Today was the first day I drank coffee since coming back to the States, and boy, was I wired. After that one poignant moment (was in Budapest, at Cafe Praha on Rahay u. -maybe on different street, the one where the KGRU is on- with Jill, drinking their great cafe melange and guzzling down a 1/2 pound bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans), caffeine took on a whole new meaning for me. The slightest bit of it sets me off now, whereas before I could drink cups of coffee without the slightest bit of alteration. Today (the coffee was on offer, I was in school, with a book in my hand, a comfortable seat, a full-size window overlooking the green green grass and trees, and only one thing could complete this picture), today, I was on the edge all day, could not concentrate on studying for the two quizes which I had later that day, did not even try to work on my clinical plans, and the thought of jumping up and down and scratch the blackboard with my fingernails felt wonderful. It was a medium cafe latte with a dash of nutmeg. That was 9 am, it's not 11 pm, and I'm only just beginning to settle down.

PS The quizes went fine. I got one comment: "You're too hard on yourself" (after refusing to give in the quiz after time's up, hesitating to ask the prof a Q, and after three Qs later about the same one-point quiz question, primarily under the influence of caffeine). I think I did well, but not reaching the 100% mark, which of course, is what I'm aiming for.

In short, I had a wonderful day at school today.

PPS If anyone knows how to 'detox' the body of caffiene, I'll be more than happy to hear about it. But I still like coffee too, and decaf doesn't seem like a viable option.