Taking a risk

My dental office is on Mission Street. Even once I started working in the east bay I stayed with them, because although the dentists (and the owners) have changed several times, it's the only office I've ever been in where I haven't had to explain my teeth x-rays to the hygienists. The dentists have all been great too. I was just there for a cleaning (thank you Sonicare!) so the appointment didn't last long, but I was pretty hungry by the time I got out of there since it's my habit to not eat before visiting the dentist.


I was walking up Mission to the BART station and thinking about breakfast. I was considering a coffee-and-pastry type breakfast when I looked up and saw a restaurant window filled with Latino men in baseball caps and jackets. I can't remember the name of the restaurant but I went right over: !Huevos Rancheros! I love huevos rancheros and I've never had them in Mexico or even in Texas. I think part of the appeal is that I love to eat with my fingers and I love eating things wrapped in tortillas with beans. I sat at a little table and ordered HRs, over medium, and decaf coffee.


Now, I knew that ordering decaf was a risk, but I was on my way to work and I needed to be able to concentrate. It wasn't even 10am so I thought it was a strong possibility that the pot on the coffeemaker had been cooking there for at least an hour if not since the place had opened. I've had my coffee snob days and am over it - besides, I like milk in my coffee.


The waitress returned shortly with a small plate on which were sitting a coffee cup, a few sugar packets, several little plastic cup things of half-and-half (what are those called, anyway? They look like really big white thimbles) and a little teapot. I thought something along the lines of "How classy, they brought me my own little coffeepot."


As is my wont (ha ha, I've always wanted to write that) I poured the milk into the cup first. I then picked up the little silver coffeepot and poured steaming-hot water into the milk.


One of the sugar packets was actually a packet of Sanka.