Coffee, a Pipe, and Stress

 I know I've written about coffee before, but lately in the mornings I'll wake up earlier than my wife and I'll make my coffee and drink a cup with my first pipe of the day.  Usually it's before lawn mowers or construction equipment make their noises.  I have a good coffeemaker and we bought a good coffee bean grinder.  In my thinking there is nothing like watching the sun rise with a good cup of coffee and a pipe.

I'm not very fussy about which coffee we buy, but I don't want to spend a lot on coffee.  Very seldom do I buy coffee from a coffee shoo when I am out with my wife.  If she's shopping or doing something else I might buy a cup of coffee, but I don't like to buy coffee at coffee shops.  I'm not a big fan of Starbuck's.  There is a coffeemaker that uses pods here at our condo and once in a great while I'll make a cup of decaf after I've had my caffeine for the day.  

But there is nothing like that first cup of coffee with my first bowl of tobacco of the day.  We realize this condo is temporary and we have just a couple of more months here.  We might stay here through the first week in December, but we don't have much time left to enjoy this place.  Now that the temperatures are cooler, that first cup of coffee is a warm-up cup.

Since my heart attack I consume very little sugar and limit my caffeine intake. I drink two cups of coffee a day, although those two cups can be quite large. I am a heart patient, even though I don't have a cardiologist.  But one reason why I don't experience chest pains is because I simply don't consume a lot of caffeine.  And smoking my pipe relaxes me.  This world as it is COULD cause me stress.  But I simply refuse to stress about anything.

My wife knows that perhaps if I knew everything that is going on I just might stress a lot.  But learning how to deal with stress is what keeps me well.  I got off social networking because I found it too stressful.  I don't need my mind working after dinner, because in order for me to get my sleep I avoid stress.  I watch college football early in the day on Saturdays.  A late game can affect my sleep particularly if it's an exciting game.  

Relaxation at night is extremely important for a good night's sleep.  One way I deal with this on football Saturdays is not to care.  But if I can come down from stress during the day is simply not to care as much as I can.  I care during the day.  I care about the news during the day.  But even then if I'm too stressed during the day, I simply tell myself not to care.  My heart health is dependent on my not caring.

Maybe I could go fishing or do something else, but my wife needs me to be around.  So, I spend my time reading the news.  But sometimes I have to get away from it.  I have the entire Bible on my phone.  Or I'll watch a mindless video on YouTube.  But sometimes I just have to get away from it all.  My pipe helps me do this.  I drink just enough coffee to wake up and after that my mind tells me when I need to relax.  In the past year I had our deck in NY, my son's patio by the pool, and now the lanai in this condo.  

Atmosphere helps a lot.  Not drinking much coffee is important.  I have worked on stress management for over a decade. It's one reason why we talked about leaving Columbus since my appendicitis.  And even still I work on it.  Sometimes I still don't get a good night's sleep, but I am working on it constantly.

My pipes are important in this regard.  Today it is my Peterson System pipe with a Super Value Ultra and Captain Black blend.   I'm all out of Swashbuckler, but have plenty of Rum and Maple.  I thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave