Care for some coffee? It's in the spice drawer.

There it is. An entire pot of freshly brewed coffee, flowing from some unknown leak within the appliance, pooling across the counter top and then disappearing into the spice drawer.

Before my eyes were even open Don was in the kitchen beginning the coffee making duties. I suppose I should be thankful that my husband tries to help, tries to make my mornings go a little smoother. Coffee is, after all, the very first thing I think of upon opening my eyes each morn. And the urge is even stronger since my new venture into freshly ground coffee beans. I grind the beans each night before bed so as not to cause too much of a commotion in the morning. This new ritual allows me to barely contain myself for the excitement of my brew that awaits in a mere eight hours.

Six a.m. There it sits. Mr. Coffee.

Waiting, screaming for someone to simply pour in the water and push GO.

The thought never even crossed my mind, that I should tell Don that I had cleaned the coffee pot and all it's parts the night before. Because, after all, how do you not notice? Just like adding dirty dishes to a dishwasher filled with clean dishes...how do you not notice? When you retrieve the carafe from the dish drainer, don't you also see the other parts to the coffee maker there, too? How do you not notice the nifty little basket that holds the paper filter? Don't you notice that this integral piece, with the imperative drip-stop lever is missing? The filter doesn't quite fit right, the carafe doesn't quite slide in so snugly. How do you NOT notice? Can't you see it sitting in the dish rack, all nice and clean?

Well, when he goes to pour his first cup of coffee, surely he'll notice.... he'll notice that all the spices have been pulled from their drawer and placed atop the counter. He'll notice that he can simply place his coffee cup on the floor and wait for the coffee to now drip from said spice drawer and into his groovy Longaberger travel mug.

This minor lapse of awareness has added a full hour of cleanup to my day. I ought to toss every drowning spice jar into the garbage, but instead I dutifully line them up on the counter, drying and taking inventory. Why do I have three jars of cumin?

Words to Live By, Don.....Step away from my kitchen!