I'm Caffeine Free: Days 1 and 2

By Cole Bertsos

Created:
01/26/09 6:00pm

Last updated:
01/26/09 6:01pm

1 comment

Last Saturday I woke up and watched my roommate eat breakfast while I drank a 4-cup pot of coffee. I took a shower, went directly to the kitchen and made another 4-cup pot and drank it while I got dressed and ready to get on with my day. I walked to Espresso Royale, 527 E. Grand River Ave., and met up with my friend to study for a few hours, in which time I drank two (maybe three) medium coffees.

None of these contained cream, milk or sugar. I’m a coffee purist. But like I said, that was Saturday.

On Sunday, I had a rude awakening. After brainstorming all week for my “Week in the Life” blog that I knew I would be doing, I had to lie down and take the most horrible sentencing for it: No caffeine for one week. And before you start thinking this only includes coffee and how bad could that be, you have to realize that caffeine is in more than just coffee. If I am going to have to do this, I’m going to do it right. That means no caffeinated energy drinks, pop (which I already don’t drink), certain teas, decaf coffee (it contains a small amount of caffeine) or chocolate, to name a few.

As a coffee addict with a big sweet tooth, this may be difficult.

I started the week on Sunday, and while the first day went surprisingly smoothly, I have come to learn it would be day two that would really get to me. It is now almost 4:30 p.m. and the headaches have started to kind of get to me. It took a bit to really hit me, apparently.

The day started normally enough by going into the kitchen in my normal sleepy stupor, reaching for the coffee filters and getting out the Folgers before I realized that isn’t allowed this week. So after returning to bed for approximately six minutes, I got all ready and went to class.

Up until this point this year, I have yet to even slightly doze off in class since I keep myself properly caffeinated. But today the cold wind on my face mixed with the lack of my normal routine and a math class followed by a science class was just too much to handle. I was an absolute goner.

I can only imagine that watching me during ISP was similar to this and not nearly as adorable. Yes, there was swaying, there was jumping up when I realized I was asleep and I think I might have a touch of whiplash from doing the infamous “head nod” while shutting my eyes.

After obnoxiously sleeping through both of my classes this morning — and I do mean SLEEPING through them — I was on my normal route back to Espresso Royale to retire to a warm table to study at for a few hours. But once I set all of my things down, not wanting to be a loiterer, I was forced to investigate my options. I uttered the words to the barista that I had hoped to never have to say.

“Do you have any tea that has absolutely NO caffeine in it?” I asked. I was ashamed. Prior to this moment I generally viewed tea and anything decaffeinated a waste of my time.

Fortunately for me, the barista was nice and told me they had several options of herbal and white teas that didn’t contain any caffeine, and when I looked confused and told him to just pick a good one for me, he obliged and gave me a very tasty ruby fruit tea.

It wasn’t a House Blend, but it was at least warm and kept me from seeing if it was possible to secretly drink a cup of coffee with no one I know seeing me.

While I sat in the coffee house studying and enjoying the familiar aroma of espresso, my friend joined me and told me no matter how hard I tried, the coffee wasn’t going to become airborne. She has a point, maybe it’s not the best place for me this week.

While the headaches are making the long hours I spend staring at a computer a little less enjoyable (to say the least) and definitely making it harder to stay awake while reading, I have high hopes that they’ll be gone tomorrow. And if they’re not, I suggest everyone just steer clear for a couple of days, decaf tea can only keep me so calm.

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periwinkle blue

(01/26/09 9:30pm)
Report

Did it for two years myself. But the question is: why?

It is rather pointless….

About A Week in the Life

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to step outside yourself and try something new? Each week, a reporter from the Features desk will be taking on a new lifestyle and spilling all the details on what it takes to live a week in the life of someone else.

This week, just in time for finals, entertainment reporter Daniel Luscombe will attempt to be more time efficient. He’ll document how he wastes the more time and find ways to thwart his procrastination.

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