The perfect drug

There are the very rare occasions that I overdose on caffiene.

Normally I intake it at a pace that allows me to keep me from any real serious up and downs.

Probably the worst situation I ever had was when I up at around 2:30 a.m. a couple years ago writing a paper for some class that didn't have anything to do with my major. I had been practically inhaling Shasta Cola the whole night and I distinctly remember my hands trembling as I was forcing myself to continue pounding away on the keyboard.

Rough drafts were not for general ed classes you were taking just because the state Board of Education thinks it's a good idea to have a "well-rounded education."

Well, I blew it again today.

Normally I have my can of energy drink at work because I don't like coffee. That's usually good on the amount of the subject psychoactive xanthine alkaloid until about noon.

But one of the reporters, on a whim, bought everyone in the newsroom coffee. Considering the nice gesture, I decided to bite the bullet and take the cup o' joe--but had to doctor it with about three scoops of Coffee Mate and some chocolate espresso stuff that one of the photographers has in the break room (I owe him).

Alone, not so bad. But after drinking the coffee, I then went ahead and drank the energy drink as well.

Now, the can of Wired has about 90 mg of caffiene. That 16 oz. or so cup of coffee I drank on top of it? At least 100 mg.

Not good.

It wasn't really the caffiene rush that got me as much as the crash that came about 1 p.m. I was serious tempted to fall asleep at my desk. That never happens.

So, word of wisdom. Don't drink coffee on top of an energy drink. Bad things happen.