I'm not exactly sure how it started, but I absolutely cannot live without caffeine. As exciting as discussion sections are, I start to pull the head bob if I don't have a fix of some kind. It was only upon realizing that I drink coffee at least twice a day that the epiphany hit: I am completely addicted.
It starts with the BRRRRAAAAAAP, BBBRRRRRAAAAAP of my alarm clock at whatever early hour I decided to set it for in hopes of waking early and getting some work done before class. Then I snooze for an hour and a half. If it is raining outside or slightly cold in my room, my chances of getting out of bed decrease exponentially.
At 20 'til, I have usually managed to put a hat on, some arrangement of pants and a shirt, and I like to wear shoes. I then stumble to my espresso machine and flip the switch, waiting for the noises to start as I stare blankly at an unfocused field of colors and bewilderment that some people call my apartment. Five or so minutes later, I realize that the machine is ready and my shaking hands start making coffee, the purpose for which God the Father placed them on the ends of my arms. The smell coils up to my nose and immediately my vision comes back. Wow, I guess I do live in this place -- my furniture is in here. Dammit, I need some coffee!
Starbucks serves espresso in single or double shots according to the menu, but if you are wily enough to ask, they will make you as many as you damn well please. I have about four every morning. When the espresso is done, I steam the milk and then pour all the fruits of my labor into one of those grossly oversized coffee mugs that they drink from on "Friends." Beverage rituals are always very fun to watch. The first glass of scotch on a Thursday fills the body with a previously-lacking warmth that makes day-to-day life much easier to bear. The huge cup of caffeine in the morning is the only reason my heart keeps beating throughout the day, hence, it is the staple upon which my life depends.
So after consuming the equivalent of three No-Doz, my hands start shaking from consumption instead of withdrawal (and I don't mean Doc Holliday's consumption -- at least, I don't think I have TB). I drive to the frat house, park and speed walk to Wilson. I get there covered in sweat and two minutes late, on the dot. After finding a seat, I take the most ridiculously detailed notes with a twitching hand and a shaking foot, all, of course, fueled by coffee that has replaced all the blood in my body with raging Sumatran warriors marching onwards toward 3:30 in the afternoon when I need more caffeine.
I think if we were to observe the entire world population, the hours from 2 to 4 p.m. would easily be singled out as the most worthless and least productive hours of the day. It was the time in high school when you waited for the bell; it is the time now when your body has digested lunch and you need to take a nap -- that is, if you are a nap person. Unfortunately for me, the powers that be don't allow me to nap, so the obvious answer is more coffee. And this is where I get a lot more ridiculous than I already am.
I have a thermos that fits into my bag that I take to my afternoon classes. Always a little embarrassed, I pull it out quietly when I feel the twitch, and as inconspicuously as possible, open the seal and pour coffee into the cup-shaped lid. It's then that everyone in the section looks over at me and I stare at the floor feeling like I am wearing Napoleon Dynamite pants complete with tots, or something ridiculous like that. But regardless of what anyone thinks, I am sure that one of you is wishing you had brought some coffee too, especially at 3:48 when you look at your watch and realize that it's only been 18 minutes, you are extremely tired and the discussion on Aristotle's use of topoi has already soared over your head.
So there you have it -- I need caffeine, and I drink coffee all the damn time. My teeth get stained, my hands shake, I have drips on my shirts, but dammit, I am awake.
Brett can be reached at meeks@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | YesterdayWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | 3 days agoWhat the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
