Coffee the Elixir of the Gods

Why oh why does coffee have such a hold over me?  For the life of me I do not understand it.  I remember vividly how much I despised the stuff as a child.  Of course truth be told it was probably because of the way my dad use to drink it, two heaping spoonfuls of instant coffee, five heaping spoonfuls of sugar, and a dash of milk.  It was disgusting, repulsive, revolting, and nauseating.  It was also yucky.  For some reason the sweet tea he drank wasn’t nearly as gross to me so I was okay drinking that.  The irony of it is that because of my dad’s hot beverage preferences today I drink both without sugar.   

As I sit here typing and sipping on my coffee, which I can’t seem to get enough of, I contemplate why it has such a hold over me.  It is bitter, although not as much since I started using cream in it again, it makes a fidgety person even more fidgety, and anyone who knows me knows that I do not need help with my fidgetiness.  It makes me want to eat cake, or at least a good chocolate chip cookie or twelve.  And seeing as I managed to put on twenty one pounds while stress eating through my mom’s illness, and then death, I’m pretty sure that my cake and chocolate chip cookie days should be left well behind me.   

Yesterday I was sitting in the living room trying to warm up in front of the fireplace and playing a bubble game on my iPad when it occurred to me that I had been playing that insipid game for almost an hour and a half and was wasting valuable time.  My best friend had been down the month before for my mom’s memorial service and showed me the game. It looked like fun so I loaded it up.  Unfortunately I’ve been playing it almost non-stop since then, so I decided to stop myself.  I certainly don’t want to develop another bad habit, so I deleted the game from my machine.  Problem solved.   

This of course leads me to the thought that if I can be tough on myself with some things then why can’t I do it with others?  Such as coffee?  Even if it is the elixir of the gods.  Dam Flying Spaghetti Monster and his twisted sense of humour.  Obviously the answer is that I can.  According to Eckhart Tolle it is my ego that is trying to control me.  Dam ego; the insidious bastard!  So I have decided, starting tomorrow, I will once again be off the bean for two months.  I can’t start today because I just brewed this pot of coffee and I don’t want it to go to waste.  ;p

 

The Iron Bess Rules for Going Beanless

1.       Coffee will be permitted one day a week.

2.       On those days where Bess drinks coffee it will be limited to two cups (not pots).

3.       Tea will be an acceptable substitute for hot beverages. 

4.       Allow myself one regretful thought about not drinking coffee, but follow it up with five thoughts about how much better life is without it. 

5.        Rejoice in the fact that I control my ego not the other way around!!!!!!