Today I experienced three instant manifestations.
A copper filter basket
I was searching on Amazon for a pour over stand for my coffee filter since I had just broken my carafe. I found a nice reusable filter basket that looked better than mine, and added it to my cart. Then I thought, “I wonder if anyone makes copper filter baskets.” I returned to my search and scrolled down and there was a copper filter basket… I was a barista for 15 years and have researched and used nearly every possible type of coffee equipment, and while I’ve seen copper kettles, I’ve never seen a copper filter basket.
A BMW
I drove into town and started talking to myself about how it’s been years since I’ve seen anyone driving a BMW. I was thinking about it because I was missing my old Bimmer. I said something like, “it’s weird that nobody drives a BMW in my town.” And less than five minutes later, I pulled up to the drive-thru coffee shop right behind an old 80s BMW 535i with a collector’s plate.
Too-thick smoothie
While I was ordering my coffee – a blended mocha, half sweet, made with cream and heavy cream – the barista needed me to repeat my order because she didn’t get that I wanted half-n-half and heavy cream to replace the whole milk. So I told her again and said the heavy cream just makes it taste super thick. I’ve never had any problem getting this drink, but then worrying about her making my drink wrong resulted in a disaster.
I heard the blender stop, and knew she had added too much ice. I expected her to add more liquid to thin it out, but she added even more ice and the blender stopped again. At that point, I knew I was going to get a drink that would be basically 90% ice and almost no coffee, and half of it would be leftover in the blender. For $10, too. I was dreading tasting it. Adding more ice makes a blended drink even thicker and waters it down, and she did it twice. I’ve been going to this coffee shop for years, and this barista did everything wrong that resulted in me getting the worst drink I’ve ever had, all because when I pulled up, I was worried that she wouldn’t make my drink right.