So, God bless coffee. Where would we be without it? I find myself juicing on it right now, trying to kickstart self after pulling a very, very late nighter, trying to get a complicated essay I’m working on for the magazine just right. It’s technically due tomorrow, but it needs to go in today, and I’m not happy with it, because there are a lot of moving parts that just aren’t in sync yet. I drank two big cups of tea late last night, and stayed up more than half the night working on it. Am going on very few hours sleep, and lots of coffee this morning. I used to be able to pull these all-nighters without a hitch, but now, at 46? The machinery is creaking, and only strong coffee can make it lurch forward.

Let this be a lesson to you young people: bad habits unconquered in youth will haunt you as you age. If I do this crap at 56, not even coffee will save me then.