain level i feel like a lot of people who are serious and passionate about coffee have lost sight of the simple, visceral enjoyment of the drink. we're like cabinetmakers at a furniture museum -- looking at the joinery work on the back of the Stickley armoire instead of just enjoying the beauty of the object.