My daughter is awesome and amazing.


And exhausting!  Daddy crashed on the couch post-supper tonight, while Mama and Charlotte played and had a bath.  We have bought and “installed” a 12-cup electric coffeemaker with a timer in our apartment’s kitchen — and into our routine.  No big deal, right?  But, for Mr. and Mrs. French Press, this is something to document.

Charlotte was sick and/or teething for a few days, with diaper rash to boot.  (Hence the skimpy blogging.) Low fever, wakefulness, fussy eating (moreso than usual).  Mama and I were at the low end of high by last night, when Charlotte decided to get up and play at 4:44am.

You’d think I’d be used to sleeping for four hours once or twice a week.  And, if it happened every night, I might be able to get used to such a routine.  I remember being much less exhausted when that was the routine last spring and early summer.  Now, however, six and even (gasp!) seven hour stretches of Mommy and Daddy sleep show up themselves once or twice a week to throw everything off even more.  I can’t figure out what to get used to.

No matter how tired and fatigued we get (and remain), it’s all worth it, though — every second.

Some of us just CRAVE caffeine?

I don’t know. “NEED” might be a better word, no?

If you can’t imagine starting your morning without a triple espresso shot or at least a hot cup of Joe (see our blogger’s logo), you’re not alone. Eight in 10 adults claim to be consumers.

But a new study suggests that coffee doesn’t really give us caffeine fiends the jolt we think it does – it just returns us to a normal state of alertness after a night of withdrawal.

So why do some people become drawn to caffeine in the first place, and others never touch the stuff?

(More.)

History, in 6 glasses.

I have always been both fascinated by and obsessed with drinks.  Not alcoholic ones, mind you.  Beverages.  When I was a kid, I was always always thirsty.  I needed juice or soda or milk constantly.  I realize now that it was because I could literally not stand to drink water until I was 20 years old and was probably mildly dehydrated all the time.  I think I’ve mentioned that I’m 29 and have been drinking coffee consistently for about 21 years, daily for 20.  I’m American, so you know I’ve had my share of Coke.  Etc.

So I began reading A History of the World in Six Glasses last night, and I am enjoying it immensely.  I was tempted to consume the beverage in question while reading the six parts.  Still am.  But I read for my lunchtime whenever I can, and I can’t very well get tanked at work.  (That only happens when I need to talk to someone and have to track them down at a community happy hour and — poor me — have to drink beer in the afternoon……..trying to think of who I can track down this week……..)  Perhaps after the third part, when the drinks under examination are coffee, tea and Coke, I can indulge.

Sixth floor coffee nut.


Either my caffeine addiction is more alarming than I thought, or a lot of the people who I work with have a different definition of “too much coffee” than I do — and I like the people I work with a great deal. “I heard you guys on the sixth floor are coffee nuts?” “He wants to meet the people who drink coffee in the afternoon.”

In the afternoon? All day! LOL

Oh, well. If you’re going to have a reputation for something, it could be worse. Much worse.

I blame the tons of good coffee places within a five minute walk of my office, even more within ten minutes. But on the same note: Baltimore has a lot of good coffee shops around mid-town/Central Baltimore. Oh, dang. Poor me.

Bit O Irish Tea.

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I have been on a tea kick again lately. I have not had coffee today at all and have not had any large amount of tea — just a few cups. The dry skin on my hands is healing, and I swear I have more energy. Maybe I’m sleeping better. It’s nice to be getting a handle on my caffeine addiction, at least a little. Or maybe I’m kidding myself.

Coffee shots: the good life?

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Photo Friday: The Good Life. You might be thinking, “The good life? Coffee? Isn’t that shallow?” I mean, after a decade of studying Western philosophy, shouldn’t this be a photo of a relaxed person, contemplating comfortably in a cafe’? Or after studying Eastern philosophy, why photos of a mind-altering substance like coffee?
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It’s been…a week. So right now, Friday morning, when I have to run around until about ten or eleven tonight, teach kids about bikes, go see my sick grandfather days after his 80th birthday, work on job stuff, etc., coffee is the good life. I know; everyone is busy. So you should know what I am talking about then.