elizabeth grigg - the other fourth meal

This holiday season I have been the picture of restraint. Mind you, it is with one thing only, but it is a whopper. Yes, I bought a few things for myself. Just now. Online. And I drank a few nights in a row. Or maybe it was a whole month. I embraced my inner white loaf and consumed many things that color or marbled nicely in that way only a carnivore can appreciate. I sulked and read my book in the chair while the dogs quarreled (not my dogs) instead of "socializing" (yelling at the dogs.) I watched episode after episode of LOTR. I did no art or anything art-like, which was like my vow to pick up again or something. Speaking of vows, don't get me started about exercise. And to top it off I overworked, scurrying off to work every chance I got, becasue I do love it so, but too much is bad for me as I well know. Nevertheless, in the midst of all this I did show restraint with one thing.

COFFEE

I have given up coffee now in an exploratory quest into inner I don't know what. It has been since Dec 3 or 4 or so. I wanted to pull the plug before others asked me to. There were threats, insinuations, offhand mentions. I did not want anyone to insist. So I did it first. I think now the only thing keeping me off of it is the unholy hell I went through with 2 weeks of headaches. Not "owie owie" type of headaches. This is the nausea inducing kind where every morning I opened my eyes hoping it would all be over one way or another.

Nonetheless, stay posted, because who knows what may happen now that I have turned the corner. No more 2 o'clock slump. No more, well, beyond that I do not know. What I'd really like is to be more connected to the world. Not sure if that makes any sense, but in some way, I see that latte cup as a big baby pacifier. I also want one really bad. But I am all out of pain relievers from the last baby, so I had better not risk it.

What have you experimented with giving up, and what did you learn?