BETWEEN THE LINES: COFFEE BREAK FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS WON'T BE INTERRUPTED

Coffee drinkers everywhere should be happy with the latest FAA ruling. Coffee cups were cleared for takeoff last week.

The Federal Aviation Administration decided that airline passengers can keep the cups of coffee they bring aboard flights. Previously, coffee drinkers had to discard their cups altogether or put them away since all carry-on luggage had to be stored for takeoff. The cups were considered carry-on items.

The decision to allow coffee cups came after flight attendants for Alaska Airlines complained about having to collect coffee cups so that passengers wouldn't be splashed with the hot liquid during takeoff.

Competing airlines weren't forced into collecting the cups, particularly those flying out of Seattle, a coffee hot spot on the West Coast.

I don't fly much, but as a potential airline passenger I was happy with this change in the rules. When I do fly, I often pass the time waiting at the gate by sipping a cup of java and reading either a new novel or the day's newspaper. So I often end up carrying a coffee cup (or soda depending on the time of day) with me aboard the plane. I think it has something to do with my affection for caffeinated beverages.

Besides, why would I want to get rid of my coffee when I'd just gotten it to the perfect temperature for drinking?

You see, I'm really a new coffee convert so I am a little particular. I like to drink my coffee from a particular mug and have just the right mix of milk and sugar.

I have always enjoyed the smell of coffee as it brews. But I didn't always like to drink it.

While working as a nanny in Connecticut, I was the first one up each morning, so I made the coffee. I seldom drank a cup, but I loved to sit in the kitchen while it brewed.

Whenever I drink coffee I have to "doctor" it up. I think the perfect cup of coffee should come with the exact mix of cream and sugar. It's sort of an elusive mixture to master, so every cup of coffee tastes different.

My grandmother is partly to blame for my affinity for cream in my coffee. When I was a small child, she'd often make me a cup of coffee whenever she refilled her mug.

My cup was mostly milk and sugar with a drop or two of coffee. But I got so used to the taste that it's the only way I'll drink a cup now.

My friend Marc says that the cream and sugar help to mask the coffee taste. He prefers to drink coffee only as a last resort or on mornings when he has to be alert very early in the day.

But I have started drinking about two cups of coffee a day. And I particularly like one flavor: cinnamon hazelnut.

Not only does it smell good while it's brewing but it tastes good too. I think maybe I've found the perfect coffee blend for my taste buds. Now if I could just get that milk and sugar mix down to an exact, my coffee would be great.

~Laura Johnston is a copy editor for the Southeast Missourian.