Alas and alack - My coffee pot died. There was no leak, no explosion - no drama at all. I did everything as normal for the last pot of the nice vanilla stuff and there was no click. Without my caffeine and that time of the morning, I just couldn't grok that there was no click. Click? Click? There's no clicky button and no orange light.

I checked the plug. I'm embarassed to say that I shook it a little and looked all over for some gremlin. Click? Click?

I tried Pepsi, but it didn't clear the fog. Click? Click?

White Grape Juice - very good for my poor allergic nose. But, still in that fog Click? Click??

I did finally wake enough to realize that I do own a French Press. Oh the creshendo of classical romantic music that should have swelled if my life had a good music track. The sound of the water running hot, and that spoon of coffee smell. Yet, I still had hope. Click? Click?

The coffee did kick in before the *IMPORTANT PHONE CALL*. You know that I was too busy to answer. Actually, I was helping a teen who and then I'd offered to take him to NA, AA, find him a mentor or counsellor or even find him someplace else to be until he could get a grip and then he So, this person isn't allowed anywhere near us anymore. You can try and try, but there comes a point when the drama is just too deep and the consequences too severe to clean up the mess. Sometimes that child with a rough life just has to stay in the rough until he's ready for a real hand up.

I did call back the *IMPORTANT PHONE CALL*. I'm glad that I did because Ms. "Too good to talk to me" did turn out to be a Med Student in two months and learned quite a bit from me. She didn't blink when I told her that the study was redundant (ohh, my kingdom for a spell checker on this!), and actually was glad that I shared her obsession with neurology. I'm glad that "just a parent" was able to find someone to listen and give good information so maybe some future children will have better care. I don't want to name drop and bash on a perfectly good hospital, but I will mention that parents aren't stupid people in general. You can't assume that "halo of education" around someone who has spent longer learning about this specific disability than you spent in your entire education and medical career. Ms "Doctor L" may make ten times my income, but I have far more time to read and research. My education is no less valuable for all it was spent on the other side of the fence, milling in the corral of "just parents of autistic children."

I did finally get a coffee maker. I've learned that Mr. Coffee sucks. More accurately, Mr. Coffee pees on my counter after a month or so of Minnesota hard water. So, Black and Decker for me. The old thermal carafe lasted quite a long time (Click? Click?) but isn't available in town. The new one is DE755B - the black, programmable jobbie without the thermal carafe. It's washy, washy and poury, poury so hopefully someone will hear *CLICK* and hopefully I'll wake up to the glorious smell of *COFFEE - EEE - EEEE*.