Decaf Eärendil Latte

I spent the first several hours of my morning attending a stuffed-shirt, yet informal, review of a classified presentation I helped put together for an overseas customer.

I was verbally plowing the attendees with my stunning eloquence and decisively dishing simple solutions to every problem that popped up like a corporate Whack-a-Mole.

At one point, I paused before a dependent clause and considered how well I was stating the necessary course of action. This sounds great, I thought. I gestured effectively with the 20-ounce Coke bottle, brandishing it like a phial with the light of Eärendil.

I work well with props.

As I completed a declarative lecture, I slowly brought the bottle toward my mouth, while eyeing the audience. It seemed a theatrical punctuation to end my sentence and immediately swig my cola.

But, the lid was still on it.