Coffee & Crimes

After months of researching the best coffee-and-espresso combo machine, I finally made my decision! I’ve traded my old K-cup coffee and espresso machine for one that brings me back to brewing a good old-fashioned carafe of coffee while still giving me the convenience of an espresso pod. The best of both worlds.

Change is never easy, especially when it messes with our everyday routines, but sometimes an upgrade is necessary. The time had come to replace my old machine with something that could do both jobs, and so far, I’m happy with my choice.

The coffee side lets me brew either a single cup or a full carafe, while the espresso side is ready and waiting for me to pop in a pod and enjoy my morning espresso. The footprint on the counter isn’t much smaller, but it definitely looks better having one appliance do the work of two. And trust me, my kitchen counters can benefit from removing just about anything I can manage to get off them.

So, I’m embracing the change, enjoying my morning coffee, and feeling pretty good about all those months of research finally paying off. Sometimes, a little change is a good thing, especially when it makes your morning routine a bit easier.

But while some things change, others apparently never do. And my questionable relationship with the concept of private property seems to be one of them!

A friend texted me, laughing about my criminal antics, telling me how she and a friend had gotten themselves into a little beach trespassing adventure in Bermuda. Naturally, this reminded her of my own Bermuda trespassing story.

Years ago, my friend Monica and I were strolling along a beautiful, fancy beach in Bermuda when we came across a gorgeous staircase leading from the beach up to someone's estate. Well, you know how these things go. We couldn’t possibly just walk by without investigating, could we? Of course not! We had to climb those stairs, admire the view, and take in the beach from above.

We made it to the top and stood there, feeling rather pleased with ourselves and our little adventure, when we suddenly heard a door close and someone walking in our direction.

Uh-oh. We practically flew down those stairs, raced along the beach toward the water, and did our very best to look as though we had absolutely no idea what was going on. Nothing to see here, folks. Just two innocent women enjoying a leisurely stroll on the beach.

When we returned to the house where we were staying, we told the housekeeper our story. She knew exactly where we had been and whose property we had so boldly explored. Turns out, we had trespassed on the property of none other than Ross Perot, the billionaire businessman who ran for president in the early 1990s. Apparently, he owned two houses side by side on that very beach.

Well, if you're going to trespass, I suppose you might as well make it a good story.

So, as I sit here enjoying my newly upgraded coffee machine and reminiscing about my life of minor criminal mischief, I have to wonder: Do they serve espresso in jail? Because if they do, at least I know I’ll be prepared for the morning routine.

“I can resist everything except temptation.” — Oscar Wilde