Three things I adore on a morning alone, sitting on the couch with my laptop, my lap dog, and my lap blanket: Jelly Belly jelly beans, coffee with tons of flavored creamer, and a Mark Steyn column in the newspaper.

First, jelly beans. We used to live near the Jelly Belly factory. I love that place — free tour, free candy, cheap and massive bags of “belly flops”. Alas, I am nostalgic. Yesterday, to my great delight, I noticed a Costco coupon for several dollars off a large tub of Jelly Belly’s. Today it is the breakfast of champions, the snack that keeps my fingers moving on the keys, the sweetness that prompts my brain to think. The dog likes them, too. Good dog.

Next, coffee. When I rose at 4:00 a.m., my husband made a pot of coffee before he went back to bed. I took a travel cup along with me to the skating rink. It was good. That pot of coffee continues to warm me and restrain me from sliding back under the covers. It is my rock as the morning moves along. I could, however, never drink it black. At present, it is lightened with a generous pour of vanilla cinnamon Coffee Mate. My hat is off to whomever invented this creamy, unhealthful, fabulous substance. Some say that coffee is bad, but it is supposed to help prevent Parkinson’s disease, which is what killed my wonderful mom. Thus, I drink and enjoy. So, there.

Finally, Mark Steyn. I love smart men. My husband is a smart man. I adore people who are witty, who can turn a phrase, who are capable of correcting my grammar. Today, on a Tuesday, before beginning to write, I reread Steyn’s article in the Commentary section of my Sunday paper. Even if I didn’t agree with his politics (I mostly do), I would be enthralled by the magnitude of his vocabulary, the satire in his comments, the complex and smooth-flowing sentence structure. How does he have so much to say? How did he get so smart?

So, I raise my coffee cup and salute all the brilliant men (and women) out there, who are smart enough to write articles that make me catch my breath, creative enough to invent creamer for my coffee that smells as good as it tastes, and practiced enough to produce the best jelly beans in the world. Have a good Tuesday!