I live in the Pacific Northwest; coffee is mandatory up here; and I like both coffee and espresso (and teas). I love the smell of coffee; I love coffee ice-cream.
The caffeine has little effect on me; sometimes it seems to actually make me more tired; or maybe it is something else. It does seem to interfere with me sleeping if I have it too late in the day, so I generally avoid caffeinated things after noon.
Occasionally, if I really over-do it, say decide to drink a whole pot of really strong coffee, then it does have some effect, though it is difficult to describe; in essence, it feels like a temporary but significant boost in intelligence; maybe some parts of my brain that don't normally do anything get woken up when this happens, and everything starts spinning in resonance and I can perceive and understand things I normally would not.
I've habitually partaken of large quantities of caffeine in the mornings, but I do not believe I've ever been "addicted" to it; this week, just on a whim, I've cut all caffeine out of my diet, have a Talking Rain now rather than a cup or few of coffee; I have not really noticed that much of a difference in anything.
Good fortune,
- Icarus will have a quad venti caramel macchiato, please…
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Please forgive me if, in the heat of battle, I sometimes forget which side I'm on.