i made my first mocha, nearly broke the machine, overflowed scalding hot espresso on myself and didn’t froth properly
my parents gave us an espresso machine for christmas, which is VERY APPRECIATED as it was MUCH NEEDED in our household. the problem is that paul is classically trained in the operation of the espresso machine (because he read the manual) and i am not (because i don’t read instructions… ever.)
i just attempted to make my first mocha with a double shot of espresso. and i failed. kind of. what i am now drinking does contain chocolate syrup and two + shots of espresso because i overflowed, so i will most likely have the caffeine jitters by the time i hit “publish” on this post.
i should’ve just gotten in the car and gone to starbucks.
though i have what i would call a distinct NEED for coffee (paul would most likely call it an obsession), i am in particular NEED of caffeine to run through my veins at this distinct moment on this distinct monday for the following reasons…
- the weekend didn’t work out as we had intended. originally, paul and i were going to go away and ski for the weekend. i bailed. why? because i didn’t want to pack yet another suitcase. i’ve been living out of suitcases since november and the thought of packing another one and prepping just for a short weekend getaway gave me a panic attack and made me consider cutting my wrists (the incorrect way, don’t worry.)
- instead of going to bed early on friday night to catch up on the sleep that i have not been getting over the last 2 months, i stayed up til 1 am with my husband, drinking beer and watching conan’s last show. paul and i took a trip to nyc a few years ago and stood in line to be audience members in one of conan’s shows, but we honestly weren’t HUGE conan fans. yeah, what NBC is doing is totally dick and jay leno is a douche, but we knew that already.
- the magoo ended up spewing liquid out of both ends of his body because he was fed expired hummus (the individual who fed said expired hummus to the magoo shall remain nameless.) needless to say, this made things very NOT fun for saturday evening and into sunday. multiple loads of puke and diarrhea laundry is not my idea of a good time. in addition to the extra laundry, a horrendous diaper rash now festers on my son’s bum.
- i’ve been contacted with regards to a potentially STABLE freelancing gig as a blogger, and i’m sweating bullets over it because it could be ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. those of you who blog, freelance, or just dream of “working” while sitting on your couch, not wearing a bra and drinking a crappy mocha know what i mean. i can say no more about this potential opportunity because my palms are already dripping with sweat and i don’t want to short-circuit my keyboard. also, i could jinx it.
- i’m in the midst of my anxiety meds being adjusted, which is never an easy experience. regardless of what you may take medication for, adjusting any bit of it, whether it’s the dosage or switching to an entirely different drug, is so hard to do. this is why they call it “chemistry” and why i came THIS CLOSE to failing it in high school. every teeny milligram, even part of a milligram of the medication needs to be JUST RIGHT in order for it to balance out what is currently imbalanced in mah head. this process, when it works, can take up to weeks to see “improvement.” it’s not a fun process for me or for those around me, cuz they never know when i’m goina go all wack-a-doo on their asses… or just not be able to get out of bed.
- on a similar note, i’m getting to spend countless hours each day finding a shrink who takes my insurance. currently there are none within a 60 mile radius of where we live. that’s the bad news. the good news is that my family practitioner (who i saw last week) is helping me as much as possible to use her resources to find me someone to purge my shit on.
- this maryland weather is so messed up and it’s messing with mah head. i need to see the sun. i NEED to. it can be cold as hell out (well, hell supposedly isn’t cold… i’ll report back once i learn for sure) point being, as long as i can see sunshine, i’m good. lately, if the sun peaks out here, it lasts for about 25 minutes and then it’s gone for 25 days. not so good.
- the magoo bed/crib situation is still sucking. this of course is unless paul is home, and then all is well with the world. the magoo sleeps 2 + hours, wakes up happy as a clam, and doesn’t make me absolutely distain toddlerville. when paul is not home, we have what i now refer to as the magoo-monster. this does NOT make for good nap times, which does NOT make for fun afternoons and makes me absolutely loathe toddlerville and all that comes with it. the magoo-monster is manipulating and playing the favorite parent game.
so those are my reasons for needing an abundance of caffeine. i have now consumed 85% of my mocha and all i have left is chocolate syrup.
just hook me up to an IV next time.













i know it doesn’t have a leaf shaped in the foam, but i am sure it will still get the job done.
I don’t even drink caffeine and that list is enough to make we want a coffee
I hope things improve for you.
Love and hugs.
Lisa´s last blog ..Toddler Diarrhea
There is something mercurial about the winter sun: how it tempts up with glimpses and then hides away behind clouds, heavy and oppressive. But what light is brighter than the winter sun on a snowscape?
And we humans do need the sun. A little bit of sun makes homemade mochas that much sweeter, an important search that much smoother, frazzled nerves that much calmer.
Wishing you sunshine. Now – or, at least, soon.
Kristen @ Motherese´s last blog ..The Days are Long, But the Magic is Momentary
I am so excited about you possibly getting a gig for writing. Keep us all posted!
Rebecca´s last blog ..Friday Fragments
Trying to get meds right does SUCK and I feel your pain. I hope it gets straightened out fast!
Michelle´s last blog ..About the John Edwards Drama…
One word for you: OY.
Andrea’s Sweet Life´s last blog ..Strength
Life with kids and without caffeine would not work. Plain and simple. I don’t read instructions either. I am psyched to hear about your potential new writing gig. Sounds fantastic. Also sounds like you had a looooong weekend. But I love that you are able to detail it with bits of humor.
Oh Nic! If it makes you feel any better, I still can’t make coffee
I try, and it tastes like ass…so Matt has to set the coffee machine for me. Heh. Isn’t that bad? I also need coffee to function properly and I can’t make the damn stuff?
As for the sun, why don’t you go tanning? (or do you already?) that’s what my sister does, and she has the same need to see the sun or else she’s sad thing too. I do too, but I am not allowed to tan
I know, it sucks. But that’s what happens! Drs say tanning with keloid scars isn’t the ideal. Anyways, have you tried it?
Sarcastica´s last blog ..Silly Hurt
Good luck with the new gig! I’m rooting for you!
Coffee is one thing I have never, ever been able to work out in the house. The ONLY thing that has saved me is making cappuccino in my little Bialetti Mukka Express stovetop jobby that I got from Williams-Sonoma. Even that, I used only about three times. I know an espresso maker would go the way of every other facocta useless piece of one-hit-wonder type kitchen equipment I’ve tried. Even my coffeemaker gets use ONLY at Christmas when my Mother implores me to make a pot for the one person having coffee. Mind you, I cook like a motherfucker too… but coffee? Just can’t figure out the measurements.
Hence, mocha budget.
Good luck w/ the gig!
Danielle´s last blog ..Urban Decay goodness! eeeee!
Girl your plate is full. Hang in there and might I suggest you read just this one manual so you have enough java juice running through those veins to deal with the crap you have on that plate.
WOW! a free-lance blog opportunity! Wow. you so can do it. Crosses fingers.
HUGS
LIsaB (LadyWanderlust)´s last blog ..Blogoddess Has Been MIA…Blame the Damn Cedar Fever!
hi lady! i just wanted to post a quick note to say BEST OF LUCK with the potential new gig, magoo’s sleep issues, and everything else! oh, and i do have some advice on how to beat your espresso machine into submission:
when you are steaming your milk, start with the nozzle of the steamer all the way down in the bottom of your pitcher. turn it on full, and slowly pull the pitcher downward, until the tip of the steam wand is about 1/2-1/4 inch below the surface of the milk. it may help to rest the steam wand against the side of the pitcher (which side doesn’t matter, just go with whatever feels natural!) what you want to see is the milk swirling, not frothing everywhere and overflowing (which is what you’ll get if you pull the steam wand too far out of the milk.)
also, your shots of espresso should take 15-20 seconds to flow out. if they come out in less, your grind is probably too coarse. if it takes longer, your grind may be too fine. and it’s best not to let your shots sit for more than 15 seconds without putting them into a base of liquid, or they will oxidize and taste like crap…
good luck, i hope you find your groove and enjoy some home-made coffee treats! i was a barista/cafe manager for many years, and i’m also just a joe nut in general. although unfortunately my trusty little starbucks home espresso machine kicked the bucket a while back! i think this post inspired me to save up my duckets and do something about that… ;D
cheers, mama! xoxo.
I wouldn’t be able to start my day without at least two cups of coffee in the morning.
Stephanie @ Geezees´s last blog ..What to put on OUR canvas bus roll art?? My kitchen is done!
Ugh, sounds like you had quite the trying couple of days.
Btw – shouldn’t your insurance be able to tell you who, near by, accepts your insurance?
And I adore you
I’m catching up on my reader, so you’ll likely get 10 comments from me today. hehe 

Kellee´s last blog ..Help Out!