"Clouds in my coffee"

The lyrics to Carly Simon's "Your So Vain" rang in my ears when I was on my family vacation to South Dakota last week. I had an enjoyable trip, hiking, bicycling, inhaling cool crisp air and looking out at the breathtaking scenery of  the rolling black hills and mountainous rock formations. The skies were perfect with clouds resembling dollops of whipped cream, scoops of softened vanilla ice cream, and "clouds in my coffee." 

Please don't judge me for associating nature (and just about every commodity in the world) with dessert— you're just as guilty for splurging in this read! 

I know there is a deeper and darker meaning for the term "clouds in my coffee." These words do not simply refer to the cream slowly changing the dark color of a freshly brewed cup, nor to the blanket of froth comfortably resting on top of the hot liquid ready to leave a mark above your upper lip (milk mustache). As I pondered the meaning of Carly's words I tried coming up with a more positive interpretation, separate from this classic song. Looking out at the picturesque clouds in the sky brought images of my favorite treats like vanilla bean ice cream and light and fluffy whipped cream to my mind. This moment of truth is analogous to my thoughts when coming across across those four words in Carly's song; I can't get myself to think of anything but a creamy gourmet luxury. It is very frustrating since my interpretation of these words do not fit with the rest of her song, but maybe Carly was trying to teach the world a lesson that amongst conceited people and bad tasting food, lies clouds of cream and sugar. Clouds in coffee can be good— especially if you like milk in yours. Clouds in the sky are imperative, for they provide moisture for cocoa beans to grow properly and your cakes to turn out perfectly. 

So you may be wondering, how the bitter words of "You're So Vain" remind me of the great delicacies in this world. Let's just say that I look for the sweet aspects in life. After all if life is like a box of chocolates, there must be at least one truffle inside that will satiate your soul (if not your sweet tooth).