or you should be capable of escaping at greater than 850 feet per second.

For me no coffee=no go (or 'no va' in Spanish, like the car, the Nova, which didn't sell well in South America when it came out).

I drink more decaffeinated coffee than I used to, and have moved away from bling coffee at Starbuck's, since I'd rather pay for gas in my car so that it can 'va.'

High fructose corn syrup, the sweetener that's put into almost every sweetened drink, is what's toxic to me.

I like coffee.

Coffee makes you more intellijent and bettor lookin and I'm the living proof!

I was speaking of the general population at large (think "Atkins Diet"), not to those who must modify their consumption of "whatever" due to bona fide health concerns. Of course in those cases, different rules apply... simmer down, big fella.

If -IF- I thought I could smoke a ciggie or two here and there without lapsing back into full blown addiction, yes, I would do so. As it is, I do allow myself one or two cigars a year.

Coffee is a wonderful thing. Both my wife and I have been drinking coffee every day of our lives since we were both about 5 yrs. old. I usually only drink a couple of cups in the morning. My wife can drink espresso and go to sleep - like she did just now.

We order coffee from Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago, a world renowned roaster of fine coffees. We also enjoy a wide variety of teas, and have numerous pots for different types of teas.

BTW, green tea has very little caffeine and white tea even less. You can also get both in a decaffeinated form, with virtually no caffeine.

You sure are an odd bird, TB.

edit - Not that there's anything wrong with that...

I'm almost in the same boat as TB. I don't mind the smell of fresh coffee, or fresh coffee grounds. But the taste! The last time I tried to drink some, the taste was waking me up for two nights. Bleccch!

I drink one large cup of regular coffee every morning. I've given up caffeine a few times and always go back to the one cup in the morning. I feel much more alert -- well, let's just say I feel alert, period -- and it even picks up my mood a little. Without it, I feel a little sluggish and slow.

Withdrawals for me are a bear -- bad headache, profound lethargy -- but only for a day. Hubby feels "a little tired" in the afternoon if he skips his coffee; that's hard for me to imagine.

Once, at work, I accidently brewed some decaf. The lids were switched on our coffee canisters. By 11:00 I could barely stay awake and was in full yawn-fest mode. I thought maybe I hadn't had enough coffee so I had a second mug. No difference. I barely made it through the day.... basically, the whole day was a total bust. The next morning, I noticed the switched lids! That's when I realized that I had gone through full-blown caffeine withdrawal at work. If I do it intentionally, it needs to be on a day off, with NOTHING to do that requires ANY concentration or level of alertness, keeping the aspirin handy.

For me I avoid Caffeine to Prevent Arthritis Pain! Two days strait of use I can really feel it in my joints. When I drive a car for long distances (two hundred or more miles) I drink coffee/sports drinks to stay awake. When I get home it's hell for at lest a week getting off of it. Withdrawals in tail many bad headache and it changes my mood making me depress for about four to five of the days.

Bottom line, caffeine is a drug that I use only when I have to and it hurts me a lot to do so.

If you ar falling asleep after 200 miles of driving, I would suggest a sleep apnea study might be appropriate. I think most of us can drive several hundreds of miles, without caffeine, and without worrying about falling asleep.

Coffee is a magic elixir that promotes intelligent conversation, relaxation with friends while the bikes lean against the window at Starbucks, and warms my feelings on a cold day. The scent of it rivals that of a lovely woman on the pillow beside me........etc.etc.

I drink a cup or two per day, enjoy it thoroughly, and notice little impact on my physiology. I don't drink it to stay awake or as a fixation (sucking my thumb would be cheaper). Soft drinks I avoid.

I forgot to add that if I drink more than one large mug (which is probably the equivalent of 2 typical-size mugs), I will have palpitations, racing thoughts, nervous energy. So I stick to that one large mug/day.

I tried that line on my wife. She told me I could sleep in the car next to houseboy. Again.

People who don't like coffee are not to be trusted.

Try This for a Recovery drink.

You tender folks who have such drastic withdrawal type reactions to coffee must have really had a rough time back in the wild days of the 60s and 70s.

I gave up drinking coffee about 15 years ago, and started drinking green and white tea. Last April, while on a trip, I decided to buy a french press. I now have a morning cup of coffee and drink tea the rest of the day. The coffee from the french press is quite strong and very tasty, though I really get nothing from the caffeine, as I can have caffeine before bed and still fall asleep easily.

This thread reminded me of my first Army assignment overseas. Was with a group of of old vets who made coffee by throwing grounds in a pot of boiling water. When the coffee ran out, they just put in more water and more grounds, not bothering to empty the grounds already in the pot - made for some thick coffee. Oh, they NEVER washed the coffee pot or our coffee cups, just rinsed them out - something about soap ruining the taste of the coffee.

Hey, how did you know. If the grass was good, I would actually hallucinate on the stuff. Started serious use of substances in junior high school all the way through first two years of college. I took a long hard two years to completely kick all my substance abuse habits, and during rehab I saw people who breezed through it and others that were crushed. When someone tells me caffeine is too much for them or that withdrawal from it is a disaster, I tend to believe them.

Since I never even inhaled, I wouldn't know.

I've always been very conservative about taking any pills. If there is a side effect, I will have it. When my wisdom teeth were removed, the doc gave me Vicodin. I think the label said it "might cause drowsiness"; it knocked me out cold for 4 hours. A shot of Darvon after my wrist surgery made me loopy. I'd hate to think what illegal drugs would have done to me.

I still drink a cup or two black in the morning, but then I usually switch to decaffeinated hot tea ordiet decaf sodas - plus water. I used to keep up a steady intake of black coffee throughout the day, but found that it was giving me somewhat of a sour stomach.

For tea, I prefer Earl Grey both decaf and regular.

Not I. Riding in a car more than short errands around town puts me asleep in mere minutes. Ask cgallagh -- he'll vouch for me. I love a car nap. I go to sleep shortly after we get on the highway and wake up just in time to fix my hair before we arrive at our destination.

I don't have sleep apnea; the steady drone of the car relaxes me enough that I fall asleep. When I *have* to drive long distances I don't have a problem staying awake. My best driving is in the morning, when I'm wide awake and rested. And caffeinated.

Cgallagh bought a coffee and espresso maker for my big Five-Oh. We've developed a liking for a double shot of espresso + foamed 1% milk + coffee in a 16 oz. mug. I'm good for the entire day.

If I indulge in a cold coffee drink I usually have it before 4 pm so I can sleep at night.

I rarely drink sodas; the carbonation bloats me.

Four times in my life have I stopped drinking coffee for longer than a month: During both pregnancies, once when I was 22 on a bet (I won $200), and in my 30's just to see if I could. Took some getting used to but it wasn't the end of the world. Life is good; coffee makes it better.

I have never understood the existence of decaffeinated coffee. It is almost as unthinkable as non-alcoholic beer.

As I understand it, you enjoy a nap as a passenger. However, when you drive, "I don't have a problem staying awake."

Tim24k stated, "When I drive a car for long distances (two hundred or more miles) I drink coffee/sports drinks to stay awake. "

Somehow I missed your point. Driver . . . passenger - two very different activities.

Coffee keeps me from killing people in the morning.