rootofnewt | I'm an addict.

So, the headache settles in. Headaches are something I have little tolerance for, since the cause is almost always treatable (in my case). Lately, I've been prone to TMJD issues, so I've been quick to find the NSAIDS when I feel the twinge. Today, I realized that I wasn't feeling sinus or eyestrain or jaw pain--it's caffeine withdrawal. I hadn't realized, but I've had a lot of caffeine over the last couple of weeks or more--visiting in-laws, getting sick and needing it for decongestion, asthma, etc. So, the cure is simple--more caffeine. There's no way I'm suffering through withdrawal right now.

No biggie, I go to make some espresso. I clean the espresso pot.

I'm out of coffee.

Well, that's not quite accurate. I have several small bags with an ounce or so of ground coffee in them, dating to august. I don't have a coffee grinder, so I grind very small amounts at a time. Ground coffee begins to taste like dust as it gets old, so I don't use it once the aroma has peaked. I don't toss the bags as they pass their prime, I save them up for mass coffee brewing in my coffee pot. The azaleas get the brewed coffee (azalea and hydrangea love acid), the compost heap gets the grounds.

Anyhow, here I am, in the throes of a caffeine headache, threatening to turn into a migraine because my jaw is joining the tension game. And I have no freshly roasted and ground coffee beans. I briefly consider going to starbucks for a fix, but realize that traffic right now would render me homicidal.

Fortunately, I found some yerba mate. This will suffice until I can buy more coffee.

I hope.