03 May 2006

Juan Valdez, Drug Pusher

Coffee and caffeine......
Good for you/Bad for you.
You don't have to look far to find statistics backing up whichever position you take on this issue.

Like many, our home coffee maker has a timer. Our first gentle nudge toward wakefulness is the initial gurgle of near-boiling water being spritzed over fresh ground coffee downstairs in the kitchen.

My Old Man drank tons of it. He'd brew a pot in the morning, drink two cups before leaving for work, then put the rest of the pot in a quart thermos. The thermos would be empty by Noon, so he'd order a cup or two with lunch at one of his favorite restaurants, then ask them to refill the thermos as he paid for his meal. That quart would be gone by the time he got home, so he'd brew yet another pot to share with Mom during and after supper. I don't know how he did it..........he still slept like a baby.

I once attended an Army school where they had a "coffee club".
For $10 a week you could drink all the coffee you wanted during breaks between classes.
I joined.
I found that 8 cups in 8 hours made my hands shake like a palsy victim and kept me tossing and turning most of the night.
I guess I'm not my Father's son.

I like my coffee strong and black. I've found I can drink two cups in the morning before going to bed with little adverse effect.
I drink a cup when I wake in the afternoon, then grab another as I go out the door to work. I'll normally drink another cup or two sometime during the evening if it's available in whatever E.R. we get dispatched to.
Six cups, spread out over an 18 hour period, seems to be my comfort level.

I've found that if I skip my morning cuppa prior to hitting the sack,
I wake with a slight headache that will only go away about two or so hours after I've had a cup of Juan Valdez's magic potion.

One more thing..........
I like Arabica, and I brew it myself.
I'm too doggone cheap to pay $4.00 or more per cup to satisfy my drug habit!

6 comments:

Di said...

I love a good cup of coffee, but I have found that caffiene contributes to my irregular heartbeat and migraines. What can I say?! Sigh. I'm forced to ask for decaf. I still drink my 'Lipton' tea with caffiene...one of those habits I cannot break. When I want to treat myself while out running errands, I go through a wonderful drive-thru we have here, 'Java the Hut', and indulge in my fav...an almond mocha latte...complete with the whipped cream and chocolate shavings. I redeem myself by ordering decaf! I hesitate to say, but it beats 'Starbucks' anyday. But....I am partial to 'SB's' caramel machiatto with soy. Yumm!!

I have a song for you that echoes this post. My friend, Travis, wrote it. He was reared by his grandparents and apparently his grandfather taught him that 'real men' drink their coffee black. That is the title of his song, I believe....'I Drink My Coffee Black'. It's very sentimental and touching...I'm sure you will appreciate it. His link is www.travismeadows.com. If the song is not there, I'll find it for you. You'll love it!

THIRDWAVEDAVE said...

3-4 in the morning for me. If, by chance, I don't have my "fix" in the AM, I have the headache by noon. What can I say, I'm a junkie!!

Black w/ Equal--sometimes cream, depending on my mood.

the golden horse said...

For some reason, I am the only one in my family that never got addicted to coffee. I love the smell and sometimes after dinner, I love a cup with dessert.
You can tell a good cup by it's smell. Can't stand the bitter.
And a Starbucks frozen Mocha Latte over here on a hot day is nice once in awhile.
I have switched to green tea for the health benefits.
Drink on fellow friends.

Di said...

Okay....I've GOT to start proof-reading before I hit send....You're gonna have a loooong string of misspelled words that come to mind when you think of me, ugh!!! I HATE that!!!

One look back, and a mistake jumped out at me...not ONCE, but TWICE, argh!!!! I realize the word is spelled CAFFEINE!!!!!! Sigh!!! I'm doing this lots lately....very disturbing!!!

Greybeard said...

Rules, Di......

"I before E, except after C."
Question is, how far after the C does the rule apply?

Be cool, girl......you're among friends here, and no one gives a flip!

Di said...

K, Grey, here's the link we've been waiting for....the song is 'Black'!! ;-) I think you'll enjoy!!!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=15566330