Decaf…I said DECAF!!!

What is it with coffeeshops in Seattle acting like decaf does not exist?

This morning I met a prospective RA at a coffee shop at 9 am. I ordered a decaf mocha. I do this all the time. Even with the small amount of caffeine in a decaf and in the chocolate it doesn't usually affect me. They made the mocha. I drank the mocha. It was a good mocha.

About 30 minutes later, I was feeling a little light-headed, and was shaky. But I got a lot done at work. The room started spinning. I was talking extra fast and thinking even faster. I was making lots of mistakes typing. I was doing 5 things at once.

hmmm...it seemed like the symptoms of a caffeine high.

But I said decaf!

I admit it. I'm caffeine sensitive. Most of you know that. Most of you would laugh at me on a caffeine high. But here it is, 3:10 pm and I'm still shaky, still moving a mile a minute, and my stomach is starting to hurt. I don't like the general symptoms of a caffeine high, but I especially don't like the stomach pain symptom. When will this stuff wear off? I had better be able to sleep tonight!

My co-worker suggested that I will probably crash early this evening. With the way I feel right now, I can't imagine crashing ever.

This has happened to me before at a coffeeshop. I asked for decaf, sat down to read some Durkheim, and when I got up to get a refill on my drip decaf coffee, and asked them for a refill on drip decaf, they said " oh- we don't believe in Decaf". What!? You don't BELIEVE in decaf? No wonder my knee was bouncing like there was no tomorrow. You'd think they could have told me that with my first cup- I would have ordered herbal tea!

Seriously- I hate this feeling. While I appreciate the productivity, it is not worth it.

I really don't want to have to give up ordering fun decaf coffee drinks. I live in the city of coffee. Do I really have to repeat myself each time I order decaf. Do I have to act like the baristas are stupid? Do I have to say, "I'd like a tall nonfat decaf mocha please. It is very important that it is decaf"

I will continue to trust the local barista for now. But if this starts to happen more often, you'd better believe I will start repeating myself.