Today, I sipped really hot coffee.
No. It was REALLY hot. It was hotter than anything any of you have ever sipped or hopefully ever will sip, so consider yourselves lucky.
I always drink coffee black, so right out of the gate, it’s prone to be hotter than your run-of-the-mill coffee because I’m not cooling it down with some French Vanilla Coffee-Mate bullsh*t thing (like a bi**h!).
Additionally, I poured the coffee directly into my aluminum coffee mug, double-insulated (of course), and covered with a thick hard plastic lid.
About 10 minutes later, when it was turbo-time (that’s what I call the moment where I take the first sip), I was exceptionally cautious, taking into account all the factors that would likely cause a small burn. I knew the coffee would be hot, so I braced myself for the worst-case scenario.
Unfortunately, my imagined worst-case scenario was about 10-times better than what actually happened.
The coffee, though probably only a teaspoon’s worth considering how slowly I sipped it, SCALDED my mouth. Instinctively, I dropped the cup (which luckily didn’t spill much because of the efficient lid covering it) and opened my mouth, the coffee dribbling down my face and onto my shirt.
Everything went white. I was fully blind.
This blindness lasted about 3 seconds, and all the while I was scratching at my stuck-out tongue with my hands, almost as if trying claw away the burning sensation with my giant bear paws.
My mouth, lower face, and neck have felt numb ever since.
I think the worst part of this whole experience was the fact that everybody in my desk clump watched this happen but couldn’t react out of the utter shock it caused them.
Until next time,
Michael J. Erickson, CEO & Co-Founder
