Stop the presses. I have given up coffee. That may seem like unearth-shattering news, but my devotion to the sweet black nectar was a long-standing passion. The center of my every day is a trip down to Peet's, the world's finest cafe, for a cup of joe and a pastry. Diane von Austinburg has long been resigned to any activity with me being guaranteed an interruption for a latte. I once tracked down an espresso in Montana where none should have existed based solely on my fervor for one.
So what happened to my longest running love affair? I got old. I had noticed my guts rumbling and complaining and even become aware that my pee smelled like a stale cappuccino. While I had been thinking about giving it up, I wanted to wait till I got back from Paris, because what is the point of France without coffee? So 3 weeks ago, after I got back from Europe, boom, I cut myself off. No more java for you, mrpeenee.
It hasn't been difficult, no headaches, no cravings, no whimpering. I still toddle on down to Peet's every day, but now I restrict myself to a large iced tea, like the respectable elderly widdah that I am. The baristas I'm friends with there noticed and commented with some concern, but I headed them off before they were actually able to organize an intervention.
I seem to not have a weakness towards addiction. Every time I've decided to give something up, for whatever reason, all I've had to do is put on the brakes and move on. Other people, I know, struggle and are tortured by the grip of addiction (hello Matthew Perry.) I am just so glad that I missed out on that, because I have waded through the swamps of plenty of addictive thrills.
In my life, I have given up, in chronological order, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, opioid pain medicine, Valium, Ativan (admittedly that was a bumpy ride,) garlic, dark chocolate, and being a responsible adult in general. Actually it feels like I'm leaving something out, but I don't want anyone to think I'm bragging. And with all of them, I just decided "okay well I'm not going to do that anymore" and I stopped. Yay me. Even the Ativan and opioids weren't difficult to give up, just white knuckling through the physical withdrawal was the most unpleasant part, and if I had had the brains to taper off them, I could have missed out on that.
So anyway, here I am, living without all the things that used to make my life so amusing. Well, almost all the things. I still have porn and sugar, but I am determined to go to my grave with them.
Men I am hooked on:
You're a better man than I Gunga Din.
ReplyDeleteI just opened the last coffee container in the pantry. Decided to switch to tea in the morning when I finish it. There’s enough caffeine in tea to get me going in the morning.
ReplyDeleteWow! I never drank coffee, but I don't think I could give up my morning tea.
ReplyDeleteI'm also still addicted to nicotine via vaping.
Sx
I cannot wake up without at least coffee, but the rest of the say it's tea for me (until cider time arrives, of course!)... Jx
ReplyDeleteWell done Mr P and just think, no more rancid coffee breath. I was going to ask you if you had any ex-cons or snaggle-tooth farm hands in your collection but number 1 has surpassed all expectations. I'm a tea drinker, though I'm itching to try the new limited edition vanilla and lavender iced whipped latte from Costa.
ReplyDeleteA man’s pussy we call a mussy :)
ReplyDeleteGiven up coffee?!?!?!?!?!?! What is this country coming too?!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteGood thing you still like stiff men.