espresso beans

There once was a time when I would knock back a coke (by coke I mean generic "could be anything that is a carbonated beverage...some parts of the country refer to it as "soda", but, in my life, it would still actually be Coca-Cola, the only, the best) before heading to bed.  I could drink 12, 16, maybe even 20 ounces on my way to dreamland and not be late.  Sleep would not even be phased by the assault of caffeine and sugar that inundated my brain and my body.  It was a good time to be me.

Somewhere along the journey that is my life, that changed.  My body became more sensitive to sugar and caffeine.  I began to notice this when I would still drink said coke on my way to bed and then lie there for hours wide awake.  Being the brilliant and highly observant person that I am, I would lay there completely baffled by this assault of insomnia.  Why on earth can't I get to sleep on this particular night, when other nights I'm practically asleep before my head hits the pillow?  After many nights of such confusion and irritation, I slowly began to deduce the pattern.  No coke, good sleep.  Have coke, bad sleep.

A few years ago, I began drinking coffee.  My coffee intake increased while in Alaska (shocker, I know), but never exceeded two cups a day - almost always in the morning.  Having become aware of my natural sensitivity to caffeine, I tried to avoid coffee after, say, 3 pm or so in the afternoon.  Every once in a while I would break that rule, and I always paid the price.

Tonight, we began a weekly young adult bible study that meets at Wired Coffee on Thursdays at 8 pm (feel free to join us).  I arrived early and apparently checked my brain at the door.  I promptly walked up to the counter and not only purchased a coke, but also Cappuchino Gelato with Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans.  That was at 7:45.

I'm not even close to tired.

It's tough being a slow learner.

And I don't really like espresso beans.

The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. - Ecclesiastes 5:12