athelind: (Default)
athelind ([personal profile] athelind) wrote2007-05-18 08:44 am

Just because it's legal and unregulated doesn't mean it's not a DRUG.

I've fallen off the caffeine wagon again.

Yes, thanks to a 70-mile commute and a propensity to doze off at the keyboard -- and behind the wheel -- in the afternoons, I've succumbed to the siren lure of fresh, strong coffee in the morning, punctuated by the occasional cup of jasmine tea during the day.

For now, I'm still in the "WHEEEE! I'm alert and active and brimming with brilliant ideas!" stage, but any day now, it's gonna turn into the "God Damn It Where Are My ****ing Keys Why do You People HIDE Shit From Me? AAAARGH!" stage.

Maybe.

On the other claw, since I'm working, I've actually got an outlet for the drug-induced energy and focus.

And I don't get The Crave for it on the weekends, though I sleep pretty soundly.

On the gripping hand, I was disproportionately pissed when I got home earlier this week, and the phone and broadband were down, and oh LORD, you don't want to hear me when I get home to find that someone's parked in my usual parking place (every. day. this. week.) and I have to try to parallel-park my little no-power-steering Aspire.

For right now, though, I'm upbeat and happy and feel like singing and dancing pretty much all the time!

And boy, do I feel guilty about it....

[identity profile] velvetpage.livejournal.com 2007-05-18 04:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks for linking the phrase, "gripping hand." I may start using that, because it's very descriptive. Anyone want to bet I'll forget to link it?

[identity profile] athelind.livejournal.com 2007-05-18 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Part of being on a caffeine high for me is a li'l touch of OCD; I drop in hyperlinks more casually than most folks italicize.

(Wait, I do that when I'm NOT caffeinated...)

[identity profile] reveille-d.livejournal.com 2007-05-18 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Have you checked if you have sleep apnea? I used to fall asleep at the keyboard and at the wheel all the time, and it was due to never getting a good sleep.

[identity profile] athelind.livejournal.com 2007-05-18 06:01 pm (UTC)(link)
More like "staying up past 11 and getting up at 5:30", in my case.

Combined with "No Attention Span".

I HAVE had bouts of apnea, according to Quel, who would freak out when I stopped breathing. Another reason to lose weight, I suspect.

[identity profile] rikoshi.livejournal.com 2007-05-18 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Drugs: My Anti-Drug

[identity profile] araquan.livejournal.com 2007-05-18 07:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I find that it's quite fine with control and moderation...

...okay, who am I kidding?

*guzzles another cola*

Also, the irony:
It has an average fuel economy of about 30 miles per gallon (7.84 L/100km) (though the manual transmission models can get up to 45 miles per gallon - 5.227 L/100km) and is favored for parallel parking.

[identity profile] tombfyre.livejournal.com 2007-05-18 10:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Huzzah for being a coffee dragon. ^^ I know its a lifestyle that I enjoy quite abundantly.

[identity profile] rooth.livejournal.com 2007-05-19 07:15 am (UTC)(link)
The best drug-free solution I've found for behind-the-wheel drowsiness (aside from actually pulling over and power-napping), is a toothbrush.

Yes, a toothbrush.

If you start to feel tired while driving, stick the brush in your mouth and rub your teeth with it. Gums too. Chew on it, maybe.

It. Works. Wonders.

This was a valuable tip from my Las Vegas ER physician (New Mexico, not NV), about half an hour after I flipped (and totaled) my second car due to driver's seat narcolepsy. (don't worry, I just had a seat-belt welt and an air-bag abrasion, despite the horizontal 1080).

Since then (10 years ago), I've had zero incidents. Occasional yawning yields toothbrush fun, and cleaner teeth (though I don't use toothpaste -- hard to put on the brush while driving, and where do you spit?). It also works as a hunger staver far better than a bag of Fritos.

[identity profile] stalbon.livejournal.com 2007-05-19 09:58 am (UTC)(link)
I know that I'm most certainly addicted to the stuff, but still...I think I can usually go a day or so without it. And I don't drink coffee, thankfully. But shit, it's done absolutely nothing for my writing drive.

[identity profile] atomicdumbass.livejournal.com 2007-05-21 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Congratulations on the job. What is it you're doing?