To Page or Not to Page

June 25, 2011

Another Saturday morning and I'm taking an Internet stroll through websites and blogs as I enjoy a cup of Caribou Mahogany coffee. Mahogany is a darker roast with a milder flavor and, at least to my poor palette, no aftertaste. But I digress...again...

As with many authors, I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve my website and blog. Gone are the days when all the author had to do is write the story. We're all a one-person show and since we are, we help fuel Internet marketing trends with our ceaseless efforts. Yep. There are that many of us.

For some time now, I've wanted to clean up the appearance of Between the Keys. I love color so having all those gorgeous covers Trace Edward Zaber has done for me on display usually hits on the pleasure receptors in my brain. Maybe it's the coffee, but this morning I'm thinking they might be a bit much. That leads straight to the question of what should I do with them?

Hmm. Maybe it's time to try a few blogger pages. A blog is just a mini-website, right? I know lots of authors who only have blog-sites and never do go .com . At this point in time, blogs are usually free so maybe they're smarter than me. I don't know. I happen to like having a professional .com and a for-fun freebie blog, too. I'm digressing again, aren't I?

Back to the idea of adding pages to my blog. How hard can it be? Blogger is usually quite easy. Figuring out what I should put on the new pages is the hard part.

I think I'll go fix another cup of coffee and take it and a notepad to the patio. It's a fine Saturday morning in western Maryland. The world around me is green, full and lush with all the rain we've had. The hummingbirds are busy conducting aerial battles around the feeder. None of my neighbors are outside with power tools yet, making noise.

Forget the notepad. It seems like it's the perfect time to indulge in a lazy morning away from the one-person show. I'll get the idea of pages on the blog figured out later. And who knows? Maybe all the quiet will inspire me.

KC

Secrets of K-cup Coffee

Just before Christmas last year we decided it was time for a new coffee maker. The task of researching the best buy for our lifestyle fell on my housemate. I'm a Wri-tah. I don't have time for such mundane chores.

Aye. Right.

Truthfully, I didn't care what we ended up with as long as we got a new unit before the old one quit completely. You see, I've developed a condition whereby if I don't have coffee in the morning, I'm not safe to be around. Himself wanted a marriage of functional appliance and boy toy. As long as I get my fix, who am I to deny him life's little pleasures? He settled on a Cuisinart.

I was skeptical. Those little k-cup coffees are expensive, and I'm notoriously tight-fisted with my cash. Then there were the product reviews - not all of them glowed with praise for this product. My honey prevailed, mostly because he dipped into his rainy day stash and bought it without touching the household expense account.

We've had this gadget for about three months, and I confess coffee never tasted better. I've come to the conclusion single-brew is the way for me to go. I love Green Mountain Dark Magic, but it's very bold. I use one K-cup to brew sixteen ounces into an insulated travel mug and pour into a regular cup as desired. Hot coffee on demand for hours. I love it.

Brewing this way is sooo worth 50-cents a day for coffee. I've searched the Internet for good deals on k-cups. The Cafe Express works best for us right now, but I'm always alert to better bargains. We can use bag coffee with this brewer, too, if we so choose. Since I have no other vices, I probably won't.

There it is - my dirty little coffee addiction indulgence secret. I'm hooked on k-cups. Don't try to save me.

KC

PS. My fears about the product reviews eased because the owner's manual makes it clear on how to avoid air bubbles and not burn up the pump.