Calami-tea

A powerful thirst was upon me and I selected the “Mega-Buddy” 52 0z. plastic beverage container Kwik Stop sells to quench my thirst. I wasn’t traveling on the road, I was at home, but I like to re-use plastic containers rather than tossing them into the trash. I filled the container to the top with ice, and then poured in my homemade iced tea. I love to mix my teas, and this one was delicious. It was a blend of Good Earth’s decaffeinated original, pear/white tea, and hibiscus tea. Yum.

Lifting with my legs and using both hands to support the Mega Buddy, I made my way into the living room to read, relax, and refresh. Cue the soft music and gentle vibes.  Ommmmm….ommmm…it was good.

Just as I was reaching for the iced tea my husband burst through the kitchen door and called my name at a decibel level unexpected in my Zen moment. Startled, I ended up jabbing the container of tea instead of encircling it with my hand. All 52 ounces of ice cubes and tea flooded the sofa table, me, and the floor. “Oh dear!” my husband said. “That is something I would have done.” Well, sweetie, you kinda did.

He helped me mop up the mess and our evening progressed. A short while later we noticed the television wasn’t working when I attempted to turn it on. “That’s odd,” I said.  My husband got a thoughtful look on his face and went to check the fuse box. “Yep,” he said. “Your tea shorted out the circuit.” We pulled back the couch and the floor outlet beneath was swimming in tea. I won’t say there was enough to create a tide per se, but it was plenty wet.

I found a wall outlet that still worked and crouched over the damp area with my hair dryer. My husband periodically tried switches to see if we’d reclaimed the circuit, but it took a while. A long while. Finally, with my knees screaming for retreat, the television once again worked, as did the lights and, oddly, the freezer in the garage. (Who decided that circuit grouping?) I wiped up the remaining tea and made a mental note to vacuum under the sofa more often. There was a lot going on under there, although, thankfully, I did not find Jimmy Hoffa among the artifacts.

Learning to drink a smaller amount of tea at one sitting, or, to become more immune to my husband’s friendly bellows…it was the best part of my day.