My Love affair with Caffeine

I am a caffeine junkie. I'll take it whatever way I can get it (other than smoking it). I think it dates back to my wimpy teenage years when my friend Terry and I decided to stay up all night by taking massive amounts of No-Doz (no illegal drugs for us!).



We had a master plan that included purchasing it at the local Tom Thumb convenience store - and in order to look oh-so-cool and not suspicious at all - we also loaded up the basket with Sunkist orange soda, Poppy Cock snack mix, Bugles and premade chocolate pudding for good measure. I get a gut ache just thinking about it now... but 13 year-olds think that they have iron stomachs....


After walking home to Terry's house, we loaded it all into the pop-up trailer that her dad had set up for us (Looking back I'm sure they wanted their sleep, assuming us girl scout types would never be so bold as to do anything wrong). Rolled out the sleeping bags, set up the radio - tuned to (o lord help me) WLOL - a pink bubble gum station at the time. We cracked open the Sunkist, poured it into the fancy glasses we stole from the basement bar, and downed, oh, i don't know 2 no-doz each. then waited. and then after 15 minutes of no effect, downed 2 more pills. Then while we were waiting for the "magical effect"... we ate the Poppycock (caramel corn type stuff), pudding and Bugles with another good round of Sunkist soda. And then the giggling started. And then the gut ache started, and the moaning, and the groaning infused with little giggles that I'm sure were caused by anticipation and excitement rather than caffeine. And then we spent the rest of the night - trying not to fall asleep until the sun rose. And most importantly, trying not to projectile vomit...

Shortly after the sun rose..... knock knock knock "girls - I've made breakfast - how would you like pancakes and bacon?". Um.... "Sure, Mrs. Leigh, we'll be right out."

And as Terry and I pushed our pancakes around the plate and tried not to look too green in the gills, they informed us of a most cruel trick: They had a surprise for us: We were spending the morning touring Fort Snelling! Woo hoo! They just found out that it was a special day and all the re-enacters would be there, baking bread, hauling water, cleaning guns. And even better, we would have lunch with Great Aunt Peggy in the senior home!

I was never so thankful to get home and collapse on the couch... it taught me that parents really do know what the hell is going on in the backyard pop-up trailer... not specifically, but enough so that they could exact cruel revenge on our naughtiness. From then on, we waited until they went out of town to party... you know, the old crossover sleep over with no-one home trick? Let's just say that the no-doz started and stopped that night.... but the caffeine is still a monkey on my back. And well, as far as Terry and I and our exploration into mood altering agents... that was just the beginning. Maybe I'll tell that tale here someday, but my children occasionally stop by my blog, so......... maybe not.