On Monday, I wrote that I was giving up coffee for the foreseeable future. I’m happy to report that I have made it to the end of day four intact. As projected by my friend Erica (the one whose euphoric description of the coffee-free life inspired me to make this change), I have felt pretty darn stupid this week. On Tuesday, I woke up feeling vaguely drunk. The messages from my extremities took far too long to reach my brain. Sounds were slightly muted. I moved though the morning in a heavy fog. It got easier as the day went on, but I never quite caught up. I still felt strange and slow on Wednesday morning, if somewhat less so. On Wednesday, I developed strange aching in my arms and legs. Today, the mental fog was less, but the aching spread to my lower back. I won’t go into too much detail, but other vital systems are a little bit off, with unpleasant results. There is no doubt that some fundamental adjustments are happening in the interior. I have faith that they are a function of transition.

But…overall, I’m hanging in there. In spite of the pains of adjustment, I’m enjoying spending my days in a lower gear. I’m moving a bit more slowly, and this is welcome. In spite of the mental fog, I’m getting my work done and, seemingly well. I am already sleeping better. And going to bed earlier. As I write this, it is four minutes to eight on Thursday night and I plan to go to sleep as soon as this post is done. My tank is all but empty. And the prospect of sleep is as as welcome as it is imperative.

I’ll report again in a few more days. Erica warned me the first week was not much fun, but the second week, she said, got better. It’s the one-month mark that I’m really looking forward to. That’s when the real rewards are revealed, apparently.

Thanks for all your emails of support/alarm/dismay. Apparently, there are a lot of coffee enthusiasts out there. Apparently, my decision to quit isn’t going to bring the coffee industry to a screeching halt. More soon. And now, to sleep, not yet gorgeous, but somewhat better looking than it was before.