!!!!CAFFEINE!!!!

  I've never been a coffee drinker until the last few years. I don't know what changed. Maybe it's the fact that it's free at work. Maybe I was always just too cheap to buy it. But no, I started drinking it before I had access to free (and of dubious quality) coffee. I've just never really liked the taste much, but for some reason it has more interest to me now. I think maybe my taste buds are maturing (I'm certainly not, but maybe my taste buds are. I refuse to get old and crotchety, but my tastebuds - well, I have no control over them).

I tend to stick with decaf for the most part. Caffeine is a powerful drug. It has the power to cure headaches and the power to turn me into a bouncing-off-the-walls, energetic fool. The kids are both dismayed and amused when I drink caffeinated coffee. Snickers will encourage me because I think he likes me with a little bounce. But there is a limit. I came home the other day after consuming a large Starbucks. For some crazy reason I forgot to get decaf and got the full-strength stuff. All I can say is O-M-G! I was beyond bounce. I was into full caffeine jitters mode. After just one cup! (albeit a rather large cup). What the heck! I'm just not used to the caffeine. The kids were frightened! I think I'll stick to decaf from now on.

Quack!