I Missed National Coffee Day???

So it turns out that Wednesday was National Coffee Day. Did I have to be the very last person on the planet to find this out?


It’s not as if I don’t drink my standard eleventy-three cups a day, yes, even in the heat of summer. I just love the stuff. Sue me.

It’s not even about the caffeine, because I’m strictly a decaf drinker, for a variety of reasons, most of which fall under the heading of “I’ll take boring topics for $600, Alex.” But the flavor of choice is hazelnut decaf, just in case you were going to send me a shipment for my birthday, which I believe you forgot, by the way.

Wow. I’m beginning to sound angry. I’m beginning to scare myself, and this is WITHOUT caffeine. Good thing I never touch the stuff, right?

So the only reason I even found out about National Coffee Day AT LAST, is that my small-h hero, Grammar Girl, Tweeted about the difference between “expresso” and “espresso”. In case you missed it, (bwah-hah-hah), “expresso” would be slang for “speedy”, and “espresso” is the coffee drink.

Now it’s possible that the whole reason I missed this non-event event Wednesday is that it was the birthday of three very important people: my stepson Jason (he had a great birthday), my stepdaughter Jaime (she had a great birthday) and my capital-H Personal Hero and Spiritual Guide, Gwen Ifill.

I haven’t heard from Gwen about her birthday, but she wasn’t on the Newshour that night, so let’s just hope it was a good time for Gwen, too. (She doesn’t write, she doesn’t call… go raise children…)

Anyhoo, I hope all you coffee lovers out there celebrated big time, and next year I’ll be on the alert for National Coffee Day. That way, when I go to bed the night before, and hang my IV bag of Mornin’ Joe on the pole, I can put a bow on it and feel festive.

P.S. I can't believe September's already over! Waaaah! Nothing says 'end-of-summer' more than this-- not Labor Day, not stashing the white shoes or purse, not back-to-school, not anything. Once you start writing 'October' on your checks, you know the whole season's gone... Ah, well... I'm just saying... Bring on the Halloween candy!

Tie One On (--but not that one!)

Okay, it has to be said. Jim Lehrer’s wearing the world’s worst ties. And yes, this qualifies as news.

If Walter Cronkite were still on the air (necrophiles, unite!) and he was wearing bunny ears it would still look better than Jim Lehrer’s ties.

Look, you know I’m a huge nerd, and a news junkie, and yes, I mostly watch the Newshour because Gwen Ifill is on it, but I’m really extremely fond of Jim. And until recently his appearance was just fine. Nice, even. Suddenly, he’s wearing the ties from hell.

Last night it was one that looked like a patchwork made from clown suits. (No offense to the clowns out there. You know who you are.) One night late last week it was something that looked like a bandanna-kind-of-thing; let’s just say there’s a picnic table somewhere that’s missing its tablecloth.

So is Jim’s wife out of the country or something? Or couldn’t Gwen, Judy Woodruff, Ray Suarez or Jeffrey Brown politely take him aside and cut the tie off just below the knot? Action must be taken! Someone on that program has to care enough to step in and perform the intervention. Anyone? Bueller?