Baxter and the vet, Part 2

Baxter's appetite waned away to nothing during the weekend. By yesterday, he barely ate anything, but was queasy anyway. I spent the night sitting with him on the sofa. Neither of us got a restful night's sleep, and he had a couple moments of puking a little liquid.

Obviously, this is neither normal nor normal-adjacent. I will be calling the emergency vet about bringing him in today. Right now, he is resting comfortably in a normal-looking nap. If you didn't know he's been unwell, you wouldn't guess from looking at him. He has been walking around like it's no big deal, but the only food he's had today was some yogurt I hand-fed him under protest (which he did keep down).

I want bloodwork numbers and I want them NOW. He has been on kidney food for a year, and his kidney numbers last year were deemed "watch them, but not a crisis" because they were a bit off. (Hence, the k/d food.) I have some concerns that the symptoms are related to his kidneys taking a turn.

Say some prayers that whatever the vet has to say will involve a viable treatment or reasonable palliation of symptoms. I love my little pup and I want as much quality time as we can achieve. 💓🙏

Coffee, Part Due

I tried the first cup of cold-brewed coffee. It does taste smoother and less acidic. The aftertaste is more pleasant, too. I let it steep for 19 hours this time. Next time, I'll leave it for a bit less time and see what that tastes like. I think I did the right thing in making the first batch strong, though, as it's easier to dilute strong coffee than to do anything constructive with a too-weak brew.

Thumbs Up to cold-brewed coffee. I had better find some time to cold-brew some decaf, though, as I can only drink so much caffeine in a day before I live to regret my excesses.

Cold-Brewed Coffee

My Christmas gift from Mark arrived today (on "Little Christmas", as the original date for the feast of the Epiphany was known). Heck, this is the day that the Orthodox Christian churches actually do celebrate Christmas, so technically my gift DID arrive on Christmas. It simply got here on the Orthodox Rite's feast of Christmas, instead of the Roman Rite's designated holiday. :-)

So, what is it? Well, on the Twelfth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me an Hourglass Cold-Brew Coffee Maker. I've been pining after the idea of cold-brewed coffee, ever since an online friend and fellow blogger and coffee-lover posted about it. Here's the part of the article she posted that greatly piqued my interest:

Cold versus Hot

Cold brewing takes time. However, it dissolves through the grounds only certain elements of the coffee. Surprisingly enough, about 90% of the flavor elements and the normal caffeine content come through this way, while only about 15% of the oils and acids will. It WILL change the taste of your coffee, but not the way you might think. It will strongly concentrate those most volatile flavor elements that most people like, making "super-flavor" coffee. The flavor elements you like about a given coffee will probably be up to twice as strong, yet the overall brew will have far less bite and acidity.

The first thing that crossed my mind was, "OooooOOOOoooo! Coffee that tastes like it smells? DO WANT!" You see, the whole reason that the scent of coffee differs from its flavor is the fact that the oils and acids are present in the beverage itself, but they don't contribute to the lovely aroma. And while I like coffee regardless**, the description of the differences between cold-brewed and hot-brewed coffee made it sound like it's just what my tastebuds have always wanted.

Today, my Hourglass arrived and my first batch of cold-brewed coffee is steeping, even as I type. Cold-brewing is S-L-O-W, so it'll be ready tomorrow. IMO, there's no difference between setting up a cold-brew system and leaving it sit overnight, vs. setting up a hot-brewing coffee maker the night before, and setting the timer so it brews at the crack of dawn. Either way, hours in advance, you add the grounds, add the water, and leave the device alone to Do Its Thing.

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the results of this little taste experiment. I'll let you know how it turns out. :-)

** I like coffee, provided it doesn't taste burnt to bits from over-roasting, a la the offerings at Starbucks. I greatly prefer mild-to-moderately roasted coffee like that at Dunkin Donuts.