My mom once said addictive personalities run in our family. I've never been into gambling, alcohol, or excessive masturbation (I think), but I tell you, man, I am LOVING these painkillers. I could take these pills on a daily basis for the rest of my life. Painkillers rule. They carry such a pleasant, spacy high, with none of the smoke or subterfuge. I want to hug them.

Today has been fine but I'm reeling a bit from the serious routine change. I can't work out, I can't eat normal food, and my energy level remains low. This afternoon I read Talking With Girls About Duran Duran on the couch while T played Black Ops with his friends via Xbox. Then I made a pretty good chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting from a Penzey's catalog recipe. After that I took a bath, gently chewed a couple tofu tacos, and tried to watch Tangled with the boys but our pay-per-view service isn't working, so we watched a Disney documentary on the oceans instead. Well, the documentary is still playing but everyone's ditched me. That's ok. I think T's staying up late for more video games. Mack just crashed next to me on the couch. Good dog.

The Brewers are losing.

Tomorrow I want to avoid the drugs for the morning and hit the coffee shops for, uh, a different drug, I guess. Ok, here are the options:

1) Java Dock: Local, funky, but a weird setup and unreliable wireless. The space is divided between two floors. The first floor leads to a narrow space, maybe ten by twelve, where you get your coffee. They can address only one order at a time and the area gets crowded quickly. The upstairs area is pretty cool, old tables, board games, etc., and I like the view. I feel like I'm spying on the passing cars. And when I'm with N and M on Saturday mornings Java Dock is usually the best option if we can snag a table even if there's no privacy and people are more or less on top of each other. Their hours are weird, though, and the hippy who runs the place will close at any moment. I get frustrated when I show up on a Saturday afternoon and they're closed for no reason I can discern.
2) Smith Brothers: Local as well, two blocks east of Java Dock, right along the main street near the harbor. Smith Brothers' primary con are their employees. I'd say about half are bitchy. I don't know why. Maybe they have a good reason. Also, their tea blows and sometimes the employees don't seem to know what they're doing. They've got a couple of regular counter people, I guess, who are good but you're rolling the dice every visit. The wireless is reliable, however, and you can't beat the view of passing cars along Grand and Franklin. The tables are a little small for real work but if the three wicker chairs are open near the fireplace the kids can get lost in their books and time passes quickly and easily. Smith Brothers gets the tourist business and, in turn, has a better chance of staying open.
3) Grafton Alterra's: I have to drive a couple miles to the Grafton Alterra's but it's probably the best of the three options. Their wireless is impeccable and the coffee excellent. Alterra's is a small, reputable chain, if you're not from around here and don't recognize the name, and they do enough volume to keep a couple people working the counter whenever they're open. The counter people are pros. Cons: Alterra's can get crazy loud and busy and if you're with someone getting a table can be difficult at peak hours. If I'm alone I usually snag a counter space, looking out over highway 60, where I can plug in the laptop and get to work. I trust Alterra's more than the Java Dock or Smith Brothers.

I don't know why I wanted to write about coffee shops tonight, but I did. Off to read. Good night.