I have finally lost my mind

The weather has finally cooled off, and I'm redisovering things that I wanted nothing to do with when it was 95*+ for weeks on end. I decided the other day I was going to make a latte. I got my trusty moka out of the cupboard, set it up, and put it on the stove to brew.

If you've never used a moka before, it's not a complicated process. (I've done it first thing in the morning, so it can't be that hard.) You fill the bottom chamber with water, put the espresso grounds in the basket and drop it into the bottom, screw on the top, and cook it on the stove. While you can brew espresso in a coffee maker, it's stronger when brewed in a moka, and everyone who knows me knows I like my coffee to kick like a mule! The moka is very similar to Grandma's percolator, and usually takes under five minutes to do its thing.

The other day was a different story. I put it on the stove and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, since we had to go to some class or another, I brewed some espresso in the coffee maker, made my latte in a travel mug, and away we went. The moka was left on the stove to cool, and was later moved to an obscure corner of the counter to contemplate its failure.

This morning I decided to try again and, to my amazement, the espresso grounds from the other day were dry. I'd chalked it up to a bad seal or something. Turns out that, while I had cleaned out the bottom chamber (dust and such, you understand), I'd forgotten to fill it with water before I put in the coffee and plunked it on the stove. Operator error strikes again! I'd love to be able to chalk this up to the cold I think I'm getting, but I just can't. It's too typical of my life lately. Don't worry, though, I already have an appointment to have my head examined. I need it straight before November or I won't make my NaNo this year.