I used to hardly drink soda. Maybe just on occasion when going out to dinner, or when I hit up one of the several fun soda places around that mixes flavors (among my favorites are Twisted Sugar and Fiiz). But still, I was able to resist grabbing one out of habit. It’s been more like a treat.
Now I’m craving Dr Pepper on the daily, and not just for flavor. I’m needing more caffeine.
Every morning when my alarm goes off, I want to curl into a ball and wail. I even accuse my alarm clock of being wrong; that it’s lying to me and I really have another hour to sleep, if not more. Sadly, the alarm clock on my phone only tells me the truth.
When I get to work, my energy is lacking. On the days where I’m the most stubborn, I refuse to find a soda. Our vending machine at work is evil and usually tells me that the Dr Pepper is sold out when it’s not, but lately there’s been soda supplied for work training and Dr Pepper is easily obtained. It makes it even harder to say no.
There have been moments where I want to stop at the gas station for a pop, or even swing by one of the soda shops. But so far I’ve been good.
It’s not that soda is the worst thing I can do to myself, but while I can get a temporary pick-me-up from the caffeine, overall it doesn’t help me much nor make me feel very good.
People can give me options. Green smoothies, for instance, but absolutely not. I had one bad experience with a green smoothie that resulted in chemical warfare in my belly and my face made friends with the contents of a garbage can. Now I’m afraid I’ll never choke another one of those down again.
And the taste of a green smoothie compared to Dr Pepper? No contest. I’m not going to lie to anyone. “Healthier tastes better.” Not always. Not to this girl. Unhealthy typically is exactly what I want to have. The rest of me just pays for it.
I’m thinking about doing NaNoWriMo. 50,000 words in one month isn’t impossible, not even with my schedule the way it is now. It’s just my energy level that I’m worried about. That paired with the fact that my motivation to pursue my writing goals has been severely lacking… November might be a rough road, but I want to do it. I think I even know which idea to work on.
I might just have to quit worrying about the soda intake and stock up on Dr Pepper, along with my WriMo drink of choice: hot chocolate. Together they will carry me to victory. Or at least I hope they will.
The question now: can I set my alarm for earlier in the morning so I can wake up and write first thing?
The answer: I have no idea. Honestly, I can visualize myself the first morning. Groaning but still getting up to get it done. Maybe I’d even do it the next couple mornings. But a week after that?
Probably not.
Morning Ashton is not very motivated.
Let’s just hope that the Ashton for the rest of the day can get it together.
ASHTON WIDDISON 