Tylenol PM vs. Caffeine

I just made a smoothie with my Magic Bullet. Bill and I are on our second, maybe third, Magic Bullet. Sometimes we go months without using it, and then we get on a kick where we make smoothies at least once a day. Here are my favorite smoothies:

1 banana
handful of frozen strawberries
about 1/2 cup of soy milk or skim milk
a little bit of water
a Crystal Light packet (either Raspberry Ice or Sunrise Orange)


OR...

1 peeled medium orange
handful of frozen fruit mixed fruit (pineapples, peach, whatever is in the mix you buy)
Wild Strawberry Crystal Light packet (this has caffeine for an energy kick)
water or skim milk/vanilla soy milk

It's hard to mess up a smoothie. You could really mess it up if you added coconut, but I only say that because I hate coconut. Once in a while, I add some vanilla protein powder. I've also been known to add a little bit of Diet 7 Up or Sprite Zero for a some carbonation.

If we have fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.), those are great, but they are expensive, so I don't mind using frozen. I used to throw in Splenda. Now I've gone to Crystal Light packets because it adds flavor as well as sweetness.

I know other people are more creative in terms of using veggies as well as fruit. I will be honest and tell you that I could never drink a smoothie that was green, even if would add years to my life. I will eat my vegetables. I have no interest in drinking them. If you drink them, you can't butter them.

If I go running in the morning, I like to have a smoothie before I go, and it helps to add some of the "energy" Crystal Light packets for a caffeine kick. Recently, I am finding myself increasingly dependent on caffeine for some "get up and go." I don't like this. However, I find that I have better runs and workouts when I consume caffeine beforehand. I also find that when I'm "blah" in the morning caffeine works wonders.

Many people are dependent on caffeine. I'm not unique in this. It's new to me though. I've never been a coffee person. I actually wish I could like coffee. Lots of places have free coffee. However, I think coffee tastes like cigarette ashes. I've never tasted cigarette ashes, but I've really only tried straight coffee a few times, but I am convinced they taste the same.

If I have caffeine late in the day (after 4 pm or so), I can't sleep at night. This doesn't stop me from having caffeine late in the day. It just means that I have to take a Tylenol PM about two hours before I want to sleep. I don't like this habit either. It's like I am completely manipulating my energy and sleeping patterns with caffeine and Tylenol PM. It could be worse. I have never done illegal drugs. I'm not addicted to prescription pain pills. I rarely even drink. It's rare for me to eat fried food or fast food. I always wear my seatbelt and I don't ride with drunk people. But Tylenol PM is my friend.

After I take my Tylenol PM to counteract the caffeine, I picture both of them in my body battling it out to see if I will stay awake or fall asleep. I actually visualize this as I take the Tylenol PM. When I am about to fall asleep, I know the Tylenol PM has won. It usually does. I think Tylenol PM is a miracle. And its generic versions work just as well. You can tell me that I should try natural remedies intended to induce sleep in a more "gentle" way. I tried that. No dice. If it works for you, great.

My little buddy Murphy and went running tonight (maybe 4 1/2 or 5 miles). We saw a deer out on the trail. Murphy was only moderately interested. He's much more interested in bunnies. You could say he's passionate about rabbits. Murph also had daycare today, so he's tired tonight. We hope this means he will be well-behaved. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog. If this is true, our dogs are certainly not tired enough.