We Said Goodbye To An Old Friend Yesterday

It's always tough to say goodbye to something that was a big part of your life, yet that's what my wife and I had to do Thursday.

We said goodbye to... our trusty coffee maker. Yes, it was a sad day-- especially since coffee is such a big part of my life. (Getting up at 3:30 each morning will do that do you.)

But this wasn't just any old coffee maker. No, sir. This bad boy was the Cuisinart Burr Grind and Brew, which meant it also featured a coffee grinder that would allow you to grind just the right amount of coffee beans for the amount of coffee you were making. It pretty much guaranteed you'd get a fresh cup of joe, every time.

And, of course, the handy timer allowed you to set everything the night before and then wake up to the smell of a lovely, just-brewed pot of coffee.

My wife bought me this trusty companion almost 6 years ago, when I was doing a morning show back in Eau Claire. Since then, in our quest for the perfect cup of coffee, we used it literally every day-- sometimes a couple times a day. It served us well.

But it sprang a fatal leak earlier this week, and fixing it would have ultimately cost more than just buying a brand new machine. So that's what we did; the new one's on its way and should be here early next week.

But it did give me pause yesterday as I took our old machine out to the trash, and thought of just how much use we gave it. There aren't too many appliances we use day in and day out like we did with this coffee maker.

Farewell, old friend!