It’s March! March always seems like a hopeful month- maybe because it’s my birthday month, woohoo! On this first Friday of the month I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the ultimate coffee date.
If we were having coffee (or, tea for me), the first thing I would tell you is, we have made our travel arrangements for my son’s COLLEGE GRADUATION in May. I know- how has it been four years??? It seems like just yesterday I was weeping in the parking lot of his freshman dorm.
All year people have been asking what he’s doing next, and I say “He wants to go to grad school.” But now I can finally say, “HE IS GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL!” He’s been accepted at two of the schools he applied to, and one would be free. He’s still waiting to hear from a couple others (and one of those is his Very Top Choice) so no decisions have been made yet. But we know he WILL be going somewhere.
Meanwhile, my daughter is chugging away in her sophomore year of high school. It’s a busy time of year, and this week has been especially crazy. She’s playing in the pit orchestra for the high school musical, and they have rehearsals every night (the show opens tonight!) On Wednesday, rehearsal went till 11 pm. WHAT. I mean- we get up at 5:30 am; school starts at 7:30. What kind of educational system is this, anyway? In an “unrelated” note, my daughter has started drinking coffee. I don’t even drink coffee! She brings cold brew to school in a thermos and drinks it throughout the day.
I have a vague feeling this is not a good thing, and I suspect it will be confirmed when I read my new book:
I haven’t started it yet (because I’m afraid) but I’m hoping that reading it will lead to a “lightning bolt moment” (as Gretchen Rubin says) that will make me take my sleep habits more seriously. The other reason I haven’t started it is I’m in the middle of this one:
I love it! I wish I could go on a reading retreat and just read all day long. Think how much reading I could be doing if I just didn’t have to work (sigh.)
That’s it for this week!
Have you read either of these books?
Do you drink coffee? Did you drink it as a teenager?
Top photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
39 Responses
I read why we sleep- it’s a great book! I loved it- though I had a newborn at the time so maybe reading it at that time of my life wasn’t the ideal time. Ha! Just a word of warning, take some of the more extreme claims with a grain of salt, as later the author has said that the evidence has changed. Personally I don’t think it’s a big deal if your daughter drinks a thermos of coffee during the school day, as long as perhaps doesn’t have caffeine after mid-afternoon? I’m a neuroscientist so I have looked into this a bit, but I’m also a coffee addict so I may be biased hehe.
Okay, some great advice here. I’m glad to hear your take, because I’m a fan of caffeine personally (I get plenty in my tea.) Also, now I’m curious to know what evidence has changed, sleep-wise! I guess I’ll read the book and be on the lookout for any “extreme claims.”
Congrats to your son!! I really enjoyed the Susanna Clark book back when I read it and I’m so glad you’re liking it, too! I did not try coffee until my 40s and now have a cup in the morning and sometimes a cup at lunch. What finally got me to try it was cold turkey quitting Diet Coke (my main caffeine source in my 20s and 30s); it took me a bit to find a taste for it, but I obviously figured it out, haha! (And, am back with the Diet Coke, too, sigh).
Well- I think coffee is way better for you than diet coke. But now I’m actually having a craving for diet coke, ha ha.
That orchestra schedule is rough! I think we sports my kids had a few far away games that would get them home late, but 9 pm late not 11 pm late!
I don’t think I started drinking coffee until I was a new mom. I survived college on full sugar Coke.
Huge congrats to your son!
Thanks Coco! I also survived many, many years on full sugar coke (ah, the good old days.) I definitely think coffee is the lesser of those evils.
Okay, Jenny, I don’t want to be That Person, but sleep is so important. I was just listening to a podcast about heart health, and it is really incredible how important sleep is to our overall health. But you know that already, so I won’t lecture. Although WTF school, why 11 pm! I didn’t even know there was an 11:00 at night!
Gosh, I think I started drinking coffee when I was 12 or 13 and I’ve never looked back. I’ve had like four cups already and it’s not even 5:00am! Coffee is one of the great pleasures in life, to me.
Oh okay!!! I won’t worry about my daughter having it then- she’s 16. But, I will worry more about sleep. That’s why I finally bought that book- like I said, I’m hoping to be scared straight.
Congrats on graduation and grad school! That’s such a very big deal!! I’m so glad he’s doing it right away, because sometimes when people put it off (just for a year or two–like my oldest) they have a tough time going back to school.
I’m so thrilled that you’re into JS and Mr. N–I read it in the summer thankfully, when I could read large chunks and not have to put it down constantly. That book–all puns intended–really did cast a spell on me!
Yes, I love books where I feel like I’m living in a different world, and I definitely feel like that with this one.
And- 100% correct. It’s VERY hard to go back to school after a prolonged break.
How exciting for your son, and it’s wild that he’s about to graduate college!
The sleep book sounds interesting! I’m actually a pretty good sleeper, getting at least 8 hours each night because I think I have high sleep needs, but I’m always bothered by my watch telling me my deep sleep is “low” pretty much every night. I usually feel rested so I’m not sure how accurate the sleep stages are on a fitness watch, but maybe the book would tell me how to improve my deep sleep.
I’ll read the book and let you know. If you’re getting eight hours and feeling good, it’s kind of annoying that your watch is telling you otherwise. I don’t know how accurate that is (but I’m hoping to find out!)
Hooray for free grad school!!!! I was fortunate enough to get a full ride scholarship to grad school and it was not only amazingly fun, but I got to feel superior to my husband for decades while he paid off his med school loans and I had NOTHING. LOL – perhaps that is not the best attitude to have, but it was pretty cool. (Also, to be fair, I got a degree in poetry and he got a degree in medicine, so who really gets to feel superior????)
School musical theatre is INTENSE, Jenny. I would love to commiserate with you. My daughter had a background role in her school musical and still had to attend rehearsals after school until seven or nine. She normally is asleep by eight thirty! And she still had homework to do! One night when we got home close to ten and she remembered she had math homework due the next day, I said “turn your homework in late! you need sleep!” I know I was busy with school and extracurriculars when I was a kid, but HOW??? I have no idea how these kids are supposed to balance academics and extracurriculars AND get adequate sleep.
I drank coffee for YEARS, in high school and beyond. But I can’t stand it now and have been a tea drinker for more than a decade.
Well, I think you and my son have something in common, in that you both went (or, are going) to grad school to get a degree in something that should NOT come with a loan debt- in your case, poetry, and in his, music. Medical school is a bit different because you have a better chance of being able to pay those off. But you can feel superior all you want : )
Huge congrats to your son on the upcoming graduation and his acceptance to grad school. My son is now applying to grad school as well. Happy birthday month-I hope you have something fabulous planned
Thank you Deborah! I have no plans yet… I guess I better think of something!
Congratulations! What a big milestone for your son and for you.
I’ve only recently started drinking a bit of coffee in my 40s. I’m going to put the Susannah Clarke book on my TBR.
Thank you Sak! I still don’t drink coffee and I’m in my 50s. And- I hope you like the book!
Congrats to your son on grad school!
Enjoy your birthday month!
Thank you Michelle! This month already feels better than January and February- so far so good.
I agree, how can it have been four years already since your son started college? Congrats to him for already having grad school options. I wish him the very best!
Nope, I’m not a coffee drinker. I’ve never liked it., but I might if I put equal amounts of coffee and sugar in the cup. LOL
Thank you Debbie! And, I’m with you. i used to like coffee ICE CREAM. Coffee needs a lot of sugar to taste good.
Congrats for Paul for getting into several programs – including one that is FREE!! That is amazing! I can’t wait to hear where he ends up and I hope it is somewhat close to you!! Fingers crossed. It’s nice to have somewhat of an idea of what he will be doing next year, or to at least know he’ll be in a program, even though you don’t know which one just yet!
Sleep is a big priority for me and I suffer greatly when I don’t prioritize it! I got an Oura ring and it is way more accurate in terms of tracking sleep. Like it can detect between me laying in bed versus sleeping. I haven’t read either of those books, though.
I didn’t drink coffee until I graduated from college. Instead I had a steady stream of Mountain Dew. Ewwwww right? One of my college roommates joked about how she would wake up to me opening a can of Mountain Dew when I was getting ready for the day. So pick your poison, I guess? I think coffee is less bad than sugary soda!!
I’m pretty sure coffee is MUCH better for you than Mountain Dew, ha. And, you do an excellent job of prioritizing sleep. I need to follow in your footsteps.
Yes, it’s a relief to know that Paul will be going SOMEWHERE next year for grad school- it could be close by, but probably not if he gets into his top choice. We’ll find out in a couple weeks.
I have read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I sort of prefer Piranesi, but the idea that Susanna Clarke wrote both those very different books is amazing to me. What an imagination.
I love coffee. I also try to really limit my caffeine, so that’s quite a catch-22. I get a lot of decaf americanos, which is basically coffee watered down so much there’s barely a hint that a coffee bean was ever involved in the making of said beverage. But it is what I get myself as a treat when I do an adult chore. I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was in grad school and everyone hung out in coffeeshops all the time. I succumbed to peer pressure.
I also read Piranesi and loved it. I think she’s just a great writer.
I’m kind of the opposite of you- I don’t like the taste of coffee but I do like caffeine. Luckily black tea fulfills my needs!
Yes it seems like just yesterday when he started college. Congrats on the grad school acceptances with possibly more to come!
I started drinking coffee as a teenager! It went about as well as you would think – I drank it all day long and once I started working at McDonald’s I drank it all night long while I was working just because I could. Until my mid 20s I was one of those people who would loudly tell you that it was fine because caffeine didn’t affect me at all…yeah, with age comes the wisdom to realize that’s not true. But I slept pretty well as a teenager so in that sense it was something that I could get away with because of my age. Reading this, I am very jealous that cold brew wasn’t a thing back then because I would have loved it.
Okay, good to know that my daughter isn’t completely overdoing it. It doesn’t seem to affect her adversely, so she might as well enjoy it while she can!
Congrats to your son on his impending graduation and on his grad school plans. It’s all so exciting and yes, I agree those college years are some of the quickest. I did not pick up the coffee habit until I was well into my 40s and realized just 4 oz of black coffee felt like jet fuel for my Sunday long run. The young people I work with drink coffee and energy drink all day/every day. My older daughter’s office has free cold brew on tap! Go figure. A reading retreat sounds wonderful about now!
Oh yes, the energy drinks. Somehow I feel like those are worse than coffee- my daughter has one every once in a while. I’ll tell my daughter about the free cold brew- she’ll want to work there when she’s older : )
I do love coffee. But not until I was an adult.
I hope you r goes to a good vacation spot for grad school.
It’s definitely a possibility! Or he could end up close to home, which would be cheaper but less interesting. We’ll see.
oooh… that book sounds interesting!
How exciting for your son! I can’t wait to hear how that goes!
What’s the musical? We have a live orchestra pit but the band director’s wife always takes the clarinet role. It’s a huge time commitment.
Coffee is 80,000 times better than energy drinks, which the kids seem to GUZZLE. A drinks coffee sometimes (but more the frappacino type with lots of caramel and flavors). Occasionally he take an energy drink. He’s pretty careful, because his dad has so many heart and blood pressure issues, and I’m sure pots of coffee and 5 Hour Energy shots didn’t help.
I was never allowed to drink coffee growing up. I was always told it would stunt my growth. I am about 5’10” so obviously I didn’t have to worry. I started drinking iced coffee in college. Then it was black coffee, because I was an angsty artist. I’ve now settled on cold brew with either cold foam or a splash of creamer, no sugar. I’ll drink one most mornings.
The musical is Once Upon a Mattress. They do hire some professionals to play as well- mostly string players I think. It is a huge time commitment.
Yes- energy drinks are the big thing now. I’m sure coffee is better!!! And- I didn’t know you were that tall! It’s funny, you can’t tell people’s height from blog photos.
I think the teen-coffee trend is here to stay. I remember there being a small coffee bar of sorts at my kids’ high school each morning. Some of the students worked there as a fundraiser at various times (clubs, etc.). That certainly was not a thing when I was a student! I got through college on Diet Coke as I have never liked coffee (though the smell is SO divine). I long gave up diet soda, but do have an occasional “full sugar” soda if I’m having a burger or pizza. And, once in awhile, if I’m majorly tired, I’ll spring for a real full-sugar Pepsi 😉
No, there was no coffee bar at my high school, that’s for sure! I didn’t feel like I needed a lot of caffeine in high school (unlike now, ahem) but I did love regular, full-sugar Coke… yum.
Congrats to your son. What will he be studying in grad school? My Tank is graduating in May too. As I type this coach abc I are driving to see him in Omaha. Last home basketball game and a party with all his friends. Fun!
I have not read those books, but I love sleep and NO ONE wants me around if I do not manage my sleep. I am interested in what that book has to say about dreams.
I do NOT drink coffee. Have never had a cup. I will drink tea if I’m in Ireland. In general, I do not like caffeine. I will drink a coke when I am driving, because it helps me stay awake- but then I have to stop the car to pee. . . So I try to avoid it.
Wow, you are hardcore! I’ve never drank a full cup of coffee (yuck) but I love my black tea.
My son will continue to study music- specifically, trumpet performance. What is Tank doing next year? Does he know yet?
I’ll tell you all about the dream part of that book, once I’ve read it.
I hope the performance goes well, exciting! ALSO, YAY to graduation and grad school! SUPER EXCITING!
I drank coffee for a little while in college, like maybe 3 or 4 cups a week, and it played havoc on my stomach. I thought I was getting and ulcer (my symptoms were NOT ulcer symptoms, but I had no idea what ulcer symptoms were, just that I was in debilitating pain). I went to the doctor, and he couldn’t believe that I was having so much pain from only 3 or 4 cups a week, but finally couldn’t figure anything else out that it could be. So I stopped drinking any coffee, and the pain went away. Crazy. Having said that, I tolerate a latte very well, because there’s so much milk involved. But my main caffeine beverage now is black tea, and I will have a Coke Zero most days. Never after 3 or 4pm, because yes, SLEEP IS IMPORTANT.
I hope the book on sleep helps you figure out your sleep routine. I go to bed pretty early, like 9:30 most nights. I get up at about 5:30, so it works for me.