Today during one of my forays into the kitchen to get still another glass of water (it's hot out here and I'm recently obsessed with hydration -- more on that in a sec) I discovered that someone had brought in all kinds of containers of chocolate and left them out for people to enjoy. While we get birthday cakes and bagels quite frequently, and while many of us host candy bowls at our desks (I am the reigning jolly rancher queen these days), it's a bit odd to have so much chocolate lying around. The explanation came later, in the form of a conversation I overheard in another part of the office: one of the admins asked the manager who brought it in where it came from. She said she'd gone to a local supermarket chain renowned for its cheap, healthy offerings of organic and quality products and asked if they would donate a basket for an upcoming health fair.

Turns out they donated a basket full of chocolate for the health fair!! People are hysterically funny sometimes. Or maybe it's yet another commentary on America's morbid obesity. But I had to laugh as I stuffed still another chocolate covered orange slice in my mouth.

The hydration thing: I recently realized that I am just not hydrating my body properly. The heat is a great catalyst for recognizing how much water the body needs, but in general my body was breaking down a bit. I was tired, my skin was getting itchy, my hair seems more brittle -- instead of being a hypochondriac, I made two decisions: one, give up regular consumption of coffee, and two, drink water like my life depends on it...since it mostly does.

As I experience the process of giving up the habit of coffee, it gives me insight into internal drives I had not previously recognized. For example, when I wake up, shower, and ride the BART to work, I am usually craving the coffee, wondering if I can go without for still another day. When I get to my desk at work, I pick up my water glass and think to myself, well, I'll start with a glass of water first. In no time, the craving is gone.

This tells me two things: that I turn to coffee when I'm sleepy and when I'm experiencing some level of stress, even the mild stress of my commute -- so it's an "awareness" aid and a comfort food. I was only a cup-a-dayer -- never upped the ante to two, especially since the java we drink here is pretty darn strong -- so it amazes me that I can experience withdrawal from such little abuse. Physically, it seems akin to being an alcoholic though you only drink a glass of wine a day.

I am allowing myself the option of a cup of coffee should I ever actually have sustained drowsiness. I'm also allowing it as a sedentary pleasure -- there's nothing like a good latte and a slice of cheesecake after a light meal, especially if it's after a walk through the pleasant night air to my favorite desserterie, for example. But beyond fatigue and treats, it's H2O for me these days.