Caffeine: a love/hate relationship

Tuesday, March 8, 2011
My father always referred to coffee as spoiled water. My mother and Andy can't imagine starting their mornings without a steaming mug of coffee. For many years, I didn't need anything to kick start my mornings other than a bit of cold cereal in my belly.

By senior year of college, I was toting a travel mug of tea with me to morning classes and during my time in London, England, the recreational trips my housemate and I took in the morning to one of the ubiquitous Starbucks to grab a latte before we took the Hammersmith and City line into work became more than recreational.  Must have been those early mornings required of us London temps that had me reaching for the joe. After all, I was expected to be at my desk, working away by 9:30 every morning, five days a week! More likely, my need for caffeine stemmed from my utter lack of job responsibilities. When BBC.co wasn't enough to keep me fired up for the work week, I'd wander down to the company's coffee pod for some complimentary hot beverage.

By the time I was back stateside, I was hitting the C pretty hard. Between the black tea, the coffee, and my beloved diet wild cherry Pepsi, I spent most work days buzzing around the office building.  

And then something happened last summer. The taste of coffee started to make me wrinkle my nose. And the coffee was staining my teeth.

To understand my despair about this, you have to understand that, for whatever reason, when both my brother and I got our top two permanent front teeth, the teeth came in a weird stained color. The dentists were baffled and eventually cosmetic caps were placed over both teeth. Watching the coffee wreck havoc with my otherwise pearly whites brought back far too many teenage memories of having anything but a great smile.  

Oh vanity, vanity.

So last month, I gave up on coffee completely. Back to one really strong cup of Earl Grey or Morning Thunder to kick start each morning.  My teeth are back to my pre-coffee day shade of white and smart boy Andy leaves for work before I get up to insure no one's subjected to my caffeine deprived A.M. muddling when I stumble out of the bedroom, flip on the hot pot and slap a tea bag into the nearest mug. To be honest, I don't miss the coffee or the larger dose of caffeine. Regardless of what's in my cup, what really gets me ready for the new day is wrapping my fingers around the steamy mug, inhaling deeply, and hanging onto the warm cozies of sleep for just a moment longer.

How do you start your day?

12 comments:

  1. I start my day by turning off my useless alarm clock and trying to convince myself there's a reason to get out of bed. When you work afternoons/evenings, there's really no impetus to leave a warm bed, but you still get all the guilt of a lie-in. Not to mention I never WAS a morning person...

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  2. "hitting the C pretty hard." -- oh Ada, you are hilarious!!! I love it!

    The first thing I do in the morning (before I've even opened my right eye -- seriously I usually only do it with my left eye open) is check my email on my phone. Pathetic, eh?

    Miss you!!!

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  3. I love coffee, but since having a baby, I've switched to decaf. Decaf every morning with cream and that's it. It's good. Now I can't drink caffeine!

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  4. I am a rotten spoiled woman with a partner who unfailingly asks every morning what I would love to drink and brings it to the bedside table.
    Mostly a herb tea!
    Paula xxx
    BTW, what means 'hitting the C hard'?

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  5. First thing I need is a steaming cup of coffee. Something about the hot drink that wakes me up. Trying to switch to tea but I can't quite enjoy hot tea yet. I love iced tea though and I love the Morning Thunder tea too! (But I drink it iced.)

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  6. i am someone who 'hits the C' pretty hard. i have quit 3 times while being pregnant but, always start back up!! now the pearly whites?? that is what my crest strips are for!!! LOL

    i switch to tea in the afternoon but, have to 'hit the C' first thing!!! :)

    great post today!!

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  7. I start with a cup of coffee. A dental hygenist told me that if you brush your teeth after your morning cup of coffee, your teeth will not get as stained. I've done it ever since - that Sonicare is applied to my teeth promptly after my morning cuppa.

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  8. I start it with 2 cups of coffee with milk. I tried giving up coffee more then once on account of my Acid Reflex, but just not able to keep off it.

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  9. I drink a hot cup of coffee and milk, while reading great blogs like yours :). It is very funny, because as a child I couldn't stand the smell of coffee (my parents are both coffee addicts :), but from university years I turned into an addict myself.

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  10. Thank you for participating this week in the Tuesday Train Blog Hop! I wanted to stop by and say hi! I am a new follower! :)

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  11. Oh...I can't imagine giving up my coffee :) Found you on Blog hop Tuesday Train! New follower!

    http://crystalmazing.blogspot.com/

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  12. Yeah I gave up coffee too back in December! I gave it up because of anxiety attacks. My husband and I moved our sailboat to the Caribbean to live (friendscharters.com) and slashed our stress levels right down =) so needless to say I was scratching my head when I was hit with anxiety! So I hopped on Teavanas website and ordered me up some fabo teas!!! Haven't missed coffee or it's side effects since!

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