I haven’t run for a while. I was busy. Studying for another certification exam. And I’ve been experiencing a lower back problem which is causing numbness in my feet and left leg. Annoying.
But yesterday I just needed to get out there. My back wasn’t too bad. The numbness in my leg was minimal. I did feel some in my feet while I was running. It’s unnerving. (Pun intended.) But the run did me good, especially psychologically.
This was my first time using a new much brighter headlamp. My old one was only 200 lumens. That’s not enough for rocky leaf-covered trails at night. 200 lumens is only enough to get you safely downstairs to raid the cookie jar in the middle of the night.
I fell off the no-coffee wagon. And I fell hard. I had two cups of coffee before 9 AM this morning. They tasted fantastic! And I got a lot of stuff done this morning! (I went through most of my connections on LinkedIn and added endorsements to peoples’ skills. I was paying it forward like a maniac!
Two nights ago I had a dream that I was enjoying a cup of coffee. It was delicious! It was the best cup of coffee I never really had.
My Coffee History
I didn’t always love coffee. For the first 35 years of my life I didn’t like it at all. One of the first times I had it was in my early 20s. I was working for my father-in-law at the time. On the way to a job site he stopped in a store for coffee. I didn’t want any but he assumed I did. He also assumed I liked cream in sugar in it. When I told him I didn’t want it, he looked at me like I was one strange bird, which is funny because his last name was Burd.
When I was 35 I made a changed occupations from factory work to an office job. The company provided free coffee every morning. It wasn’t the best coffee in the world, nothing like that in my dream. But I grew to like it.
My coffee game took a step up about 15 years ago. My girlfriend at the time – I was long divorced from Mr. Burd’s daughter – was from Brazil. Her mom came from Brazil to visit. As a gift, she gave me a small brick of Pilao coffee. Whoa-ho-ho! THE BEST coffee I ever had! So strong! It will make your head buzz a little bit. I’ve been drinking it ever since.
Feel Any Different?
The morning after my paradisiacal coffee dream, I revealed to two of my coworkers that I had given up coffee for almost two weeks. I got that you’re-one-strange-bird look from both of them, followed by a slew of questions as to why in the world I would want to do that. Then one of them finally asked if I felt any differently.
“NO.”
I really don’t. Well, maybe a little bit. But I’m not sure it’s due to abstaining from coffee. I’ve been taking an anti-inflammatory for a sciatic problem. I think that is mostly responsible for any reduction in stress I may be feeling.
What to do? What to do?
I’m thinking I should stop stress about this whole thing and relax with a good cup of Pilao coffee. In the morning. Don’t drink Pilao late at night. You won’t sleep.
Public Service Announcement
Here’s how to pronounce paradisiacal according to Google:
/ˈˌperədəˈsīək(ə)l,ˈˌperədəˈzīək(ə)l/
This is Jason Mraz on an episode of Sesame Street. This picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post. Does Jason Mraz think it’s cool to wear a fedora? Or is he hiding something?
I Feel Fine
Honestly, once I got to day 7 or 8, I’ve been fine. No more caffeine withdrawal headaches. I’m not too tired. I just feel normal. I think I’m a little less tense, less jittery. But not as much as I expected. I’ve only had a few cups of decaf green tea each day. I would have thought I’d be even less tense by this point. I’ll have to continue the experiment.
